“You're here,” I utter in disbelief.
“I'm here.”
“You drove for two hours? You're meant to be in Noosa.”
“I was,” he shrugs. “Pack a bag. It's time I showed you what a real beach looks like.”
the twentieth chapter
MARK
Even with my eyes closed, the beach envelops my senses.
Powdery sand warms the soles of my feet.
The roar and surge of each wave crests and foams.
That's my favourite part.
A fine mist sprays salt on my tongue.
And nearby I can hear seagulls starting a riot.
Maybe someone has spilled a carton of fries.
Porter stands behind me, lips soft against my neck.
“Open,” he whispers.
The smile that spreads across my face says it all.
This is what I’ve been dreaming of, ever since I was little.
Every inch feels like paradise.
“That watery horizon just keeps on going,” I marvel. “As if it never stops.”
“Maybe it doesn't,” he murmurs.
“You know what I've been wanting to do since forever?”
“Tell me,” he says.
“Build a sand castle. Eat fish and chips from a paper parcel. Watch the sunset.”
I’ve always wanted to see that, the way the light paints the ocean different colours.
“We can do all three,” he promises.
Our first night in Noosa is one I’ll never forget.
The freedom of swimming in the ocean unleashes something wild in me.
My handsome man insists on cooking, as always.
And this time he pulls out all the stops.
That first taste is an explosion of flavour in my mouth.
