Chapter 5

Fae

“Had it never crossed your mind that what you desired with Carl would never come to fruition? Fae, you possessed beauty, intelligence, and all the qualities that could make a man fall for a woman. If he truly had feelings for you, you would have known by now. You would have been together long before he even met Sarah.”

Countless tears had streamed down my face, but now I was regaining composure though I still sniffled like a two-year-old in front of him. Jigo fetched water and Tylenol from the kitchen, ensuring I wouldn’t drown in my sorrow if he left my side for a moment. We started to talk. After a quick trip to the bathroom—apparently, even heartbroken souls needed to relieve themselves—I found myself back in Jigo's arms, crying softly now, finding solace in his gentle words because they held the same truth I recognized.

And they were comforting.

"It was embarrassing... at the party," I sniffled. "I hate myself!"

"Shhh..." Jigo's hand rubbed my back rhythmically, providing comfort. We shifted to the couch, searching for a more comfortable position, but his touch and familiarity started to unsettle me. Not because I didn't enjoy it. Quite the contrary.

It reminded me of the attention I longed for from Carl, but I never received. Carl had hugged me before and engaged in countless conversations. He even took care of me when I fell ill with the flu before the days of COVID. But those encounters were never like this. Carl's actions were always pure and brotherly.

But this... attention from Jigo... it felt like how a man would care for a woman. I couldn't explain how I knew the difference, but I hoped Carl would treat me the same way. Talk to me. Touch me. Even kiss my hair, just as Jigo had done. A few times. And there it was again. Jigo might have thought I hadn't noticed, but I had.

A small sob escaped my lips at this realization.

Jigo's arms tightened around me, holding me close. I allowed myself to sink deeper into his embrace and the emotions it stirred within me. I drew warmth from his body as it intimately pressed against mine.

It felt like intimacy, didn't it?

We sat in silence for a few moments.

And then, I made the first move. Lifting my head from his shoulder, I turned my face towards him to meet his gaze. In that instant, I knew he understood exactly what I was thinking. If our experiences about this were compared, mine would pale in comparison.

But strangely, in his arms, I felt a sense of purpose. I felt comfortable with him.

I needed Jigo's experience.

However, Jigo knew which women he could engage with and whom he should keep at a distance. Unfortunately, I could see in his eyes that I fell into the latter category. In the next instant, he released me and swiftly rose from the couch.

It was evident in his eyes.

He wouldn't indulge.

He moved so quickly that I nearly face-planted into the pillows behind him. He seemed... panicked. It surprised me. I never expected someone like Spencer Jigo Myrick to get nervous about this over someone like me.

"I'll fetch you more water to help sober you up before you sleep. You'll have a milder hangover in the morning," he babbled as he walked away, heading towards the kitchen, putting distance between us.

I let out a long, deep sigh as he disappeared from my sight.

The poor guy was trying to be a gentleman, which was silly because it only made him more intriguing.

And several degrees hotter.

God, he even made babbling sexy.

I stood up, feeling the mild buzz of alcohol remaining in my system. Or was it the sexual tension I sensed between us? It didn't matter. It was exactly what I needed to bring closure to my relationship with Carl.

Slowly, I shed every piece of clothing I was wearing. The silly white lace dress, my white bra, and panties. I had discarded my high heels ages ago. Standing there, completely naked, I still felt warm despite the air conditioning in the suite. I also felt bold and confident, which were the more important things.

My chin lifted as I heard Jigo's footsteps approaching. I watched as he abruptly halted upon seeing me, looking as if he had run into an invisible wall that it was funny. A smile formed on my lips as I observed an obvious blush creeping up his neck, spreading across his handsome, shocked face. But his eyes… they couldn't help but roam over my nakedness, lingering in places that heated me up in a way I had never felt before. Then they returned to meet my gaze, his filled with feverish desire.

Our eyes communicated with each other.

And despite everything, a single tear rolled down my cheek as I wished Carl would look at me the way Jigo was looking at me right now.

But enough with the pain. It was time to move on. To get it over with.

"Do something," I pleaded, my voice a mix of desperation and strength, cracking the silence. My breathing had already quickened. This was how I would finally say goodbye to Carl. "Please, Jigo. Don't look at me like that and pretend you don't want to touch me. I need you. Come to me..."

There was a tense moment as he stood there, simply staring at me, his eyes filled with longing. "Fae, Jesus—"

"Don't reject me. Not today. Please..."

An expression passed his face… I wasn’t sure but I thought I see anger then remorse, and then pain. But that pain was for me. Then, in an instant of fluid motion, he dropped the glass he was holding onto the nearest surface. As he straightened up… those eyes were focused on me, and he began unbuttoning his shirt.

My eyes dropped to the spot on his chest, still damp from my tears. And for a moment, I felt lose. But those feverish eyes never left mine as I returned his gaze, and when he discarded his shirt, his feet closed the distance between us in a hungry frenzy.

His mouth captured the mixture of a sob and relieved laughter that escaped my lips as his hand enveloped my body, one at the back of my head, the other around my back, pulling me closer, pressing me tightly against him.

If there were any lingering doubts within me, this kiss obliterated them.

Everything in me surrendered to the blaze of his embrace. Any reservations in my mind were chased away by a seductive, throaty moan from him as his mouth devoured mine. His hands explored my back, tracing the contours of my body, firmly grasping and squeezing my buttocks as if claiming them as his own.

Oh, god, I’d never felt so possessed.

"Jigo..." I breathed as his lips left mine, trailing down the side of my neck, leaving wet, teasing kisses that sent pleasurable shivers through my body. Until he reached the spot behind my ear.

"Shhh... let me love you. Let me do this. Let me make you forget."

"Th-Thank you..."

He turned his face to look down at me, his eyes warmly caressing my face. His hair was disheveled from my fingers running through it during our kiss, weakening my knees and igniting a bigger fire within me.

God, he was breathtakingly beautiful. How could anyone be this exquisite?

And I couldn't believe those eyes... looking back at me starved, as if he wanted to taste me, to consume me whole.

"Don't thank me yet. Come here."

He guided me back to the couch, where I sat down, and I watched as he continued to undress. His eyes glittered with anticipation, fixed on me, waiting for something.

"Anytime you want me to stop, just tell me. I'll stop," he assured me as he discarded his pants and socks. But I found myself distracted by the rippling muscles on his chiseled abdomen and powerful thighs, the long limbs that were gradually unveiled before my eyes. “Anytime, baby. I’ll stop.”

He was far more masculine than I had anticipated. Far more beautiful. This was what pure testosterone looked like when it took form in a male body.

He was perfect.

I shook my head. "No. I mean, I won't say no."

I gasped slowly as he finally pushed down his briefs with a thumb, revealing the impressive bulge concealed within the stretched fabric.

He was well-endowed. Thick. I swallowed, unsure if it would fit me. A nervous whimper escaped my lips. But Jigo lowered himself to his knees, positioning himself between my spread thighs. His eyes followed a path from my face to my heaving breasts and down my flat stomach. I felt grateful for the hours I had spent at the gym as I saw the appreciation in his gaze.

He liked what his eyes could see very, very much.

My arousal heightened as Jigo displayed his admiration for me. Lowering his head, his eyes heavy-lidded but burning with desire, he murmured, "You're so beautiful, Fae, and I want you."