An Untimely Romance: A Time Travel Romance (2 page)

Ruben was wearing a
white open-neck shirt and nicely fitted jeans; he bent to take his shot...
Stop
it, Heather! What am I doing?
she thought to herself, refocusing. His jeans
hugged him tightly in all the right places, the line of his boxers once again
on show. Everyone else in the room may as well have disappeared as she made her
way towards him. As she did so, he turned towards the bar and caught sight of
her. The way he looked at her made her feel naked and completely vulnerable,
like he had the ability to see beneath her dress. She hadn’t knowingly dressed
to impress and just grabbed the first thing in her wardrobe that came to hand –
an off-the-shoulder kingfisher-blue maxi.

Ruben’s eyes smiled, to
which hers smiled back. No words were needed. He took her by the hand, and she
caught the scent of his aftershave, raw yet heady, intoxicating, filling the
air. It was like they were caught in a bubble, where no one else existed.
Heather felt totally out of control, lost in the moment, and she realised she’d
do anything for this man.

He led her into a snug,
a small room, which had only a couple of tables and an open fireplace, although
it wasn’t lit since it was a warm summer’s evening. Nevertheless, it had a very
cosy feel, and better still, they were alone.

“I was just about to
get the next round. What’s your poison?” he asked, pulling his wallet out of
his back pocket.

“Orange, cranberry
juice ... either or.” She paused, taking a seat. “I’m driving,” she muttered
awkwardly after seeing his expression change.

“Are you always this
much fun?”

Heather blushed. “Only
when I’m driving,” she joked, looking at him playfully.

She watched him walk
towards the bar, returning with a tray containing five drinks and a small bowl
of mixed nuts, which he placed on the table with an orange juice and a beer.

“’Ang on, love, just
got to give these to me mates.” He headed back towards the snooker table, and
seconds later he was seated next to her. “You’re keen, eh?” he boasted, looking
for a response.

Heather, lost for
words, just sat in silence, reaching for the bowl of nuts to hide her momentary
embarrassment. He took her hand in his.

“Lighten up,” he said,
pulling her closer. “I’m only joking.” He ran his fingers softly through her
hair, brushing it back behind her ears. “There, I can see your face now,” he
murmured, stroking her cheek with his index finger.

They sat hand in hand,
his grip firm and meaningful. She could feel him rubbing the inside of her
palm, and again she blushed, tingling inside. She could feel his fingers
between hers, causing an electricity to rage through her body. What was
happening to her? She had never felt emotion like this before.

“You’re not in any
rush, are you?” Ruben asked, letting go of Heather’s hand and moving his own to
rest on the inside of her thigh. He squeezed softly. “My parents are away...”

He quickly explained
that he was shacking up with them for a couple of weeks while his own apartment
was being renovated.

“So ... got an empty
house, if you want?” he continued.

Heather’s eyes widened.
She did want, but things were happening far too fast. She could feel his warm
breath on the side of her face. She inhaled; he smelt so good.

“I ... erm ... well...”

“Okay then, your call,”
Ruben said, picking up his pint. “Best get back to me game then.” There was a
noticeable cooling to his demeanour. “Another time, maybe.”

He gave her a sideways
glance and, without further ado, walked back over to the snooker table, leaving
Heather confused and longing for more. Time slipped by slowly; a good half an
hour passed as she sipped her drink awkwardly, watching him watching her, overhearing
meaningless conversations and cheesy jukebox tunes, some played over and over
as she sat feeling dejected, and watched uneasily the body language between two
girls Ruben was obviously acquainted with, the taller and older of the two with
flame-red hair. Heather glared as the redhead leaned provocatively against the
baize of the snooker table while Ruben played his next shot. She couldn’t hear
the words that passed between them, but the chemistry they shared was obvious.

Feeling a streak of
jealousy, Heather had no intention of playing second fiddle to anyone, and was
certainly not prepared to watch Ruben flirt back in her face, so she put her
half-empty glass on the table, and the next thing she knew her arms were firmly
around his waist, her head pressed against the arch of his back.

“Are we leaving then?”

He jumped, surprised by
her forthrightness.

