Chapter 117
Star
There were two easels facing each other with stools for the artists along with a refreshment table set up with wine chilling on ice and platters of cheeses and other hors d’oeuvres.
“Oooh, we’re gonna drink wine and eat cheese and paint?” I asked.
I had heard of Wine and Cheese tastings. I had also heard of Sip and Paint Events.
Jonah nodded. “And I thought we could play a drinking game,” he added.
“What’s the game?” I asked.
“Sip or Strip and Paint is what I’ve decided to call it,” said Jonah.
“I honestly thought you would take me shoe shopping,” I said offhandedly.
“Do you wanna go shoe-stopping?” He asked excitedly, his face lighting up. “We could go after or even before this?”
I laughed.
“No, I want to have this date exactly as you planned it,” I said earnestly.
He had finally set me down on my feet on the dock.
“Ok,” he said, taking my hand and interlacing his fingers with mine.
“Is it just us?” I wondered out loud.
“Yep, just you and me, Star,” said Jonah, grinning.
I grinned back. I could not help but compare and contrast my mates. It fascinated me how identical people could be so different. The Quads’ good looks took on slightly different vibes because of their varying expressions, personalities and fashion senses. Even their voices were a bit different because of different intonation. Zaya was devilishly handsome and the way he spoke made his voice seem the deepest. Eli had boyish good looks and his voice was gentler. Noah was a hot nerd and he spoke a lot more quickly than the others because he had so much information he wanted to share all at once. Jonah was a classic heartthrob. There was something untouchable about him and his voice was smooth and silky.
Jonah walked me to my seat. He uncorked a bottle of wine and poured me a glass. It was a semi-sweet white wine. I was actually beginning to learn a tiny amount about champagne and wine because of the Quads. He showed me which cheeses tasted good with this wine and fed the cubes to me. He was right. They went perfectly together.
“Who taught you this stuff?” I asked.
“Ma mère,” he said.
“She didn’t speak any French at the welcome meal,” I said.
“She mostly speaks French to Dad and to us. She speaks strictly English when we have company,” explained Jonah.
I noticed there was a stool between the two easels and it was covered with a blanket.
“Let me guess. Our still-life is under there,” I said, gesturing to the white blanket.
Jonah revealed the still-life we would be painting. It was a bouquet of star-shaped flowers.
“They’re for you but you gotta paint them first,” he said, laughing.
“Eli gave me these flowers too!” I exclaimed, recognising them by their peculiar shape.
“Their Mom’s favourite,” said Jonah, smiling.
I smiled sweetly at him.
“Let’s go over the rules,” said Jonah with a sly smile.
“I heard the word strip in there,” I said, eyeing him suspiciously.
“Ever heard of Strip Poker?” Asked Jonah, sitting back on his chair, gazing at me as though I were the subject.
His gaze was so unwavering. I dropped my gaze.
“Yes,” I said, feeling shy.
“It’s like Strip Poker meets Never Have I Ever,” said Jonah. “You ask a question. Nothing is off-limits but if for any reason you don’t want to answer, you can either sip or strip. You sip your wine, a proper mouthful, or strip one article of clothing off,” said Jonah.
I nodded.
“Got it? Simple Enough?” He confirmed.
I nodded.
“Oh and paint,” he added.
I giggled. I nodded, picking up a tube of paint. There were water colour paints. I looked at the colour. Jade. I used it to outline the stems.
“Who should start?” I asked.
“Ladies first,” he insisted.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.
I remembered Eli versus Noah over Madison Fong. Eli had also said he and Noah had not dated as much as Jonah and Zaya.
“Who was your first love?” I started out with.
My stems were already lopsided but I had finished my glass of wine before we even started the game. Jonah chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” I asked, furrowing my brow at me wilted-looking painted flower.
“You wasted your first question,” he said simply.
“Excuse me,” I said.
“You’re my first love, Star,” said Jonah with a shrug. “First and last and only.”
