Winter's Arrangement

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Day 2

I woke up still in Collins arms. My body was sore in a good way and I was relishing in the moment. I look up and notice that Collin was already up and just staring at me. 

“Good Morning Beautiful.” He said and leaned in and kissed my nose. I sat up and stretched. I didn’t bother using the blanket to cover my chest. He had seen all of me last night already. “Why do you tease me so?” He said and instantly he was hovering over me again, the evidence of his desire poking at my thighs. He kissed me passionately and we were at it again. We had two more rounds before we decided to take a shower together where we went for another round. We seemed to be feeding off of each other's desires. He became a new drug to me that I just wanted more of.

After our shower I was wrapped in a big fluffy towel when I realized I have absolutely no clothes.

“s**t, Collin, I have nothing to wear.” I said sitting on his bed while he was in his closet putting some clothes on. He came out dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. He handed me a shirt and boxer shorts.  

“This is all I have that might fit you. I’ll drive you back to your suite and you can change. I want to keep you to myself today.” He said and winked. 

“So you are not sick of me yet? What if I had already made plans with my girlfriends for today?” I said teasing him while I dressed. When I was finished he wrapped his arms around me from behind and started kissing my neck. I was pushing him off and giggling like a schoolgirl. 

“I don't think I can ever get sick of you.” He kissed my neck again. “In fact, I think you are my new addiction. Since I only get to have you for a couple more days I want to spend as much time as I can with you.” He said. I huffed. 

“Well I am ok with that, as long as we are discreet. I want to enjoy our own little world while it lasts too.” I spun and pecked his lips. He gave me a glorious smile and we finally left. 

We got back to the penthouse and I noticed that everyone was gone. I shrugged, they probably did the same thing I did last night. I walked into my room with Collin following me. He looked around and took a seat on my bed waiting. I went into the closet and threw on some denim shorts and t-shirt and my ankle boots. I walked out of the closet and straight into the bathroom to fix my face and hair. I decided on a high casual ponytail. When I walked out Collin was staring at me again with lustful eyes. 

“What?” I was puzzled. I was really not trying to impress him. I just wanted to wear something comfortable. He walked straight up to me and kissed me hard. I was not expecting this at all. Then he tugged my hair tie off and let my hair loose. 

“You are absolutely the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, my dove.” He said in his sexy deep irish voice. 

“Well I am hungry. If you want any tonight I suggest we go get something to eat.” I said pulling back. And walked out of his way and to my nightstand and retrieved my small sling purse. 

“You are such a tease, you know.” He said with a groan at the end. I just laughed and shook my head. Poor guy, he thought that I was this easy. “Why don’t you pack a small overnight bag? I think I might keep you longer than tonight.” He said and I turned to face him with a smirk. 

“And If I refuse?” I ask, raising my eyebrow challengingly. 

“Then I guess you would have to borrow more of my clothes. Or I can keep you naked in my room for the rest of your vacation until I allow your friends to bring clothes for you.” He said in response with a smirk. I grinned, liking that Idea more. “But it seems to me you like that idea.” He said and then he grabbed my hand and we stormed out of the penthouse. I was excited and aroused by his dominance. We both knew how to push each other’s buttons and we enjoyed it. 

We drove in his Range Rover out of the city and into the rolling hills to a dense forest. It took us two hours to get to our destination to which Collin refused to tell me anything about. We sang all along the way and he kept his hand in mine. 

We Then turned onto a dirt path. I was growing anxious. This seemed like a scene from a horror movie, is he going to kill me? He squeezed my hand and smiled at me. We stopped and parked the car. 

“We need to walk from here, but it's not that far. See why I stopped for take out too.” He said. Makes sense now. After we ate breakfast at this cute dinner he also stopped by a fast food joint for some burgers. He took my hand while carrying our food down a small beaten path. I was starting to hear roaring water. Soon we were seeing a waterfall and rocky boulders everywhere and a small patch of a pebble beach. It was beautiful and the water looked so clear. 

“Wow.” I said admiring the view. I turn to look at Collin and he just looks admiringly at me. I smile and again feel that connection. I can’t deny it anymore, I really wanted this to be something more. 

He sat down on a flat boulder and brought our food out. I followed suit and we both ate in silence. When I was done with my mouth watering burger I finally broke the silence. 

