Chapter 32
We face each other, our soft pillows cradling our heads. Our bodies nestled under the blanket, our skin tingling with the sensations of our nakedness. The room remains silent, with only the sound of our contented breaths filling the space. Sated. Smiling.
“You’re amazing,” Daniel whispers, his index finger gliding across my cheek. He tucks a few stray strands of hair behind my ear, his touch comforting and intimate.
“So are you.”
It’s the truth.
The worries that once consumed me and fears that romance and sex would never feel right again have disappeared. The touch of his hand ignites my body and his words, both sweet and dirty, set my soul ablaze, extinguishing all concerns.
“How do you feel?” he asks, his voice soft.
“Happy.”
“Good.”
“I like this,” I confess.
“Sex? Me too.”
“Must you always be so…”
“Extraordinary?” he asks, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“Exasperating.” Feigning disapproval, I shake my head. “As I was saying—I like this. You and me. Us.”
Maybe it’s the lingering effects of the orgasmic high, but the protective armor I’ve worn for so long has vanished. I lie here with him, figuratively and literally naked, yet I’m anything but vulnerable.
I’ve heard of this, but never experienced it before. On rare occasions, you meet someone and within seconds; it feels like you’ve known them your whole life. It may have taken us a few days instead of a few seconds, but I get it.
Life feels easier with him. Breezier with him. I want to share things, fill him in on all he’s missed in the first twenty-eight years of my life. Even the bad stuff.
In these small moments we’ve managed to string together during this short time, my cautious heart has tied itself around his.
I’m blissfully tangled in his words, his smile. In all of him.
Who knows where this will go…or if it’ll go anywhere at all. No matter where it leads, I’ll forever appreciate Daniel for giving me something I never expected.
Closure.
“I like this too.” He pauses, and his expression turns serious, then slightly amused. “I don’t want to scare you when I say what I have to say, but I want you to know something.”
“Okay,” I answer guardedly.
“I feel things with you I haven’t felt in a long time. Feelings I thought I might never get back,” he says in bewilderment. “You’re breathtaking, Tess.”
I’m moved by his honesty. And I realize that his journey to this moment parallels mine.
“That was… really lovely.” Blinking back my tears, I caress his cheek with the side of my hand, feeling the softness of his skin against my fingers. “Keep talking like that and you just might get lucky again.”
“I’m already lucky.”
The unexpected sound of music jolts me from my dreams, abruptly ending the peacefulness of my nighttime slumber.
What the hell?
Something is new. I quickly grab my cellphone from the nightstand and laugh.
‘Wake Me Up before You Go Go,’ has got up and gone gone.
That crazy bastard changed my alarm to a different Wham song.
‘I Want Your Sex.’
I steal a quick look at Daniel, who’s pretending to be asleep.
“I know your awake. You’re smiling,” I tell him.
He exhales a soft snore.
I lay down again, roll to my side, and face him. “You’re a terrible actor.”
“But I’m a great lay.” He grabs me by the waist and pulls me to him.
I laugh. “And incredibly humble.”
“Do you disagree?”
I shake my head. “Not even a little.”
“Too bad. I could have proved you wrong.”
“I retract everything I just said,” I tease. “Interesting song choice, but I think you picked the wrong one.”
“You have a better one?”
“Kissing a Fool?” I joke.
“Maybe.” He chuckles as he rolls on top of me, holding himself up by his forearms. “So, what do you want to do today?”
I raise my hips to meet his body. “More of this.”
“Gladly.” He lowers his body to kiss me.
“Wait.” I stop mid-kiss. “We’ll lose our shady chairs if we… and so I’m perfectly clear about this… we means you…don’t go to the pool and claim them now.”
“I have a feeling we won’t be seeing much of the sun today.” Playfully, he nibbles on my earlobe.
Apart from indulging in the delicious room service meals devoured on my balcony, we’ve spent most of our day in bed—in the softness of the sheets, savoring the taste of his kisses, and falling hopelessly into a state of bliss.
Earlier, Daniel sweet-talked his way off the room service menu and triumphantly scored a plate of mouthwatering chilaquiles for breakfast. If he’s trying to navigate his way into my heart—or between my legs, for that matter—he’s certainly discovered the secret passageway.