“Why, aren’t you the
dark horse?” he replied, turning triumphantly. “Well, Beth, maybe next time...”

Disdain was etched on
the redhead’s face. If looks were daggers, Heather had a good idea where she’d
be at this moment. Once again, she felt his hand in hers.

“Give her one for me!”
Heather thought she heard one of his mates say, followed by laughter, but of
course she could have been wrong, or he could have been talking to someone
else.

“I’ll drive,” Ruben
insisted, their feet crunching against the coarse shingle as they headed across
the car park to a rather snazzy jet-black BMW, resembling a large panther.

“Don’t think so, the
way you’ve been knocking them back. I’ll drive.” Heather was not about to take
no for an answer, and led him to the opposite end of the car park where she’d
left her little motor.

“Purple Ka?” Ruben
sneered. “All it needs is a ribbon and it’ll look more like a bloody Easter egg.”

“Well, it’s that or
walk.”

Ruben peered through
the passenger-side window, screwing up his nose.

“Where am I supposed to
put me legs?” he asked suggestively.

Blushing was becoming
quite the norm for Heather, and, unable to answer, quickly retreated into the
driver’s seat and turned on the ignition. Ruben sat next to her in the
passenger seat, pushing it back as far as possible to accommodate his height.
Heather put her foot on the clutch, and as she did so, she felt his hand on her
thigh.
He’s gorgeous, but can I do this?
she thought, looking in the
rear-view mirror.
And what do I do?
She’d never been in this position
before, and her stomach was in knots.
What if I’m no good?
A battle was
taking place in her head, but she knew the uneasiness she felt was of her own
making. She found herself driving in the opposite direction to Freesdon Manor
as Ruben called out directions. They passed from one narrow lane to another,
and then through a small village.

“I thought you said you
only lived down the road,” Heather questioned.

“Well, if you’re in
that much of a rush, love, I know a good few lay-bys,” Ruben joked, ruching her
dress up above her knee.

Heather flinched as she
felt him stroking the skin on her inner thigh. She could feel his warm fingers,
his flesh against hers. She sensed his eyes wandering over her body as she
drove and was finding it very hard to concentrate. His presence and touch were
too much, her breathing shallow as she tried to gulp in air. She felt like her
whole body was on the verge of explosion.

“Not now,” she said in
a quivering voice, pushing his arm away. “My eyes need to be on the road and my
mind on the job in hand.”

“I’ll find alternative
employment for your hand later,” Ruben muttered seductively.

Bloody hell, what am
I doing?
she asked herself again as her face turned
the same shade as a rising sun. Trying hard to get her mind back on the road,
she took the next left down a private lane set between a number of mature
deciduous trees and they were soon approaching a unique-looking house. Although
a modern build, it was of grand design, set in a couple of acres of
land. On first glance she thought it must have five or six bedrooms. She drove
onto a large block-paved driveway.

“It’s all ours, for
tonight anyway,” Ruben bragged, struggling out of the car and walking towards
the front door.

Heather fumbled in
retrieving the keys from the ignition, trying to regain her composure. Part of
her wanted to run in the opposite direction, yet she was also desperate to
follow him into the house. Normally she was so in control and decisive, yet
she’d backed herself into a corner this time.
But then I am nearly eighteen,
and isn’t this what all girls my age are doing?
she thought, trying to
justify her rash actions. This certainly wasn’t going to be a ‘take it slow’
relationship. She didn’t think for too long and decided to follow him, and was
soon standing in a square hallway.

Ruben pointed towards a
door.

“Make yourself at
home,” he said. “I’ll just grab us a drink. Wine or beer? Or there’s some
alcopops in the fridge, if you’d prefer? You are going to have a drink, aren’t
you?”

“Wine’s fine,” she
stuttered.

“Good girl, now you can
really loosen up. I’ll go check the hot tub.”

“Oh, if I’d have known
I’d have brought my bikini, so maybe next time, if that’s ok?”

“Don’t worry, you won’t
need a bikini.”

