I held back moans even though I was alone, and picked up the pace. When I was on the brink, I thought of Finnley, and the way he fucked me hard. I couldn't stop imagining his lean muscles and abs that went on for days. With a moan, I allowed myself to let go. The orgasm was so overpowering, I couldn't stop myself from sinking down into the tub. I lay there until the water went cold, and my hands were wrinkled.

Sometimes a B.O.B. (battery operated boyfriend) was necessary.

After I recouped, I put little F away, washed my hair, and toweled off. Orgasms really were the best stress reliever. I'd have to remember that the next time my nerves were on edge.

I wrapped the towel around my body, and grabbed the hair dryer from my suitcase. As I held the towel and bent over, the door opened. I went frigid.

"Luke! You scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry. We actually need to leave earlier, since we are taking the train."

The way he looked at me, as I stood vulnerable in nothing but a towel, was too much. I turned my gaze from his and walked back into the bathroom.

"Fuck," I yelled when I tried to plug in my hairdryer.

"Are you alright?" Luke said outside of the bathroom door, and all I thought about was little F sitting on the edge of the tub in its carrying case.

"Oh, God. Yes. I'm fine. It's just the plug is different."

I heard him laughing on the other side of the door.

"Wear your hair curly. It's cute that way."

I finished toweling off, and grabbed my dirty clothes, making sure to tuck little F inside of them.

The black dress waited for me.

I looked nice and proper, almost like a nun, but with a pearl necklace. Above all, I needed to make a good impression. A person usually doesn't get the chance to start over. Momma always said to make the first time count. I planned on it.

I walked into the living room and tucked my dirty clothes inside my bag, then slipped on the only pair of heels I brought with me. I leaned in to view the mirror over the television and put in the pearl earrings. My mother gave me this set.

"Don't be nervous, she doesn't bite." Luke adjusted his tie and swept his hair to the side. The waves wouldn't flatten. I supposed messy-fuckable hair ran in the fam.

"If she birthed the two of you, she would have to bite. How can I not be nervous?"

He placed his hand on the small of my back and looked at me in the mirror.

"She doesn’t bite. We did raise hell growing up, but what can you expect with two boys that are two years apart? Finnley and I were inseparable. We experienced everything together. Our first crushes, fast cars, art, music, and trouble."

I smoothed the dress over my legs and tucked my hair behind my ears. Luke put on his shoes and stood with his arms crossed.

"Ready? Mother hates it when people are late."

"Ugh, yes."

We took a cab to the train station, and I tried to focus on my surroundings.

France; it had a distinct smell. The wind blew different, and there was electricity, an old one that hummed through the streets. I was slowly falling in love with the city but how could one not with everything that surrounded them, especially the accents.

After a few hours on the train we arrived in London, where a car waited outside of the station. During the drive, my nervousness grew.

"Stop it," Luke said and placed his hand on my shaking leg.

"Sorry. I'm nervous."

"Don't be. No sense in it."

We took a few turns, traveled up the countryside, and entered an estate that was quite similar to Luke's. It had an ancient feel to it, like it had been there for centuries. The gloom in the sky didn't help my mood. Damn it, I needed to get ahold of myself.

The driver opened the door, and we trekked up the sidewalk. Before Luke turned the doorknob, he gave me a smirk. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"It will be okay. I promise."

I took a deep breath, and we entered.

In the distance, the sound of Moonlight Sonata played, and it added to my anxiety. As I walked into the living area, my heart stopped beating, and I couldn't breathe. With his eyes glued to the piano keys, playing every note so beautifully and elegantly, was a person I didn't expect to see in London.

Finnley fucking Felton.

As hard as it was to turn my head away from Finn, I did. An older woman and man sat in the living area drinking wine. They stood when we entered. I had officially been thrown from my comfort zone into the lion's den. Luke smiled. His mother kissed him on the cheek, and then he hugged his father.

"Luke! I'm thrilled to see you, son," she said.

Finnley continued to push the keys harder but never lost a beat.

"And who is this beautiful young woman?" his mother asked. She greeted me with a hug like she had known me forever.

"Oh, Mum, this is Jennifer Downs."

"Jennifer. The pleasure is mine. Please, make yourself at home."

"Thank you. It's so nice to meet you," I said.

"Isn't her accent so cute?" His mother smiled and clapped her hands together.

Eyes like Finn’s stared into mine. Her features were elegant and soft like a movie star in a silent film. Luke's father returned and handed me a glass of wine. I thanked him but barely sipped. If I allowed myself to let loose, I would be wasted before dinner.

"I'm so rude. I'm Emma, and this is Franklin. We've heard so much about you."

"Mother, you're going to embarrass her," Finnley said.

I blushed.

After the finale, Finnley turned on the piano bench with a gaze so cold, I could almost feel him. My thoughts clouded, and I reminded myself to breathe, to just fucking breathe, before I completely lost it. I went from seeing him almost every day since he took my V-card, to not seeing him. The emotions that I tried to smother streamed through my body and mixed with my blood.

His smell. His eyes. The fucking smirk on his face. He was intoxicating.

"That was wonderful, Finn. See, all those years of lessons paid off." His mother raised an eyebrow at him.

He smiled while walking toward us. "I admit it, you were right Mum," he said.

"I'm always right," she said to him.

"Of course you are."

I couldn't speak, not with him standing so close to me. Not with his sweet smell controlling me, urging me to move closer to him. Our bodies stood inches apart from one another, and as much as I tried to shut him off, I couldn't. I tried to accomplish the impossible: ignore Finn.

"So you've met Jennifer. She is the woman I've been telling you about, Mum. Luke was so kind to bring her along. She insisted on seeing the city early, and I couldn’t argue with such a pretty face."

God, I loved the rasp in his voice. Stop it.

I darted my eyes between Luke and Finn. They both smiled as they practically lied to their mother's face. I was supposed to meet him here. Ohhh, Luke would so be getting a stern talking to when we left. We'd have a two-hour train ride back to Paris. That would be plenty enough time to exchange a few heated words with him.

"Wanting to see the city without being rushed is understandable. Too many tourists try to visit it all in one week but there's too much. One must stay longer to enjoy the small intricacies that Paris and London have to offer. There are no two places in the world that are better than here. I'm convinced at this point," Emma said.

A small ding echoed from the kitchen. Emma smiled and excused herself. Franklin followed and so did Luke, leaving Finn and me alone in the living room. I crossed my arms and stared at him. He moved closer. I looked into his eyes, and he looked into mine.