Old ends new beginnings

Chapter 3

It was quite early when Eileen knocked at her door, and smiled sleepily when Holly opened. "We're leaving in thirty minutes,” she mumbled. "And I'm going downstairs to claim my breakfast."

“Okay, just let me take my camera.” she answered, taking her purse and her camera, and then closing the door behind her, walking silently towards the hall.

They sat at their table, waiting for some breakfast.

“God, I’m so tired…”

"Me too..." said Eileen, nodding ruefully, while doing her best to stifle a yawn.

"Sleepy, are we?" Josh teased them when he entered the room, smiling, and sat next to Eileen after kissing her on the cheek.

"Good morning, Mr. Brolin." the girl greeted him with a smile. "Yes, I am awfully sleepy..."

“Good morning. Weren’t you and Vin in an early shoot this morning?” asked Holly, curiously.

"Yep," he replied. "But I suppose we'll be late, since I can't find him anywhere. Shit happens."

“I’ll go upstairs, maybe he’s still sleeping.” she answered, walking towards the elevator.

She froze when she saw him.

He was naked, except for a towel around his waist, and a nice young girl was embracing him tightly, clinging to him.

“Josh said that you will be late.” she told him in a cold voice, avoiding his gaze, and walked away without giving him time to reply.

I should have known it. I should have known.

“He’s busy with a nice girl. Wait until he puts on his clothing, and then he’ll come down.” Holly informed Josh, without looking at him.

“I’m not hungry. I’ll go to the airport, it’s not necessary that you come with me…I want to be alone.” she told Eileen, and went out of the hotel, putting on her sunglasses and walking towards her rented car.

Usually the drive calmed her down, but this time she was too shocked to think clearly, and the last thing she wanted was to explain the situation to Eileen.

She started the car and sighed deeply, driving to the airport.

Josh and Eileen were waiting for Vin in the hall. When he finally arrived, Josh crossed his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow without saying a word. The look in his eyes, anyway, was worth a thousand words.

“What do you want, Brolin?” he barked at him, walking steady, and leaving them behind.

“I’m not in the mood for this shit, so just leave me alone or I might do something harmful to you.”

"Yeah, right. Whatever." mumbled Josh, rolling his eyes and taking Eileen's hand. "Ain't my business anyway, and I'm not in the mood to bicker over this."

“Yes, you’re right, it’s none of your business. Stay away from me.” he hissed, stepping into his car and turning on the music, listening to Missy Elliot’s voice, quickly going out of the parking lot, and driving away, not bothering to glance at them.

"I'm afraid I'll never understand him." said Josh, shaking his head, as they reached his Jeep. For her part, Eileen just sighed. Once inside the car, they exchanged glances and a smile, before exiting the underground parking.

"Can we have some music?" the girl asked after a few moments, attempting to ease the atmosphere. She knew that Josh, too, felt quite sorry for Holly. Indeed, she didn't deserve such treatment.

"Sure," he smiled. "Just choose."

She smiled in return, browsing through the CDs, and almost squeaked when she realized that their tastes in music were really quite alike. "I wouldn't have thought you were a Nine Inch Nails kind of guy, honestly."

At those words, he grinned, flashing her a mischievous look. "I wouldn't have thought you were either."

"In fact, I'm not a guy." she replied, smirking, as she inserted the CD into the player.

"I quite noticed that."

"Did you?"

Josh turned his face to look at her for a moment, smiling, and nodded. "I did. But I'd very much like to check whether it's true or not, anyway. Can I?"

"Maybe. You don't give up, do you?"

"Never."

"I quite noticed that."

About midday, Holly arrived at the set with Sean Bean.

She had accompanied him to the Rent-a-Car, and to his room at their hotel, before to going to see the others.

Sean was a smart person, despite his age, and she felt incredibly feminine and pretty when she was with him.

He was a perfect gentleman, and they laughed together a lot.

Walking towards the director, Holly glanced around; worried that she might meet Vin.

Sean was walking at her side, quietly reviewing his schedule. Suddenly he stopped, shaking his head, and chuckled.

"Blimey!" he exclaimed, then lifted his head to look at her, pointing to the paper sheet. "Could you decipher this terrible handwriting for me? Please?"

