“We’re here now, let’s get settled and get a drink, okay?” She smiled and kissed his cheek. He returned a huge smile and nodded. They peeled themselves off of the scratchy material of the chairs and eagerly made their way into the open air lobby.
A tall man in a white linen shirt and tan shorts approached them. “Welcome to Casa Hermosa. I am Javier and I am at your service,” he said in heavily accented English. Then a lovely dark-skinned beauty with a tray offered then both a glass containing something pink with a kiwi garnish a second after they were greeted.
Now that’s what I call service.
When the sweet, strong drink hit her stomach, the stress of the drive seemed to melt away. They checked in and made their way to the room. The resort was intimate and consisted of clusters of white stucco bungalows. The walkway was shaded with canopies of wide green leaves and colorful flowers. The only sound to be heard was the tranquil trickle of a small waterfall meeting a small man-made pond and the chirping of tropical birds. It was beautiful. Katrine squeezed Ian’s arm and gave him a gleeful grin. But that grin turned into an open mouthed gape when they entered their bungalow.
“Oh my god! It’s gorgeous,” Katrine said as she turned in a circle. The walls and the linens were all white. The only contrast was the light colored wood of the bed posts and furniture. The large bathroom had an open shower big enough for ten people. Ian called to her from the other room. “Katrine, check this out.” She pulled the sheer drapes aside and joined Ian on the patio. He had a smug look on his face, and rightly so. When Katrine saw the private dipping pool, she almost dropped the sun hat she still had in her grasp. The water was a deep dark blue due to the sapphire shade of the pool’s surface. She passed the pool to find a large hammock between two large palms.
“Down the path to your right you will find the beach. If you need anything at all, please use your phone to contact me at the concierge desk. May I get you anything else before I go?” Javier asked.
“Can you confirm our dinner reservation at 8:00, please?”
“Yes, sir,.” Javier nodded and took his leave.
“Sooooo, what do you want to do first?” Ian teased as he patted the bed. Katrine laughed and sauntered up to him. His eyes became wide and she pushed him back onto the bed.
“You can lay on this bed first of all,” she said, her voice dripping with seduction. “And I’m going to… the beach!” She laughed and ran out onto the patio. He quickly caught up to her and grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her into the air. “You’ll pay for that, you little tease.”
She squealed. “Ahhhhh! Ian, put me down. Don’t you dare. Don’t you…”
SPLASH.
Her head cleared the water and she was relieved to see she had dropped her straw hat before she hit the pool. She looked at Ian, who was equally wet, and splashed him in the eye, trying hard to keep the scowl on her face. They both started to laugh and splash.
“This shirt is silk, asshole!”
“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t resist.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Am I forgiven?” he asked as he pressed a small kiss on her nose.
“Nope,” she said, shaking her head.
“How about now?” he asked as he pressed a kiss on her pouting lips.
“Closer.”
“How about now?” he asked with a soft breath in her ear and wrapped her legs around his hips.
“Almost.”
Ian slid his tongue across her lower lip and ran his hands under the wet fabric of her shirt. Katrine opened her mouth and her tongue met his in the open air. The kiss deepened. Katrine whimpered and Ian growled a bit before pulling away.
“Now?”
“Okay, forgiven.” She pushed him, unhooked her legs, and made her way out of the pool.
The cobblestones were warm under her bare feet, the path narrow and shaded. The sand came into view as Katrine ducked under a large leaf blocking their path. Her toes sank into the sand and she couldn’t believe that it was soft as powdered sugar and just as white. The water was calm, with only the slightest ripple where it hit the shore.
“Oh, Ian, look at the water.” She pointed to the vast display of blues and greens depending on the waters depths. “Isn’t it breathtaking?”
“Yes, it is, the water’s not bad, either,” Ian said. She tilted her head to grin at him from under her large hat. “You can’t even see my face, Casanova.”
