2020-09-29 - An Accidental Anniversary

On Friday, Lilith goes to get gas and candy because she's tired of being holed up. She also gets a stress pack of smokes. Although she goes into the station ready to stankface everyone nearby out of talking mess to her or about her, she notices people are being nice. One holds the door to tell her congratulations. The clerk chuckles and says the same with a comment that he didn't think they two were the type to pull something like that.

Pull something like what? She's pretty confused, goes about her day, prepares to cook dinner and happens to text August. She thinks real hard about something that happened recently, but doesn't want to jump to too many conclusions quite yet. She'll wait til Byron gets home to see what he has to say about how today treated him. At some point, she calls to check on the dog in Seattle they've been waiting to pick up when things calm down in the home environment. Sitting for a moment after hanging up, she goes to pack both herself and Byron an overnight bag with thoroughness. She puts the dinner she was preparing away to do later.

When he comes in, she informs him that they're going to spend the night in Seattle and that he's already packed. She'll even drive since he'd been at work all day. And they will one-hundred percent stop at a McDonald's off the highway like heathens to eat in the car on the way.

After the supposed death of Byron Thorne, Byron was used to being approached by randoms at the casino, usually people who say that they are happy to say that he's alive. In more recent days, that would sometimes trigger something in his mind. Today was a far more relaxing day. First, there was less people staring at him as if they were surprised to see him. Secondly, the ones who did approach, offered up their congratulations. For what? Not being dead? If that were the case, the reminder of his death didn't conjure up images of just that within his mind. His death.

One such couple even approached him saying that they were thinking of having their wedding here at the casino. Of course, Byron was going to hard sell them on that and showed them around the place. The husband asked if they stayed in an Elvis suite? Out of confusion, the casino owner just had to wonder aloud at who they were referring.

It was a long and busy day with Byron sending texts to Lilith to keep her updated on what he's doing before making the drive home. When he enters the apartment and tosses his keys into the bowl, he's surprised that she expects them to leave that night. Often, he might call it a day if they were planning an overnight trip somewhere. After a quick shower and a change of fresh clothes, he takes the packed overnighter bags down to the car and stores them in the backseat of Lilith's car.

He got to play passenger for the day, which suited him fine. Dressed in thin, loose white long-sleeved shirt, fitted jeans and combat boots, he lets her know as they wait for their order to be filled at the drive-thru, "Funny thing I heard today. A visiting couple wanted to host their wedding at the casino. They asked for the Elvis suite, apparently, because they had stories that we had an Elvis themed wedding."

Lilith almost drops the cup she's being handed through the window after sputtering at Byron's tale about his day at work, turning her head to stare at him with a mixture of incredulousness and helpless amusement, "... what?!" She hurries to look back at the woman and takes the rest of the order with thrust of the bag into Byron's lap so he can feed her fries while she pulls out to get back on the highway toward Seattle. Lashes batting fast, she wonders of the man, "Seriously? Okay, so. That's kind of what happened to me too. I went to the gas station to get gas and candy and cigarettes and I was entirely ready to punch whoever gave me lip. No one did, though. Told me congratulations too."

Suddenly, Lilith breathes out an 'ohhh' of noise and grins at Byron sidelong to settle back and set the cruise control once back on the highway, hands loose and casual on the wheel, "The clerk said he didn't think we were the type to pull 'that' off. I figured you might have some insight on what 'that' is when you got home." Wetting her lips then, Lilith confesses why she decided to stop playing wait and decide to usher them off for the city that night, "I've just felt okay all day. Like some weight was stolen. I haven't had my head feeling crowded or funny or terrible. I just... kind of feel like myself again."

After a breath of pause, Lilith ventures, "Do you think... that our complaining we didn't like the story actually did something? She kept talking about that comment and complaint box, but I think the two of us were pretty whiny and she seemed to want us to like her story."