“Sure!” she smiled, studying the piece of paper for a while, and then reading him his schedule.

Vin was walking at some distance, and saw them.

The sight of his Holly with another man upset him so much.

She hadn’t given him the time to explain, and definitely would never have believed him.

That girl just tried to seduce him, another one of his fans, and she had arrived at the wrong moment.

Sighing deeply, he walked away, shaking his head.

"Thank you." said Sean, fixing his grey eyes into Holly's. He watched her closely for a while, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "I owe you at least a dinner for this. Will you accept?"

“Okay. It will be an honour, Mr. Bean.” she teased him, looking intently at him.

Was he flirting with her?

No, it was not possible; she wasn’t worth of his attentions.

"Wrong. It would rather be an honour for me, ma'am." he smiled, without averting his eyes. "How about tonight, then?"

“Sure.” she said softly, smiling flirtingly at him.

"Great." he whispered, caressing her cheek, then offered her his arm. "I bet you'd be so nice to show me the set. Would you?"

“Yes, come with me.” she answered, taking hold of his arm and guiding him.

It was quite late that evening when they finished the shooting. Josh met Vin in the dressing room, but he cautiously kept at some distance from him, and just flashed him a look now and then as they changed their clothes.

“She has been with that English actor for all the day.” he stated, looking at his feet, sitting on a bench, hands entwined and a deep frown. “I’ve seen him flirting with her and I could do nothing ‘cause I have no right to do it.”

Josh turned to look at him, sighing deeply, before he put on his shirt and went to sit next to him, searching for the right words.

"She didn't deserve that type of treatment, Vin. And you know it." he said softly. "Why did you do it?"

“Do what, Brolin? No one gave me the chance to explain!” he barked, his face enraged.

“Just because I do the asshole with her, playing the playboy part, that doesn’t mean that I fuck every girl I meet! She was just a fan, knocked at my door when I was having a shower, and embraced me, trying to seduce me. Holly arrived at the wrong moment, but I couldn’t explain! I’m not that much of a bastard, Brolin. You know nothing about me.” he hissed rushing out of the room, quickly walking towards his car.

Josh growled and hurriedly picked up his backpack, storming outside. Once he caught up with Vin, he firmly took hold of his arm, stopping him, and looked straight into his eyes. "I'm quite fed up with this, Diesel." he snarled, "You know what? You're behaving like a total asshole, and I don't give a fuck about your bad boy attitude. I just think you gotta learn to control your damn temper, and the sooner the better."

“I just told you to mind your own business, and don’t judge me just because Holly misunderstood what happened this morning, you don’t know me so stay away from me or I’ll fuckin’ kill you!” he yelled, taking hold of his neck with one large hand.

“What the hell it’s going on?” shouted Holly, followed by Sean.

She rushed to Vin, taking hold of his whist and looking intensely into his eyes.

“Let him go…” she pleaded, knowing that he was able to punch him to death, due to his everyday sessions at the gym.

He looked at her, and that somewhat calmed him down, so he released his hold, and gently caressed her cheek.

“Stay away from me. And don’t dare to judge me, ‘cause you barely know me.” he told to Josh, before stepping into his car and speeding away.

Without a word, Josh threw the backpack into his car, trembling with pent-up rage, and fumbled into his pocket searching for the keys. Sean, on his part, looked quite worried. "What happened?"

"I told him he's a total asshole." Josh replied, seemingly calm. "And I meant it."

“He’s not an asshole!” told Holly back, trying to defend him.

“You shouldn’t judge people if you don’t know them. And you can’t start this just because he… “

Sighing deeply, she walked towards her car, trying to calm the turmoil of emotions in her heart.

“Sean? Do you want to come back with me?”

"Sure." he nodded, following her, and before entering the car he eyed her a bit worriedly. "Shall I drive?"

“No, don’t worry, I’m okay.” she muttered, closing her eyes for a moment, sighing again.

“I’ve had enough of that shit…I just want to forget, to stay in peace. I’ll never find a man who will love me, that is clear, now. But not that shit…I think I’ll call my boss tomorrow, I want to go home, it was a mistake to believe that I could work again with him.”