“Oh, but I know what’s under there, trust me.” He pulled her hand and led her further towards the surf. Covered open-air beds lined the beach. Katrine was happy to see there was a vacancy in the one closest to them. The drapes of fabric hung on all four sides from the large wooden frame. They were gossamer thin and fluttered gently in the breeze. As they got settled, a man with a tray came up and took their drink order.
Katrine sighed as she stretched her toes, leaning back against the cushions. They laid side by side, falling into a comfortable silence. But who needed conversation when the soft waves provided all the sound they needed? Complete relaxation had set in, which they both savored. Katrine had her e-reader in one hand and a frozen cocktail in the other.
Ahhhhhh. I may never leave this spot for the rest of my life.
“I’m going to take a dip. Care to join me?” Ian asked, rolling towards her. He leaned on one hand and drug his finger tips across her stomach in an almost absent-minded way, like it was just second nature to touch her.
“I think my bum may be adhered to this spot permanently. You go ahead, I’m going to read a bit more. I’ll go the next cool down.”
He smiled and kissed her cheek. “Okay, I’ll be back. But you’ll only have yourself to blame if I get picked up. That hottie in the muumuu over there has been undressing me with her eyes since I got here.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
And speaking of undressing you with their eyes…
Ian stretched his toned arms over his head. When he leaned back, his swim trunks slipped down a bit, revealing the ridge of muscles above his hips.
Yum.
Katrine was glad she was hidden behind dark glasses because it allowed her to soak up the view incognito. The back view was just as nice as he walked towards the water. He was long and lean, with just enough definition to incite drooling. She laughed as he yelped when the water reached his bits. She sighed and began to read, a peaceful feeling filled her chest.
The sun started to dip into the horizon and they were still in the same spot; several drinks and many dips in the ocean later.
“You know we have to get up eventually. We have dinner reservations,” Ian reminded her. She hadn’t spent the whole afternoon reading. Most of the time they talked and laughed. He was much more entertaining than the book she’d purchased. Who needed fiction, when her reality was so much better?
“I know. You’re going to have to peel me off this thing. I think half of my skin will be left behind.” Katrine started to get up and her head swam a bit. “Whoa, I may have had one too many coladas, amigo!” He pulled her hands and helped her up. She snuggled into him for a second and then looked up at his now tan face. “This has been one of the best days I’ve had in a very long time. Thank you for bringing me.”
He smiled and bent down for a quick kiss. “You’re so welcome. And you’ve already said thank you like ten times,” he teased.
“Well, get used to it, buddy, because I’m gonna say it a hundred more by the time we leave. Now come on! If I don’t get some food in my stomach to absorb all of the rum I drank today, I’m gonna toss.”
Katrine took a long cool shower and felt like a new woman. Ian had offered to scrub her back, but she turned him down.
“Ian, I have sand in every crevice of my body. I need to focus.”
“What? I was just offering my crevice cleaning services, nothing more.”
“Yeah, right.”
While Ian took his turn, Katrine had an important decision to make.
“Which dress should I wear?”
It was
a toss up between a white cotton strapless and a silky tangerine sun dress. She decided to save the white until she had another day to brown her skin a little more. She was more red than anything, despite the countless coats of sun block. By tomorrow it will have turned bronze. She adjusted the thin straps and smoothed out some creases in the skirt, which fell at her ankles. She didn’t really need make-up since she had a slight case of tomato cheeks. She just put on moisturizer, mascara, and some clear gloss with a bit if sparkle in it.
No wedges. Alcohol, sand and platforms do not mix.
At least not when I’m the one wearing them.
Not willing to break an ankle, she slipped on some flat sandals with a taupe strap across the toe and a dainty strap at the heel. Her hair was still a bit wet, but the dryer parts were wavy. She piled it loosely towards the top of her head and let a few wisps hang free. Ten minutes was all she needed. Katrine heard the bathroom door open and she turned. Ian stepped out and she whistled.