And with that, he
disappeared through the door, leaving Heather in no doubt as to his intentions.
I’ll get out of it somehow
, she thought, trying to steady her hands as
she opened one of the double doors leading into the lounge. She was immediately
hit by a strong fragrance of potpourri. The room was a good size, with a marble
fireplace and large square bay window, the decor subtle in varying shades of
grey. An expensive-looking leather settee complemented the room. She seated
herself on the chair nearest to the window. Ruben peeked around the door.

“Drinks are on the
patio,” he called, walking away.

Heather followed his
voice back through the hallway into an L-shaped kitchen, which looked newly fitted,
with modern units in a deep red and the splashbacks having their own mood
lighting. She could hear soft music playing in the background. He was standing
in the open patio doorway, which led out to the gardens. The soft melody
enhanced the atmosphere as the light began to fade, and there was still a
warmth in the air. He stood with a bottle in one hand and two wine glasses in
the other, wearing only a pair of jersey boxers.

Oh shit!
She gulped with the sudden realisation that this was no longer a
game.

“Grab a glass then,” he
said, smiling. “A nice rosé, not too sharp, good bodied, with a sweet
undertone.” As he spoke, his eyes wandered to her cleavage and down her petite
hourglass figure, seducing her with his eyes, addressing every curve. “The
water’s perfect. Take your clothes off, there’s a good girl.”

Heather could feel a
cooling in the atmosphere and noticed a frown appear on Ruben’s face; he was
obviously picking up on her own uncertainty.

“Don’t worry, I don’t
bite ... well, not unless you ask of course.”

She watched his lips
pucker. He kissed her softly on the forehead, folding his arms around her small
frame, pulling her into him. She could feel his warm body against hers, her
heart almost beating out of her chest.

“Don’t keep me
waiting,” he whispered, filling his glass for the second time, before
disappearing into the garden.

Heather stood alone,
trembling with anticipation, an argument raging in her mind.
If I do, what
will he think of me? Will I just be an easy lay? But then if I don’t, he’ll
wonder what the hell I’m doing here, that I’m leading him on... Am I? Do I
want this? Am I ready? I don’t know what I want
, she thought,
angrily kicking off her shoes. She shakily undid the side zip of her dress and
it slipped to the floor. She hurriedly stepped out of it and was now
standing in only her bra and panties.
Calm down
, she thought to herself,
it’s just like wearing a bikini. I’ll just go with the flow
, her
mind working overtime as she walked through the doorway to be greeted by a
two-tiered patio. On the uppermost tier stood an open-fronted gazebo, in the
centre of which was the hot tub, oozing the smell of chlorine. It looked so
inviting, and Ruben even more so as she walked towards him slowly, trying to
cover her embarrassment. His eyes were open, but only partially, his body
submerged in the bubbling warm waters. With his striking green eyes and blonde
hair, he took on the appearance of a Greek god.

“And the rest,” Ruben
said.

She could see in his
eyes how much he admired her figure, yet she sensed a hint of disappointment in
his gaze that she was still in her underwear. 

She glanced down, not
wanting to meet his eyes, the jersey boxers he was wearing only moments ago now
lying discarded on a small plastic chair next to the hot tub.

“Well, I’m waiting,” he
said, his fingers strumming impatiently.

She walked cautiously
up the two steps and dangled her foot in the warm water. It felt like heaven,
and she stepped in quickly, lowering herself against the massaging jets that
were invading her body from every side. Ruben reached out, wrapping his arms
around her, and she gasped, feeling his male form next to hers.

“Heather, you’re so
bloody hot,” he said. She smiled as he admired her model-like looks. “You’re
mine now ... my girl.”

Her blue eyes shone like
sapphires from the pallor of her perfect alabaster skin – a photographer’s
dream. He wrapped her hair around his fingers, pulling her back roughly into
the awaiting bubbles. She felt his tongue brush softly between her lips,
flicking the nape of her neck, then lingering sensuously. Just as passionately
she kissed him back, and their bodies became one. She felt in a euphoric state,
so why did she stop?

“No, Ruben, it’s wrong,
it’s too soon... I just can’t, I need time.” Heather cried uncontrollably, salty
tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’ve never done anything like this before ...
I’m a virgin!” she shouted. “When I give myself to you, it’s got to be
special.”