In My Arms

The water surrounding the island of St. Thomas was bright blue and clear enough to see to the white sandy bottom. The sky was also completely clear, allowing the scorching hot sun to beat down unabated. The temperature was cresting high near ninety degrees, but Harry found he actually cared very little. Alone with Elizabeth, while she sunbathed topless on the back of a catamaran; in their own little Caribbean world. No interruptions, no recording, no filming, no managers or agents—just them. Time could stop and he’d be completely satisfied.

He glanced over at her, sprawled out on her stomach; her glossy hair piled up on the top of her head in a messy bun. It was brown now, dyed to fit the role of a 1930s ‘dame’ as Lizzie described it. She’d pushed her sunglasses back on top of her head and was critically examining the inside of her wrist. “I think that cover up shit they’re using to hide my tattoo is making me break out. This is the 21st century. Can’t they CGI me a new arm?” she looked up and caught him staring at her.She smiled.“What?”

He shrugged casually and slid closer to her, pressing his lips to the top of her shoulder.“Just you.Being all adorable and such.”

“Well, I dig the adorable man-bun you’re rocking today.”She slipped her hand into his and then clasped it with her free hand.“I know some of your Haz-matics are not fans and prefer a more elegantly coiffed Styles—“

“Haz-matics?”He rolled her onto her back and eased down on top of her.“Did you make that up?”

“Haz-matics, asthmatics, look, I don’t get cool nicknames and fandom names like you, Hazza.”She pouted.“Not the point.The point is, I think your out of control locks and inappropriately tight pants are fucking hot.”

“Well, I think you are fucking hot.”He leaned down and kissed her.“This week has been amazing.I don’t want to go back to London and recording.”

“It’s not all that long until reality gives us a firm punch squarely in the face.”She chewed on her bottom lip—damn it, that always drove him mad. He wanted to nibble on that pouty lip and hear her gasp out his name—

Her cell phone buzzed on the deck above them and she fumbled for it, peering at the screen.Brent.The agent. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and slid her fingers across the phone, answering the call and simultaneously switching on speaker.“I’m unavailable this week, man.Remember? I ran away.Peace out. Split.”

“You can’t just take a mental health week to get laid, Liz.”

“Sure can.He fucked me this afternoon, actually, in the back of a taxi cab.”She pulled the phone away from them and pressed her lips to Harrys.“And it was damn hot.”

He chuckled, moving his kisses down her throat.“I told you that skirt turned me on.It was a proper warning.”

“Am I on speaker?” Brent’s squawk sounded pleasantly far off.

“Yup.So play nice.”

“I’m remaining ignorant of whatever’s going on between you two because then I don’t have to lie when the media asks me about it.”

“Is the media asking you about us?”Harry frowned.It had been a quiet, amazing four months.Granted, it had been spent hiding in hotel rooms or at her place or his, but it was their time.Their relationship.No scrutiny, no opinions, nothing but laughter and sex and being together.Fuck everything else.

“Several times, actually.I told them I had no idea who she was currently dating because it was none of my business.And, when presented with a blurry picture that may or may not have been you two sucking face at a club.Whatever, look, that’s not why I’m calling.I’m calling because I got an interesting phone call this morning.One that I thought you’d be interested in hearing about.”

“Brent.”Lizzie sighed impatiently.“Unless my house burned down or I’ve lost substantial amounts of money, I feel as if I’m not going to care who called you.Is the movie off?Did my car get repo-ed?”

“Liz, you got it.You got the nomination.”

Her eyes locked with Harry’s. “What?”

“Three words: best actress nomination.”

“Jesus Christ.”

Harry cupped her face with his hand, gently touching his forehead to hers.He was smiling so hard that he felt like his dimples were going to crack.“I am so fucking proud of you—I knew you’d get it.I knew it.”

She laughed, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.“I didn’t think anyone would like a corset and sword fighting flick seriously.”

“It’s because you’re fantastic.”

She tapped her fingers against his collar bones, again chewing on her bottom lip.“We should celebrate.”

“We should.”

“Okay, Liz, look I’m still on the phone.There’s shit we have to discuss and even more shit to think about. I’m talking ads.I’m talking notice by the academy.I’m talking—“

“I pay you to take care of that for me.This is my time with Harry and I’ll worry about nominations and ads and shit when I’m back in the states.Peace out.” She hung up the phone and set it aside.“Back to us.”

Harry tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply.When he pulled away, he nuzzled against her.“Champagne with dinner, my beauty?”

“I can get drunk off champagne.”

He kissed her again, sucking and nibbling on her bottom lip.“ I can get drunk off you.”

####

The phone was ringing.

Harry stuck his arm out from under the covers, reaching over Lizzie and fumbling for the cell phone on the bedside table. “What.”

“It’s me.I didn’t want to bother you, but—“

“Louis, fuck off.I’m hanging up now.”

“No, wait, just real fast.”He sucked in a deep breath.“They know.”

“The fuck?”Harry propped himself on one elbow, cradling the phone to his ear with his shoulder and running his free hand down the curve of Lizzie’s ribs, waist, and hips.“Who is they?”

“The media.Somehow they got pictures of you and Elizabeth on a boat and then in a hotel lobby together.It’s everywhere.I wanted to let you know before you come back to London…it, ah, broke the internet.”

Shit. “Whatever, man. Thanks.”

He hung up the phone and stared at it, anger swelling up in his chest like a balloon filling with water.This wasn’t anyone’s business.Who the fuck was spying on them on the catamaran or in the lobby? Paps? Some fucking idiot who sold it to the paps? God damn it.

Lizzie rolled over and brushed her hair out of her eyes.“Hazza? What’s wrong?”

“I guess the world knows about us now. Someone took pictures of us on the catamaran and in the lobby and sold it to the media.” He tapped the phone several more times and pulled up the internet browser. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as he was assuming. He didn’t really want to know what they were saying, but if he didn’t look, he wouldn’t know how to protect Lizzie from it. And that simply wasn’t going to happen.

He didn’t have to look long. Exclusive pictures: Harry Styles and Elizabeth Richards hot vacation in paradise!

Lady’s man Harry Styles hooks up with sexy Elizabeth Richards!

Sorry One Directioners: Harry’s new girl is Elizabeth Richards!

Harry snogs Elizabeth in paradise: the sizzling hot pix you can’t miss

Not gonna steal his girl: Harry’s next conquest is Elizabeth

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Notes

I was on vacation last week and meant to post before I left. I ran out of time!! Here's a little of what I wrote when I was gone. Comments are much appreciated!!!