"Don't rush. You could regret it later." Sean kindly scolded her, and circled the car to stop mere inches away from the girl, looking steadily into her eyes. "Is there anything I can do..." he whispered, "...to make you feel better?"

“Just…be Sean.” she smiled at him, avoiding his gaze, slightly trembling for she could feel his breath on her face. “Let’s go now, I would like to take a shower before that dinner, if…your invitation is still valid…”

"It is."

Unable to restrain himself, he drew Holly closer, enclosing her in a tight embrace, and whispered soothing words into her ear. When, after a few moments, he drew back, their eyes met again, and he gently cupped her face with both hands. They were so close that he could distinctly feel her breath ghosting over his skin.

"This is being Sean. Can you deal with it?" he whispered with a smile, gazing into her eyes.

“Y-yes…I think I could, but…we should go now. Don’t misunderstand, but I barely know you…” she confessed, avoiding his gaze and putting her hands on his wrists, letting him understand that they couldn’t continue.

"It's okay." Sean said softly, nodding, and let go of her face. "Just trust me. Nothing will happen, unless you want it to."

He gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek and smiled, looking into her eyes one more time before entering the car.

In her room, she had a long, hot shower, letting the water run onto her body, trying to focus her mind on everything, but Josh and Vin.

Sean was a real gentleman, she liked him a lot, but… she knew she was in love with Vin, it was time to admit that, and to deny her feelings any more didn’t solve her problems.

Maybe she just had to let it go, see other men, forget him.

When Sean knocked at her door, she was wearing a pair of jeans and a black short tank top, that let uncovered her belly button.

“I’m ready.”

Sean was dressed casually too, clad in dark jeans and a black Calvin Klein t-shirt. His blondish hair hung freely over his forehead, and his blazing grey eyes looked at her up and down for a while, before he smiled warmly and took her hand to kiss it.

"You are quite a sight tonight."

“Oh.” she could only say, looking at him. “Thank you, you look wonderful, too.”

And she meant it.

He was incredibly smart. And what was this flirting?

Was it a date or a work dinner?

Tossing aside all of her thoughts, she took hold of his hand and walked away with him.

After almost an hour of driving through the city, they agreed for a small restaurant, not luxurious at all but still a decent place imbued with a pleasant, cozy atmosphere. All the walls were overlaid with dark wood, the same dark wood of which the tables and the chairs were made, and the faint sparkling of the candles soaked the ambience with an almost dreamlike glow.

Sean sat in front of her, smiling, and studied her face attentively. In that moment, he realized that she was possibly the most beautiful woman he'd ever met. And it was not a matter of mere appearance, no. He liked her attitude, too. Her attitude towards him, towards her work, towards life. And above all she was, or at least seemed to him, a whole lot stronger than many other women, and that made him admire her even more.

“Why are you looking at me that way?” she smiled, amused by those piercing eyes that followed her every move.

Sean was funny and really intelligent and even if he wasn’t young, she could sense his strength, his power, and when she was with him, she felt so feminine.

His English accent could drive her mad, his tone low and sexy.

"I was...thinking about what an amazing creature you are." he replied, ending the sentence with one of those suggestive half smiles so typically Sean. "I am very attracted to you, Holly. I wouldn't see the point in denying it. I like you. A whole lot."

“I’m not so special, Sean.” she told him, blushing a little. “I’m just a photographer, not one of that top models that you actors usually date, just a normal girl and nothing more…”

"I've never dated top models. Not once." he replied, raising an eyebrow and chuckling lightly. "I am just an ordinary person too, Holly. And that's why I like you, perhaps...I like you because you are here trying to belittle what you are, instead than boasting on the cover of some magazine. You are...real."

“Do you know why I like you?” she asked, raising an eyebrow and looking intensely in his eyes.

“I like you because you’re so…much of a gentleman, you seem one of those heroes of old films, I’ve never met anyone like you. And I like your accent, too. The way you act, the way you are. I think I’m very lucky to stay here with you, tonight.”

