Someone Exactly Like Me by Debbie Cromack

16

Destiny

I open the door to my bedroom, watching him go back out to the balcony, likely to have a cigarette. Closing the door behind me, I clutch my chest, filled with wild, intense emotions; my heart aching for whatever happened to him that makes him feel incapable and unworthy of love juxtaposed against the explosion of passion that’s blazing through every inch of my body, yearning for one kiss from his lips.

I wish tomorrow wasn’t our last day together. But the reality is that it is. I’m going to enjoy every last minute of our time together before he’s gone from my life. We may not have known each other long and we may not be dating, but this is the most powerful connection I’ve ever had with a man and I’m going to cherish it forever.

As I drift into sleep, he visits me.

In the morning, he knocks on my door. I open it to his disheveled hair, bare chest, and green and navy plaid pajama bottoms. He’s completely adorable and disturbingly sexy.

“Good morning. Do you want some breakfast delivered?” he asks.

“Okay.”

“There’s a menu here next to the phone.”

“Okay, I’ll be right out. Let me just clip up my hair.” I’d already showered, but hadn’t dried my hair.

Clipping up my hair, I join him on the leather sofa in the living area. We look through the menu and he calls to place our order. While we wait for our breakfast to arrive, he showers and I finish getting ready. When breakfast arrives, we bring it out to the balcony, soaking in the view one last time.

As we eat, we engage in small talk…How did you sleep? The weather’s beautiful for our drive today…neither of us bringing up last night.

We pick an art gallery to stop at before our drive back. Finishing our breakfast, we pack up and head out. He thoroughly enjoys the art gallery and, as we drive home, he tells me which pieces were his favorite and why.

After we stop for lunch, I pull out a book I’d brought with me. Somewhere along the drive, I fall asleep.

A soft finger caresses my cheek.

“Destiny.”

I open my eyes, blinking.

“Destiny, we’re home,” he says.

He’d covered me with a sweatshirt and I was snuggled into it. I get out of the car and stretch then grab my purse and tote bag. He already has my overnight bag.

I unlock the door and we go inside, standing in our usual spots in my foyer.

This is our last goodbye. My heart aches.

“I’m sorry I fell asleep on you. I guess I was more tired than I thought.”

“It’s okay. I enjoyed watching you sleep.”

I don’t want him to leave. When he leaves, that’s it. All this ends.

“Do you want to stay for a late dinner?” I ask.

He steps toward me and strokes my cheek with his thumb. “I want to, but I have some calls to return and an early flight. I have to go.”

My heart sinks with the gravity of this reality. “Okay. That’s fine.” I wrap my arms around my body.

“Thank you,” he pauses, “for everything you’ve done for me these few weeks.” He chuckles. “I think I made out better on our deal.” He smiles. “When your book’s ready, I’ll put it on my Instagram and hopefully that’ll help. We’ll stay in touch between now and then, okay? I want to know how your writing’s going.”

“You’re welcome. There’s a saying that goes, people come into our life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. I believe we met for a reason and I’m so happy I could help you. And thanks, I really appreciate your willingness to do that for me. Let’s stay in touch.” As the words leave my mouth, I know in my heart that we probably won’t. He’s going to be much too busy to keep in touch.

Stepping in closer, he tucks my hair behind my ear. I’m going to miss that. “I don’t know what happens from here. I hope we can stay friends.”

A lump lodges in my throat, unshed tears sting behind my eyes. “Of course we can.” I force a smile. “I’ll watch you soar to fame on social media and cheer you on.”

He chuckles. “I know you will.” He pauses. “I don’t know when I’ll be back here, but you know my goal is to live here. I just don’t know when that’ll be. When I do, maybe we can get together for lunch or dinner sometime.”

“I’d really like that.” I swallow, trying to dislodge the lump.

Inching in still closer, he lingers above me. “Destiny, I…” His gaze sweeps across my face. “I care for you. I don’t know this feeling well.” He softly chuckles. “I…” He pauses, then releases a low growl, hesitating. “Last night at dinner, when we toasted and you didn’t know what I said, I said, you will always be in my heart, my sweet girl.” Curling his hand under my jaw, he runs his thumb across my lips. As his eyes watch the motion of his thumb, he skims his own lips with his tongue.

