Chapter Nine
Adrián
The following days with Genevieve were a feast to my intellect and my senses. The first morning, things threatened to get awkward again. I planted my hardness against Genevieve’s back, loving the softness that nestled my length, and talked to her about mundane topics until she relaxed against me, her beautiful brown skin glowing under the early morning rays.
Whatever lay between us, we navigated it better when our skins touched, and we chatted about any topic. Once I figured out the code to keeping Genevieve comfortable, our days became some of the best of my life.
Gen with her walls down was a taste of the finest whiskey. When deep in her sensuality, it was a shot straight to the head. When she opened about her journey, the struggles and the triumphs, the fears and the dreams, she went down like the best smoky old-fashioned. And when she bantered and laughed, when we stayed up late at night talking as if we had been in each other’s life for years, she refreshed me like two fingers on the rocks, after a long hot day.
I shared more of my current life, opening up more than I had planned on. The specter of the depth of our connection through our common project, of how we were more alike than different loomed in the back of my mind. I didn’t want to add any stress to her stay with me. Work had no space in this retreat for her. And, being honest with myself, sharing with her my connection to the Tropics would have me opening to share way more than I was ready to give.
Healing had not been linear for me, and self-forgiveness of my transgressions still felt out of reach. Sharing my mistake and the deepest regret of my life filled me with dread.
She’d been at Aguimar for a week and had settled in nicely to the beach town life. This morning we planned to go to the shore early and then take a hike around the town. Most of the previous days had been spent tangled up in my bed, as we talked and sexed the day away.
I sat against the headboard, watching Gen walk around the room, holding her bathing suit and moisturizing her body before slipping on the white bikini. I couldn’t help staring; her internal beauty translated to how stunning she was outside; the way her curves settled beneath the white bikini had me conspiring on ways to get her in bed again.
“So, you haven’t lived with a man?” I asked instead, not wanting to appear too thirsty, following the thread of a conversation we’d started last night before I got lost inside of her.
“No, I have had boyfriends, you know that, but living with someone...never. I mean my mom and then on my own. I haven’t found that person,” she said as she bent over to rub sunscreen on her thighs, exposing the beauty that lay between her legs.
“Are you trying to distract me?” I grunted.
“What?” she looked back, the view of her even better now that I could see her gorgeous face. Her hair was a cloud of coils around her face. She’d finally let go of her silk press and had allowed her natural hair out, and I enjoyed playing with her strands during our nights together. Of course, I’d asked for her permission first; I hadn’t been trying to get smacked by touching her crown. She smirked, then turned around and continued her ablutions.
“Why were you asking me about living with a man?”
“Nah, you just seem to be very comfortable here with me, on my spot. I was just surprised.”
Genevieve giggled and covered her mouth, trying to hide her smile.
“Are you making fun of me? What did I say? Did I mess up something?”
“You’re good.” She smiled again. I was intrigued now.
“No, you’re gonna have to tell me.”
“Well, I think it’s adorable how you have such perfect English but mess up some little things. I’m not trying to make fun. It’s just adorable for some reason.”
“I’ll show you adorable,” I grumbled but was pacified when she strolled over to me and pressed an indulgent kiss on my lips. Immediately I ignited, the response to her ingrained in every atom of my body. Her tongue slid languorously between my lips, and I skated my hands past her lavish flanks, down her plentiful hips then grabbed a handful of her generous ass, squeezing it for good measure. She pushed away breathlessly and beamed at my obvious discomfort—the minx.
“Honestly, I’m surprised too, that I feel so comfortable. I’d been so nervous the first day. I thought it would be hard, but...you’ve made it easy, I guess. Everything with you is just...easy.” She stood up, continuing our conversation while I tried to keep up, her gorgeous ebony skin gleaming and moisturized as she put on her bathing suit. The idea of plotting a way of keeping her in bed for a little longer resurfaced, but she’d been adamant last night that my dick and food were no longer enough to keep her entertained, no matter my scintillating conversation and bedroom skills.
Besides, I needed to help a bit more than what I’d been doing around the hostel these past few days. I’d been present whenever Claudia had texted me for assistance but not really proactive with my support. It was hard to ignore the guilt roiling in my gut; Claudia and Mario had assured me they were happy to man the fort while I got some. No respect.
“It’s been easy for me too. I... I told you I had had some partners that I cohabitated with, but something always made it difficult to navigate. I think the view you offer is the best selling point.”
Laughter escaped as I witnessed the mock outrage on Genevieve’s face. But in the back of my mind, I wondered if it was easy with Genevieve because I’d gone out of my way to make it so. I’d put my best foot forward and she, in turn, had done the same. Maybe it was easy because we both wanted it to be.
