A North Carolina Autumn - Chapter 32: Chapter 32

Rylie and I make it onto the shuttle just in time and slide into the last two empty seats in the back, letting out exhausted sighs the moment we're off our feet. I take a moment to glance around the shuttle, noting the colorful, carpet type fabric covering the seats, floor and ceiling.
"This shuttle is really old, look at the designs!" I whisper to Rylie with a laugh as I point at the interior of the vehicle.
"I haven't seen this sort of interior in years." Rylie giggles. Despite it being nearly 2:00am at this point, the shuttle is packed, and dozens of people still crowd the sidewalk outside the airport.
The sky has a dim sort of glow to it, and I can make out clouds spreading out overhead, confirming what I'd thought about us flying through a storm. The rain had stopped a few minutes before we'd gotten outside, but the ground had still been wet, bringing the clean smell of wet pavement. It had been a challenge to avoid the big puddles covering the sidewalk on our walk to the shuttle, but we'd somehow managed without our stuff getting too wet. I wanted to save the wet part for later.
The shuttle begins moving and soon we're on the busy highway, and my eyes widen as I watch the endless city lights stream by my window. The drive isn't too long, but the view of New Orleans at night makes me wish it was a longer drive.
When we arrive at our hotel, I glance up at the 3 stories of the peach colored building in awe. It was adorable. The front entrance has a balcony above it with vines trailing up the railings and across the banister. Plants are hung from the ceiling of the balcony, swinging gently in the light breeze. Two black framed glass doors welcome us into the lobby, and I smile at the receptionist as we step up to the front desk.
"Hi y'all, what's the name?" She says with a smile of her own.
"Aspen Hart."
She nods and clicks around on the computer for a moment before handing us our room keys and directing us to our rooms. I thank her before Rylie and I head to the elevator, pushing the third floor button. Once out of the elevator, I glance to my left and see a large courtyard in the middle of the hotel. The warm night air rustles through the leaves of the palm trees spaced out around a lit up pool, and a cute gazebo sits at each end of the pool.
"I'm obsessed with this place." Rylie comments as she gazes out over the courtyard.
"Me too!" I agree. "I wish we had time to swim while we were here." I say with a sad tone.
"It's okay, we'll be swimming plenty on the ship." Rylie grins, bumping my shoulder. She slides the keycard into the slot and opens our door, but stops halfway through. "We got a good view!" She exclaims.
"Move so I can see." I laugh before pushing her the rest of the way into the room. "Oh, wow." She was right. Through the glass balcony doors, I can see city lights spread out in front of us, with several tall buildings stretching towards the sky. The room itself is bright and clean, with a large bed in the middle. Nightstands sit on each side of the bed, and a long, black desk sits opposite the bed, with a large TV mounted on the wall above.
My exhaustion from the long day suddenly catches up to me right then, and I set my stuff next to a dark grey chair before flopping onto the bed.
"Don't go to sleep yet!" Rylie says, and I hear her unzipping a bag. "You need to put on pajamas first. And brush your teeth."
"Why? You're just going to take them off." I roll my head lazily to the side and grin at her. Her eyes snap to mine, slowly filling with an intense heat.
"Fair point." She laughs. "Are you hungry?" She asks as she arranges our luggage neatly against the wall.
"A little bit, but I don't know if I'm hungry enough to venture out." I laugh.
"Doordash?" Rylie offers with a grin.
"Sounds great to me." I smile and watch as she joins me on the bed. She turns on the T.V. before pulling her phone out to order.
"Perfect. There's a pizza place just down the street, it says it will be here in 10 minutes."
"Good, because now that you've mentioned food, I am really hungry." I smile sheepishly.
"I knew it!" Rylie laughs. I move over beside her and grab the remote before laying on her lap.
"No way!" Rylie gasps, and I stay on the channel I'd just changed to. "I love this movie! I kind of forgot about it." She laughs. On the screen, we watch as a boy with blond curls talks to a cute, long haired brunette in a white nightgown. Two young boys can be seen on beds behind them, fast asleep in similar white nightgowns. The blond boy is wearing what seems to be an outfit made of... leaves? I suddenly know what the movie is as the boy begins floating midair, his hands planted firmly on his hips.
"Is this some sort of Peter Pan?" I turn my head to look up at Rylie.
"Yes! The 2003 version, to be exact. Which is the best version, in my opinion."
"It seems slightly familiar, but I don't know when I would've seen it..."