My breathing is audible. I can’t douse the desire winding its way through my veins.

He lowers his head, his voice just above a whisper. “If I don’t kiss you before I get on that plane, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

My chest rises and falls with each breath I take. “But you don’t kiss women on the lips.” His face inches from mine, my heart hammers in my ears. We breathe each other’s breaths.

“I know,” he says, lowering his head farther, lacing his fingers through my hair. Taking my face in his hands, he tilts it up, then touches his warm lips to mine. A faint groan churns in his throat and thunders through my body.

Nicco

The second our lips touch, my body fucking ignites. Her luscious lips I ravage in my fantasies are pressed softly against mine. Releasing them, I go back immediately, wanting more, so much more. I catch her top lip with my lower lip. Holding her head still in my hands, I graze back and forth across her barely parted lips with mine. Her light, panting breaths feather against my skin.

She parts her lips more, inviting me in. I cover her lips with mine, dipping my tongue into her mouth. A tiny whimper escapes her as she presses her hands against my back. I twitch in my pants. I should stop now, but I’m craving her. I can’t stop. Dragging my tongue between her lips, I sweep a little deeper into her mouth. I groan. Desire pumps through my veins.

Her faint scent of vanilla drifts into my nose as her skin heats beneath my touch. Claiming her mouth again, I slide deeper with my tongue, curling it around hers. Her whimpers grow louder, making me harder. Our tongues dance to a song that belongs only to us. I pick her up, she wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. Fuck she feels good pressed against my hard-on. Walking into the kitchen, I sit her on the counter.

Gliding my arm around her back, I cradle her head in my other hand, drawing her mouth to mine again. I curl my tongue shallowly in and out of her mouth, then run it across her top lip. Her breathing is jagged, nails pressing into my back. I go back for more. Her open lips wait for my entry. Closing my mouth over hers, I extend my tongue deep into her mouth, groaning, clutching her head, swirling my tongue around hers.

I pull away from her, my breath heavy and hard, hers rapid and wanting. Spreading my arms wide on the counter I gaze into her eyes, seeing fire, passion, desire. My heart beats fast in my chest. I want her, right now, so fucking badly. I watch her eyes follow my tongue as I run it across my lip. Grabbing her ass, I pull her, hard and fast, to the edge of the counter, making sure she can feel, between her legs, how hard I am. She gasps.

I drill my eyes into hers. “You do this to me, Destiny, you.” Slamming my mouth onto hers, I plunge my tongue deep into her.

Her whimpers are pleading as she digs her nails into my lower back, tugging me into her, squeezing her thighs around me, driving me wild. I growl deep in my throat.

Lips locked together, tongues coiling around each other, hearts racing, we kiss, lost in each other.

Fuck I love kissing her. I want to peel off her clothes and kiss every silky inch of her skin. As the thought enters my mind, guilt replaces craving. I should never have kissed her. I crossed a line I shouldn’t have. I’m selfish. I know this can’t go any further and that’s not fair to her. Fuck.

Releasing her lips, I hover above her, my breathing still labored. Will I ever be able to look into her beautiful eyes again after tonight?

“Destiny, I’m sorry.” I shake my head. “I — I shouldn’t have done that.”

She touches her hand to my cheek. “I know the reality of this. I wouldn’t have let you if I didn’t think I could handle the aftermath,” she says through heavy breaths. Her words don’t match the sadness behind her eyes.

I step back and lift her off the counter, seeing a book on the corner, Travel Guide for Ponza Island.

“What’s this?” I ask, picking up the book.

“I found it on Amazon,” she says as I flip through the pages. “What do you think? Will it be good for my research?”

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Why?”

I have a brilliant fucking idea. “You need to experience it to write about it. You’ll come to Italy and I’ll show you Rome and Ponza.”

She shakes her head. “Nicco. That’s very kind of you to offer, but I can’t go to Italy.”