“Bullshit,” I said before I could stop myself.
I gasped and clasped my hands over my mouth. I tended to speak pretty freely if I had indulged in any alcohol even if it were not a particularly large amount. Jonah laughed.
“I said what I meant and I meant what I said,” said Jonah.
“Something something elephant something something percent,” I replied, not remembering that poem so well.
I was midway through my second glass of wine. I was not going to refuse any question no matter how invasive so I did not need to wait for the questions to sip.
“You’re having fun with that moscato,” he commented.
I downed my second glass of it.
“Can I try a different kind?” I asked, eyeing all the bottles.
“Which would you like?” He asked.
“This was semi-sweet…um… is there fully sweet?” I asked.
Jonah laughed. “Yeah, there is sweet. Here,” he said, removing the cork of another bottle with a pop.
He poured it for me in a new glass. He took my old glass. I sipped the new one. It was sweeter.
“What am I drinking now?” I asked.
“It’s a technically dessert wine, Sauternes,” he said.
“I’m not supposed to drink whole glasses at a tasting, am I?” I asked.
“No, you’re not,” he chuckled, pouring me some water.
He made sure I drank my water.
“So you’ve never loved anyone but me?” I said, getting back to the important things.
“No, Star, seulement toi,” he said, focusing on his painting.
I focused on my Sauternes.
“Who was the first guy you dated?” He asked.
I rolled my eyes. “Eli and Zaya,” I said.
“Come on, Star,” he said.
“It’s the truth,” I said indignantly.
“Who was the first girl you dated?” I asked, looking at him closely.
“Madison Fong,” he said.
“WHAT?!” I yelled.
What the f**k? How was this possible? My wolf was furious. Three of them. We had to ask Zaya. What if it were all four? Only we could have them all! How dare she? Jonah burst into laughter. He almost fell off his stool. He shook his head.
“I never dated Madison Fong but Eli told me you seemed low-key pissed that he and Noah both had a thing for her at some point,” said Jonah, almost to tears.
I flicked some green paint at him.
“Hey!” He exclaimed.
He did not flick any paint back. He was taking this seriously.
“I like teasing my sis-in-law but I love teasing my girl,” he said, using a tiny paintbrush to add some details.
What masterpiece was he working on over there? Sis-in-law? One of his brothers was married? My wolf immediately got upset. We were fuzzy today. Who was married? Oh! He meant Holly! Oh, that was ok then. That was like saying we were married to him and Harper and Holly were married to each other. My wolf was happy. That sounded idyllic.
“Poor Holly,” I slurred.
I had poured myself a second and third glass of the sweet wine.
“The wine is too sweet,” I complained.
“You wanted sweet,” chuckled Jonah.
“At that time. That was Star fifteen minutes ago. This is Star now. She’s different,” I said.
“Want something dry?” He asked. “After some water and food!” He said pointedly, chuckling to himself.
Jonah insisted on feeding me again. He fed me whatever I wanted from the table no matter how random. I ate some cubes of mozzarella and sharp cheddar. I did not know if that went with the wine I had just had. Probably not. I loved how soft and salty fresh mozzarella was. There was this spicy tuna that I was a bit obsessed with. He fed me chocolate covered strawberries and macarons. He made me drink two glasses of water. He was handing me a third glass of water. I shook my head vehemently.
“I’m so stuffed,” I said.
I was not sure if that had worked to sober me up a little. I did not hold my alcohol very well. Fae got drunk more easily than wolves so I might get it from that side of the family.
“The dry wine?” I inquired.
“You’re so stuffed though?” He said pointedly.
He was slick, I’d give him that.
“Huh, yes, in a few minutes. I just want to make sure it’s chilling,” I tried.
“They’re all chilled, don’t worry,” he assured me while giving me the side eye.
I thought about flicking him with more paint.
“Be serious now. Who was the first guy you ever dated?” I asked. “And don’t say Madison Fong.”
