Page 91 of Blue Gold

Spreading a white napkin over my lap, I cleared my throat. “Obviously, we’ll need to get you your driver’s license as soon as you’re back in the States.”

“Why? You can be my driver there.” He kicked my leg under the table, and I looked up to see his smirk. “You already were once, remember?”

Of course I did, and the memory of that day made me realize how far we’d come. And the fact that we were now here, together, despite all of my mistakes, was a wonder at best.

“How about ice cream for dessert?”

Elliot’s whole face lit up. “Will you order vanilla again?”

“Only if you’ll get chocolate.”

29

ELLIOT

Sitting in the passenger seat of my new convertible, I watched Daniel as he drove the car. The wind ruffled through his dark hair while the Mediterranean Sea spread out behind him as we drove along the Amalfi Coast. Just like he promised, we arrived in this paradise yesterday. The car he bought me waited for us at the airport, and from there, we drove along the shore, the same as we were now, to the most beautiful hotel I’d ever seen, built right on the edge of a cliff.

My work had taken me to many places over the past year, but something about this place felt different, almost like we were on another planet. Nostalgic warmth settled in my chest, and I hoped this moment would last forever.

Reaching forward, I caressed Daniel’s jaw. His lips stretched into a thin smile, yet he didn’t take his eyes off the road.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I was just thinking how I wish every day would be like this,” I admitted, unable to take my eyes away from him.

Grabbing my hand, he kissed the back of it.

“That’s the plan.”

There was something about the way he said those words, with such ease and peacefulness, that made me believe them with my whole heart. My smile grew until my cheeks hurt, and not knowing what to do with myself, I turned on the radio. Some Italian song came on, and I closed my eyes to the music.

With the sound of the waves crashing in the background, a cold drop of water landed on my skin a second before Daniel’s lips covered the spot. Kissing along my spine, he slowly went up until he reached my nape. Pleasure rushed through me when he cupped my jaw and turned my head to take my lips. His larger body hovered above, dripping all over me as we kissed, unbothered that we were on the beach. Unlike that time in the Hamptons, now, it didn’t look like Daniel was about to hide anything as he thrust his tongue into my willing mouth, groaning while he did.

“At this pace, we’re going to fuck here,” I chuckled over his lips as he moved to kiss along my neck, his breath warm on my skin.

“Would that be such a bad thing?”

A strangled laugh escaped me. “Who are you, and what did you do to my Daniel?” I asked in English, only because I knew my accent drove him insane.

Flipping me to my back so now I faced him, he smirked down at me while I was busy admiring his choice to skip shaving while we were here.

“It’s the sun.” He ducked down and kissed me. “Or maybe it’s just you, lying here in those little white trunks.” He traveled his hands down my body until they reached the waistband of my swim shorts. Yet before he could slip his fingers underneath the thin fabric, I tore my lips from his.

“You really don’t care we’re not alone?” I cocked my head in the direction of the couple who sat not too far from us.

He didn’t even bother to look at them. “But we are alone. On a coast, a thousand miles away from New York… A couple of foreign strangers we’ll never see again doesn’t make it any less isolated.”

Focusing on the two beauty spots on his right cheek, I smiled. “I used to be a foreign stranger, too.”

Daniel’s stare softened. “You were.” Leaning in, he planted a small kiss on my lips. “And now you’re all mine.”

His sweet words filled me with pure joy, the type to make you want to kick your legs, and not knowing what to do with myself, I kissed him back. Daniel’s strong arms quickly grabbed my waist before he turned us so now he lay on his back while I was on top. There, on the beach and out in the open, we kissed as if it were the most natural thing to do. And when we were done kissing, he hugged me tight, like I truly belonged to him. With my head now resting on his chest and my fingers tracing along the dusting of hair coating it, I closed my eyes and listened to his heart. The strong pounding slowly merged with the sounds of the ocean and seagulls, creating a harmony that flowed through me like a river, filling every empty space in my body and soul.

Amour.

That was this nostalgic feeling that kept nipping at the back of my head since we’d gotten here. No. Since long before that, because I fell for Daniel Williams the first time I laid my eyes on him. But it wasn’t until he’d flown all the way to Italy just to see me that this thing between us felt real.

Drawing circles on my back, Daniel’s breath slowly lowered until I was sure he’d fallen asleep. If it weren’t for his fingers still tracing my sun-kissed skin, I would have assumed he had.