"Just wait, I think my favorite part is coming up, and you'll definitely recognize the song." As Rylie finishes speaking, a soft, beautiful melody begins playing. I turn back to the TV, scrunching my eyebrows as the tune tickles some long forgotten memory in the very back of my mind.
"You recognize it, don't you?" Rylie laughs.
"I do! I must've been, what... five when I last saw this movie?" I grin. As the movie goes on, I begin remembering more and more, and my smile only grows. I make a mental note to find other movies from our childhoods that we had forgotten about.
Ten minutes pass before there's a knock on the door, signaling the arrival of our food. "Finally!" I hop off the bed and open the door to a tall, thin, pretty redhead. She smiles as she hands me the pizza, and I grab some cash for a tip before she disappears down the hall.
"Thank you!" I call behind her before shutting the door, shaking my head slightly. "She was in a hurry." I say to Rylie as I set the pizza on the table.
"They probably don't get too many orders at..." Rylie pauses, checking the time. "Nearly 3:00am. She was definitely in a hurry to get back to whatever she was doing before." She finishes before grabbing a slice of pizza. I grab one as well, nearly moaning as I take my first bite.
Rylie raises an eyebrow. "Careful there." She smirks.
"Sorry, this is just better than I thought it would be. And I was hungrier than I thought I would be, too." I laugh.
"I knew you would be." Rylie grins smugly. We finish eating quickly as Peter Pan continues to play. Rylie cleans up the small mess and I head into the bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for bed. She joins me a moment later and brushes her teeth, but as I get ready to change, she takes my hand.
"Come with me." She smiles, pulling me towards the balcony doors. My own smile grows as I breathe in the warm, humid New Orleans night air. City noises fill the silence, despite the late hour, and I'm impressed with how well the doors kept the noise out of our room. The air is slightly foggy, leaving an eerie feeling around, and softening the glow of the lights surrounding us.
Rylie props her arms on the slightly damp balcony railing as she stares out at the city, and I watch her for a moment before joining her, pressing my arm against hers. "I'm so happy." She says softly after a quiet moment.
"Yeah, it's easy to be happy in New Orleans." I tease.
"I'm happy because of you." She clarifies with a grin, bumping her shoulder against mine. "I never thought I'd get the chance to be this happy, let alone with the love of my life." Her voice gets soft again, and I turn to study her.
A stray strand of her hair blows softly in the light breeze, and I reach out a hand to tuck it behind her ear, leaving my palm against her cheek. Her eyes flutter closed and a soft smile slips onto her lips as she leans into my touch.
"This love we share is a nearly overwhelming amount at times, and yet, I always feel as though I will never get enough." My voice is a quiet whisper as I study her blue eyes in the dim lighting. Before another moment can pass, I close the remaining distance between us and press my lips softly to hers. I slip my hands to her waist, feeling the soft fabric of her dress beneath my fingertips, and pull her body closer to mine.
Rylie's hands come up to cup my face as the kiss deepens, and I feel the beat of my heart quickening as a familiar heat builds low in my stomach. She breaks the kiss briefly, keeping her lips mere centimeters from mine.
"I need this off." She purrs as she tugs on the fabric of my dress.
My gaze meets hers instantly, and I see the same heat and desire in her eyes that I know fill my own. "Then take it off..." I murmur before pressing my lips back to hers. My words are the only encouragement Rylie needs. She quickly pulls me back inside, pushing me against the wall the moment the door is shut.
I gasp as her warm lips meet the sensitive skin on my neck, and force my legs to stay steady below me. Rylie's eyes meet mine once more as she reaches her hands into my hair, quickly but gently removing the pins until the wavy locks fall over my shoulders.
She brushes my hair aside before sliding my left sleeve down and placing her lips to my shoulder. "You're so soft..." She breathes as she trails a finger down my arm. "Everywhere." She finishes. Her hand pulls the hem of my dress up before her fingers slip to my thigh. The touch pulls another, shakier gasp from my lips and she moves closer and closer to the spot that yearned most for her touch.
"You have goosebumps, baby." She murmurs, pulling her hand away from the throbbing that was only building with every second that passed. A small whimper slips from my lips at the loss of contact, and Rylie's eyes fill with pleasure and satisfaction at the small sound. "Do you want me to touch you?" She questions softly.
I can only manage a nod. Rylie's eyes darken, and she pulls my chin towards her, pressing the ghost of a kiss to my lips. "Let me hear you." She instructs.