“Um, I don’t date guys. It’s nothing personal against them,” he chuckled.
“Oh, what? The first person you ever dated? The first girl?” I said, flushing pink.
“Um, her name was Delphine,” he said with a little smile at his painting.
I frowned, instantly jealous but also still somewhat under the influence.
“Isn’t that a dolphin?” I asked.
“What?” Said Jonah, laughing loudly.
“Delphine is to dolphin as lupine is to wolf. Bovine for cows. Canine for dogs. Feline for cats,” I explained. I was tipsy but I knew I was right. “Delphine means like a dolphin or dolphin-like.”
“Seriously?” He said.
I nodded.
“Was she a dolphin?” I asked, completely straight-faced.
“I hope not,” he said. “She fooled me.”
“What was she like? How old were you? Did she date Zaya, Eli or Noah?” I said.
“Nice and bubbly,” he said.
I snorted with laughter.
“Like a dolphin,” I snickered.
He rolled his eyes. “I was fourteen. She did not date any of my brothers,” he said.
“How long did you date her?” I asked.
“Um, like eighteen months but some of it was long distance. She left Viper Moon Academy and went to another school,” he said.
“Why did you break up?” I asked.
“The distance,” he said.
“Was she your first k**s?” I asked.
He nodded. I was not mature enough for these types of questions. I was messing up my flower painting, losing control of the brush every time I heard something I did not like.
“Who broke up with who?” I asked.
“She broke up with me,” he said.
Hmm.
“But also, I cheated,” he said.
“What?” I gasped.
“I was fourteen well fifteen when I cheated. I should not have been in a long-distance relationship at that age,” he said defensively.
“Who did you cheat on her with?” I asked, engrossed in this junior high drama.
“Madison Fong,” said Jonah.
I got out of my chair, ran across to Jonah and tried to push him into the lake.
“Star! You’re nuts! Cut it out!” He laughed. “It’s a joke!”
We both lost our balance near the edge of the dock and fell into the lake with a splash. I panicked but then I kicked my legs as much as possible. I broke through the water’s surface. I was terrible at treading water so I kept slipping back under but Jonah grabbed me and held me. I wrapped my arms around him.
“You’re crazy, Star,” he said breathlessly.
“Sorry,” I said, truly apologetic.
“I kinda like it,” he said with a shrug.
We both laughed. He kissed me, tangling his hands in my hair. When we parted he ripped his polo off and threw it up onto the dock. He kicked his pants off and threw that onto the dock too. His sneakers floated to the surface and he flung those on the dock. He kept one arm around me the whole time. I could not stop laughing. He was laughing too.
“Come on, those clothes are weighing you down,” he said.
“Sure they are,” I said.
“Madison never gives me this kind of attitude,” he said.
“Ugh!” I shrieked, splashing as much water as I could at him without sinking and drowning in the process.
Jonah laughed until he cried. He helped me take off my top, joggers and shoes and put it on the dock. He had me pressed against one of the thick wooden poles that ran from the corner of the dock to the bed below.
“What?” I said.
He was just staring at me quietly.
“My painting doesn’t do you justice but I hope you still like it,” he said.
“It’s of me. I thought we were painting the flowers!” I said indignantly.
“You were painting the flowers. I wanted a challenge,” he said.
“The girl I cheated on Delphine with was named Stacy, and cheating at that age was texting someone else in Delphine’s opinion. I felt so guilty, I repented from my unfaithful ways,” he said.
“What sort of texts?” I asked.
“What’s the homework? You look kinda cute? Lol. Ttyl. Winky face. Really intense proclamations of love and l**t,” he said.
Jonah felt every moment was an opportunity for humour which was completely not what I had expected during our curse days. He really must have been stressed out of his mind back then because he had not even cracked a smile in those days.
“I like funny you, not that you’re funny but, you know, you try,” I said.
He splashed me with water.
“Hey!” I cried.