“Ian, my god, you look so handsome,” she complimented. And handsome was probably putting in lightly. He wore loose linen pants with a white button up shirt. He had rolled up the sleeves and the top two buttons were left undone. His hair was still damp from the shower and his skin was a golden brown.
“Okay, maybe I should upgrade that handsome to effing hot.” That earned her a half grin. He was doing some ogling of his own.
“If anyone is fucking hot in this room it’s you, Katrine. You’d think I’d get used to it, but I never seem to.” It was her turn to grin. They clasped hands and went to dinner.
Their resort had three different restaurants on the property, so a guest never had to leave if they didn’t choose to. They were eating at the restaurant right by the beach and the side facing the water was open to the elements. It was dark except for the tea-lights on the tables and the dim glow from the kitchen. Their table was out on the deck and the only sound to be heard was the waves. Everything on the menu had been caught that day in the very ocean that was currently serenading them. Katrine decided on the prawns and Ian the mahi mahi. The waiter brought them a crisp white wine to sip while they ate their salad course. When they brought out her food, her eyes went wide. She had never in her life seen a prawn this size. It looked like a small lobster. The red color of the shell was so vibrant it was almost unnatural.
“This thing is huge,” Katrine whispered.
“That’s what I hear,” Ian grinned and winked. She just shook her head and looked over at his plate.
“Wow, your fish looks amazing, Ian. There’s something about eating food you know they caught two hours ago.”
“I know. And look all of this fresh avocado and mango. They probably picked it from a tree by the pool.”
Katrine didn’t really eat any carbs to soak up all the wine they had with their dinner, so by the time they got up to leave, she was a little tipsy. Maybe it was because she was on vacation, but being tipsy triggered her party mode.
“Hey! Let’s go to the little disco behind the cabanas and dance.” Ian agreed, amused by her slightly drunken exuberance.
They danced and drank until the wee hours of the night. In fact, Ian had to carry Katrine part of the way and help her out of her clothes. Which would have been much sexier if Katrine wasn’t teetering like a peg-leg on a balance beam.
“Ian, I’m so sorry, I drank way too much.” Her tongue felt thick in her mouth and her words were a little on the slurry side.
“Don’t worry. I wanted you to have fun. That was the whole point of this trip. Although I’m not sure how much fun you’ll be having when you wake up tomorrow.”
“Uhhhhhgghh…I already feel like shit,” she groaned while he helped her put on a t-shirt.
“Come on. Brush your teeth and drink a huge glass of water. You’ll be okay. And all we have to do tomorrow is absolutely nothing.”
She had no time to worry about sex, snoring, or anything else because she passed out the minute her head hit the pillow.
Ian laughed and got himself ready. It had been a really good day. He pulled her into his bare chest and she slung her leg over his. He kissed her head. “Good night, baby.”
“Like when you call me that,” she mumbled, and then, a light snore.
Chapter 15
Katrine heard whistling and smelled fresh coffee. These two things prompted her to pry her lids apart. She was very relieved to find that she didn’t feel that bad, not that good, but not that bad, either. A little twinge of a headache, that she could deal with. Oh, and the worst case of cotton mouth she had experienced in a very long time.
Water…Need water!
That’s when she noticed a huge glass of crystal clear goodness on the table beside her pillow. She reached her hand out and was almost giddy when she felt how cold the glass was. Katrine sat up carefully, not wanting to spill a drop or to anger the hangover gods that had so graciously kept her from having massive cranial trauma this morning.
“How you feeling, princess?” Ian smirked from the chair across the room. From his princess comment she knew she must look like complete crap. She drank, no downed, the glass of water in one gulp. That earned a chuckle. “I thought you might be thirsty. And I ordered you some coffee and croissants.
“Ian, you’re my favorite person in the whole world,” Katrine said in a gravelly voice.
She had three cups of coffee, two croissants, and a bowl of fruit.
“Better?” Ian asked, still amused.
“Much.”