Now we’re sitting on the balcony, wrapped in matching terrycloth robes, soaking up the breathtaking view of the lush grounds and the vast expanse of the ocean. Our conversation effortlessly flows, discussing our lives back home, reminiscing about our favorite foods, and sharing stories of our first jobs. The sound of our laughter fills the air, intertwining with the distant crashing of ocean waves.
It’s hard to believe we were once enemies.
“I haven’t heard from my mother all day,” I tell him as I take the last bite of my shrimp taco.
“Is that good or bad?”
“Different.” I grab my cellphone off the small table between our chairs. “I’m going to make sure I didn’t miss it while we were…”
“Shaking the sheets?” he completes my thought.
“And the headboard.”
“Probably shifted the building off its foundation.”
“Those were good times, Daniel.”
“Very good times, Contessa,” he murmurs seductively.
I glance at my phone’s screen. “Nope. Nothing new, just what the two of you texted last night. I think I’m going to read it now.”
“Are you sure you want to do that?” he asks, a hint of humor in his voice.
“That bad, huh?” I respond, a smirk playing on my lips. With a simple swipe, I open their text exchange, ready to dive into whatever awaits me.
Mom
Hello.
Mom
Are you there?
Mom
I have a quick message for Daniel. Is he with you?
Daniel here.
Mom
Oh good. There’s a Korean restaurant on 32nd St called Seoul Sister that sells homemade kimchi. You should get some when you get back to New York. Fermented foods reduce inflammation.
I’ve been there. It’s excellent. Would you like me to pick some up for you?
Mom
I’d love that! Homemade is so much better than the supermarket brands. You wouldn’t mind?
Anything to impress Tess’s mother.
Mom
You’re winning big points now.
Good to know.
“Winning points with my mother, huh?” I ask him.
“I’ll take every advantage I can get.”
With a smile on my face, I go back to reading their conversation.
Mom
So, what are the two of you up to tonight?
We’re having dinner.
Mom
A date?
Yes.
Mom
A romantic date?
I hope so.
Mom
My daughter is a keeper.
She is.
Mom
The kind of girl someone can fall in love with.
Easily.
“Easily?” I read aloud, sneaking a curious glance at Daniel.
“Easily,” he repeats with unwavering confidence.
The impact of that one word ignites a powerful sense of joy within me. With a smile on my face, I dive back into the texts.
Mom
Do you have protection?
And it all goes south.
No. No. She didn’t go there.
UV protection?
Mom
Do you have condoms? FOR. SEX.
She went there.
“Oh my God.” I place my free hand over my mouth, mortified. “She Caps Locked that.”
Daniel chuckles, amused at my embarrassment.
I…
Mom
I was young once too… if you get my drift.
Eww.
Drift gotten.
Mom
Have a good time tonight.
Until next time.
Mom
Tell Tess I’ll text her later in the afternoon tomorrow. In case you’re both busy. Winking emoji.
She actually typed out the words ‘Winking emoji.’
Goodnight Louise.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” I exit out of their conversation.
He laughs. “I want to be with you. Indulging your mother’s…”
“Crazy?”
“Eccentricities,” he corrects, “is a small price to pay to make that happen.”
My pulse races in a rapid flutter of excitement. This man is perfect.
“Well? Do you?” I ask.
“Do I what?”
“Have any more condoms with you?”
“For. Sex?” he teases.
I nod, my teeth scraping the bottom lip as I bite down, suppressing a smile.
“I do.”
I stand and take a few purposeful steps, deliberately positioning myself to block his view of the ocean before facing him. Slowly, I untie the belt holding my robe closed, open it up and flash him my naked body. “Want this?”
“Fuck, yeah.”
“Sounds like it’s raining.” I sit up in bed and shift my back against the headboard.
“It’s an afternoon shower. It’ll pass.” Daniel’s arm wraps around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him.
I rest my head on his chest and smile, feeling at peace with the world. The angst and the anger gone. I’m free.
Daniel presses a delicate kiss on the top of my head, then dangles his hand past my shoulder until he playfully gropes my breast.
“You’re ruining a beautiful moment,” I scold.
“I disagree. I’m enhancing it.”
Rolling my eyes, I reach for the remote. “Want to watch TV?”
“Let’s go on the balcony and watch the rain instead.”
“Okay.”
We sit quietly on the balcony, lulled by the gentle pitter-patter of raindrops falling from the gray sky. I inhale the air with the fresh scent of rain mingling with the salty ocean breeze. I used to dread the rain when I was on vacation, but with him next to me, it feels romantic.
