Chapter Eighteen
Genevieve
Water. All I needed was a glass of water to alleviate my parched mouth. See, parchedness was what happened when you couldn’t keep your mouth closed because... Damn. And water was what you needed to bring down your pulse and calm a speedy heart racing away to reunite with their other half.
“Can I have some water?” I requested the moment we crossed the threshold to Adrián’s apartment. His heat seared my back as he followed closely with my carry-on.
“Of course, Preciosa,” Adrián responded.
Every day I heard Adrián’s voice on my cell phone, and every night I fell asleep with him crooning his good-nights to me, but I hadn’t been prepared for the impact of his reality. For the impact of us being in the same room after more than two months apart.
Nothing prepared me for the onslaught of his cologne or the way my pulse skittered at being so close to my person. I hadn’t been ready for my body’s immediate response, the liquid rush between my legs, or the tingle of my breasts. I didn’t know my heart would ache to be held in his thick arms, to sit next to him and talk the whole night.
Adrián sauntered to the little kitchenette and back, handing me a tall glass of water. My eyes took in his small efficiency with a living area/kitchen/dining area comprised of a sofa, a TV on a coffee table, a table for two right next to the stove, and little moving space in between the furniture.
Right next to the sofa was a door that probably led to his bedroom. There was less here than in his place in Villa Bonita, but what impressed me were the pictures of Claudia, the kids, Mario, Julín, Shakira, whom I’d met via video call, and his friends all over the wall. He’d asked for a photo a couple of weeks ago, and now I understood why. There I was part of his inner circle.
“Want to see my bedroom?” he asked with no inflection, and he was probably as equally affected as I was.
“Of course.” I grinned at him, trying to chase the nervous rush coursing through my veins.
Somehow our connection still felt new between us. New with a tinge of familiarity, like a recurring dream that faded away in the reality of the morning, then finally came true. Every step and moment embedded in your heart on an unexplored path.
“Thanks for surprising me. I did an hour and twenty from Aguimar to here. That’s how bad I wanted to see you.” He smirked, leading the way. I could tell he was excited, but he sounded a bit preoccupied; I wondered if he was worried about what I had to say about his place, and I would make sure to alleviate any concerns.
Taking a sip of the water, I followed to find his Spartan room with a simple full bed with thin sheets, a nightstand, and a chair in the corner. He had a standing dresser and the door to the bathroom next to it. The light from the street outside filtered through the lone, barred window with the obligatory screen, and a gentle breeze blew my hair from the overhead fan.
“I know it’s small...”
“It’s perfect. That bed will ensure you stay close the whole night.” I hesitated for a moment, but saw his face light up. It was the right thing to say. Since I landed in Panamá, I deeply yearned to see him. To be with him. I spent the day in meetings, unable to fully concentrate because of what awaited me at the end of the day. I couldn’t stop studying his face with the thick beard and sexy smirk and admiring his thick arms sculpted under his sleeveless tee and the perfect calves... God, when did I start admiring calves?
“You can’t do that.” Adrián groaned.
“What?” My heart hammered against my chest, and my nipples grew impossibly hard inside of my bra; the breeze from the fan stimulated my heated skin.
“You’re staring as if you want to get bent over and—”
My mind knew what I needed before I could get my words out. My breath was lost as Adrián’s body crashed into mine, his delicious arms around me calming the raging lust inside. Our mouths smashed, his peppermint taste making me moan. His tongue drove my need in a crescendo as our hands clashed, attempting the same goal.
Zero clothes.
Adrián’s beard tickled under my neck as his breath ghosted along my speeding pulse, his hands groping my ass in desperation. My dress lost the battle first, followed by his pants, then his T-shirt. Soon, I was standing in bra and panties, and he was in his boxers, and I attempted the best way to climb him like a tree.
“I thought you wanted to...to take...time.” I gasped as he yanked my bra down, exposing my nipples, which pointed toward him in supplication.
“Oh my...fuck did you...did you realize we always do this so fast that this is my first time seeing them in detail?” he said, staring at my breasts, lost in his reverie. Denial sprang to my mouth, but nothing came out because as I ran each moment together, I realized I’d mostly ended up with some clothes on during our encounters.
“Well... I...” I shook as he studied me, this area of mine, abundant and lush, one that had brought me so much satisfaction and grief. I worked in a very safe environment now, but once upon a time... I had learned to cover them in instinct, avoiding being noticed by my chest size versus my mental acumen. I hadn’t realized that even in my most passionate moments, I’d neglected one of my most erogenous zones.