Byron is more than happy to be handed the bag with the food in it. The first thing that he does is to open the package up and fill the car with the aroma of delicious french fries. The next thing he does he eat some of those fries. At some point between fry eating and taking a bite out of a burger, he will, indeed, feed Lilith a few fries, making sure that they are slightly cooled so that they don't burn her mouth.

"An Elvis-themed wedding though? I wonder how many people actually think that we're already married." As he chews on a lone fry, he rolls his eyes, "I may need to call Rhys up again. He's my test subject for this sort of thing, because he doesn't shine." Carefully, reaching out to poke a french fry against Lilith's lips, he's quick to correct her, "I wasn't whining. I was just stating an opinion. I couldn't outright lie and say that I enjoyed and appreciated her writing." Resettling back into his seat to sip at his soda, he considers, "I wonder why the others didn't bring anything up." He tries to remember who was even there. Oh right, Itzhak and the DJ guy. And I know for certain that Isabella wasn't happy to be everyone's... what was it? Kindergarten teacher?"

Lilith leans aside occasionally to nab the fries offered to her by Byron while she drives, still seeming quite amused by this new development. The most recent fry poked at her is eaten down with a few playful nips that almost get the man's finger before she's paying attention to the road again and chewing, "I do wonder if we're the only one that had our rumors changed, now, if that's the case. I guess we'll see when we get back. I just... I need something good. I couldn't handle being inside anymore or hiding anymore or holding the stress in. Then lying in bed waiting for the pain to pass just made me more restless."

"And..." Lilith catches one side of her bottom lip between her teeth to work with back and forth, considering how to phrase, "I miss you. I know we're around each other all the time, but sometimes when everything feels hectic and heavy, it's like... we become our situation, not us entirely. And I was scared of hurting you, irrationally, so I... you know." Shaking her head a little bit, she concludes, "This will be good for us after the past few weeks." She pauses and eyes Byron sidelong, "Guess who got the exact same room we had last time at the hotel in Seattle?"

Suddenly, as an afterthought, she asks, "Why did those two get toy golems?"

"It's really difficult to say, especially since we, ourselves, don't believe some of these rumors. So if things changed for anyone else, we might not have learned about it." Byron says after another sip of his Coke, feeling that delicious burn in his throat. "I was going to ask Alexander if he had time to nullify the casino, but we'll see how this goes." Hell, Byron had a /lot/ of things that he needed to get done, but he can handle them once they get back from Seattle.

Well, anything that he needs to do in person. He whips out his phone to check his calendar. The Masquerade was coming up and he really should be meeting with all the business owners as well the as Gray Harbor Historical Preservation and Beautification Committee before too long. Tapping out a mail, he sends this to Hyacinth. "I was around all the time." He says with a smile, eyes still on his phone. "It was like old times, working from out of my home office." Turing towards her, that lingering smile still on his lips, he nods, "But I get what you're saying. It was a stressful time." Though, in truth, Lilith seemed far more stressed about things than even he was. At least when in the comfort of their apartment.

Returning back to the message he's typing, his brow lifts, "Under my name and card?" This is in regards to the hotel, because that place is pretty pricey. He does have fond memories of the place though and of course, he's not going to mind. He would've booked at the same hotel to begin with. There, message typed to various board members. "Why? I have no idea. I mean, obviously, the Revisionist wrote something new for them. The reason behind this? "He shrugs, "She might've gotten a memo from The Source."

As he's saying this, something else comes to mind and without even looking at her, he mentally prods at her head, her emotions. He was wary about doing this because of his results the last time, but here he finds that second memory gone. There was no trigger to make him freak out about his own death or any thought that Lilith truly believed that she killed him. Lowering his phone into his lap to take another bite of his burger, he informs her, "We're in the clear. I don't see any signs of the other memory in your head."

"Of course it's under your name and card. I'm done being stubborn, you went and claimed me. You'll even be able to claim me on your taxes soon, if you want to."