Looking out towards the ocean, we watch as steam rises from the concrete pathway on the hotel grounds, creating a hazy mist in the air as the cool rainwater hits the warm ground. In the distance, guests in their soaking-wet bathing suits hurry back to their rooms, their heads covered haphazardly with beach towels, their bare feet splashing through small puddles.
I crack open the book that I’ve neglected. I haven’t been giving it the attention it richly deserves because this wonderful, wonderful man sitting next to me has distracted me.
“How’s it going in Wicked Temptation-land?” he asks.
“I think they’re going to work things out.”
“Hand it over.” Daniel extends his hand towards me.
“Why?”
“I want to read a few paragraphs. You know, keep up with Tony and Cleopatra.”
“That’s not their names.” With a hint of sarcasm, I roll my eyes.
He crooks his index finger, beckoning me to surrender my book. “Come on. I’ll read it to you.”
“Fine.” With a frustrated huff, I hand over my open book. “You’re never going to let me read this in peace, are you?”
“Maybe I’ll find some inspiration.”
He thinks this book is pure porn and reading it to me is going to get me horny. I don’t need the fantasy to get me there. Real-life sex has given that back to me. I know that he’s about to read something very different from what he’s expecting. Something without bumping naked body parts. He’ll probably poke fun at it, but I don’t care.
“Where do I start?” he asks.
“Top of the page is fine.”
“Okay. Here goes.” He nods with a smirk and begins to read aloud.
“Anthony’s breath hitched in his chest, stolen by the sight of Lydia standing across the opulent ballroom. The vibrant ruby-red silk of her gown caught the light, accentuating her every curve. Soft chestnut curls cascaded down her shoulders, their touch surely as delicate as they appeared.
“As she glided across the polished floor, a masterpiece of elegance and grace, his feelings for her deepened, intensifying with every step.
“She was his.
“In this moment, he couldn’t help but feel that the shared heartaches that had brought them to this place were not mere coincidences, but the workings of fate. It was as if destiny had meticulously laid out a path, leading them to each other’s arms.
“He reminisced about their tumultuous beginning, the many disagreements that had tested them. Yet, as he watched her now, a smile graced his lips. She was worth every frustrating minute, every heated argument.
“In his eyes, she was everything.”
Daniel stops reading, his eyes lifting from the page to meet mine. When our gazes meet, my heart races. Quickly, I look down at my lap, unsure how to react. I feel it. The spark. The electricity. The magic.
Daniel’s voice, soft and gentle, overwhelms me, matching the intensity and meaning in his gaze. Breaking our wordless moment, he resumes reading.
“He was her safe space, and she was his. She didn’t worry about protecting her heart anymore. He guarded it for her. His past was behind him. This angel in front of him was his future. Eight billion people in the world, eight billion chances of someone else loving her, and he was the lucky one who did.
“In that moment, he felt a surge of emotions, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. The sound of his own heartbeat echoed in his ears, drowning out the world around them.
“With each step she took toward him, she became infinitely more beautiful. She became his home. His light — illuminating a world that was dull before her. As he stood there, he knew that he had found something truly special.
“He fell hard.
“He fell fast.
“It felt right.”
Daniel pauses again, gazing up at me with a look of wonder. I look back at him, blinking back tears. Silence hangs between us as neither of us speaks. We don’t need to.
He clears his throat and continues reading.
“She met him with a smile. He knew he was a goner. If she ever left, it’d break him.
‘Hi.’ The tone of her silky voice could bring him to his knees.
‘You look lovely.’ He kissed her cheek. The scent of her perfume, a delicate lavender bouquet, filled the air, mingling with the music of the orchestra.
“She glanced down at the floor as a pale pink blush spread across her cheeks. It amused him she was never good at compliments. She deserved so many more.
“Would you like a glass of wine or a bite to eat?” he asks.
“What do you want?”
This was his chance to bare his foolish heart. Could he accept if she didn’t feel the same? He already knew the answer. It didn’t matter. He’d love her anyway.
“I want you,” Gently, he takes her hand and rests it over his heart, “to want this.”
She tilts her head with a smile that melted the last sliver of armor still protecting him. “Always.”
Daniel closes the book, gently placing it on the small table between our chairs. He leans back in his seat, reaching his hand across the table for mine. We lace our fingers together, finding an unspoken solace in each other as we watch the rain fall in silence.