"Perfect, baby." She looked at me as I spoke, her eyes full in the late afternoon sun. Hadn't I called her that already? We made our way to the door, walking inside as I asked for a table for two with a smile. It felt good to not be tethered to my laptop or phone, though I knew I'd check it later. We were taken to a table that overlooked the beach, ordering ice water as Rayna picked up her menu. She quickly decided on that burger while I went with a club sandwich, ordering from the waitress as she brought our drinks.
"They all look at you the same way," she said as she sipped the water and watched the woman walk away.
"How's that?" I asked with laughter in my voice. I liked jealous Rayna a little bit, though I didn't understand her insecurity as I looked at her flawless face across the table.
"Like they wish I weren't here," was her response as I let the sound out of my throat.
"They can wish it until their dying day, but I love you. Only you." I reminded her as she blushed and pressed her lips together. I noticed that she hadn't said it back to me, but I understood that. She didn't seem the type to just tell anybody that and I wanted her to say it with true meaning in her voice. I felt it every time that she looked at me, as well as every time that she was in my arms. Rayna feared everything that was happening, but she was here with me and at my house before this. She brought a suitcase to my house, which told me a lot. I was willing to wait for her to tell me that she loved me, but she was going to hear it every chance that I had to say it to her.
"French women are so beautiful, though. They look like supermodels," she remarked as I smiled at her.
"You'll see all kinds of people here, Rayna. This is a popular place for tourists, and we can even take the train to Italy if you'd like. There's a lot to see," I offered as she nodded. "You don't see the way that people look at you, do you?"
"No. How?" She asked with wide eyes. I hadn't been out with her in public a lot back home, but the few times that I was men looked her way. Hell, even women did. Here, every guy that we passed turned to look a little longer. I knew her hair was bright, but it wasn't so unusual that nobody had ever seen it before. Rayna was just naturally beautiful in that girl next door way. She was my beautiful angel.
"You are a stunning woman, Ray. Those blue eyes shine, and when you smile, you light up a room." I couldn't believe that she'd never been told this before. "You are beautiful effortlessly, and that's a hard thing to do."
Our entrees arrived, and we ate eagerly, thankful for anything other than airplane food. The food tasted great as we discussed plans for tomorrow and even later tonight, one of which I knew was taking Rayna in our bed with the ocean air filling the room. I couldn't wait to have her somewhere without limitations after the flight and the quick shower sex. It was fantastic, but I needed some time with her body, kissing those sweet lips as she moaned against me.
I asked for some cake to go for dessert so we could sit on the beach and watch the sunset, making Rayna smile. The waitress brought it in a purple box after I paid and tipped her generously and we walked back on the sand and found a place to sit.
We ate the rich dessert in the orange and purple rays of light, snapping pictures in between bites. It was always beautiful but seeing Rayna enjoying it with an easy smile on her face in that light took my breath away. I snapped a photo of her licking some frosting from the corner of her lips, and she glanced at me before I pulled her against me. I snapped one of the both of us smiling, and she stared at it for a long moment. "Text that to me," she said with a hint of pain in her voice, looking at me.
I did, and we finished watching it, sitting there until the dark of night fell around us. Our cake was gone, and we made our way to the room slowly, feeling our energy fading. Once we were there, I saved the picture on my phone for the background as she grinned and walked out on the balcony. "Did you see the coffee maker in the tiny kitchen? We can sit out here and drink it tomorrow morning," she told me as I walked out behind her. It was cooler out now, and I draped a blanket around her shoulders as she relaxed.
"I did. That is a requirement for hotels. I don't always feel like going to the lobby for my caffeine," I told Rayna as she shifted in my arms.
"How often do you stay at hotels like that?" Rayna asked as I considered laughing at her. I traveled a lot for work, and the rooms weren't always like this.
"More than you think," I assured her as I kissed her hair. "When you travel a lot for a job, it isn't fun like this. It's business, making a room just a room."
We stayed out there as long as we could handle the dropping temperature, looking at the stars and the moon. Once inside, I looked around the living room and took in the television and the fireplace. "Movie in here or the bedroom?" I asked her as she nibbled her lip and looked at me. Rayna dropped the blanket on the couch and walked barefoot towards the bedroom as I followed her, unable to do anything but that. She had the television on, and I made a small fire there just because I could, leaving the window cracked for some air as long as I could stand it.
I walked to the bed where she had the remote, lifting my shirt off before I dropped beside her. Rayna had removed her shorts but still wore the shirt as I leaned in to kiss her neck. "Hi," she whispered as my lips drew her skin between my teeth, making her shudder.
"Hello, beautiful," I responded as my hand wrapped around her waist slowly.
We ended up making out with her on my lap, missing the entire random movie that was playing on HBO. Our clothes slowly slipped off, since we both knew that there was no hurry tonight or even in the following few weeks. I pushed her to her back and kissed down her neck, over her nipples before sucking one into my mouth. Her thighs were damp, and I felt her heat against my leg that was pressed between us for leverage, making me want to drop between them and take her with one hard thrust. I told myself to slow down as I tasted her sweet pink bud with a groan.
I moved down her stomach and kissed the skin just above her dripping pussy before moving down to lick long and slow. She was so sweet, and I cleaned all of her before I found her clit and teased it ruthlessly until she was begging me to fuck her. She came against my tongue first with a scream before I moved over her and lined my cock up with her pussy. "Do you want me?" I asked her hoarsely as she nodded vigorously. "I am going to fuck you on the French Riviera, baby." I moved inside of her as she dropped her head back. Fuck, she felt good. I moved in and out of her, lost in Rayna's body as our moans mixed in the room. This bed, this room, this life … it was perfect. "Rayna … oh God." I shot deep inside of her as she screamed my name. She came a second after me, clutching my shoulders tightly as she rocked with me, desperate to drag out the feeling.
"This is the best feeling I've ever had," she said as we lay on our sides, staring at each other. The room was lit with the orange flames and the forgotten television, and I tried to see her better.
"I agree," I told her as she leaned up to kiss me. We turned towards the large screen and cuddled together, falling asleep to it until I woke up to use the bathroom a few hours later. I turned the television off and crawled back into bed with her, pulling her warm body close.
The bed was as comfortable as the one I had at home, and I sank into it as I kissed her hair. I drifted back to sleep and woke up with the sun shining outside of the window. I stretched and looked at her slowly, peaceful in her sleep as I grinned. I wanted to wake up with this woman for the rest of my life.
I got up to use the bathroom again and went to make some coffee, as happy as I'd ever been. I took one cup and went out to the balcony to look at the picturesque view slowly, taking it all in. I reminded myself to check some emails for work before we started the day, but didn't move.
CHAPTER 23
Rayna
I woke up to the sun shining into the room and looked around in shock for a moment. Oh yes. I was on vacation. I was in fucking France. I stretched and took in what I could see of the blue water before I hurried to the bathroom and wrapped myself in the robe. It was a big suite, but I could smell the coffee, and I wanted it.
I made my way down the hallway and looked outside to see Declan leaning against the railing with a cup in his hand. I made my own cup and looked around in awe for a long moment. It was so pretty in here with the cream walls and sage accent walls. Walking towards the slider, I slipped outside and joined him as he glanced at me. "Morning," I said as I sipped the coffee. I pulled my hair up before coming out here and hoped that I didn't look awful.