“It’s okay if you’re uncomfortable. I can give you a T-shirt. I always want you to be at ease with me. But let me tell you...you’re breathtaking. From each strand on your head to that crooked pinky toe,” Adrián said, and I had to pause for a moment.
“Did you just call my toe crooked?”
“It’s beautiful, though, with that little curve to the left, not wanting to leave the next toe alone...”
“You a damn fool.”
“Yeah, I am, for you...listen, your breasts...they are...gorgeous. Can I touch?” he asked, and I nodded wordlessly, trembling as his hand coasted along my soft skin, his rough palm dragging along the skin, causing all sorts of riots inside.
“Can I...can I lick now?” he asked, and I whimpered in consent.
His tall frame bent like a palm tree in the wind, and his heated breath touched one nipple; my knees buckled, and he took advantage, sliding an arm around my waist and running his big, juicy tongue over the tip as if it was a cherry on ice cream, and I melted.
“Oh, Adrián, oh please. Please.”
“You beg so pretty, I guess this is just another night where you win, and we do it as quickly as you want.”
“Yes!” I begged carelessly for him inside me.
With economic moves, Adrián removed the last vestiges of clothes on both of us, and I stood there unable to do anything but take deep breaths before I passed out of unrealized lust. And if I ever wondered if that last piece of the cookie was one too many, Adrián removed the concern when he carried me effortlessly and deposited me gently on the bed.
Mind in a fog, body on fire, Adrián took me with one swift stroke, his length the thickest, most delicious intrusion. Then Adrián followed my screamed instructions, urging him faster, harder until his bed creaked under the pressure of our passion. I didn’t lie there taking it, though; I gave it back to him, with all the yearning and lust built from days and months apart. Our flesh smacking against each other quickly became my favorite sound, causing ripples of joy in my chest.
I finished first in delicious abandon because Adrián made sure of it, his thickness flooding me in warmth, my heart and my core in harmony, rejoicing at our reunion. Adrián crested soon after, his orgasm stunning as he trembled in my arms, his neck tense in fierce pleasure, his groans all full of my name.
Thank God for standing fans.
I lay sprawled, limbs skewed, shoulder and arm on top of Adrián’s sweaty chest, legs tangled—the thin sheet draped over our private parts and nothing more.
“You good there?” He chuckled.
“For a second, my heart felt like it was gonna escape forever and never return.” I grinned as I followed the wings of the fan.
“You came to Panamá to kill me. Now I understand your true intentions.” He groaned, gliding his palm over my belly, resting it gently there.
Oh...my heart.
“I didn’t. I came because of work and because I missed you so much. Anibal was so annoyed at me the last few days that he suggested I should take a week. I was so tempted, but I couldn’t. There is so much happening between the expansion plans and results, and...ugh. Who would have thought that reaching most of my career goals meant I had no time to enjoy life?”
“Mmm, I wish I lived close to you. I’d ensure you relaxed sometimes.”
“You sure would...” I ignored the simmering heat and cuddled up into his side. His arm immediately cloaked over me, and I never felt safer.
“Preciosa...have you thought about how things would be if we lived in the same place?” he murmured, his velvety voice caressing my soul.
My heart had been working overtime since I saw him, and I couldn’t articulate the rush of rightness that suffused me at his question. We’d joked around about it but there was seriousness now that hadn’t been there before. But there lay a pipe dream. I understood the importance of his family, and he comprehended the meaning of my career. Besides, who moved in together after just a few months of knowing each other? These types of decisions took time, but with Adrián? With Adrián, I didn’t care about timelines.
“I have, but...”
“No buts, just, let’s imagine, for now...”
“I’ve thought of moving here with you...working remotely. I know how Aguimar is important to you.”
“I’ve thought of moving to you...but it would require...”
“I’ve looked at fiancé visas,” I confessed, and he squeezed my hip and rumbled in laughter.
“So, we’ve both done that internet search, huh.”
My chest tightened in excitement. “But wouldn’t you prefer for me to move here? I mean, it would be hard. This job doesn’t want any remote work, even though I could very easily do this work anywhere.”
How funny that when I finally got to the pinnacle of one of my career goals, the goal no longer satisfied me. The job at the Tropics remained challenging and important, but every day I pictured myself doing something different. Hospitality was in my blood, helping people plan their trips, giving them the resources, it all resonated deeply within, but maybe there were other ways of going about my dreams. Such thoughts would have felt blasphemous just a year ago, but now I could only see the vast possibilities.
“I know your work’s important, so I’d be willing to move...”
Air whooshed out of me, everything held still, then I remembered...
