"Oh, yeah? And what were they arguing about?"
She blushes and gives me another wide smile. "I have no idea."
And that's how I fell in love. I didn't know it then or maybe didn't want to admit it. Since then, Camilla has become my obsession, the first thing I thought about in the morning, and the only dream I was craving when I went to sleep.
CHAPTER TWO
CAMILLA
I can't believe I'm doing this: sneaking out of the bedroom I'm sharing with my cousin Claire. It was around two in the morning; I'm not sure because I waited until she fell asleep to escape.
I talked to Antoine until late evening. I didn't notice how time flies with him. And, to be honest, I don't even remember the last time I felt this good talking to someone. I was even late for dinner and lied to Clarissa, my aunt, that it was because I was reading and lost track of time. She was mad at me, but if she knew what I had been doing for real, she would kill me.
I walk into the dark hallway and then down to the first floor. If Clarissa finds out that I'm wandering the hotel corridors in the middle of the night to meet a guy, she will lock me up until the end of this vacation.
"I'm here." Someone wraps their arms around me. I gasp in surprise, but he places his palm on my mouth to muffle my scream and turns me around.
It's him, Antoine, standing right in front of me, pressing my body to his and holding his hand over my mouth. I feel how my poor heart starts beating rapidly.
"Be quiet," he whispers next to his hand, so close to my mouth that I shudder. He's still holding the back of my body with his other arm. I've never been this close to a man before.
Our eyes lock, and for a couple of moments, we stare at each other without blinking; it seems like I’m not even breathing.
"Will you be quiet if I let you go?" He breaks the silence, and my heart tries to jump out of my chest.
I silently nod in response, and he removes his hand from my mouth but does not pull away. Our faces are inches apart, and his left hand is still holding my back, pressing my body to his.
I hold my breath, waiting for him to kiss me. The urge to feel his mouth on mine is so strong that I almost can't control myself. He looks down at my lips, licking his own. I know he wants it, too.
"If someone sees us, I'm going to be in trouble," he whispers as he removes his hand and takes a step back.
A bitter disappointment runs through me, and I almost whine, displeased, but manage to contain myself. My body feels empty without his touch as if it’s missing something now. How can it so be when he held me in his arm for less than a minute?
"Let's go." He extends a hand to me. I hesitate for a second, looking at his palm.
I'm afraid; it feels like if I touch him again, I'm going to shudder into a thousand little pieces and won't be able to pick myself up again.
Eventually, he leans closer and takes my palm in his, entwining our fingers together right away, without waiting for me to decide.
The warm pleasure spreads through my body, starting from my fingertips, traveling up my arm and reaching to my chest. This pleasurable feeling fills me up to the top, concentrating at the center, between my chest and belly.
"We have to hurry," he whispers, and when I look into his eyes again, Antoine gives me a wide smile.
Hurry? I am barely able to breathe, let alone walk.
What's happening to me? Am I having a stroke? A panic attack? Am I going to faint?
I have no time to think about it because Antoine starts to walk, practically dragging me along.
"If Franc wakes up and sees us, he's gonna be furious at me," Antoine whispers as we walk down through the corridor. "He sleeps deeply, but sometimes he wakes up during the night."
I guess he's talking about Francois, an elderly concierge I see whenever I come in as if he never leaves his workplace.
"Where are we going?" I ask as we turn down another long corridor that leads to the backyard.
"You'll see." He winks at me, and a mischievous smile appears on his face.
"That's exactly what a serial killer would say."