Lilith had been especially stressed. She'd been largely staying at home with no trips out given the hatred spewed her way by the town in general and to tempt that was to tempt her while her nerves were on the fritz. Byron had disappeared a few times. Once, she was sure, so sure she killed him and almost hurt herself. But even when she didn't believe it, she was constantly having to fight the worming terrible images left by the dream with the bone crows and Eye. It was like being fifteen again, terrorized by dreams with the same content, unsure how real or not real it was until she'd get to school and see him, sometimes. It was the thing that broke them the first time.

It was an old vulnerability ripped open with compounding factors and no real outlet and on top of that, she had a raging case of super tetanus to recover from. It's not been a very good time, but today... feels different. And Byron does some looking in that 'way' of his to pinpoint why. Lilith breathes out a sigh of relief and looks aside at Byron, sounding a bit perplexed, "I wonder what... I'm glad. I'm really glad. You're feeling okay too?"

After having fed Lilith several many fries, Byron unwraps her burger for her to feed that to her too. She can take bites out of the thing when he holds it near her mouth and handing it over in full once they reach a stop light. He'll even dab away some ketchup or grease at the edge of her lips or chin, wherever they may be found. "I'm not complaining." He says about her using his credit card to book the room. "I just wanted to hear you admit it after saying that booked that room." He's smiling with amusement now, turning to catch a glance of her, "Which you did, of course. I'm just talking technicalities."

He's had time to finish up his own burger fairly quickly enough. This was McDonalds. Which is why he has a second waiting for him in the bag. He chews on a fry first, instead. When she asks, on how he's feeling, he takes the time to contemplate on this. That nagging feeling was gone. Thank god. And if people will stopped believing him to be dead, that was another bonus. "I feel.. I feel fine. How about you? False memories aside?" Yes, he's asking about the whole tetanus thing here. "It's been a while since..." He starts to say, but were they out of the woods yet? There were several things unfinished, including that weird City thing that he hated to return to. Then there was the pool. That was over and done with. They got their damn names back and whatever warped their memories due to it, that was gone. "Makes me wonder if fussing with those crows will bring any of those bad things back."

"I feel pretty good. Don't you worry, I'll be sure and earn part of that hotel bill tonight and call it dutch." Lilith tacks on to Byron with a click of her tongue at the tease, reaching a hand over the console to rub suggestively and squeeze at the man's top inner thigh. Her fingers curl against fabric with scrape on the way back to the steering wheel, then she leans aside between all those bites to steal a quick kiss from him, "Red light on food and worries. Gimme you."

After commandeering her bossy kiss, Lilith turns up the radio to some Audioslave with a little noise of surprise and delight. Then she starts to sing along with a prompting look aside at Byron, mouth tugged into vaguely lopsided grin. Apparently, they're going to take a good time out on unpleasant wonderings and sing for a while on the road. She doesn't seem to mind the man working on his phone so long as he's participating, though, there is a Masquerade Festival to plan, other work duties aside. Anything he can get out of the way for when they get to the hotel, all's the better. And eventually, they arrive in Seattle mid-evening, leaving the vehicle with valet to go check in.

In the elevator up to the room, the brunette woman is a little girlishly giddy with her affections, practically hanging on Byron while wearing a day-dreamy kind of smile, "We're kind of adorable, you know. Even when we're filthy dirty with each other." She's wearing a light clinging sweater dress in burgundy wine with a wide belt and black shiny heels, somewhere between dressy casual. When they get into the room, she downright grins at Byron, "... do you know how ridiculously excited I was about coming with you to this hotel the first time around?"

With dinner over and more than a little hint of what's to come is sealed with a kiss, Byron goes through his various projects and appointments, his to-do, will calls and things of that nature just to get them out of the way. They wouldn't be gone for long, but they were away from Gray Harbor right now. Why waste this precious moment on adult responsibilities.

