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I moved to her side and pressed her against the bulkhead so our bodies were close together. “Can I kiss you?”
She smirked, keeping her hands at her sides. “You know I still have the gun, right?”
There was the first stirring of playfulness in her voice and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
“I think I’ll risk it,” I told her, leaning close.
Our lips were millimeters apart and I paused, waiting. Her hands came up to my chest and her fingers curled into my shirt, pulling me that last bit closer. Our lips touched and it was the same fire that always ignited between us. Her mouth parted and I slid my tongue between them to meet hers. The feel of her hands running up my chest and linking behind my neck to pull me even closer as she sighed was like coming home.
Any last bit of trepidation over not knowing where in the hell we’d end up fell away. It didn’t matter. Karine was my home.
The speaker over our heads clicked on and the flight attendant told us we were about to start. We swayed as the jet lumbered forward.
“Time to buckle up,” I said, leading her to our seats.
“You could probably still make a break for it,” she teased.
I yanked her close, wrapping both my arms around her. “Not for anything. Now are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
She pulled back and grinned. “Not on your life. You have to wait and see.”
I settled back as the wheels below us ate up the tarmac and we lifted off. “As long as we’re together,” I told her. “As long as you’re happy.”
Chapter 30 - Karine
One month later
Somewhere in Mexico
I adored the little seaside village we settled in after taking a few weeks just to travel up and down the coast to find the perfect spot. This place felt like home, with friendly locals, lots of fresh seafood, and a view of the Pacific over the roofs of the cluster of quaint, tiny houses in our neighborhood.
We weren’t exactly roughing it, because Roman had taken out a massive amount of cash when we first arrived, right before we rented a rowboat so he could chuck his cellphone into the ocean. I had told him just taking out the SIM card before tossing it in any trash can was fine, but he wanted to make a grand gesture.
He got us a bottle of wine and a basket of fresh fruit and we lazed around on the little boat for an hour, enjoying the sunshine and breezes, before he stood up and flung it overboard. There wasn’t a trace of regret on his face as he watched it sink below the waves, then he turned and kissed me.
We had been taking long walks along the shore and through the narrow lanes of our adopted village, enjoying long lunches, and took up oil painting in the evenings when the light was perfect on our balcony. His were surprisingly good, while my attempt at recreating Van Gogh’s sunflowers looked more like I’d splattered macaroni and cheese on the canvas.
There wasn’t a dull moment, and if Roman was thinking about his business he left behind for me or missing anything about his old life, he wasn’t showing it. We kept nothing from each other, talking late into every night, but we didn’t make any plans for the future, either. We were making every day count and the last month had been the best time of my life.
I held out a whopping three days before falling into bed with him, and he’d spent those three days patiently driving me crazy with long, slow kisses and his expert touch. When I realized I was only punishing myself by holding out, we couldn’t keep our hands off each other. He told me he loved me every day and now I believed it without any more reservations. He’d even mentioned extending our time away from the world and I could tell he meant that too.
I really was enough for him.
I still hadn’t told him I loved him back yet and I wasn’t sure why I was still guarding that last bit of my heart. I had given everything else to him. As much as I knew we’d find a way to be happy if we stayed sequestered together forever, I wanted to see if we could make it in the real world.
I was going to bring it up that night after our usual dinner of fish that we grilled together on our balcony, and set aside my plate, ready to spill my heart to him. Music started from down the street and he grinned, jumping up to pull me into his arms.
We danced close together in the small space, and soon I was distracted by the feel of his hands roaming up and down my back. I tipped back my head and instead of kissing me, Roman dipped me low, then twirled me into the house where he pressed me against the wall.
“I need you so much,” he said, kissing me ravenously.
“Yes, eight hours is much too long,” I teased, getting just as fevered by the kisses he trailed down my neck.
I ran my hands through his hair, which he’d let grow out from his meticulously short cut, and his curls bounced under my fingertips. He’d been swimming in the ocean before dinner and smelled and tasted of salt. I licked him behind the ear, making goosebumps rise on his arms.
“Oh, you’re going to pay for that,” he said, stepping back to lift my top over my head. Dipping his head to kiss my breasts as soon as it was off, he murmured how much he loved me and how beautiful I was as his mouth traveled lower.
I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes, enjoying his travels down my body. He didn’t bother to pull my loose, flowy skirt off, just shoved it out of the way to nuzzle me between my thighs. I gripped his shoulders, letting him take me away.
