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  I hear her come back out, and I smile at her. She’s wearing a long, flowing skirt and a tank top with tiny straps over her shoulders. She looks relaxed with her hair down and flowing. I want nothing more than to run my hands through it and say we’ll order in food, but I also want to wine and dine this lady. I don’t know what’s come over me, but I suddenly want to impress her.

  “Ready?” I ask.

  “Yep,” she answers as I open the front door for her. We walk back toward the city center. I take her to a restaurant I found online today. It seems quaint, but also slightly posh. This is an island where rich yacht owners crossing the mid-Atlantic stop over, so I’m sure it will not disappoint.

  “Wine?” the server asks in English after we are seated. He hands me the menu, and I glance at it and suddenly feel very pleased that my salary is much higher than it was two weeks ago. I do know my wines. My parents were connoisseurs. I order a modestly priced bottle that I know is excellent.

  “I hope you don’t mind,” I say to her as I hand the wine list back to the server.

  “Not at all,” she says with a smile. “You seem to know what you’re doing.”

  “Well, there was that time I wanted to be a sommelier,” I tease.

  “Seriously?” she asks.

  “No, not really. Although, I’m sure my parents had high hopes,” I say with a smile.

  She laughs and examines the menu. We order, and the server brings us the wine.

  “To meeting new people,” she says as we clink glasses. “So, what do you think of the Azores?”

  “It’s beautiful here,” I say. “I like the people. I like how chill they are, and the physical beauty of the islands is well, you know.” She nods. “It’s fascinating how each island is so unique in its natural beauty and the snorkeling with dolphins, well that was icing on the cake.”

  She smiles a big smile at me. “I couldn’t agree more. I’ve really enjoyed living here. I wasn’t sure at first, especially since I don’t speak Portuguese. But the people are very friendly, and on Horta, most people speak English because so many folks stop over as they cross the Atlantic. I don’t think I could ever get tired of watching the marine life here; seriously, it’s amazing.” She looks deep in thought as she grins again.

  “You really love your job, don’t you?” I ask.

  “Yes, more than anything. It keeps me busy and something about being in the water with dolphins is just magical. I mean, you experienced it, don’t you think so?”

  I smile back at her remembering my interactions with them. “I couldn’t agree more. They’re so smart. I’ve always had an affinity for them.”

  “How come?” she asks, taking a sip of wine.

  “Well, you know how they say dolphins are protective of people?” I ask her.

  “Oh yes, there’s been so many recorded encounters where they protect people from sharks or other things. It’s really quite fascinating,” she counters in rapid fire. Her passion is contagious, and I grin at her.

  “Well, when Lily, my sister, and I were little we were playing in the water at the beach. We weren’t very far in, but far enough that I saw my mom waving us back toward shore. We were on surfboards, and we were just playing around, I mean neither of us was awesome at it. I noticed a dolphin behind us. I pointed it out to Lily, and she thought it was so cool how close it was to us. Then I saw two more dolphins. Suddenly, we were surrounded by dolphins. Then a bit further out I saw a fin, and I just knew that they were trying to warn us about a shark. I grabbed Lily’s arm and tried to point to the fin, but it went down, and she didn’t see it. I told her we should head in like our mom was indicating, so we did. The dolphins followed alongside us for as long as they could, and then when we got close to shore they all swam away. I think they were protecting us,” I contemplate as I watch her face turn to a look of horror.

  “You could have been killed,” she stammers.

  “I guess so. I suppose I’ll never know.”

  “Wow, that’s an incredible story. Did your mom see the shark?” she asks.

  “She saw the dolphins, but not the shark. She thought it was strange that they were so close and told me it was a wise decision to follow her instructions and come in right away.”

  “I don’t have any dolphin stories that are that interesting,” she says with a sigh. “Although once a mother dolphin, a cow, let her calf get really close to me. I mean I could have reached out and touched it. I thought that was pretty awesome.”

  We order, eat our food, and finish off the bottle of wine. We talk about our favorite movies and music. I learn, like me, Melissa is a big fan of indie rock. We both love horror movies, and I tell her about all the times my sister and I binge-watched our favorite horror movies. She doesn’t speak much about her family except her older brother, Greg.

  After dinner, we walk along the cobblestoned streets, and she takes me to a small park. We sit on the swings and watch the stars.

  “It’s a shame that you have to leave in another day,” she says as she leans her head against the metal chain of the swing.

  “If I didn’t just start my job this week, I’d stay a few more days, but…” I trail off.

  She sighs. “I understand.” I notice that she shivers, and I realize it’s getting a bit blustery out and the clouds are starting to roll in and take over the night sky.

  “I should walk you back,” I say. “It looks like we have some weather coming in.”

  She glances up and nods. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  We walk hand in hand back to her apartment. She gives my hand a tug after she unlocks her door. I accept the invitation. This time she leads me slowly to her room.

  We both undress slowly, watching each other as we do. When we’re finally standing naked, I allow my gaze to travel up and down her body. She’s beautiful, maybe even more so than yesterday. Something about her intrigues me, and I wish I could stay longer. I can only hope that I’m needed back on site here sooner rather than later.