"I recall you mocking my use of adorable once upon a time." Though that may have been when they were more than a little hot and heavy. "But I'll take adorable." When they are in the elevator, they obviously, aren't alone. There's the bellhop here with their baggage. With one arm wrapped around her, holding her close, he nuzzles his cheek against hers, the bristles of his beard already having mostly grown out." Reaching into his wallet to take out a bill which he hands over to the bellhop once their bags were set down within the suite, he finally answers, "Because of the luxuriousness of it all?" While they may live in a penthouse suit, many of these luxury hotels were larger and far more luxurious in that 'I have money to pay for this' sort of way. Pressing his lips against her cheek, he walks over towards the balcony area to open the door and let a chill breeze sweep through the room.

"No. I mean, it was nice to walk into, but mostly... we'd never been in the outside world together, so to speak. You know?" Lilith explains to Byron a bit thoughtfully with reply, tipping her face into the kiss on her cheek while wandering to look the front part of the suite over with fond smile and reverie in her eyes. Her dark head shakes a touch and a few strands of hair are tousled by the breeze when it floods in from the balcony, "It made it seem more real, less like... some infatuation we were tempting fates with. Out here when we had each other..."

The brunette woman wanders to lean against Byron's side while looking at the balcony railing itself, still wearing a helpless and vaguely unwitting smile, "I don't think I have words for it, really. It's hard to explain. I could feel you loving me and holding me and protecting me and pleasuring me all at the same time. There was the adrenaline of being cut free out in the open and the senseless danger of it." Lilith pauses, looking up at the dark-haired man next to her with serious eyes, "I was never really in danger, though. There's nothing in your body or mind that would have allowed me to fall. It was so close, so intimate, so under the skin... I'd never had that."

Lilith's hand rubs against the lower part of Byron's back while looking up at him, "I think it's been... about a year since, hasn't it? This is practically a first anniversary if we're playing fast and loose with the idea."

Hearing Lilith's explanation, Byron nods. It was around that time where they became an official item, something which made the trip all the more important. He knew that it was in late October, just before the week of the Masquerade. That was around now. So this was something which he fully understood. He'd just broken up with Vivian around then. They'd all spiraled out of control in this every growing chaos which was their lives now. This was something that he didn't have to handle alone, despite the angry and sometimes angry hiccups in their relationship.

"It really was completely and utterly amazing. At times, I was afraid that I might push too far. Go too hard. But that's what made my grip tighten around you all the more," Sometimes painfully so, "I relished in the moment and knew that I needed to work harder to keep you safe still.." There's a thoughtful pause here now, his eyes flickering over to Lilith, "Which is how I often feel about our relationship, strangely. I want to give you the world, to live life on the edge. And yet, I want to keep you safe."

The dark-haired man draws Lilith in close, wrapping both of his arms around her as her back presses against his chest and torso. "Very close, yes. I wasn't sure if you had that planned all along," Because normally women tend to remember that sort of thing more than men, if media is to be believed, "Or this was just a pleasant coincidence."

Lilith steps into Byron's drawing hold and wrap of arms, leaning back against him with brief playful balance on the tips of her shoe heels while she has him as support. While listening to the man speak, she rubs her hand over his arm and the back of his hand, watching her ring's brilliant diamond catch the light in the room before looking back out at the balcony and city view, "You do all of those things better than you know. I know it's not an easy balance..." The woman knows all those sentiments quite well, sometimes 'safe' is a difficult state of being given their particular lifestyles and circumstances.

Nuzzling her dark head back against Byron's chest, she continues to rub against his arms with dragging caress where they stand, but briefly she glances up and back with a vaguely humored spark in her eyes, "I didn't plan the date, I noticed when I was making the reservation. I should have taken credit, but it's coincidence. I'm not sure I could tell you exactly when it was, anyway." After a pause, she tacks on, "It is a little bit like the universe wanted us to have something to celebrate after pissing on us for a while, isn't it? I'm not going to argue with cosmic alignments or whatever the hell lined us up for this."

"What do you want for our impromptu anniversary?"