“This is us imagining, right? Honestly, it would be the perfect dream,” I said, pressing a kiss on his chest.
“Mmm-hmm. It is the perfect dream. Another one to add to our collection.”
Adrián drifted to sleep shortly after that, and I lay next to him, wondering again if I was following my brain or my heart when it came to Adrián.
“I was here for four months and had no time to come and visit,” I said, my hand warm in Adrián’s palm. Purple, blue, and gold splashed on the horizon as we wandered around the city’s Casco Antiguo.
The area brimmed with restored buildings from the 1600s, standing as the second established city founded by the Spanish colonizers. Ever since we reunited yesterday, I indescribably felt at home. When I met Adrián that first day, what initially drew me to him was his confident aura, then he opened up slowly during our drives until every morning and evening were the highlights of my day.
His dedication to his family, passion for life, silly humor, love for his friends, inquisitive mind, and sense of pride lured me until I fell in love. By the time I was ready to leave Panamá, the infatuation was so intense the steps to love were a hop, skip, and jump. Now I couldn’t imagine my life without him.
“I know, all that time, you had me—a sexy, debonair brother—at your disposal, and you didn’t take advantage of my services.”
“Sir, you are making it sound like your services were different from driving.”
He chuckled as we crossed the cobbled street into a little coffee shop. The scent of coffee beans greeted us as we entered the space, and I closed my eyes in satisfaction.
“The hotel has a restaurant facing the bay, so I figured we’d dine there, but before that...” He gestured at the shop, and I realized how quaint and similar the decor appeared to one of the fondas where we’d had breakfast in Portobelo. Not the same architecture, but a feel of homeyness and belonging that I couldn’t shake.
An older woman with flawless ebony skin walked out from the counter and greeted us warmly, inviting us to sit. No one else was in the shop, and from our seats, we had the view of one of the plazas with an obelisk and a rooster on top. The area was surrounded by pristine white archways and stairs that led up to a pathway with water views.
“You’ve brought me to have your evil milky concoction that you pretend is coffee?”
Adrián’s delicious rumble infiltrated my ears, traveling straight to my stomach. I didn’t need any warm drink. All the comfort I needed resided here with him.
“I...” Adrián started, then closed his mouth again.
“Are you alright? And why are you sweating? It’s nice out for a change.” I took a napkin from the table and wiped his forehead. He leaned and allowed me the gesture, and that bolt of rightness hit me again.
“Yeah... I’m good.” He nodded forcefully. Odd.
“Don’t tell me you’re nervous?”
He frowned then smiled, but still no words emerged.
“When we leave here, do we have time to go and take pictures in that plaza? I want to write in my journal tonight. It’s been enriching to document my travels. And I know your thoughts on social media, but people have really been liking my tips for Black women travelers. Is it wild to say it excites me sometimes more than doing Tropics work?”
“Mmm-hmm.” That’s all I got from Adrián as the lady brought our drinks, setting them in front of us.
Okay. Something was definitely off. He’d jump on that comment any other day; he’d been encouraging me to lean more into my travel journaling passion. I’d even considered starting a blog. Maybe changing topics would snap him out of his trance.
“So, Ricard asked me to do some reconnaissance for that dude, the architect. At first, I refused, thinking they were a big-time, privileged person, but apparently, he’s from humble beginnings and Afro-Panamanian! Now I’m intrigued, and I emailed his old firm to see if they can put me in contact with him. It’s exactly what you and I were talking about that day...”
Adrián’s face went ashen at my words, and a cold finger ran from the back of my neck to the bottom of my spine.
“What’s wrong?” I murmured.
“Nothing. I was going to... I was... I need to tell you something before I move on.” Adrián cleared his throat, straightening on his chair.
Our relationship felt like an unattainable dream, but I thought we had time. I thought we were still basking in how different and unique it all felt between us.
“I’m bisexual,” Adrián said and took a scalding gulp of his coffee.
I guess this was when I had to say something, but I was perplexed. I thought...
“Yeah... I figured.”
“You figured?”
“Well, sometimes when we are together, you admire the same men I do...it’s not overt. It’s just a quick acknowledgment of beauty. Hey... I do it too. Then there is Julín.” I shrugged.
“Julín is gay, yes, but... I don’t have feelings for him.”
“I didn’t think you did, but him, on the other hand.” I turned my gaze to the plaza as night settled over the last vestiges of daylight. The hot cup felt warm in my hands, and I held on to it, attempting to tamp down my nerves.
“No, he doesn’t. I know everyone thinks so, but...he’s just overprotective.”
