Marco pressed his lips together, watching me. Watching my reaction. He adjusted based on, I assumed, my expression. And every time he did, it felt even better than before. It was hard to imagine coming this way, but I inched closer and closer every second.
“Unfortunately, until you decide one way or another if you’re staying, he’ll throw that back in your face. He sees you as a temporary problem, I’m betting.”
“Mmmm,” I couldn’t answer him at the moment.
Marco continued to slip in and out, to press and circle. “Do you want to stay?”
“Unfair. To ask me that right now.”
Marco bit his lip, a half-smile forming. He knew he was playing dirty. “For what it’s worth, I think you should stay.”
“Do this every day, and I won’t have a choice.”
I was teasing, but Marco wasn’t when he answered. “Ok.” My smile faltered. “I’m serious,” he said. “I know you don’t believe me yet, but I swear to god Rachel, you will.”
I wanted so badly to believe him. “I can’t stay for you,” I said as he redoubled his efforts.
In response, he let out a small moan, his thumb now joining the party. I was so freaking close.
“You sure about that?”
I was going to come. “Marco,” I said, over and over.
“Yes, love?”
That did it. The spasms started small and then intensified, Marco cupping his palm against me and riding out the wave with me.
He pulled out his fingers and kissed me. But it wasn’t the frantic kisses of last night. This was a sweet one, of longing and promise.
“Take a chance on me,” he said, pulling back. “Like you took a chance coming here.”
I’d already given him my answer the night before. “I don’t think I have a choice now. And then, knowing what was in my heart even though it was terrifying to say aloud, I blurted out what had been on my mind all weekend.
“I’m going to tell him that I’ve accepted my father’s offer.”
I was rewarded with a genuine smile of happiness, one that, if Marco was faking, that made him a really, really good actor.
“Are you serious?” he asked.
Now that I’d said the words, they didn’t seem as scary. “I’m serious. It might be crazy, but I love it here. I love the people who work for Sunset. I love wine.”
I stopped short of saying, ‘I love you,’ of course. But if I wasn’t careful, that’s where we were headed.
“I love skinny dipping with you on a Monday morning,” I said instead. “Can we make this a regular thing?”
“Mmm, I’m not sure if that will be good for my productivity.”
Kissing Marco was without a doubt my new favorite activity. He was so good at. I’d told him so last night, but then quickly changed the subject remembering the reason for it.
We alternatively kissed, and swam, for a bit longer. By the time we headed back to shore, sharing a towel to dry off, I was starving. For Marco, but also food. We decided to pack up camp and head into town for breakfast. It didn’t take long to pack, and it made me oddly sad to see our tent in his pickup. I’d forever look at camping differently now.
“Devine for donuts?” he asked.
“Mmm, after a night of hoagie eating and beer drinking, I don’t know about that.”
“Ok, eggs it is. We can hit Dave’s Diner. Are you taking the whole day off?”
Both Sunset and Grado were closed, but that didn’t mean there was no work to do.