At those words, Sean smiled, and at the same time his hand searched for hers over the small wooden table. He stared for a while at their entwined fingers, as if trying to realize that yes, it was actually happening, then lifted his head to look into her eyes again.

"It all feels so...so right, when I'm with you." he stated. "I am the one who's lucky to be here tonight...I've never felt so at ease in someone's company before. Thank you, Holly."

She gently squeezed his hand, smiling sweetly at him, when the waitress arrived.

They ordered their dinner, and eat in silence, looking at each other.

When she was with him, she was able to forget Vin, and she felt so peaceful inside.

After dinner, they stopped outside the hotel, and Holly looked intensely into his eyes.

“So, what do we do, now?”

"We could...have a quiet, peaceful walk around here. Or go back to our rooms." Sean said with a smile, the tone of his voice low and unhurried. "Or maybe I could kiss you...because I'm dying to..." Without averting his eyes, he set his hands at her waist and slowly drew her closer, so close that their bodies were pressed against each other, but he didn't kiss her yet. He was waiting for her assent.

For a moment, she almost forgot to breathe.

It had been a long time since she had been kissed last time.

Now it was time to forget Vin.

“Kiss me, Sean…” she whispered, gently caressing his cheek.

Without thinking about it twice, he brought a hand to her face and tenderly traced the outline of those inviting lips, before entwining his fingers in the silky fall of her hair. In the meantime, he drew closer and circled her waist with the other arm, feeling the reassuring warmth of that perfect body through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. Slowly, so very slowly he touched her lips with his, closing his eyes, caressing them with the tip of his tongue now and then.

Her knees unhinged and she would have fallen to the floor if Sean hadn't tightened his arms around her and held her up. She clung to him, revelling in the solidity...the reality...of him. Feeling his steady, slightly elevated heartbeat, hearing the rhythmic pull and release of his respiration, breathing in his warmth, his scent.

She parted her lips, giving access to his tongue, her eyes closed.

His tongue seemed to learn every corner of her mouth, leaving no area unproved, as if he was actually tasting her.

God, this man can kiss...

Unexpectedly, Sean's arm left her waist, and he brought both hands to her face, cupping it, as their lips parted. A pair of gray eyes, now dark and stormy with desire, met hers for a split second. Then he slowly drew her face towards his again and lightly nibbled at her lower lip, caressing it with his tongue and sucking it gently into the moist warmth of his welcoming mouth.

She was now dizzy with desire, and entwined her fingers in his hair, feeling his powerful body pressed against hers.

This was the most intense experience she’d ever had.

When they broke the kiss, she looked into his eyes, caressing his cheek, her lips slightly parted, trying to refocus her mind.

"What next?" he whispered hoarsely, his breath unsteady and their gazes locked. "I'm almost afraid to ask you...I...don't want to ruin everything."

“Sean…” she whispered, her tone almost a plead.

“It’s been a long time since…there had been a man in my life and…I want you so much but…I’m just scared…”

"You don't have to be." he said softly, trying to reassure her. "I would never do something against your will and I would never...hurt you. I'm not that kind of man. Can you remember what I told you in that parking this afternoon? Nothing will happen unless you want it to. I meant it."

Sighing deeply, she looked again into his eyes, caressing his cheek and neck before kissing him on his lips.

“So…you’ll not be angry to me if…if I choose to come back to my room…alone?”

Oh, God, I must be a real stupid.

I’m risking losing a man like this because I’m feeling like a teenager.

It’s not my first time, what the hell is happening to me?

"Come." Sean whispered taking her hand into his, a kind smile on his lips. "I'll escort you to your door, and then...er, I think I'll have a very cold shower. In my room." he chuckled, shooting her a sidelong glance.

Outside her door, she looked again into those eyes, feeling a little awkward.

“I’m sorry…I know I ruined everything, but it’s just that…I’m not ready. I’m sorry, Sean.” she murmured, her hand travelling on his chest.

"Don't be. You ruined nothing." he said softly, placing a hand upon hers while stroking her hair with the other. Then he smiled and kissed her again, gently and slowly this time, relishing the sweet taste of her mouth and her breath warming his skin. When they parted, he said nothing for a while, just watching her intently, then smiled again.