  I take three steps forward until I’m standing in front of her. We’re millimeters apart as I look down at her, and she gazes up at me.

  “Beautiful,” I whisper as I bring my lips down to hers. I want to take my time tonight. I want to savor her, to hold on to her while I can. I lose time as I kiss her, exploring every inch of her mouth. She tastes like fine wine and chocolate from our dessert.

  She melts against me. I pick her up and carry her to her bed without breaking our kiss. I bend down until she’s lying on the bed and I’m hovering over her, and then I pull back and slowly kiss my way down her throat. She makes the cutest fucking noises as I do this, it’s like she’s impatient, but also doesn’t want me to stop. I smile against her right breast before taking her nipple in my mouth and sucking hard. She moans and arches her back up off the bed, forcing her breast against my mouth. As I learned yesterday, my beautiful girl likes this. So as not to play favorites, I give the same lavish attention to her left breast and nipple before I head south toward my final destination. Tonight, I want to worship her. I want to savor each and every inch of her and right now, I really want to taste her.

  I spread her legs with my hands and feast my eyes on my prize. She’s just as beautiful here as everywhere else. I run my tongue up her slit and part her with my thumbs, grazing her clit as I do so. She bucks against me, and I use my hand to push her down. Melissa is also greedy, and I secretly like that, except right now I want to be in control. I suck on her clit and then trail down, pushing my tongue inside her over and over. She’s so wet, and she tastes so sweet. I’m not sure I could ever get enough of her. I take her clit in my mouth and suck on it gently as I push two of my fingers inside of her and curl them, so I can rub her in just the right place. I learned this trick in college, and after spending time with her last night, I’m fairly certain I have her roadmap figured out. Sure enough, a few strokes later she’s whimpering, and I can feel her muscles begin to undulate around my fingers.

  I gently graze her clit with te
eth, and she silently explodes around my fingers. She’s so wet it runs down them, and I know she’s ready for me. I reach for a condom from my pants pocket on the floor and have it on in two seconds flat. I slide my cock up and down against her wetness a few times before pushing inside of her. She feels so good, and I tell her that.

  She groans as I slam into her slow and hard. I push her legs back to get a deeper angle and continue my slow tedious strokes. I want to draw this out as long as possible. I don’t want to stop feeling her from the inside, she just feels too good, too perfect.

  “I’m so close,” she whispers.

  “Let go, beautiful,” I murmur as I kiss her jaw and after another stroke she does. She clamps down on me so hard that I’m uncertain whether I can continue without coming, but I do.

  I pull her down to the end of the bed and prop pillows under her ass, so I can get even deeper. She grips my upper arms as I slam into her. I know I’m getting close now because I feel my restraint slipping away and I’m pounding into her harder and faster. I can feel her building again and I hold on until I feel those telltale muscles convulsing around my dick, and then I come hard. I am barely aware of her pussy’s vise grip on me as I practically see stars.

  I lean my forehead against hers as I bring my weight down onto her, holding her in place as we both catch our breath.

  “That was amazing,” she says quietly, and I chuckle.

  “I certainly thought so,” I say with a grin and swift kiss.

  I pull out of her, and she winces.

  “You OK?” I ask her.

  She nods. “Just not used to so much…you know,” she says, and I can see her flush in the dim light from the hallway.

  “So much what?” I ask, teasing her.

  She shoves my chest. “Seriously?” she asks as she raises one eyebrow.

  I grin at her. “Oh, sex?” I ask innocently.

  She rolls her eyes. “It’s a good thing you’re so adorable,” she says.

  “So, you think I’m adorable?” I smirk.

  “And annoying,” she quips as she gets up and uses the bathroom.

  When she returns she lies down next to me and traces my abdominal muscles. “You’re in really good shape,” she points out.

  “I work out a lot,” I explain.

  “I can tell.”

  “You’re in good shape too,” I say as I trace my finger over her breast and across her belly.

  “Well, you can’t spend all day swimming with dolphins and be out of shape,” she offers. “You want another drink?”

  “Sure, what do you have?” I ask.

  “I still have those beers,” she says with a grin.

  I follow her into the kitchen and watch her delectable ass as she bends over to get the beers. I’m fairly certain she’s putting on a show for me because she takes her time finding them even though her fridge is not that full.

  She removes the cap and hands me the beer. I take a sip and look at her as she swallows a sip.

  “Come here,” I say, and she saunters over to me.

  I lift her up on the counter and realize it’s low and the perfect height for what I have in mind. I’ve always liked to be a little adventurous.

  I step in between her legs so they are forced apart. I run the neck of my cold beer bottle down between her breasts, and I swirl it around each of her nipples before sucking on them. She whimpers from the intensely hot and cold sensations, and I smile. Then I let the bottle travel down between her legs. She jumps at the cold sensation.

  “Be still,” I say into her mouth as I kiss her. “I’ll warm you up in a minute. I promise it will be more intense if you let me do this,” I murmur.

  She relaxes and lets the bottle glide up and down her sex. I slowly push it inside her a little ways, and she shivers at the coldness. I make this path around her clit and back down and inside her a few more times before I drop down and lick my way around that same path with my tongue. She clenches her legs around my head.