“And he needs to protect you from me?” I asked, hurt that his best friend saw me as a threat.
“No...to be honest, he thinks he needs to protect me from the world. It’s tough for me to explain...” Adrián’s supplicant gaze made me soften immediately, my hands extending on the table to feel connected again. It worked at the beginning, so why not now?
“Okay, I have never had to tell someone about my sexuality. It’s always implied, so I cannot imagine having to come out to someone. Please know that you’re safe with me. I see you, Adrián...” I grinned, and he leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss on my lips.
“There you are,” I whispered, then he took my mouth with sensual swipes of his tongue, the taste of his milky coffee the best I’ve ever tasted. Time stood still as the lamps outside the plaza turned on, and night blanketed everything. The cool breeze reached us as our kiss grew incendiary.
“Marry me,” Adrián gasped the moment our lips separated.
“Wait? What?!” A rush of adrenaline shot through me, my hands shook in Adrián’s large palms, and the prickle behind my eyes couldn’t be contained.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Genevieve Raymond. Life is too fleeting...that I know. I thought I had the rest of my life mapped out, but then you came with your powerful aura and dedication. Many men would have been intimidated, hell I was that first night, but in a couple of days, you started showing me the real you...and I was captivated. Captivated with your brilliance, sweetness, and burgeoning sensuality, with your reserved nature and your inquisitiveness. All the things that make you, you. With you, I can be still, I can be loud, I can be sexual, I can be—just me. And even though our paths are very different, the similarities make it all possible in my eyes. You make it all possible. Would you marry me?” Adrián shifted from his seat and dropped down on one knee. In my periphery, I could see the owner of the coffee shop holding Adrián’s cell phone, and it stoked me that he had actually planned this.
He had wanted to propose. This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing, but he’d ensured it was an intimate gesture, just for us. He’d taken the time to bring me to a place that reminded me of our first explorations together, ushering our short story to a new chapter. No public proposal, no great fanfare. Just him and me with his explanation of why he wanted to take this step with me. An explanation that resonated deep inside because he had also captivated me from day one. From his thoughtfulness, his courteous gestures, to the way he saw the world. His love for his family, and his care for me. Hard worker, goal oriented, but still deeply grounded. Self-aware and insightful. And oh so sensual. Handsome and just...
He got me.
With the backdrop of the plaza behind us, I accepted his pledge.
“I’ll marry you!” I shouted, even though it was just the three of us in the coffee shop. Tears streamed down my face, and everything looked blurry until Adrián kissed me again. When he pushed back, I saw the tears falling down his face too, and I wiped them with my thumb.
“This is my mother’s ring... Claudia had already married before they passed, and...”
He slid the warm gold ring on my finger, a twisted vine design with small glittering diamonds on the top. A bubble of air caught in my throat, and I couldn’t speak, so I did the only thing I could. I embraced Adrián, the race of our hearts meeting as we both cried in joy.
The walk to the hotel was a blur, and even though it tempted me, the three-course dinner he’d planned for us full of Afro-Antillean delicacies wasn’t enough incentive to convince me away from my goal. To get Adrián naked and in my mouth in record time.
The hotel room’s old feel was a feast to the senses, or at least it would have been if I’d had the time to enjoy it. The bolt of serotonin made me high on love and lust, and I shoved Adrián inside the room, ready for him.
“Damn, woman, let me take my pants off first.” He laughed as he removed his clothes, and I did the same with mine. Adrián stood bracketed by the view of the city and the bay behind him, an image of glittering night lights and the magnificence of his burnished brown skin. With confidence usually only present in boardrooms, I stalked toward him, then it was my turn to drop to my knees.
Adrián’s deep groan filled my ears, and his salty taste flooded my buds as I explored his smooth length with gusto. I might have done mostly regular things in bed, but this was one thing I excelled at.
“Uh, mmm. Gen, bebe, no puedo...ahhh me vas a ser venirme muy rápido.” Every rumble of his traveled straight to my core until I wept in emptiness. But I could bring him back after he came for me. My single-minded goal remained to have him spill inside of me.
Whatever Spanish I understood told me he was fighting not to come too fast, but as always, I got my way.
Salty warmth poured down my throat as Adrián shouted his satisfaction.
“You did come to kill me,” he accused as he collapsed to the carpet beside me, and I giggled in happiness.
“I didn’t because I’ll need you again tonight.”
Adrián, the good man he was, delivered over and over until I had to beg for him to stop.
We fell asleep in soft white sheets, the promise of our future bright. No concerns would mar my happiness.