"It's been a wonderful night...thank you, Holly. Sleep well."

“Sean!” she called him, watching his back as he walked away, hesitating just a second, seeing him turning back.

Feeling as if she was in a dream, she walked towards him, embracing him tightly, gently nibbling at his neck.

That was it. She made her decision.

“Come inside.” she whispered to his ear, her hands caressing his back.

When he heard those words, he almost forgot to breathe. He stared at her wide-eyed, his lips slightly parted in surprise.

"Are...are you sure?" he muttered. "I mean...completely sure? Please don't do this just for me..."

She just looked into his eyes, showing him the passion she felt, the excitement, before leaning in to kiss him, possessing his mouth, nibbling at his lips.

“You’re the most beautiful thing that happened to me in three years. I want you so badly…”

Only a second later, Sean was assaulting her neck with hot kisses, his hands roaming on the small of her back and pulling her towards him. He gasped when their bodies pressed together, and within a moment he found himself almost painfully aroused. "Open the door." he whispered breathlessly in between kisses, then slowly traced a moist path with the tip of his tongue to her earlobe, to gently nibble at it.

Moaning when she lost contact with his body, she urged herself to open the door, letting him enter, and locking it behind her.

The light was off, but she didn’t turn it on because there was a romantic half-light.

She stood a few inches away from him, slowly raising her tank top up over her shoulders, tossing it aside, looking intently into his eyes, studying his reactions.

Sean took a deep breath as he neared Holly, stopping a few inches away from her. He slowly caressed her arms, looking longingly into those glimmering eyes.

"You are the most beautiful creature I've ever seen." he whispered against her lips. "I want you, Holly."

Smiling, she kissed him again, with fierce passion and possessiveness, looping her arms around his neck, helping him to remove his shirt, revelling in the feeling of his skin on hers, sliding her hands on his firm chest and slowly walking towards the bed, without breaking contact with his mouth.

When they finally fell on the bed, Sean laid on top of her and started to kiss her neck and collarbones while removing her bra, delighting in the taste of her velvety skin. As he started to undo her jeans, he slowly moved down to her breasts with his mouth, tracing the outline of a nipple with his tongue before kissing and nibbling delicately at it, his eyes closed and his breath shallow.

She moaned at that contact, and slowly unfastened his jeans, reaching down into them with both hands to grasp his thick erection, hearing him give a trembling sigh that was almost a moan when she started to stroke him.

One hand sliding up and down the shaft, feeling that lovely combination of silky skin and steel hardness beneath her palm.

Slightly trembling with desire, Sean shifted to lie at her side and immediately assaulted her mouth with a fierce kiss. At the same time, he slipped a hand in between her thighs and began to slowly caress her with masterful skill, while forcing himself to swallow a low, lustful moan. The steady rhythm of her strokes was driving him insane. He wanted more.

Holly responded hungrily at his kiss, their tongues caressing each other’s for a few moments without their lips even touching, then coming together again in a deep tangle of sealed mouths.

Their kisses grew more frantic, their hands busier, breathing harsher and urgent.

“God, Sean…I-I can’t wait anymore…I need you.”

"I need you too...so badly.."

Just a few moments later, Sean drew away his hand, placing it over Holly's to stop her, and opened his eyes to look into hers as he gently parted her legs. Then he climbed on top of her and looked intently at that beautiful face as he slowly pushed himself inside, a soft moan escaping his lips at the overwhelming sensation of warmth and tightness.

"You feel so good." he whispered closing his eyes, his voice thick and trembling. "Just…so good, Holly..."

Moaning in response, she sighed as she felt their bodies join together, as she felt him filling her completely.

And as he began to move inside her with slow, deep thrusts, the pleasure Holly was experiencing seemed to go way beyond a physical level.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and arched her hips up into his, gasping softly as she felt him go even deeper, hearing his own guttural sigh in return at the sensation this created.

Some moments later, Holly was writhing beneath him, whimpering with need, but trying to hold his gaze at the same time.

