Max frowns. “Unless Levin has plans for us to move on–”
“Would there be a bikini here if he did?” I nod toward Max’s pile of clothes. “Those look like swim trunks.”
He peers at the stack, pulling out the garment I’d pointed out. “You’re not wrong,” he says, frowning. “I think we’re being set up.”
I raise an eyebrow, and he laughs. “On a date,” he clarifies, “which is much better than any of the ways we’ve been set up in the past.”
“Let’s go with it.” I pick up the other half of the bikini. “The worst that can happen is that Levin tells us to change because we’re actually supposed to be leaving.”
I can feel Max’s eyes on me as I change into the bathing suit. There’s a lightweight, sheer white coverup dress in the pile, too, which I throw on over the suit, piling my hair atop my head. I’m aware that all of these clothes probably are leftovers from women that have stayed at Adrian’s villa–hopefully not women he’s killed, although I’ve learned the hard way not to underestimate any of these men–but I can’t really bring myself to care. Whatever string of lovers Adrian has, it’s not my problem.
It might be my sister’s, though,I think wryly as Max and I walk out of the bedroom, heading back out to the patio.
Everyone is already there, gathered around the same table that’s now strewn with breakfast foods and the fixings for Bloody Marys and mimosas. Natalia is comfortably tucked next to Adrian, her legs gracefully crossed under her, and Levin is sitting on the other side, with eyes only for his omelet.
They look up as we walk out, letting out a teasing cheer that would be better suited to a pair of newlyweds.I guess in terms of how things have gone, we might as well be,I think dryly as Max and I take our seats. We didn’t get married, but we’d consummated the beginning of a new relationship that, for us, is every bit as serious and every bit as much of a fresh start.
“What’s the plan?” Max asks Levin as we sit down, filling our plates with food. Natalia pushes an already-prepared mimosa towards me, winking. “Are we staying put? For how long?”
“A few days at least,” Levin says, stabbing his omelet with his fork. “Adrian said he’ll send some security with you, if the two of you would like to go down and explore the beach.” He pauses, a faint smile flickering on his face. “I believe the staff might even have already packed a picnic basket for you, so to speak.”
I glance at Max, who has a surprised expression on his face. “I hadn’t thought you’d be so relaxed,” he says, raising an eyebrow. “I’m surprised.”
Levin raises one shoulder in a half-shrug. “I don’t think anyone will track us to Santorini, not for a while at least. My connection with Adrian isn’t publicized, and it’s far from the first place they would think to look. I think with enough security, you’ll be safe to spend some time just the two of you. So to speak,” he adds.
It feels like a dream come true, one that I half-expect to be snatched away, but it isn’t. After breakfast, we’re given a cold bag filled with picnic items and two small bottles of wine. Max slings it over his shoulder, taking my hand as we head out of the villa and down the winding streets of Santorini, Adrian’s security trailing discreetly behind us.
It’s like something out of one of my wildest fantasies. Max and I walk hand in hand, the world beyond this place and this day fading out of our thoughts as we explore like any other couple on vacation, touching and kissing, forgetting entirely even about the security. The city feels almost magical, like a bubble keeping us safe and allowing us to just be ourselves for a day, with nothing else to hold us back.
We make our way down to the beach, and I slip my sandals off, digging my toes in the sand as Max and I walk down to the water. He spreads out the blanket that we’d been sent with, setting the bag down to hold it in place, and grins at me, shielding his eyes against the sun.
“Are you going to get in the water?”
I glance towards the crystalline blue water. “Do you think it’s cold?”
“Only one way to find out, but I’ve heard it’s nice this time of year. I’ve never been, though.” He walks towards me as he speaks, lacing his fingers with mine, and the casual touch makes my heart race.
I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of even the simplest things with Max. I don’t know how I can ever take any of it for granted, after what we’ve been through.
“Another first for us both,” I say softly, going up on my toes and kissing him lightly on the mouth.
“We’ll find plenty more,” he murmurs against my lips, letting go of my hands long enough to push the sheer fabric of my dress up my hips, dragging it up and off of me. “For now, I want to see you in a bikini again. I didn’t get to enjoy it properly last time.”
“Oh?” I feel a faint shiver go through me at the memory of that afternoon by the pool, how Max had caught me touching myself and finished the job in the water with me. “I remember thatIenjoyed it.”
He kisses me again, his lips curving against mine. “One day, we’ll have a house with a pool again,” he says softly. “And we can recreate that afternoon exactly as I wish it had gone.”
“We can recreate as many days as you like,” I whisper against his mouth, and he pulls me tighter against him, his hands hard on my hips.
We kiss like that for a long time, toes in the sand, the wind blowing my hair loose around my face, and the sun gleaming down on us. When we finally break apart, Max exclaims at how pink I am already, slathering me with sunscreen before I do the same for him, ignoring his insistence that his olive, Italian skin won’t burn.
The water is, as Max thought it might be, wonderfully refreshing. I float on my back for a while, letting my hair drift around me, weightless and fearless briefly, feeling the sun shining down on my warm face. When I’m finally vertical again, Max is close by, and I swim into his arms, feeling more relaxed than I think I ever have in my life.
We end up on the blanket, drying out under the sun, picking at the array of foods that was packed for us. It’s all light, delicious food–crackers and hummus and prosciutto, olives and grapes, and the small bottles of wine, and I let out a soft sigh as we eat, looking around.
“I wish we could stay here forever,” I say quietly, shredding a piece of cheese between my fingers. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a place so beautiful.”
“It’s lovely,” Max agrees. “Maybe we’ll be able to come back one day.”