I swallow hard, willing my voice to work. "Please." I whisper, begging with my eyes. "Rylie gently moves my hair to one shoulder before turning me and her fingers work at the buttons of my dress. The moment my back is exposed, she places kisses along my neck and shoulders, bringing a shiver with each one. Her fingers brush slowly down my spine before she pushes the dress down, and I watch the fabric pool at my feet before turning back to her.
A blush rises to my cheeks as her gaze travels the entire length of my body, the scorch in her eyes filling me with more heat than I would've thought possible. I knew her dress had no zipper, so I waste no time in pulling it over her head and dropping it to the floor next to mine.
Once she's free of her dress, I take my time studying her perfect body. No matter how much time I spent with her, looking at her, loving her, it would never be enough. Rylie was simply perfect. And she was mine.
She reaches out a hand to take mine gently before pulling me towards the bed. I reach behind me to shut off the light, and a dim glow from the city lights surrounds us as I kneel on the bed in front of Rylie.
I gently brush a lock of her hair behind her ear before pressing my lips back to hers while sliding one hand along her waist to pull her body towards mine. "I need to feel you." I whisper, and my voice betrays my evident desire.
"Show me where you want me to touch you." Rylie's voice is low, but her instruction is clear. I reluctantly let my hands fall from her body before placing them on my own. Her eyes follow my movements, and I watch as they fill with more heat with every second that passes.
I trail one hand along my collarbone, then slowly down over my chest and stomach before stopping just above my panties. I bite my lip as I slip a finger beneath the hem, and Rylie's eyes lock onto my mouth.
She reaches her hand up gently and slips her finger under the strap of my bra, sliding it aside before placing her lips to my skin where the strap used to be. I close my eyes as my head drops back and take in a shaky breath before gently lifting her chin and kissing her.
Her fingers reach around and fumble with the hook of my bra before she slips it off, dropping it to the floor. She slides one hand down the newly exposed skin of my chest, keeping the other on my back as she gently lowers me onto the bed.
Rylie's body fits perfectly with mine, and she runs a hand up my thigh before pulling my panties down, throwing them to join the rest of our clothes on the floor. She sits up after a moment, locking her eyes with mine as she removes her own bra. My eyes drop to her chest the moment it's exposed, admiring her beauty once again. She removes her panties next before straddling me again, and I enjoy the heat of her body as it presses against my own.
"What do you want?" She whispers before pressing her lips to my neck.
"You." I reply. She was the only thing I wanted. Her mouth moves back to mine as her hand slides down my body, and I cry out in pleasure as her fingers find the wet spot containing the ache that only she could relieve.
"I want to hear how much you want me, Aspen." She instructs as her fingers move in a steady rhythm. I don't get a choice in obeying her as the sounds slip from my lips without my permission.
Rylie slips two fingers inside of me, and I push my hips up against her, inviting them in further. The combination of both of her hands quickly builds the pressure deep in my stomach, only pulling more moans from my lips.
The moment before my body finds its relief, Rylie's lips meet mine again in time to take in my moans as they flow from me in time with pleasure. She keeps her movements steady as I ride out the orgasm, and her blue eyes meet mine the moment I come back down.
She gently reaches a hand out to brush a lock of hair behind my ear as I work to catch my breath. She kisses me softly, her lips lingering on mine for a moment before I push her down onto the pillows and straddle her.
Her warm hands rest of my thighs for only a moment before I lace my fingers with hers and place them above her head. I lean down to kiss her, gently at first and then harder when I feel her desire.
I use one of my hands to keep both of hers above her head just before slipping my other down between her legs.
"Oh, fuck..." She gasps, squirming slightly as my fingers find the right spot. I move slowly for a minute, watching Rylie's face as she bites her lip while the pressure builds. "Don't stop, baby." She begs before pulling me back down to her. The way she kisses me makes it nearly impossible to keep my focus on moving my fingers, but I manage.
Her kisses get sloppier as she gets closer, and the moans get more frequent. The sound of my name slipping from her lips as she nears her climax is the most beautiful sound in the world.
When I feel her legs begin to tighten, I spread kisses all along her neck and chest as her hands cling to my back. She cries out as her body begins pulsing around my fingers, and I watch as she responds to the pleasure flowing through her body.
When she recovers, she pulls me down beside her, still holding my body tightly against hers as she studies me.
Few words are said between us as the night continues on, but our shared touches and kisses are proof enough of the love and desire we both felt in that moment. That was all I needed.