Sean instinctively increased the pace at the sight, and lowered his head to lick and bite her lips. Unable to keep his eyes open, he finally closed them, panting hard in between moans and gasps. He could distinctly feel the familiar heat building in his loins, burning and tingling, destroying whatever coherent thought his brain still possessed. More resolute than ever to bring her over the edge, he increased the pace further, thrusting into her mercilessly, and began to twitch and shudder helplessly as his own orgasm neared closer.

Holly panted, groaning as she felt the delicious build-up of tension and heat in her loins, straining against his body, almost mindless in her passion, now.

“Sean…” she whispered in a passionate tone.

And then she was coming violently, her back arching, her legs tightening around his waist, her head tilting back as she cried out his name over and over.

She couldn’t recall any climax she had previously had feeling this wonderful.

Mere moments later, Sean hissed sharply, and gripped convulsively at the sheets as the first waves of his orgasm hit him, triggered by Holly's own. He came with a deep, final thrust, crying out hoarsely, and then he was collapsing into her arms, trembling and spent. And utterly satisfied.

Unsure of what to do, Holly embraced him tightly, sighing deeply, not daring to open her eyes, worried that the magic with Sean would end.

She had never bedded any man on the first date, and didn’t know what to do next.

Would he leave her without a word? Maybe it was better for she couldn’t bear to listen harsh words from him.

She knew perfectly well that he would leave; she didn’t have any illusions.

After a while, he sighed, holding her tight, a contented smile curving his lips. "Now I'm sure...you truly are an amazing creature." he murmured, raising his head so that he could look straight into her eyes. He kissed her on the lips and then on the tip of the nose, smiling, and gently pushed aside from her face a lock of hair.

"It has been beautiful, Holly. Thank you for trusting me."

Blushing a little, she just smiled, brushing his cheek with her fingers, searching the words to explain her feelings.

“Sean, I...th-this was the first time for me that I…bedded someone I barely know, so I don’t know what…what happens now?” she started, feeling the urgency to continue speaking, as if she was trying to avoid his answer.

“Oh, I’m not…I know that there’s nothing between us, I’m not so naive, it’s just…”

"Now...we should try to get to know each other a little better." Sean smiled, shifting to lie at her side. "And then decide what to do. On my part, I'd love to stay with you, but...what about you? Would you stay with me even if you love him?"

At his words, she froze in place, eyes widened in surprise.

He knew.

Was it so clear?

The only one that ever noticed that was Vin. What a funny thought…

“Would you stay with me even if you know that my heart belongs to another man?” she asked, a little bit confused. “Why?”

"Because..." he began, sighing softly. "Because I like you, you like me, and we're both adults. And besides, this could help him to understand his feelings towards you, don't you think?"

“I just want to forget him, Sean” she murmured sadly. “But I don’t want to be just your…something like your…whore…at least, I would like a man that cared for me…”

Sighing again, she averted his gaze, moving away to give him her back.

"I didn't mean that." he replied calmly, leaning closer to put a hand on her shoulder. "I don't want you to be my whore and it's not a matter of mere physical attraction. I like you...wholly. I like anything about you. Holly...look at me, please."

For a second, she just lay there, without moving.

Why no man can love me?

When she turned to look at Sean, her eyes where glimmering with unleashed tears, that she was trying to send back.

At the sight, he frowned, sighing, and shook his head almost imperceptibly. "I am sorry." he mumbled, drawing her into his arms to enclose her within a tight embrace. "I think you misunderstood, I...I don't want a one-night stand and I'm not just looking for sex. I want...to take care of you, Holly. Don't cry, I beg of you."

She didn’t cry. Sean hadn’t caused her wound.

It was something deep inside her, which had hurt her for three years. Sometimes she was able to forget it, to forget him, but other times that situation overwhelmed her, filling her of great sadness.

Revealing in the solidity of Sean’s chest, she inhaled deeply, feeling the musky fragrance of his skin, closing her eyes and relaxing.

Some time later, she just watched him, caressing his hair.

“May I show you something?”

"Go ahead." he smiled, and lovingly kissed her cheek. "How do you feel? A little better now?"

“I’m…fine.” she told him, trying to smile.

She went out of the bed, grabbing a large t-shirt from a chair and putting it on.

Usually she travelled with almost all of the memory cards she had used during her trips, filled with photos.