Lilith's assessment of how well Byron's been doing those things that he hopes to be able to do, brings a more than likely unseen smile to his lips. Though she can hear it in his voice when he speaks. "All that I can do is to try... knowing full well what the cost of failure might be." Feeling her warmth and softness in his arms, the thumb of one of his fingers strokes gently at one of her hands, the one with the sparkling diamond. Dark eyes take in the beauty of the cityscape, something completely missing from Gray Harbor.

"We're married remember?" Not that they even bought their wedding bands as of yet, "What would newlyweds do with an entire evening to themselves in a place like Seattle? We could drinking. Dancing." He knows how much Lilith likes to dance. With each suggestion, his heads dip down lower and she can soon feel his cheek brushing against the side of her face, "Or we could just stay in and do all of the above and more." Some would say that this wasn't the best use of their time in Seattle, but Byron might disagree. "Your choice."

"I don't really want to go anywhere. I know if we were actually honeymooning, both of us might have an idea or two in mind. I'm going to have to wing it now, aren't I?" Lilith tells Byron with a nudging of her face as his drops lower down to brush and nuzzle while speaking. Her hands that were rubbing against his arms drop down alongside and behind to snag and grip at the man's hips, digging him with forward press into the curve of her backside while she's standing there against him in heels, "We can certainly do a good mix of all of the above right in this room, and more besides, you're right. You're paying for it, we should use it."

Gradually, Lilith releases her hold on Byron's hips and starts to turn in place while his arms are still around her, reaching up to draw his face down for a slow kiss that's deep and tongue heavy with breathed out commentary and instructional words between bouts of kissing, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little prepared with packing, though. I knew where we were coming to stay. So I tell you what..."

The woman's hands while she's talking and kissing run up and down Byron's sides, then back up over his arms and shoulders before gripping at the back of his neck in joined tandem, "Make us very stiff drinks and turn on music while I go into the bedroom and do a bit of wardrobe change. I think it's time to play a game." Elaboration on what kind of game doesn't really come with explanation or heads up, though. The brunette merely smiles up at the man in close quarters after nipping small violence onto his bottom lip.

In truth, Byron did have a long day. He just got back from work before they took the drive out to Seattle, so heading out for the evening didn't sound like the most pleasant of ideas right now. Even though, this may be the last night that they are in Seattle. He'll see. When she reaches behind her to grab onto him, he presses himself against her, molding their bodies together until she turns around for that wet, passionate kiss, while his hands do the roaming now. Catching her lips between his own when she mentions packing, there's this quirk of his brow, but he doesn't say anything immediately, just savoring the moment. "A wardrobe change.." He murmurs, just before she nips at his lip; she can feel this jolt running through his body when caught off guard.

Once he's released, his grip on her loosens. He's already heading towards the entertainment for the side table against the wall in this lavish living room, grabbing the remote control for the entertainment console and sorting out what music to play while she... changes. When Lilith wanders towards the bedroom, his head turns to enjoy the view from behind, before calling out in a casual tone, "Are you thinking sexy jazz or Lords of Acid." This is asked in all seriousness, but he's quite the kidder. Or he really wants to know.

"I think if you meet somewhere in the middle of that, you might get decent stripper music. You're not going to be hearing much after I come out, but you could set the tone of how you're feeling tonight and I'll play accordingly. Maybe." Lilith calls back to Byron while dragging her wheeled overnight bag into the bedroom of the hotel suite while he tends to drinks and the speaker system. She doesn't bother closing the door, but it might be because she's using the adjoining bathroom to do her changing and bit of hair and makeup arranging. It doesn't take her an overly long time since she was already partially hair done and lightly made up to match her dress.

When she comes stalking back out of the bedroom, she's in a sheer lingerie set of snowy white that's patterned with designer leaves or feathers in the mesh, but overall, the material leaves little to the imagination and dresses up the existing package of femininity. With her dark hair down and tousled into bedhead riot, Lilith has put on more eye makeup for sultry shadowing of her standout blue gaze and her lips are pouty with a bare pink petal flush of gloss. From there, she's all skin and curves, pieces of lingerie and pale, shimmering thigh-high hosiery, a pair of tall black heels the only deviance from sex and delicacy where outfitting is concerned.

