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“Ava…” he exhales. “You couldn’t look more stunning if you tried.” He walks over to me slowly, one step at a time. With one hand in his pocket. The other cups my face gently, holding it for his waiting lips. His kiss is soft, slow, and oh so full of promise. He rests his forehead against mine as I wrap my hands around his forearms. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“I am,” I whisper.
“Good.” He smiles with his eyes closed. When he opens them, he takes my hand, kisses the back, and slowly wraps it around his arm. “I didn’t cook tonight, but I hope you’ll like it anyway. Also, how do you feel about sleeping under the stars?”
“Will you be beside me?”
”Is that a question? Of course I will.” His lips leave a gentle imprint on my forehead. “Come with me.”
He draws my hand into his as he leads me back toward the kitchen. Our chef for the night is just finishing up. All the lighting is low around us. The sun is setting in the western sky, casting an orange glow along with the candles spread throughout the room. The table is set in a feast fit for royalty. The white linens tent on the stack of three plates at each setting. A bottle of white wine stands chilling in the space between them. All the courses are laid carefully around each setting with a white orchid completing the look of each plate.
The chef whispers something in Rafael’s ear before giving me a quick bow and leaving out the front door. “It’s just you and me now, Ava. May I?” He motions to my chair with his eyes.
I nod just before I pad in my bare feet on the cool tile floor to settle in the chair he’s pulled out for me. “This is beyond.”
“I think it’s just right, Bella. Save a little room for dessert. I have my favorite one waiting in the wings. The meal you see is more traditional Cubano. The main dish is Picadillo a la Habanera. Mine is made with chicken and yours is pork. We can share if you’d like. There are also plantains and a bit of island fruit to quench your palette.”
“I’m nearly certain I’m going to go home ten pounds heavier. This looks delicious. What made you decide Cuban?” I ask as he lays my napkin gently in my lap.
“I’ve always wanted to try it. I thought a shared first with food would be…nice.”
The way the word nice rolls off his tongue sends wave after wave of shivers down my spine that only seem to go away if I let them happen. “Nice. Nice is good.”
After Rafael sits at my side, he closes his eyes and folds our hands together in silence before we eat. I don’t know if he is praying or simply wanting the connection. Either way, I feel closer to him. He tells me more stories of his mother and father and what he was like as a child.
He’s a born storyteller. The charm and beauty with which he talks about his parents pulls at my heartstrings. I can tell he wants to be just like they are. “The way you speak about them, I feel like I know them.”
“They will know you someday, Ava. I want that more than you know.”
“You’re making a lot of plans, Rafael.”
”Is that a problem?” he asks.
“Not if you intend to follow through.”
“I don’t say things I don’t mean.” His voice turns a little darker. It’s an instance where I’m not sure if I’ve crossed the line, or if I’ve possibly hit too close to home. In any event, I feel like I have to apologize.
“I’m sorry. I know you don’t. I don’t want to argue about it.”
“This isn’t arguing. I could never. I would never. Not with you. I just need you to understand what I’m saying. I won’t say anything to you I don’t mean.” Rafael gently wipes the corners of his mouth before setting the linen napkin back on the tabletop. He quietly rotates his body to face me, settling his cheek on his closed fist. “Would you dance with me?”
”Dance? We don’t have any music.”
“We will. Come with me.” He rises slowly from his chair, extending his hand to me. I slide the napkin off my lap, setting it on the chair to my left. Once again, my hand feels dwarfed in his. Our eyes meet and lock. We enter into this unspoken language. He asks me to trust him. I follow.
The sheer curtains that have been floating over the open accordion door to the lanai part for us, as if on cue. The outdoor dining table has been moved off to the side. The tiki torches are lit all around the pool, lining the entire deck in a sexy glow. I don’t see the speakers, but can hear a low line playing in the background. The gentle piano mingles with the waves of the ocean in a surprising way.
“This is beautiful, Rafael.”
“You are beautiful, Ava.”
“You know, as much as I love all of this, I don’t need it. I only need you.”
“And I only need you, however, accept any gesture I offer as a hint of what I feel for you. Any time I take your hand…” He wraps his fingers around my hand and stares at our connection. “Any time I pull you against my body…” His other hand splays gently into the small of my back with a gentle, pulsating pressure. “Any time I kiss your lips, or any other part of you.” He smirks with a whisper before placing them on my collarbone. “I want you to know how special you are and to me.”
I’m glad the breeze from earlier in the day is down, because if it was any higher, I think it would have knocked me over. “If I hadn’t been standing here, I would have thought that was from a romance novel. I wish I could put into words how it makes me feel, how you make me feel.”
“You don’t have to, Bella. Your eyes tell me.” For a brief moment, Rafael’s hand leaves my back to slide into his pants pocket. Suddenly, the music is louder. The instrumentals finish and give way to a voice I know I’ve heard before, but can’t place. He brushes his lightly stubbled cheek along mine until his lips meet my ears. “Listen to the lyrics.”
