"New beginnings? I like that," he murmured, trailing his lips along my neck.
I leaned back into his embrace, completely agreeing with him. The kind of new beginning we were experiencing was definitely something I could learn to love.
We watched the peacocks for several more minutes before strolling away. Maybe someday I would have a peacock at my own wedding. Maybe with Alec. It could be our one and only witness. My glimpse into the future wasn't something I would share. The virgin thing was a big enough hurdle to get over. Still, I was beginning to fall for him—hard.
We headed back toward the hotel after a long afternoon of walking the city. The foreplay and teasing followed by the moment we had just shared made me more than ready to be alone with him.
We detoured briefly into a tourist shop because I had it in my mind that I wanted to get Olivia the most obnoxious souvenir I could find. I had called her after the first night Alec and I had done the deed. She was, of course, appropriately enthusiastic, but turned crude when she demanded to know the details. I wanted to get her something absolutely hideous to pay her back.
Alec's phone rang in his pocket and I smiled, checking the time on my phone. He had told me the day before that Lily liked to call him every night at eight o'clock, right before she headed off to bed. The one conversation I had witnessed wasn't long and seemed entirely one-sided as he asked her about her day at summer camp.
Alec stepped outside for some privacy, so I headed toward the store's selection of tee shirts. Most of them boasted crude messages. Some were downright hilarious and I couldn't help laughing as I searched the rack.
"Get her that one," Alec said, sneaking up behind me. He had pointed to a shirt with a cartoon picture of a woman's vagina that looked like a giant crawfish that read: "The taste of New Orleans."
I laughed, thumbing through the stack of shirts until I found Olivia's size. "That's totally gross, but she's going to die. Did you want to pick something for Lily?"
"She wants a toy airplane from the airport. I'll pick one up before we head home. I am getting this though," he said, holding up a box of beignet mix.
"You know how to cook?" I clapped my hands gleefully.
"You're looking at a master chef here. I make a mean French toast that would make any mademoiselle weep," he said in his best French accent.
"My oh my. Aren't you multitalented?"
"Not nearly as talented as you, sweet stuff. I can barely write a decent grocery shopping list. Forget about an entire novel. It blows my mind that you can sit in front of your computer and create an entire story. That's something spectacular."
His compliment made me blush. "I don't know. To me, it pales in comparison to becoming a doctor. I think saving lives trumps couples hooking up."
"Oh, I wouldn't go that far, especially when they're hooking up in places like balconies or on the deck of a pirate ship." He smiled crookedly.
"You read my book?" I had a hard time believing it since I knew from past conversations that he preferred a more "manly" type of fiction. Historical romance didn't seem to fit into his normal reading forte.
"Books, sweetheart. I read all of them. I have to say, for a virgin, you definitely sounded like you knew your way around the bedroom." He winked at me, making my cheeks flush.
"All of them? Wow." I wasn't sure how to react. My family had all read my books. Even Dad, much to my chagrin, but I always believed it was because they felt obligated. Like when someone tells you a bad haircut looked good. Knowing that Alec had read my books made my heart swell. The emotions I was feeling for him were as foreign to me as the Creole dishes we had eaten for lunch. Not to mention, it was too soon. I could be setting myself up for the biggest disappointment of my life. As an avid reader, I hated insta-love stories. It never felt real to me. I wanted love built on a relationship that had grown and matured along the way. Not because he made my toes curl in bed or filled me with desire with only a wink. Love was an invested emotion. Not something you handed out willy-nilly.
"Damn right, all of them. I tried the first book after we met at the beach, but how could I not continue after that cliffhanger with Jacques and Liz at the end of the second book?" Alec's eyes twinkled with humor. I couldn't tell if he was screwing with me. Over the years, I'd been teased mercilessly by the testosterone clan in my family, so I was a pro at sniffing out bullshit. Alec was harder to read.
"People hated me for that cliffhanger, you know. I vowed I'd never end a book like that again," I admitted, purchasing my shirt before he could argue. During the last couple of days, he had tried to revisit the subject of me paying for things, claiming that if we were dating, he would be picking up the tab from now on. Not that the idea of him thinking of us as an item wasn't wonderful, but I had to put my foot down on him paying. It took some convincing, but I still had the solid reasoning that my purchases were a business expense. Uncle Sam wanted his money and according to the accountant who did my taxes, I needed all the deductions I could get.
Alec scoffed as he held the door open for me to exit the souvenir shop. "How could someone hate you for the way you ended your book? I'd like to see anyone say something when I'm around. That cliffhanger was necessary," he said indignantly.
I smiled at his protective vibe. "You're pretty cute when you're in defensive mode, but don't sweat it. You'd be surprised how passionate readers get about books."
He growled, pulling me in tightly. "Cute? Don't you mean frightening? At least call me an intimidating badass."
"Oh, that goes without saying. You are one. Big. Strapping. Scary. Man." I kissed his neck between every word and then sucked hard to give him a hickey at the end.
"Okay, okay," he said, pulling away. "How did you get so good at this so fast? That's what I want to know."
He hugged me again, tightly against his chest. I laughed breathlessly, loving the closeness of our embrace. We'd made love several times in the past forty-eight hours, but being wrapped in his arms still felt special. I couldn't seem to get enough. Everything about him was like an intoxicating drug, and I was becoming addicted.
In the beginning, I had dreaded the idea of being away from home for three weeks in a row, but Alec had changed everything. Spending time together didn't feel like work. It was more like an extended vacation. I couldn't help wondering if things would remain the same after we returned home and got back to our everyday lives. Would we still see each other, or would the fairy tale end for me? Neither of us had actually expressed our feelings in any way other than sex. It could be possible that this was just a fun time for him and the feelings I had developed were completely one-sided. Besides, I would be diving into my next book, and he would return to his own life. A life that I now knew included a daughter. I could have continued driving myself nuts with what ifs, but I decided to make the most of the next week and a half and cross the next bridge when it came. I would enjoy my drug while it was still readily available.
We arrived back at the hotel and Alec dragged me into a quiet corner of the lobby. With my back pressed against the wall, he bracketed me on either side with his arms that were like bands of steel. "See, intimidating," he cajoled.
"Sexy as hell," I countered, finding his hips and bringing him even closer to me. "Sorry, but you don't scare me in that aspect. You're too swoony." I stood on my toes and nipped the underside of his chin.