He had let her sleep in, so it was eleven by the time they hit the beach. After a light lunch they decided to go snorkeling. The boat took them to a small reef about ten miles from the shore.
The boat came to a stop and bobbed roughly, causing Katrine to slip a bit. She gained her footing with Ian’s help. They put on their gear and leapt in. The water was so transparent she could see at least a hundred yards below her. For just an instant the infinite expanse of water surrounding her was overwhelming. She floated to the right and saw the bottom of the boat and Ian not too far away. That calmed her. An iridescent yellow fish with a neon blue stripe across its back swam by Katrine’s face. She reached out to touch its fin, but it was too quick. She marveled at the number of different species that inhabited the tiny ecosystem just below her flippered feet.
Floating there above the reef, her limbs felt weightless and buoyant. The effect was so relaxing she thought she could doze off right there. She was jolted from her trance by a water muffled “Son of a bitch!” Her head broke the surface. Treading water, she pulled the snorkel from her mouth and put her goggles above her eyebrows. Ian was a few feet away, making sounds of distress.
“Ian! What’s wrong?”
“I think a barracuda just bit my balls!” he yelled. Katrine cackled, narrowly avoiding a gulp of sea water. She swam closer to him, still laughing. Which was difficult, considering she was trying to stay above the surface of the rocky water.
“Oh, poor baby, do you need my help? Cuz, I will cut a fish.”
“Ha ha, you wouldn’t be laughing if you were the one getting fin fucked.” That made her laugh even harder and this time she did swallow some salt water. She started to cough and choke a bit. In an instant, he had her in his arms, attempting to get her head above the waves.
“Breathe, baby, breathe,” he said softly, looking worried. She leaned her head against his, finally catching her breath.
“I’m okay, I’m okay… That was freaking hilarious.” Her laughter started up again and this time he was laughing, too. They were still laughing when they hoisted themselves onto the boat.
“I’m starving.”
“Katrine, when are you not hungry?”
“Hey! We’ve been snorkeling for two hours, and besides, protecting your virtue from the scaled scoundrels of the sea works up an appetite.”
“What part of laughing your ass off was protecting my virtue?” Ian asked, grabbing two ice cold beers from the boat cooler. Katrine shrugged her shoulders and took a long sw
ig.
“Wow, that’s good…hair of the dog.” She winked and put her feet up as the boat made its way back to shore.
Katrine was right. Her skin had become tan and it looked even darker next to the white fabric of the strapless eyelet dress she wore. There was still a rosy tint to her nose and cheek bones, but hey, natural blush. Her hair was down and wavy. She had found a pot of vibrant red hibiscus by their private dipping pool and decided to put one behind her ear. Ian wore dressy shorts with thin stripes and a light green polo. After complimenting each other on their dinner attire, they left. Ian said he had something special planned for tonight’s meal. He led her past the pool and down onto the beach.
Katrine saw a small round table surrounded by four blazing tiki lamps. The white linen cloth touched the sand and the large woven chairs had thick orange cushions. Katrine stopped. “Ian, this is perfect.” She stood on her tip toes and kissed him gently. He smiled and pulled out a chair for her. A waiter dressed in white approached them and asked for their drink order. When he returned with Ian’s rum and coke and Katrine’s mango margarita, he described the courses and let them pick their protein of choice. They both chose the sea bass. There would be a ceviche appetizer and a fresh papaya and spicy avocado salad to start. Katrine was so hungry just hearing the selections had her drooling. She devoured the large piece of pineapple that garnished her glass and then the cherry. She rolled the stem around in her mouth as Ian talked. She tied it and handed it to him as a joke. He looked at her and then at the stem and she wiggled her eyebrows.
“Check, please.” He rose his hand to no one in particular.
The food was superb and the service was excellent. Katrine marveled at how the waiters maneuvered in the sand, carrying trays no less. The conversation was fun and light, two best friends having dinner. Two best friends that kept locking eyes and caressing fingertips.
Resilient (Rebound Book 2) Page 12