“Why not?”

“Well, because, I — I can’t just fly off to Italy. Besides, I can’t afford a trip like that right now.”

“I’ll pay for the plane ticket. My brother, Marco, has a large villa on Ponza and we can stay there so you don’t have to pay for a hotel.”

“Nicco, I can’t do that.”

“Says who? Don’t you want your book to be realistic?”

“Of course I do. That’s why I got the guide.”

“This?” I hold it up. “This is crap.”

“Come, let me show you in real life.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll come. And tonight, we say goodbye for now.”

Folding one arm across her body, she rests her opposite elbow on it and touches her finger above her lip. Her eyes shift back and forth between mine. “I’ll think about it.”

“I have projects the next two weeks. You’ll come after that.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“You know this is the best way to do your research. Please come.”

“You have phone calls to return and an early flight.”

Leaning in, I cup her face in my hands, my heart feeling lighter, and kiss her left cheek then her right. “Ciao, mia dolce ragazza.”

“Ciao. Have a safe trip home.”

As I head to my car, I feel a little guilty. Though I know I should leave her alone, I can’t. Now, having kissed her, tasted her, I’m so fucking addicted. I’d forgotten what it feels like to kiss a woman. Destiny isn’t just any woman and that was far from just a kiss. She consumes me.

Having basically invited us to Marco’s villa, I call him when I get back to my hotel to make sure he’s okay with us staying for a few days.

“Hey, bro. What’s going on?” he asks.

“Hey, not much.” I sit in the chair on my balcony and light a cigarette, sucking in, and blowing the smoke out my nose. “I’m getting ready to come back. I have to come back early for work so I’m leaving tomorrow instead of Sunday.”

“Okay. So, how was the rest of your trip?”

“It’s been amazing, man. I fuckin’ love it here. I told you I was taking Destiny to Ranch Inn to celebrate me getting representation over here and it was beautiful. When you and Angelina come here to visit me someday, you’ll have to go there.”

“Fuck bro, it’s happening. You’re on your way.”

“It’s all because of Destiny.”

“Yeah?”

“Well, Destiny and her mom.”

“Seems like you’re into this woman. How’d you leave things now that you’re coming home?”

“Actually, that’s part of why I’m calling. I told you I have that brand shoot when I get back. When that’s over, I invited Destiny to come here so she can experience Italy as research for the book she’s writing. I’m thinking to show her around Rome for a few days and then I want to bring her to your place for a few days, if you’re okay with that. What do you think?”

“Hell yeah, that’s okay. We’d love to have you. I’ll double-check with Angelina to make sure we don’t have anything else going on, but I’m pretty sure the timing is good.”

“Thanks, that’s great.”

“So, tell me more about Destiny.”

I take a long drag of my cigarette. “I don’t know, man. She kind of fucks me up.”

“Whoa. What happened?”

“She’s unlike any woman I’ve ever met. She’s remarkable.” Another long drag as I scratch my eyebrow with the thumb of my hand holding the cigarette. “I fuckin’ kissed her.”

He’s silent for a second. “On the lips?” He knows about my pact with myself.

“Bro, I couldn’t fucking stop myself.”

“Shit.” He pauses. “Good for you. It’s about time you stop punishing yourself and let someone in.” He’s always been straight with me, sometimes even brash, but his statement comes out with compassion.

“I didn’t say I was letting her in.” I lie to myself, because admitting it means that when she leaves after her visit, I’ve not only hurt her, but I’ve crushed my own heart. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Maybe I made a rash decision in the heat of the moment.

“Bro, it’s okay if you are. That’s all I’m saying. Let me know when you have your plans set and I’ll check with Angelina.”

“Okay, I will.”

“Have a safe trip back. It’ll be good to see you, man. And I’m looking forward to meeting this woman who’s chipping away at my brother’s frozen heart.” He chuckles.

“Fuck you.” I laugh, blowing smoke out my nose and mouth. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Love you, man.”

“Love you too.”

Now I have to make sure she comes to Italy. I’m not ready to give her up.