Chapter 48
SNICKERS
"Can I open my eyes yet?"
"Not yet," I say, guiding Pip into the suite of Mount Etna's most glamorous five-star hotel.
It's a beautiful suite marked by muted colors of beige, brown, and taupe.
Yet, the marble floor gleams, the mirrored walls glisten, as if these ornaments take a step back to showcase the most important element of the room: access to the thrashing Ionian Sea before us, just out of reach.
Pip wears a gorgeous tomato-red vintage summer dress, with her sun-kissed shoulders bare.
I don't know its exact provenance because it's one of the many dresses her aunt packed when I told her I was whisking Pip away for a surprise honeymoon.
I position Pip in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.
"Are you ready for me to remove your blindfold?"
"Yes!"
I make eye contact with the two dark-suited attendants who escorted us to our room. They stand silent near the doorway, awaiting further orders.
Then, I gently untie her blindfold.
Pip gasps in delight as the Ionian Sea sparkles below her, almost close enough to touch.
"Oh my God," she says. "This is absolutely amazing! I loved that White Lotus series and always wanted to visit this hotel. And now I'm here!"
She turns and kisses me tenderly. I respond to her kiss, to her touch. I'm about to pull her closer. Then I realize that the attendants are still behind me.
"Shall we open the champagne, sir?" says the male.
"Yes, of course. Thank you so much."
Pip blushes, realizing the staff watched us. Then she sits on the white divan and watches the staff work their magic.
"Is this the same suite that was in the original film?" she asks him.
"The producers used many suites for the filming. Your suite is among them. It's the best the hotel offers. It boasts the best view of the sea, and at night, the swimming pool below is illuminated. With a full moon... well, it’s quite romantic."
Call it the skeptic in me, but the way he says this has me wondering if he brought someone up to share the view, and a little nookie, when the suite was unoccupied.
Along with the champagne, the workers lay out an array of pretty petits fours and prepare to leave.
To my surprise, the female staff member turns back to us with a smile.
"I loved watching the journey of your love," she says, practically gushing. "Watching you hit all those Manhattan hot spots like Central Park on social media was fascinating. But where's that cute dog you adopted? We have a daycare center for dogs, you know."
"I made Pip leave him with her aunt," I say. "It's our honeymoon, and I want my wife all to myself."
"Ah, yes, the aunt," she says solemnly. "I remember that devastating scene with the tree. That beautiful symbol of love... destroyed."
"But you can't destroy love," says Pip, standing to join me. "And that scene brought new popularity to her symbolic dove. Woodward is now using it as their corporate logo."
"How nice," says the woman, walking over to Pip to ask another question. While they're engaged in conversation, the man clears his throat and approaches me.
"I understand you're on your honeymoon. Congratulations. I wanted to point out some of the hotel amenities."
"Here, we have a full bar," he says, pulling aside a screen to reveal top-shelf brands. "You'll find mixers in the fridge."
"And what's this box?" I say, holding up a sleek-looking laminate box with the word Playthings embossed on it in elegant lettering.
He smiles and clears his throat. "Just what the name implies, sir."
Curious, I snap it open.
"You'll find a similar box in the bathroom."
"For watersports?" I ask with an arched eyebrow. "Thank you."
I tip him. Both employees take their leave.
Once Pip and I are alone, I pour a glass of the sparkling champagne.
"To the new Mrs. Woodward. I never thought I'd see the day I'd actually marry. I was prepared to remain single, living a life alone. But you brought me back. You brought me to my senses, Pip."
I clink glasses with her, then open the glass double doors leading to the deck. We sit on the small chairs, inhaling the briny scent of the sea.
"I often ask myself what made you reach out and save me that night at Rockefeller Center. I was drunk as hell, angry at the world, resentful of being pulled into a life I didn’t want."
I hesitate, wondering how much I should share.
"And to an extent, I'm still resentful. But I want you. I want us. And the first step in claiming you means taking responsibility for the direction of my life."
"Snickers, relax. I married you for you. If you want to break away from Woodward & Co, do it. Do it now."
