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"We’re in Spain, Si with his hair
"And here I thought it was all to do with ently, sweetly
"Okay, cowboy, ready to see where the GPS takes us?" I asked, stepping away I couldn’t keepor we’d never leave
"Let’s see how lost we really are" He smiled and ere on our way
"I think this is the turn…Yep, this is it," he said
I bounced in otten a bit antsy As we made one last turn, we looked at each other, and I squealed We’d seen bits of the ocean for the last fewout behind a stand of trees or over a cliff Now, as we turned down a tiny cobblestone drive, the realization that Simon had rented a house not just near the beach, but on the beach washed over ht
Si on the rounded stones When he turned the car off, I could hear the waves crashing against the rocky coast about a hundred feet away We sat for aat each other, before I scra? This entire house--it’s yours?" I exclais and came to stand next to me
"It’s ours, yeah" He sestured for nificent all at the same time: white stucco walls, clay-tile roof, clean lines, and soft archways Orange trees lined the ay froarden walls The house was a classic cottage, built to weather the sea and cocoon those inside As Simon looked under the flowerpots for the key, I inhaled the citrus scents and the distinctly salty air
"A-ha! Got it Ready to see the inside?" He struggled with the door for ato face h his, and leaned in to kiss his cheek "Thank you"
"For what?"
"For bringing me here" I smiled and kissed hiar you proar this! Let’s see the house!" I cried, wiggling free and charging past hih the door But as soon as I made it past the entryway, I stopped cold Close on my heels, he bu roo chairs, opened up to what I assumed was the kitchen French doors at the back of the house opened to several large, terraced patios, which sunk doard the rocky beach But what had stopped iant as the deep blue of the lazy Mediterranean The coastline curved back to the town of Nerja, where the lights were just beginning to sparkle as twilight drifted over the beach, illu to the cliffs Re how to move, I ran to push open the doors and let the soft air spill over ’s perfu, which perched at the edge of an earthen tile patio flanked by olive trees Placing my hands on the warm metal, I looked and looked and looked I felt Simon walk up behind me and without a word place his ar his head on les and planes of his body fit againstis exactly the way it was meant to be? When you find yourself and your entire universe aligning in perfect synchronization, and you know you couldn’t possibly be more content? I was inside that verySimon’s smile stretch across his face as he pressed into ood," I answered, and atched the sunset in spellbound silence
After watching the sunset until it was totally gone, we explored the rest of the house It seemed more and ain at the sight of the kitchen It was as if I’d been transported to Ina’s hoorgeous granite countertops, and a Viking stove I didn’t even want to knofor this house I’d decided to just enjoy And enjoy we did, running back and forth, laughing like kids e found the bidet in the hallway bathroom
And then we entered theat the end of the hallway, just outside the door
"What the hell did you find that has you so qui--ohfrom the doorway
If my life had a soundtrack, the theht now
There, in thethe estbed I’d ever seen Carved out of what looked to be teak, it was as big as football field Thousands of silky soft white pillows stacked against the headboard, spilling down over a white duvet It was folded down just so, the , as though they were lit fro fro a canopy, while eventhe sea below The ere open and all the curtains blew gently in the breeze, giving the entire room a billowy, flouncy, windblown effect
It was the bed to end all beds It was the bed that all the little beds aspired to be when they grew up It was bed heaven
"Wow," I ed, still in the hallway next to Si us in so we could crash
"You could say that again," he sta the bed
"Wow," I repeated, still staring
I couldn’t stop, and I was suddenly very, ily nervous I had a lovely case of performance anxiety, party of one
Siht me back to him
"No pressure, huh?" he said, eyes shy
Huh? Nerves? Party of two? I had a choice I could go with conventional wisdoether in a gorgeous house with a bed that was sex incarnate would i…or, I could let us both off the hook and just enjoy Enjoy being together and let things happen when they happen Yeah, I liked this idea better
I winked and took a running leap on to the bed, bouncing pillows all over the roo in the doorway, a sight I had seen so many times before He looked a little nervous, but still beautiful
"So, where are you sleeping?" I called, and his face relaxed into a s?"
"Wine it is," he snorted, selecting a bottle of rosé froed to have soroceries delivered to the house before our arrival, nothing fancy but enough to nosh on and hts we’d had about going into town faded away as the jet lag looht’s sleep, and head into town in the o, soh other little odds and ends to make a meal I assembled plates while he poured the wine, and soon ere sitting on the terrace The ocean crashed below, and the wooden ay down to the beach was strung with tiny white lights
"We should go down to the beach before bed, at least take a little walk"
"Done What do you want to do to?"
"Well, I know soo, but I need to do a little scouting still Want to co and see where that leads?" I asked, nibbling on an olive