“Are you planning on getting out of bed and joining me on the beach?” She pressed her hand on her hip, and I loved that she had grown comfortable showing me some of her sass.
“Yeah, I am, but I need to check in with Claudia first to do some morning rounds with the kids helping with some of the housekeeping.”
“Are you sure you don’t want my help? Nothing I haven’t done before,” she asked, and I immediately shot down her idea.
“No, you’re here to relax and replenish. Claudia would kill me if I brought you over.”
“Okay, well, find me on the beach. And you better find me if y’all need help. I’ll see you later?” She approached the bed and bent over to give me another kiss, and I took full advantage, pulling her entirely on top of me, my body awakening to her spicy, flowery scent as she laughed and squirmed over me.
“Stop trying to trick me into staying.”
“Is it working?”
“Maybe.” She pressed one more soft, open-mouthed kiss on me, and I savored her spicy peppermint taste. Gen attempted to detangle herself, but I made sure to make it as hard as possible, holding on to whatever soft curves I could. My hand overflowed with her curves, and I gave her a tight squeeze for good measure.
“Stop! You’re a mess!” She separated herself, looking disheveled with one nipple peeking out from one bikini cup and her bikini bottom tucked into one side of her behind.
“I think between the two of us...” I gestured at her, my lower half throbbing in need, as she fixed her bathing suit and threw a cover-up on.
“Bye, sir!”
A cold shower fixed the growing tension Genevieve left behind, and a hot cup of coffee prepared me for the work ahead.
I found Claudia, Mario, the kids, and a couple of the townspeople that worked with them on housekeeping day all gathered in the back of the house cabana, where we stored all the cleaning supplies. Claudia drilled everyone with the steps to follow in cleaning up the cabanas. We divided ourselves into small groups; I got Yiya’s helpful company.
The cleaning of my assigned cabana was quick, and the guests in the room were very neat overall. In less than an hour, Yiya and I were back in the house area, where I bumped into Mario and Claudia, who were making out in the corner of the cabana.
“Yiya, go find Mirna, she is cabana #3,” I directed her; she just rolled her eyes at her parents and ran away whistling.
“So y’all put me to work, and both of you’re here exchanging body fluids?”
Claudia flashed me a finger, and not her ring one, then managed to part from Mario.
“Listen, you have had plenty of time to do the nasty with your guest. We weren’t complaining. It was your turn to take one for the team.” Claudia shrugged, and I wondered why I ever bothered to try to be right. Claudia’s accuracy for pushing my buttons was legendary. All through the week I’d worried about slacking around the hostel. I hadn’t pulled my weight and even though she had assured me all was well, I now worried I should have done more.
“Listen I can work for the rest of the day, y’all go somewhere, I don’t know... Spend some quality time.”
“Que? No! Why would we do that—you have your friend here for a few more days. Besides, anytime you’re here you’re working, it’s okay to relax a bit, you know? I swear you think you took a step back but you still work too much. Relax, hermanito. Enjoy your guest.”
The pang of alarm at her implication, that I was still working hard, made me want to push back on her assertions. I took days off. I had learned my lesson, but I had a responsibility to my family. We all needed to pull our weight and Claudia did so much...the least I could do was give her some respite when I was here. I was about to push back but Claudia’s fists had moved to her hips and Mario was doing his “now you fucked it up” face. There was no winning with Claudia when she got in this mindset.
“Fine. Yiya and I finished the room. I’ll check on the casita, then go to hang out with Gen for the rest of the day.”
“Mmm-hmm, see, Mario, I told you these two would end up attached to the hip. I just had a feeling.” Claudia raised her eyebrow at Mario, and Mario, dutiful, clever husband that he was, nodded along, sighing in relief at the change of subject,
“I never hid I was attracted to her.” I followed along, shrugging as if what I felt for Gen could be easily described with such a benign word. Attraction waved three bus stops behind, and the next stop ahead, longing, awaited my arrival. Better to pretend, because Gen and I had no future together. I’d known this from the first day I picked her up. She was going to be at the top of a very tall ladder someday, and I was happiest here around my people.
“No, you didn’t, but to be honest, I know I was all for it, but now I’m a little worried. What happens when she leaves?”
My stomach knotted at Claudia’s question, one I’d asked myself several times these past seven days even knowing all I knew.
“Nothing happens. I just keep focusing on living my life.”
Claudia’s question lingered in the back of my mind, and I took my time before going to Gen. I didn’t want to give too much color to the thought of saying goodbye. Every time I imagined it, my brain short-circuited, and nothing but pure static filled my mind.