She's also flipping a quarter in her hand while walking, nabbing it out of the air with catch on sauntering way to the sofa lounge by the balcony door. Dropping down into posed sit, she crosses one leg over the other and drags a hand up her thigh, the other pinching the quarter between thumb and forefinger on display, "Drinks and randomized truth or dare... or a very intimate and modified strip show, I suppose, if you're not up to talking or tempting fate. We have options. Come sit, handsome."

After switching between stations for a moment, Byron opts to selection the hot steamy night station, before he heads to the bar to pour themselves some drinks. The Smiths' How Soon is Now begins to play, the smoky whiny sounds trickling out from the speakers. Taking a lone peek into the open doorway of the bedroom, the man behaves, allowing himself the treat of being surprised rather than trying to ruin it all. Setting out a couple of glasses, he shakes things up, concocting a pair of martinis, complete with olives.

By the time he's finished, the dark haired beauty emerges in her pure white ensemble, drawing his attention over sensuous figure as he holds both glasses in his hands. This mischievously appreciative smile spreads across his lips as he moves to join her and hand her one of the glasses. "Can't it be both? I don't mind answering questions while watching you move." Settling down in the space beside her, unless she pulls away, his now free hand reaches out to touch the places where flesh blends with fabric, settling against her hip, fingers brushing against the side of her thigh there.

"It's our kind-of-first anniversary, you can have your cake and eat it too. The man wants what he wants." Lilith tells Byron while taking the glass with play brush over his fingertips during the exchange, sipping immediately. While she drinks, her leg shifts with the caress of hand, eyes dropping to watch afterwards, "I'm honestly impressed with your song balance between the two choices, and I was right... it's absolutely stripper music." She puts the quarter out toward his other hand as her gaze lifts to view his dark eyes with a glint of humor, "We won't need this, I think you'll know when you want to ask for a dare."

While seated with legs crossed and Byron's hand on her, appreciating flesh and the view as a whole, Lilith takes another drink, then uncrosses her legs to lean forward and put the glass down, "Will you tell me something you've never told another breathing soul?" There's a lot of wiggle room to be cute or serious or sexy with the answer, most likely, despite the intimate nature of the starting question. Rising up then, she maneuvers with step around and nudge between the man's legs to start writhing in time with the music, hands coming up to work and hold through her hair while she eyes him.

It's a mild start, all pretty presentation and setup of what's sure to ramp up with each of Byron's answers as payment trade.

It was a little odd to be sitting here without his business attire. Not that he wore his suit like a shield, he didn't need to in his mind. But normally in this position, Byron's more often than not all dressed up. Instead, he's like some rando at a nightclub, a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. Not usually attire that screams status, but here, he didn't need that status. Feeling totally relaxed, sipping away at his martini, Maybe he wasn't born with the look of success, but despite the casual attire, he's perfected his own image to give off this exact vibe.

"I didn't choose the song. The playlist did, but I've got no complaints here." Observing the coin in her outstretched hand, Byron is forced to withdraw his own hand from the curve of her hip to clutch the coin in his palm and giving it a mild squeeze, right before taking another sip from his glass. That gaze then lifts to meet with hers when she asks the first question. There were quite a few things which he could have come out and easily stated here. Anything to do with his family life, while no longer completely buried in the shadows, is something that would wreck this mood that they were having here. There are other things as well, but in truth, even that aspect of him is no secret to some in the know.

As he considers his answer, he'll watch as she positions himself between his spread legs, enjoying the way her body writhes in dance, admiring her every curve. He'll refrain from touching her for not, keeping the coin in one hand and his glass, still held, in the other, which now lifts up to his lips for another slow sip before licking his lips. "I never told anyone that I would camp out near the trailer on most evenings to try and catch a glimpse of your silhouette, your voice. I used to spend hours on the outskirts, making sure that no one had seen me, afraid that they might go straight to you to snitch. I would go straight there after work and leave late at night." A small grin touches his lips, "A few times, I slept overnight nearby in the woods. Despite trying to go undetected, I wanted you to see me. I don't know how or when, but I could imagine our eyes locking from across the way. It was exciting to think about."