“This place is beautiful, I bet there are a ton of hidden gems like this in this Country.” I said. 

“Yes there are many. I am still not sure that I discovered them all.” He said and sighed. The way he said it made me know what he was feeling. He was showing me this place like it was meant to be viewed, but his betrothed probably might not see it this way, or not at all if she is a spoiled brat. 

“I guess I just hope that my betrothed would appreciate these gems as much as you. I spend my past time having adventures that lead me to view marvels of the world. I don’t want to stop that if I can help it.” He said with a saddened voice. 

“Well I feel lucky you showed it to me. This is a marvel I would happily visit again and again.” I said. “If we stay friends after this, I would join you in adventures like this. Not very many of us rich kids enjoy nature and the real world like you and I do. We work so hard for what, materialism. I would rather spend my money on adventures. I think it is what makes life worth living.” I am also thinking of my betrothed. I could almost already feel my wings being clipped. “You may be luckier than me with our family obligations. If I was betrothed to you, I would love to come here with you, but somehow I think the man that I am forced with will clip my wings and never allow me on adventures again. I would be lucky to even have one trip with the girls.” I finished. I was feeling like such a fool and again suffocating from my fate. There was a lump in my chest and I just wanted to stab it and maybe succumb to the darkness. 

I felt Collin embrace me and I started to cry again. We both were feeling it again. The pressure and stress of our family obligation. Our freedom, happiness, and peace ripped from us. 

“In our world I would love for nothing more than for you to be my betrothed. I have never met a girl like you that was an heiress and so down to earth. I wish… O how I wish that I could keep you.” Collin said and I felt his tears on my neck. 

“I wish I could keep you too.” I said back and then we kissed. We kissed with so much need and passion. We were pouring our unspoken feelings for each other into this one kiss. When we broke we both had a look of despair. I cupped his face and gave him a small smile. He too looked at me like we were trying to not let it bother us anymore. We both had to be strong. 

“Maybe we should go back.” I said, the longer I stay with him the more my heart hurts wanting him. 

“Not yet, I still have one more place I want to take you too.” He stood up and helped me to my feet. He took my hand into his and kissed the back of it. “Why could I have met you sooner?” He said and I shrugged my shoulders. 

“Don’t think that way. We can’t change anything about it. Now take your own advice and let's just enjoy what we have left. You still have another day until I have to leave.” I said. I still didn’t want to tell him that I will be moving here at the end of the year. It is already hard enough wanting something you can’t have, now I am going to live in the same country and possibly the same city as him. I cringe thinking of him walking around with another woman that’s not me. What is wrong with me? I am acting like a scorned possessive woman. The feelings that he is bringing out of me I am trying to avoid. Leaving him is going to be so much harder now. But I can not resist him. His charm, dominance, and down to earth personality are driving me wild. He would be the ideal boyfriend. I could almost see a future with him just based on our small time together. 

We were back in the car driving back to the city. I loved watching the trees and rolling hills. This country had some of the most beautiful scenery. Alaska has its views, but there was a different atmosphere here, almost enchanting. I would love to have shown Collin Alaska and my favorite places. He finally came to the entrance of a secluded, very private beach. We both got out of the car and again our hands intertwined together. 

We walked down the beach and he finally stopped and sat petting the spot in between his legs for me to sit. I oblige and lean against his chest. The salty sea air was surrounding us. It was peaceful and we sat there in comfortable silence just enjoying each other's presence. 

“You know I have never been to Alaska.” He suddenly said and I turned to look at him. 

“Well it really isn’t as big of a tourist destination like other parts of the country. I can see it being overlooked a lot.” I said. 

“I was given an opportunity to go visit earlier, but I denied thinking it was a setup by my parents.” He said and I smiled and nodded. “Maybe if I had gone, we could have bumped into each other. And then my parents would have gotten off my back about dating.” 

“I don’t think that's how these things work. Plus if you are just as stubborn as me, we still wouldn’t have really ‘seen’ each other. I for one was not looking into getting into a relationship until after I got that CEO position.” I said. 

“Really?” 