I shake my head. "I see a new path before me. It's starting now, by adapting your aunt's logo as our corporate symbol. And it will continue with my long-held plans of transforming how friends and family communicate messages of love, congratulations, and loss...
"I don't want to bore you with technology, but it will be a new Woodward & Co. That's all I’ll say."
"Thank God for that," says Pip, taking the champagne from my hand. "Everything’s happened so fast. It's time we consummate our marriage. But first, a bath! Come with me."
I follow her back inside the suite. When she enters the large marble bathroom, she squeals with delight.
"It’s exactly like the one on the show—a big marble tub, even more grand than the one at your apartment in the Mandarin."
"Our apartment in the Mandarin," I repeat, smiling a little to myself.
I'm going to enjoy spoiling Pip.
I fill my glass with more champagne as she fills the tub. Then I hear the sound of her slender body dipping into the tub, splashing around like a five-year-old.
"Come on in, the water is delicious!" she calls out.
I enter the bathroom, already fragrant with the aroma of lavender from the bath bubbles. It mixes with the fragrance of the candles she’s lit, infused with a sensual, musky scent.
"I don't think I'll fit."
"Don’t be ridiculous. We’ll snuggle up and make it work," she says.
It's hard to resist Pip’s charms as she lies in the bubble bath, her pert breasts and erect nipples just barely poking through the bubbles.
She looks like one of the desserts in a French patisserie in Saint-Tropez—all whipped cream and cherries.
I want to bite into her.
Especially when I think about the delicious moments that lie ahead.
It’s been six months since we were last together.
The wait is over.
I strip off my clothes and step forward.
"Oh la la," Pip says. "I've missed that sculpted torso. Your flat abs. Those broad shoulders. Thank God I rescued you from those fans at Rockefeller Center. They would have torn you apart."
I step inside the tub.
The water is warm but not too hot. As I lower myself into the tub and breathe in the intoxicating aroma, I feel myself transported.
True to her word, Pip maneuvers her slender body so that she fits into my contours.
"Well now," I say. "Is it okay if I get handsy with you? Or is that not allowed?"
"Get as handsy as you want," she whispers.
The water, infused with some exotic oil, feels like silk against my skin.
I run my hands over the outline of her body, taking pleasure in the firmness of her breasts, tweaking her nipples slightly and enjoying her aroused reaction.
Then, I move my hands to her hips, her firm derriere—so delicious and plump.
Then, I slide my hands up to her inner thighs, slickened by the water. I can’t wait to dive between them.
I flip her around so that my phallus is pressed against her pert derriere.
"Oh!" she gasps as water splashes everywhere.
"That’s what towels are for. That’s what the housekeeping team is here for."
I lower my head to whisper in her ear before nibbling the soft pink shell.
"Right now, I want to kiss you. I want to taste you."
I trace the outline of her delicious right ear with the tip of my tongue. Then I tease her, poking it inside, enjoying letting my tongue's firm tip explore its ridges and valleys.
Pip moans softly as my tongue explores the sensitive folds of her ear. I continue my sensual assault, trailing kisses down her elegant neck, nipping gently at the satiny skin.
My hands roam her slick body beneath the water, caressing every dip and curve.
I cup her breasts, teasing the taut nipples between my fingers as she arches into my touch. Water sloshes over the edge of the tub, but I barely notice, too entranced by the stunning woman in my arms.
"Snickers," Pip breathes, tilting her head back to grant me better access. "I want you. I need to feel you inside me."
Her words send a jolt of pure lust straight to my cock.
With a low growl, I raise her slightly above the waterline. She raises her hands to support herself against the marble-covered wall in front of her. With one knee bent on the tub floor, I pull her against my torso, steadying her with my palm firmly on her lower belly.
My firm erection is ready to burst, but I keep myself under control. I let its throbbing tip poke its way between her thighs. Then I look down to admire her amazing ass, so round and firm. I reach down, and with my fingers, touch just outside her puckered hole.
"No…" she says, in a voice so soft and low I almost take it as a yes. I keep my finger stationary for a few seconds, then move it slightly, so it touches the rim.
Pip shudders.
"Please, not there..." Pip whimpers, though her body trembles with anticipation under my teasing touch. "Not there!"