Attempting to ignore the dread of parting ways, I changed into my board shorts, staying shirtless, and searched for her.
Warm sand cushioned my feet as I approached the family’s beachside, away from the guests. Genevieve sat in the middle of the cream sand, close to the water, her stillness reaching me from afar. The crashes of the waves lured me closer to her, the pull inevitable.
Announcing my presence, I ghosted my hand on her smooth shoulder, dark and luminescent under the sun; then I trailed my fingers across the elegant line of her neck. Genevieve trembled at my touch, and my heart slammed around my chest. Damn, less than a month ago, I wasn’t interested in any romantic entanglements, and now...
“Hey, you.” Gen finally turned her head; her eyes flickered over me.
“You were so still I thought you had no idea I was here.”
“Of course, I knew you were here.” She smiled and stared at the beach again, a deep sigh wracking her body.
Regardless of my concerns and fears, the only thing to do right now was to hold her close. I sat behind her, gathering her in my arms, and for the first time in the day, things felt entirely right again.
“I missed you, Preciosa,” I whispered in her ear, her sweet and spicy scent so intoxicating.
“We were apart less than three hours.”
“Too long,” I complained.
“Are you pouting?” She turned her head again to stare at me. I took advantage and pressed a chaste kiss on her lips. Even that soft touch heated my entire being, but I could sense things weren’t completely right with Genevieve.
“What’s wrong? I thought we were supposed to be having fun today.”
“Yeah...well, my mom called me.”
“What did she say?”
“She was guilting me about taking time off again... These last days have been magical, but now that I’m halfway through it, anxiety is kicking in. I even checked my work emails,” she confessed.
“I thought you said you couldn’t check them when on PTO?”
“In theory, I can’t, but I know a hack to get them still.”
I chuckled at her honesty, but, at the same time, understood her anxiety. Once upon a time, this had been me, unable to fully immerse myself in the present, always working, mind always racing. I’d seen that same drive in her stillness and how she held herself; that relaxation dissipated, leaving a tentativeness I wanted desperately to erase. She had tried so hard to be in the moment this week, her intentionality had been alluring. Whenever work came up, she’d deftly steered the conversation to her aspirations, but not in a way that could cause her to spiral back into her worries. Anything I could do to keep her in that mind frame, to help her disconnect and rejuvenate had become my main priority.
“You know those emails will be there, right?”
“Yeah, I do... I just don’t remember the last time I’ve been this disconnected from my everyday responsibilities.”
“Maybe that’s something good?” I didn’t dare hope for too much, but I wanted to be that space for her, even if for two weeks, her refuge and place of calm. Being with Genevieve had me second-guessing all the doubts I’d had in the past year about being whole to love someone else. She made me want to try.
“Yeah, I thought so, and I was in my feelings, still am, I can’t lie. But I decided to get back to focusing in the moment. I want to be present here with you. So I’m going to—”
Before she finished the sentence, I stood up. Only seven days, and already she trusted me to follow my lead without much explanation. I held her warm waist where the sexy folds of hers met and hoisted her to a standing position.
“Adrián! What are you doing?” she shrieked as I pulled her up by the waist, her solid weight feeling like that perfect dead lift in the gym.
“Come, Preciosa, you’re over here stressing yourself, and you still have seven days left. I promised you the time of your life.”
“Put me down! I’m heavy. You’re gonna hurt yourself.”
I ignored her pleas, the cold splash of water trickling between my feet, sinking me into the wet sand as the waves pulled back to where they came from. The sun bore down on us, making the cold water feel delightful.
“I could carry you to the end of the earth, Genevieve. Never doubt that.” I tightened my hold on her as she squirmed, the water line surrounding me as I moved into the churning waters.
Once the water was waist-high, I dropped Gen into the sea, still holding on to one of her arms, keeping her close.
Genevieve emerged spluttering, her coils escaping from her ponytail and plastering on her face. She never looked more lovely as she growled inhumanly and lunged to tackle me.
“Damn, woman, you have some force,” I managed to choke out between laughter as I scrubbed my face clean of the salty water, enjoying the view of Genevieve in her white bikini, ready to play.
“Oh, you think you’re slick, huh?” Genevieve taunted, then launched at me again, the shrieks of excited laughter a melody I never wanted to forget.
Water splashed around us, pure happiness saturating every pore. The summer heat was no match to the raised temperature between Genevieve and me as our slick bodies rubbed against each other, activating my dopamine and giving me a high that lasted the whole day.
A high to mask all the ways I’d hurt when Genevieve was gone.