  “Oh my God! That’s really intense,” she cries out. I smile against her sex, and I grab the condom I brought in here with me and put it on quickly. This time, I slam into her and move with a rapid pace. It only takes a few minutes before we’re both on the edge. I grab her ankles and spread her wide as I slam into her twice more before I feel her coming and I follow her, unable to hold on any longer.

  I kiss her afterward and pick my beer up off the counter, taking a long sip of it. I smile as I taste her on the glass.

  “I really like this beer,” I say with a smirk.

  She giggles. “So do I.”

  “Touché, Ms. Burke, touché.”

  We finish our beers while I’m standing there in front of her, my softening erection still inside her and her legs still wrapped around me. When we’re done, I pick her up and carry her to bed.

  “Let’s get some sleep,” I suggest, and I pull her against me after disposing of the condom and setting my phone alarm.

  “OK,” she says softly, and she curls up against me as we both drift asleep.

  My alarm is going off seemingly seconds after I close my eyes. I reach for it and turn it off and roll back over to find Melissa in her rolled-up-ball position. She’s a deep sleeper and hasn’t budged from the sound of my phone.

  I take this quiet time to study her, memorizing each inch of her body and committing it to the deepest, darkest corners of my mind. I don’t want to leave her, but I have no other choice. I pull her to me and kiss her forehead, nuzzling her neck as she starts to wake.

  “Time to get up, beautiful,” I whisper against her collarbone.

  “Ten more minutes,” she groans, and I laugh. She’s as bad as my sister in the morning.

  I trail kisses down her breasts and belly before deciding to wake her up using my tongue. She still tastes salty from our sweaty sexual escapades last night. She groans as my tongue circles her clit. She’s already wet, and I force myself to slow down and savor her one last time, not knowing when I’ll get this again. I suddenly feel like a crack addict, except Melissa is like my own brand of crack, made just for me.

  “You’re so wet, beautiful,” I whisper against her sex as I fuck her with my tongue. She writhes beneath me, and I can feel her pulsing. I double my efforts and am rewarded as she cries out incoherently. I lap at her release, tasting her sweet honeysuckle essence.

  I grab a condom and roll it on as I make my way back up her body. I want to be more adventurous, but things are still new between us, and I don’t know how far she’ll go. Plus, knowing this is possibly our last time, I want it to be slow. I want to look into her eyes as I push her over the edge.

  I’m so hard, and she’s so wet that I slide right inside of her, sheathing myself deeply. I pull all the way out and then plunge in slowly again. I keep repeating this while adding a little circle of my hips as I go deep. She begins to shudder around me, her eyelids starting to close.

  “Keep them open,” I command. “I want to watch you as you come.”

  She complies. Her eyes widen slightly as her orgasm overtakes her. She gasps, and I swear to fucking God she sees into my soul and suddenly I’m overwhelmed by…I don’t know what…and I’m coming with her as she continues to spiral. It’s the most intense orgasm of my life. I pump stream after stream into the condom. Everything seems ten times more intense than normal like I’m on an acid trip.

  Her face is flushed, and she is so fucking beautiful. I reach out and caress her cheek as I thrust once more into her. I collapse on her and bury my face against her neck, smelling her, licking her at the base of her throat. After a minute, I realize that I’m crushing her.

  “Sorry,” I say with a smile as I prop myself up on my elbows.

  “That was…intense,” she says. I roll us on our sides, and we lie there staring at each other for a long minute.

  “Yes, it was,” I agree.

  “We should probably get a shower,” she says after a long silence.

  “I know,” I admit. “I’m just enjoyin
g lying here with you.”

  She smiles. “Me too.”

  I untangle myself from her and hold out my hand. She places hers in mine, and we walk to the shower. There’s no sexual play in the shower, just purely the business of getting clean. Afterward, she makes us coffee and suggests we walk by a bakery on our way to work.

  “You have to work this morning?” I ask her.

  “Yep, going out to tag some dolphins with a colleague today,” she says as we walk down her street. “Are you at the site today?”

  “Yes, we have one last site visit and a long lunch meeting before we have to catch our flight back,” I say. I smirk. “Cody’s keen to get home to his wife.”

  “Oh?” she asks.

  “Yes, he’s married to my cousin,” I explain.

  “Wow, that’s, uh, interesting?” she says.

  “It’s a long story. Maybe someday I’ll explain it to you,” I say.

  “I’d like that,” she answers as we walk to the bakery.

  After getting some amazing pastries and more coffee, I walk her to the dock.

  She looks down at her feet as we stand there. I tilt her chin up, and I see some tears in her eyes. Shit, she’s feeling something too, I think to myself.

  “Hey, don’t cry, beautiful,” I say, mustering my strength and pushing my feelings deep down. I’m very good at that, a master at it some might say. “This is not goodbye.”

  “Nick, let’s be realistic,” she says. “I am here for a few more weeks at least, and you are in Philly, and well, there’s half an ocean between us.”

  I sigh. “Listen, let’s just agree to not say goodbye. I don’t know what this is, but I don’t want to close the door on it. We’ll figure something out and if not, then, well, we’ll talk about it then.”