AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I collected towels and robes to sit on the edge of the hot spring, and Luca brought the refreshments. Stepping into the river was like slipping into a hot bath, a striking contrast to the cool air of the spring night. Most of the river wasn’t that deep, but the space nearest the edge sloped down so when I sat, it was up to my shoulders. Luca settled in beside me, pulling me onto his lap.
“Best birthday ever.” He nuzzled against my hair, his arms wrapped securely around me.
All those anxious thoughts from earlier started to claw at me, but instead of letting them run the show, I turned to Luca, drowning them out with a taste of his kiss.
He lounged back so his head rested on a folded towel, and I sprawled over his chest. I needed to invest in a giant bathtub just for this.
“We’re supposed to be stargazing,” he whispered against my mouth.
“I’m not stopping you from looking.” I sucked on the scent gland on his throat, gently rocking my hips.
“You really think I can focus on stars when I’ve got the sun in my lap?”
“My name means moon, not sun,” I reminded him.
“I know. It’s just that you remind me of the sun. Warm and bright, impossible to ignore, and so easy to enjoy. You’re only the moon at night, when you get soft and quiet.”
“You can be the moon then, and I’ll be the sun.”
“How come I get to be the moon?”
I rotated so my back was pressed to his chest, with my head resting on his shoulder, and I stared up at the glowing pearl in the sky. “Just look at her. She’s peaceful, like you.”
“I’ll take it.” He traced lazy patterns over my skin, strawberries approaching my lips every so often, bits of chocolate melting against my tongue. I always got so wrapped up in everything when I was in the city. I’d forgotten how nice it was to relax in the middle of nowhere, though I suspected it was only this nice because Luca was with me.
He really was like the moon. All soft light and radiance, reminding me that I needed the quiet and stillness. I sighed, running my hand through his hair. Luca brought me that same peace. I just couldn’t help but wonder if it would ever be possible for me to return the favor.
Spring flowers burst in every possible color. The whole town was decked out with flowerpots and garlands, music and sweets overflowing from every angle. Luna held my hand as we perused the market, stopping for samples and the occasional purchase. I savored every second of her hand in mine. The occasions back home were rare, but here no one knew who we were and couldn’t have cared less about one more couple walking together through the streets.
Luna clutched a little potted hyacinth, the scent of it weaving with her own. Mom usually had them in her garden but I had never paid attention to them before. Luna’d looked so happy when she sniffed it and gathered the purple-wrapped pot up to carry.
“Oh! These are so cute.” Luna paused in front of a booth laden with crocheted plushies. She picked up a small yellow rabbit with pink ears and nose, her fingertips moving reverently over the soft yarn. “I had one almost exactly like this when I was little.”
I glanced at the attached price tag, fished the corresponding amount out of my wallet, and handed it to the vendor.
“Luca, I don’t need it,” Luna protested.
“Since when are stuffed animals about need? If you want it, you should have it.”
She didn’t argue with me, setting the rabbit next to the flowers she was carrying, her fingertips teasing one of the ears. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
We picked up lunch from a handful of vendors and sat on the grounds of the conservatory that abutted the market. Tulips ran riot over every flower bed, letting us nestle in a basket of color. Neither of us had thought to pack a blanket, so I purchased one from the nearest booth, settling us atop the green-patterned fabric.
Lunch was painfully on theme. We shared a minted spring pea soup, a caprese sandwich, grape hyacinth lemonade, kale chips, and fruit tarts for dessert. We had dinner reservations at a local steakhouse so I wasn’t too worried about needing anything more substantial for lunch, and everything was delicious, the flavors bright and earthy.
I wasn’t at all excited about tomorrow morning. In part because I would be spending all night once we got back helping Jasper prepare items for the pancake breakfast tomorrow, but also because it meant I only got one night here with Luna. Last night in the hot spring, I’d been so relaxed I’d almost fallen asleep, and then I had slowly taken her apart when we got inside the cabin. The taste of her skin and the sound of her cries were branded into me, an indelible memory.
“We should move here,” I said out of nowhere.
“I’m sure our jobs and families would love that,” she said with a laugh.
“They would all hate it. We should come back here again, though. Do they have a fall festival too?”
“I’m pretty sure they do. You don’t want to go up north and be a leaf peeper?”
“I will peep any landscape as long as you’re with me.”