“I’m hilarious, Star!” He said dryly.
I rolled my eyes. He got very close to me. My legs were around his torso. He brushed his nose against mine.
“I’m handsome,” he said unabashedly.
I sighed deeply.
“I drive you crazy,” he said, gripping my h**s and pressing himself against me.
I bit my l*p. He kissed me gently and slowly. He trailed k****s down the side of my neck to my shoulder. He slid my bra strap off one shoulder and then the other. He unhooked my bra and tossed it up onto the deck.
I was too taken by surprise to say much of anything. I wrapped my arms around him tightly and lost myself in our k**s. The heat in my midriff was building. Jonah lifted me up a little higher so he could have better access to my breasts. He latched onto my left n****e. I squealed in surprise. My squeal gave way to a m**n. He swirled his tongue around the n****e, teasing it and grazing it with his teeth. He did the same to my right side.
He pulled my underwear down and put me on his shoulders with my flower pressed against his face. I whimpered as he plunged his tongue deep inside of me. My whole body was on fire despite the cool water surrounding us. He fount my clit and sucked it into his mouth. I covered my mouth to stifle my m***s as he traced patterns on my clit. My thighs were trembling. He grasped my h**s tightly and moved them back and forth, helping me ride his face. I shivered as I rocked against him. I shut my eyes tightly, my hands tangled in his hair. I tossed my head back as he took me to my breaking point. I could not hold back my scream. I felt my fluids gush onto his face. I heard his satisfied g***n.
I was not sure when he had rid himself of his boxers but when he lowered me from his shoulders he impaled on his large erect c**k in one smooth thrust. He was buried to the hilt in me, bracing me against the dock’s pole. I cried out.
“You ok?” He asked breathlessly.
I nodded eagerly. He grinned. He rocked his h**s against me, pulling out and filling me again with a steady rhythm. He was always consistent with his pace until the very end and I found that maddening. I wiggled about trying to make him go faster but he simply gripped my h**s tightly, holding me in place as he slid in and out of me, his huge c**k stretching me each time. My mind was numb. I hung onto him for dear life. He nuzzled me. I giggled. He increased his movements marginally. I m****d and he finally began to thrust hard and fast. I buried my face in the side of his neck so that my cries were muffled.
“We’re almost there, mon amour,” he whispered in my ear.
I felt myself climbing higher and higher with each deep thrust. We had locked eyes now. It was a completely different sensation to do this in water. Everything felt more sensitive. Jonah had both of my wrists in one of his huge hands. He pinned my wrists to the pole behind us. He thrust into me faster and harder. He plunged himself into me with a loud grunt. I screamed but it was muffled by a fiery k**s. I came. Hard. My p***y clenched around his c**k, trying to milk him. I heard him g***n with delight as he poured into me. He kissed me gently, pressing his forehead against mine. I was spent.
I was not sure how I ended up back on the dock but the next thing I remember was being wrapped in a towel. When I looked underneath, I was surprised to find that I was wearing a simple loose floral sundress. Jonah must have brought me a change of clothes. The sun was warm and comforting as it made its descent. It was moments before dusk.
“The paintings! Mine is crap,” I mumbled.
“I like it,” said Jonah defensively, admiring my flower painting.
“Show me your masterpiece,” I said sleepily.
He did. I gasped. It was a perfect likeness. It was me, beaming at the artist, the sun shining on my hair and in my eyes. He had captured everything so beautifully. This belonged in a museum or something. I blushed. He made me look beautiful.
“You made me look so pretty,” I said, pleased.
“You are. I paint realism,” he said.
My cheeks were burning.
“Jonah, you can really paint. You’re amazing,” I said in complete awe of him.
“I’m all right,” he said. “You’re amazing,” he whispered.
I rolled my eyes at him. I was about to retort something cheeky but he silenced me with a slow gentle k**s. I kissed him back just as tenderly and sweetly while the sun set behind us.