Dropping her hair back into spill and tumble over her bare shoulders and down her back, Lilith gives Byron time to mull it over while performing with that slow burn start with motion and music. Her hands travel paths, one along her neck and collarbone, the other sliding down along one side of her ribcage as she rolls her hips with gradual turn in place. When he starts to speak, she's turned, his view the flexing movement of her back and posed jut of her backside while standing at dance in heels. At some point while he's talking, there's a subtle lift of her brows before she looks over her shoulder at the man. The more he goes on, there's a slight smile growing and touching at her own lips.

"I was losing resolve badly senior year..." Lilith is prompted to speak by this confessing, airing her own unspoken piece. After starting, however, she leans forward in full extended downward bend with her legs slightly apart, posing for Byron before coming back up slow with a little flip of her hair before turning and continuing. When she turns, her fine features are dusted with a touch of smile, words coming in slow drag while she focuses on putting up one heel, then the other to pull off and toss aside, "I used to think I'd see you walking the road. Then I saw you less. Maybe you just got better at it..."

The brunette woman crawls into straddle over the man's lap once her shoes are off, dropping her face to kiss and talk partially aside his neck, "I started leaving my curtains open more." Instead of staying in kneeling hover, her legs are slowly splaying wider until she's fully seated on the man to grind them in simulated sex, prefacing the next piece as she pulls her head up to look at the man directly in the eyes, "I liked to imagine it happened at prom, the moment where our eyes met and couldn't separate.” She tells him how it made her feel, imagining what came of that reunion, “That's a little bit like having you as my first, isn't it?"

Gradually, after brushing a kiss at the tip of Byron's nose, with legs splayed to grip the man's legs and hips for support, she starts to stretch and lean into a draped hang backwards over the man's lap, hands dragging over her upper thighs and stomach on the way.

Byron remembers senior year. His own life got busy as he prepared for college and needed ways to fund his education. Perhaps, he had to cut back on his stalking then, but even he knew as graduation drew near that those moments could possibly be the last time that he ever saw Lilith Winslow. During this verbal exchange between them both, he continues to appreciate both the woman's feminine beauty and her skill in how to use it all to tantalize with her body. One moment, he's quietly observing the sway of her hips, the next, her veiled breasts, before his gaze meets with her own to hold for a time.

He also remembers Prom. Byron was going to ask his rival and friend, Isabella to the Prom that year. Then shit went sideways and she didn't end up going. He took some rando instead. "You fantasized about me even when you were playing impossible to get? Mmm." He murmurs, feeling her grinding against his lap, his expression looking thoughtful. "I, normally, wouldn't say so. No. Because I was left cold from even getting that chance. But we've had our first and then some since." And obviously, he's experienced enough in that department through his teen and adult years.

After a final sip of is martini, he sets the glass down. Then the questions get more intimate.

——

He gets his strip tease and she gets some attention she’s been craving before they end up out on the balcony. They celebrate their anniversary like sexually charged, devil-may-care exhibitionists.

——

When it's through, it seems there isn't enough air in the world to put back in the woman's lungs while she's so surged breathless and blood rushed, floating on a pleasure high with the man holding her tight and panting behind her. Once they've tumbled their way into bed to forego bathing til morning and bask in each other's close presence with true relaxation they haven't been able to have for a while now, the bedside phone rings. Concierge explains they're just doing area room checks because someone reported a woman screaming.

Obviously, this means they've really made the best of their accidental sort-of-anniversary and psuedo-honeymoon while in town to pick up Byron's delayed birthday present come morning.

And oh the giggles and 'love you's that come after that call... they're so satisfied and giddily proud.