“Yes, I broke up with longterm boyfriend more than a year ago. After that I devoted myself to work. I didn’t want to be that girl that depended on a man for anything. My father was already distant enough and he tried to sway my decisions with money. Everything these days is about having money to take care of yourself. I managed that without daddy's money. I knew that my position and family ties made me a target of other heirs' desires. I have managed to deter many. I knew once I became CEO, the man that would claim my heart would not want me for my connections.” I said. 

“That must be hard. Especially for a female in the corporate world. I definitely would not let a chance like that go to waste. If you had denied my advances I would have moved heaven and earth to have you.” 

“You see, you already wanted to make me into a trophy wife. I would have dismissed you right away. I already have two guys that are relentless.” I said thinking about Justin and Kent. 

“So you have stockers already? Damn, I thought you had no extra baggage.” He laughed and I pinched his side. “Ouch! Ok i’m sorry. Who are these idiots that can’t take no for an answer?” 

“Justin Adams and Kent Jones.” He laughed hard after that. 

“Ok I can see that. They definitely want a trophy wife. I can see why they want you. Wait! You are not betrothed to one, are you?” 

“O Hell no! I would never in a million years go through with that arrangement, even if it cost me my birthright. They are both conceited chauvinistic pigs.” He laughed too hard after that. I could not help but join him. 

“Well I feel honored and lucky that I got this much of you. Maybe I might dangle that in their face. I would love to see their faces when I tell them that we were friends with benefits.” I pinch him again. 

“So that’s how it is. I am just a ‘beneficial’ friend of yours.” I said in a teasing manner. But then I was saddened because it is true, we are only friends with benefits. Maybe I am making a mistake by doing this. Using my last hurrah as an excuse to do this. He is essentially using me. 

“That is all this can be right. We both knew going into this that it wasn’t going to be anything serious because of our dilemma.” He said as if I wounded his pride. 

“Yea you're right. At least it was a good run. Maybe we should head back. The girls just text me if I am getting dressed with them for the club tonight.” I said, showing him my phone. 

“Ok I’ll drop you off, but I am coming right back to pick you up. I still have about two more days with you and I don't want to miss a minute.” He said and kissed the top of my head. 

We both stood and walked back to the car hand in hand again. Like a true gentleman he dropped me off the hotel and I went up with him to the front door of my suite. I turned to face him before I walked in. 

“Thanks for  the day. I’ll see ya later.” Before I could turn back to unlock the door with the keycard He leaned down, grabbed the back of my head with one hand and wrapped my waist with the other and brought our lips together in an endearing kiss. 

“I will see you soon, my beautiful dove.” He peaked my lips one more time before letting me go and enter my room. When I walked into the suite I closed the door to his smiling face. I heard all the girls wandering around trying to get themselves ready and when they heard the door close they snapped and all attention was on me. 

“Wow , I feel like I haven't seen you in ages, Aria. I hope it was worth it.” Angie said first. 

“Yes it was, but I think that I am close to the edge of the deep end here ladies. I am starting to feel things for him and I can’t afford to. Maybe I shouldn’t go tonight. You ladies have fun with your new men. I’ll stay here and lounge about.” I said. 

“Aria.” Kaite called out. “Come and sit.” She commanded. Katie had a look about her that meant that she was serious. “Look Aria, I know you have to deny these intense emotions and attraction to that delicious man. But have you thought maybe you both are really meant to be. Maybe you should give into this pull of attraction and defy the laws of gravity. Maybe you can make your father understand that you can make a clear and better choice for your future happiness.” She said as we took our seat on the couch. The ladies followed suit. 

“I don’t know girls. I don’t even know if he really wants me, or he is just using me as his last chance too. We both are clouded by our rebellion from this obligation. How can I know if this is real enough to fight for? I am so confused. I want to succumb to him in every possible way. I honestly just want to be alone to clear my head.” I said and then sat up from my spot and went into my room. Collin has made my world spin and I have yet to get my bearings. Was I really willing to give up my birthright for a man that I only spent a day with. But I promised Grandpa that I would keep the company in the family.

I sprawled out on my bed and headache was forming. I didn’t want to be the party pooper. But everyone was hoping to have fun tonight and I can’t be selfish. I mean I can still have fun and just not let these emotions get to me. I need to harden my heart and play this out until I have to turn back into a pumpkin.