While she had been talking, Ellie could see that Henry's expression was strange.  She wanted to ask him what was on his mind. But he spoke before she could formulate an appropriate question.  "If you do feel more British than American, do you really prefer tea to coffee?"

"I like boba tea the best," Ellie remarked reflexively. "When I would go to Hong Kong with my mom, she would always take me to the cafe that claimed it was the birthplace of it.  I don't think the old lady was saying that truthfully, but I love the little boba beads in my mouth. Well that's China so that's cheating. I don't know.  I guess when I'm stressed out or tired I like coffee. But otherwise, I do like tea when I'm relaxing with family. It makes me think of my parents having a pot of it together talking quietly while the TV was on."

Seeing the mental pictures she could paint with her words, Henry closed his eyes and had a dreamy smile on his face as he drew her close to him again.  "Now you're back where you grew up. It's such a miracle to me that you're so blessed in this life. I wish I had something just as beautiful given to me.  But, I just have a company. It's a contract that may end soon depending on the coming months."

As he spoke of the future, Ellie wondered if he was thinking of his own relations.h.i.+p's end with her.  She smoothed his hair and brushed her hand against his forehead. "I wish I could change things so you could maintain your freedom and keep what you've spent so much time building."

He looked into her eyes and touched her chin with a pensive look as he moistened his lips.  She pulled her hands around his neck. He shrugged. "I can't take any more advantage of you than I already have.  I really have treated you with much less respect than you deserve. But I have to leave you to be with the woman I wanted to be with.  Maybe some time down the road, I'll be married to who loves me for me. I'll eventually find someone who doesn't want me for my money or company shares.  It's going to happen to me where she'll love me just for me."

Ellie turned his head so he was staring at her.  She felt irritated that again he was missing what was right in front of him.  Her hand trailed to the side of his mouth where it stayed. His mouth opened so his tongue snaked out to soak her finger.  She held his eyes with a sad look. "I don't need your money or any company shares. You could be my husband. You already are . . . am I really that hard to live with?  Why am I not enough for you?"

Henry's adam's apple bobbed as he bit the skin on her finger hard.  She made a painful sound and tried to move away from him, but his arms proved to be a cage of muscle she couldn't get away from.  She felt as if another woman had slid into the jacuzzi with him and taken Henry from her although he was there flesh and all right next to her.  His mouth was next to her ear as she felt a s.h.i.+ver of desire flow through her with his deep voice. "I would destroy you with my darkness."

"It's not all darkness." Ellie said suddenly as she turned herself around to look at the heavy emotions in his eyes.  Henry pulled her arms around him and put his hands under her bikini top. She leaned into him as he started to knead the flesh.  His hands moved to her back as she pulled herself tighter around him and moaned into the crook of his shoulder. Henry pulled her back upto where he could put his lips on hers and she felt herself melt into his body as he bit her lips intently.  His eyes were watching hers like a cat with prey. "Is this dangerous enough for you? Or do I need to raise the stakes."

"Henry . . . can you please not try to act like a bad boy?  You grew up in Manhattan raised by the family butler. It's not very convincing.  I'm trying really hard not to laugh."

Henry kissed her again thoroughly although she could feel his laugh shaking his body with shudders.  He pulled back. "You know I always related to Batman because he never had his parents around either.  I'd like to think I'm some suave playboy, but when you're around, it just can't hold--"  

He sighed into her mouth as she felt their intensity increase.  Their casual intimacy of the past few months had started to melt the guise that he kept of a gentlemen.  The harsher touches as he moved her into the position where he could touch her was turning her on even more.  He angled his hips up so she sat in the real crux of his being. She could feel the layers of fabric separating her from his desire.  Henry finally moaned into her mouth as she rubbed herself against him. "I really would like it if you stayed right there, maybe I would like to stay here with my wife." His breath was starting to come more quickly.

Ellie reached behind her and untied the bottom of her bikini behind her.  Henry immediately moved closer so he could touch the freed flesh laid before his eyes.  His hands held her intently as his head moved down, but this was the exact moment where she decided to buck her hips slightly.  Henry immediately pushed one hand down between them as he touched her bottoms. He could feel all the blood rush out of his head as one singular thought remained.  He could feel how thin the fabric there was. It would be a simple series of moments to satisfy himself.