Opening the small box, she took hold of one of them, classified as “London”, and taking her digital camera, she went to the bed.

Her skilful fingers needed just some seconds to change the badge, and when she found the right series of photos, she stopped to look at him.

“A couple of years ago, I was in London for a vacation. I knew your face from ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and I was amazed when I saw you at the park. You were with your daughters and…I took some photos. Your face was…sweet and loving, and I’ve always jealously kept them just for me. Here, look at them.”

A somewhat bewildered Sean stared at her for a while before taking the camera from her hands. He took his time to attentively look at each picture, his lips curved into a smile and his eyes glimmering. When a few minutes later he finally raised his head from the small monitor, he looked straight at her. "These are some quite beautiful photos,” he stated, smiling, a mixture of admiration and curiosity in the grey depths of his eyes. "Why didn't you sell them? Almost anyone else would have."

“For me it’s quite an…art. To take photos is an instinct, my way of life. And I’m not one of those photographers that sell their works just to make money.” she explained. “Apart from that, I…those were simply too beautiful and I wanted to keep them just for me.”

"Did you?" he whispered, smiling, and leaned closer to take her into his arms. "You gotta teach me how to use your camera. I want to take some pictures of you...may I?"

“I’m horrible right now, Sean!” she protested, but she understood from the expression on his face that he would not give up easily, and so she just changed the memory card, and gave him the camera, carefully closing her box and putting it into one of her bags.

Sean studied the little camera for a while, then smiled and looked at Holly again. "All right, I think I'm ready. Are you?" he said, grinning mischievously, and didn't wait for an answer to take the first picture.

"Mmmh...very nice, I must say." he smiled, looking at the small monitor. "Would you pose for me?"

“Okay.” grinned Holly, walking slowly towards the bed.

“Let me know… what pose would you want?”

"First of all... take off that t-shirt." he murmured raising an eyebrow, a hint of a smile on his lips.

“W-what?” she looked at him as if he was completely mad, blushing violently.

“N-no, I’ll keep it on…” she murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You can cover yourself with the sheets...come on..." he smiled, almost pleading with her. "Take it off...or I will."

“Okay.” she muttered, looking at him and quickly taking off her shirt, almost falling onto the bed, and wrapping her body into the sheets, barely covering her large breasts.

"That’s perfect...don't move." he murmured, looking at her and then at the display, searching for the best angle. He took some pictures of her, then sat on the bed at her side and smirked. "Can I have them printed? Please?"

“Sure.” she smiled at him, thinking that she should have printed those pictures of him with his daughters.

Giving him a quick kiss on his cheek, she stretched her muscles, and the sheets fell onto her legs, so she just lay down, putting her head on the pillow, a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

Sean turned off the camera, and put it on the nearby bedside table. Then he lay down next to Holly, turning his face to look at her.

"You know what? I'm happy." he whispered, giving her one of his half smiles. "And it's all your fault."

“Mine?” she asked, pretending an innocent face.

And then she put her head on his chest, caressing his muscles.

“Sean? There’s one question I’ve always wanted to ask you…Why are you divorced three times? What was wrong? You don’t have to answer, if you don’t want to.”

"Mmmh...that is quite a difficult question." he replied thoughtfully, slowly stroking her hair. "I can't tell you what was wrong, because I don't know. Probably it's just me; I'm not suited for marriage. All I know is that before it all seemed so...perfect...and then after the marriage, everything changed. All three times. Maybe it's that I have changed all three times, I don't know, but I started to hang out with my friends until late, drinking, just to be someplace else and not home. Does it sound selfish now, if I say that I'll never get married again?"

“I just think that you should wait and see what happens. Maybe one day you’ll meet a wonderful woman that will bring you happiness,” she answered. “Maybe you just need your space, and marriage would not allow you to be as free as you would like to be.”

"Maybe I just need someone like you." he whispered, smiling, and ducked his head to kiss her forehead. "You are the most amazing woman I've ever met, Holly."

“Thank you…but you’re amazing, too.” she whispered back, tightening her embrace.

They talked for almost all of the night, sharing secrets, wishes, desires, and, just a couple of hours before dawn, they fell asleep.