The time on the cruise is going by too quickly. I long to be with Axel the entire time we’re on the ship. We hadn’t seen much of Becky or Jason, and I’ve almost forgotten about them, which is the magic of a vacation I guess.

Things are wonderful, but also frustrating. I feel Axel’s hands roam across my body a few times, but he never does anything else. I’m looking forward to the chance to be alone with him, but it never seems to come.

Today we’re in Greece. The villa in front of me is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. It’s huge and white, towering over the seaside, purple bougainvillea cascading over the walls. Footprints dot the sands of the beach keeping track of this memory so I don’t have to. I want to take a picture though, so I drop my daughter’s hand and rummage deep in my bag for the phone.

But Axel stops me.

“I’ve got it,” he says taking my bag from me and fishing out my phone. I don’t know why I put it in the bottom of the bag in the first place, it was obviously a horrible idea. I worry Axel thinks I’m silly for it, so I blush like I’m an anxious seventeen-year-old again.

He just smiles at me. I motion for my bag back, but he just shakes his head with that telltale smirk and then throws it over his shoulder with all the other bags he’s carrying. He insists on doing things for me. I don’t know why I ever refused to see him.

I should have answered his calls. He would have seen me, and he would have been there for Lark’s birth, and we would have been together all this time.

We’re together now, though, and that’s all that matters.

“Say cheese.” He laughs, holding the phone up to take a picture of me. I motion for him to wait with one finger then lift Lark into my arms so she’s in the image, too.

Then it’s ruined when Selena jumps in the way, giggling. She’s the worst about photo bombing. Ugh. But she’s been a good sport on this trip helping with Lark, and she did bring Axel so I try not to appear too peeved.

Axel shows us the photo, all blurry smiling faces. I’m going to keep it anyway. I just wish Axel was in it, instead of hiding behind the camera.

“Hey,” I start to say.

“Race you in,” Axel says first, and I take the challenge like I did when we were kids before we were lovers. I release Lark’s hand so she can run in the sand with me. Selena tries to keep up, but her crutches prevent it and she trails behind in last place.

Axel gets there first, even with all the bags he’s carrying.

Damn that man.

I just want to stare at him, and tell him I’m never going to let him go. He’s staring back and the world is silent. The moment is perfect.

“I call first room! And no one gets to complain,” Selena calls, gesturing to her leg with a hand. “Crippled and all, you know.”

Lark pipes up and says she wants to stay with Auntie Selena. I’m about to ask if that’s okay with her when my best friend just gives me this knowing look and pats Lark on the head.

“Are you sure you can manage her?” I’d love to spend the extra time with Axel, but I’m worried about Selena being able to chase Lark around on crutches.

“I’ve got her.” Selena winks. “Just make sure you bring my bags to my room.”

“Will do,” Axel says, wrapping his hand around mine and giving it a squeeze. I squeeze back, then Axel nudges Selena gently with his shoulder. “Now go.”

She starts off, but doesn’t get far before Lark tugs on her loose sleeve. Selena leans down, and I smile as I see them whispering in each other’s ears. Lark gives me a look and stops talking, telling me it’s a secret. I look away, but I’m still listening.

“We’ll play later, Lark,” Selena says. “Just give these two some time.”

They both erupt in a fit of giggles, and Lark tells us we have an hour. Axel and I agree.

The sun is high in the sky and the world is as beautiful as I’ve ever seen it. I look forward to swimming with everyone later. Lark doesn’t want me to know that’s what she intends, but I know how much she loves the water. We’ll try to find her some floaties, or Axel can teach her how to swim. He’s always been better at it than I have.

I sigh. I’m not sure if it’s where I am that’s so beautiful, or who I’m with, but it’s being around Axel that’s making me so happy.

He’s dropped all the bags and holds my hands in his leading us out onto the beach. Towering above me, so strong and masculine, he’s so handsome and I tell him that.

“I know.” He smirks and tilts my chin to make me look at him. His eyes are just so intense. Searching.

For what, I don’t know.

But in this moment, I just need to kiss him.

I rise up on my tiptoes, but he places his hands on my hips and picks me up. Wrapping my legs around him, we kiss and I cling to him as if my life depended on it. He lowers us onto the sand, and before I know it it’s in our hair, covering our skin. It’s a mess, and I don’t care, because for the first time in years, everything is right again.

After a delightfully dirty make out session, Axel implores upon me to go inside and get settled in our room.

“So,” he says, kissing the tip of my nose. “You think you can handle sharing a room with me? Are you ready for it?”

“Never readier,” I respond, and soon I’m pushing open the door to our room. “It’s lovely.”

“Not as gorgeous as you,” Axel says with a laugh. “But yeah, it’s nice.”

I’m laughing out loud again. I can’t help it.

We have a huge bed, adorned in luxurious white sheets. It has four poles with a fancy canopy above it. The windows stretch from floor to ceiling, and I just know the light will be perfect to see each other by in the early morning. In one corner of the room there’s a door that leads to the beach, perfect for midnight strolls by the water.

I wonder what it would be like if he took me on the beach …

At the same time we realize we’ve both been eyeing the bed. It’s so perfect and untouched. Axel and I haven’t been together in so long. We collapse into each other again, our hands roaming each other’s bodies like we’d wanted to on the beach, but refrained. Our clothing falls to the floor, and we surrender ourselves in wet kisses, climbing onto the bed.

“Mhm,” he growls, touching me. He pauses, his hand on my chest. “Are you going to tell Lark?”

“Yes,” I mumble against his lips, pulling him back to me. We’re kissing again, his touch no longer uncertain; my answer solidifying what should have been obvious:

I am his.

Our future is together.

I feel his skin caress mine as he moves on top of me. My breath catches at how amazing it feels to be so close to him. Drinking him in, I run my hands over his muscles as I part my legs for him.

“I love you.” He stops kissing me to say what we both already know. I close my eyes, my hand moving to his lower back as I pull him closer to me, needing him now.

“I love you, too.” The words leave my lips softly as his manhood pushes into me, and we become one.

Before, when I thought we would never be right for each other, I’d been so very wrong.