The Upward Ripple

Chapter 10

Cynthia had her day all planed out by the time she went to bed. She had her phone alarm set for six in the morning. She was going to take roughly ten minutes to get out of bed and then take a quick shower before she made her way downstairs for a quick breakfast. Muesli and yoghurt were her go-to. She would then head over to the penthouse she had found and make sure the realtor she was working with had delivered on his promise. She was not so sure who had the property before because the interior looked like a rainbow had exploded or maybe thrown up in there. It was too colorful for her taste. Hell, for anyone’s taste. Cynthia had chosen something simple. White and grey were the first option the New York realtor suggested but Cynthia felt that she knew Nate enough to know that he would not appreciate a simple monochromatic color scheme. If he were, it was going to be something a little more adventurous than white and grey. She loved the idea of dark chocolate paired with hazelnut. It would be the perfect shade paired with the warm lighting at night and the natural sunlight by day. The penthouse had three spacious bedrooms and a guest bathroom that was bigger than Cynthia’s own bedroom.

She could wait to finally present the property to Nate. She was so excited that she barely got any sleep. She kept on looking at her phone and it only seemed like every time she checked the time, it was only at ten- or fifteen-minute intervals. Half an hour if she got lucky.

“Damn it,” she thought silently when she checked her phone again only to find that it was four in the morning. “Might as well just wake up now.”

She got out of bed and got her bathrobe on before she made her way downstairs. She still had not got her head wrapped around how big the brownstone was. As far as she was concerned, that place seemed to get bigger every single time she took in the building. She had half a mind to get some coffee in her but the last thing she needed was to look tired later that day. So, she settled for some chamomile tea instead.

She had just poured herself a cup when she heard the front door open. Her heart skipped a beat. It was a little too early for the housekeeper and she was not expecting Nate until much, much later that day. She instinctively crouched down and began wondering what to do next.

“Remain hidden, barricade doors, get yourself to a vantage point,” she thought as she crawled to one side of the kitchen. She carefully pulled a steak knife from the rack and got even lower behind the kitchen counter. The first thing she heard after the door closed was a soft thud and then footsteps. The footsteps were getting closer and closer to the kitchen and a thought crossed Cynthia’s thoughts. There was a phone in the kitchen. Just next to the refrigerator. This was the only advantage Cynthia could think of for one having an old school phone in the house. If only she could get to the other side of the kitchen without….

“Cynthia?” she heard Nate’s voice and for a moment, she was both startled and relieved.

“Oh my God… thank God it’s you.” She got on her feet and tossed the knife aside before she threw her hands around him. “You scared me there.”

“I’m sorry, I did not mean to scare you… I would have called but I didn’t want to wake you up,” he said, and he held her close.

“You’re early,” she said when he pulled away.

He nodded.

“I know… I just…. I needed to be here with you,” he said in a soft voice. He gently stroked the side of her face and then held her chin. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered before he lowered his head to meet her lips in a soft kiss. She moaned into his mouth as he backed her up on the island. She brought her hands up and held the back of his neck. Nate’s arm was around her waist pulling her closer and closer into his body. Their kiss grew deeper and more passionate and Nate lifted her up and set her down on the island. He pulled away from her lips and trailed his mouth down to her chin and then her neck.

“Nate,” Cynthia moaned softly as he went on kissing her neck.

Nate’s lips found their way to collar bone and Cynthia wrapped her legs around his waist. She wanted him. It was the strangest feeling. She had never felt what she was feeling before. Not with any man that she had ever known intimately. Hell, she hardly ever allowed things to get this far. A peck on the cheek was as intimate as she ever got and if the man was lucky, he would have gotten away with a small kiss but this… what Nate made her feel, it was unprecedented. She moaned as his lips found their way back to her mouth. His tongue sought hers out and his hand tugged on the robe chord.

“What are you doing, Cynthia?” she wondered when she felt Nate’s hand under her robe.

Finally, she had a hold of her senses and just in time too. She pulled away from him and untangled her legs around his waist.

“I’m sorry,” she said in a whisper. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“Please, I should be the one apologizing.” Nate looked at her as she secured her robe. “I just missed you so much…” his voice trailed off and he took a step back.

Cynthia could not help but notice the look in his eyes. She was not so sure if it was fear or dread. Or was it worry? She did not know what it was but there was something there.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as he leaned on the counter. He shook his head.

“Nothing.”

“Please don’t lie to me,” she begged as she tried catching his evasive gaze.

“It’s a long story,” he admitted. “Let’s just say that being in Las Vegas prompted the ghosts of my past to resurface.”

“The Outlaws?” she asked, and Nate nodded.

“Yeah, you pretty much rounded up my entire trip in two words.” He exhaled loudly. “To be honest, that was one of the worst trips of my life.”

Cynthia raised an eyebrow over the other. She wanted him to talk more about it. To talk more about what had happened in Las Vegas but she was not sure she knew him enough to press those buttons. She did not even know how to start. But there was a small voice at the back of her mind that pushed her to ask those difficult questions she tried not to ask.