Mary sat with her mother on the patio drinking coffee, the next morning. The Vogelsangs were picking her up at ten o’clock to go sightseeing again. Lillian was excited and totally in love with Portugal.

“I love your Pa, Mary. I love him dearly, I do. But dang I don’t want to ever leave this place. I know the food can be weird and the folk talk funny, but tell me this isn’t the most wonderful place on earth,” Lillian announced as she finished the last of her coffee.

Mary had just got herself a mug after coming round from Ben’s apartment and was nodding.

“But we have to go home, Mom. Not like we have a choice is it?” Mary replied, shaking her head as she sat down.

“Anything wrong honey? With you and Ben I mean?” Lillian took her daughter’s hand and gave her a probing look.

“Oh good grief no, not between us anyway. Just the big stinking reality that we only have one week left and then we fly home. Like you Mom, I really don’t want to go. I love Ben and I know he loves me. There must be some way I can stay. Somehow?” Mary replied, almost sobbing.

“I don’t think the authorities would take too kindly to that Mary. Last thing they want is illegal American immigrants cluttering up the place, I’m sure,” Lillian said, not sure of how to solve the problem.

“I’m going to talk to Ben while you’re out today with the Vogelsangs. Maybe he knows a lawyer.” Mary chewed at her bottom lip as her mother stood.

“Well, my dear, we shall all find a way to make this work, I’m sure. I only want your happiness and there’s something about you since you met Ben. Maybe it’s just the vacation, maybe it’s being in somewhere new, but something in you has changed and I like it.” She leaned over to give her daughter’s cheek a peck before walking back to the patio door. She paused and turned back to Mary. “I bet he’ll make beautiful babies as well.”

With a shriek of laughter, Lillian disappeared into the house once more, ignoring the flip-flop that came sailing through the curtain.

Mary sat back in her chair, waiting for Ben to come around as the sun warmed her face. She thought about Ben, the sometimes OCD but very adorable man she’d come to love so quickly.

He was intelligent and funny. Sometimes he seemed a bit stuffy, but he was British, that could happen. She smothered her own giggle and looked around guiltily. She knew there would be problems to face in the future, far more than just a shared language spoken in an entirely different manner. They were different people, they had different approaches to life, but she knew he brought out the best in her and she brought out the best in him. That had to be a good thing, right?

She sat up from her reverie when she saw Ben coming through the gate, a mug of coffee in hand. She held her face up for a kiss, and tried not to laugh when he poured his coffee all over the patio as he leaned over.

“Go ahead, I’ve made an idiot of myself again.” Ben laughed as he went for the mop standing on the side of the house. “I’ll clean up my mess.”

Mary laughed with him. “Don’t bother, it’ll only dry off in five minutes anyway.”

Ben ran the hosepipe over the mop, then put the mop down and sprayed the baked tiles of the patio. He pointed the flow of the water to a drain and waited until he knew the water had flushed it all away.

“Nope, around here you have to clean up or you’ll be invaded by ants. There’s enough sugar in that coffee to put an ant into a diabetic coma!” He settled into a chair after putting the hose away and she’d brought him a fresh cup and the sugar bowl.

“Yes, we noticed the ant situation on our arrival. They’re incredible to watch but when I started having nightmares about them we started pouring cinnamon down to keep them out.” Mary twined her hand in his as he leaned over to kiss her.

He pulled away and asked, “Why cinnamon?”

“It confuses them and they can’t find the scent trail they leave behind. It’s safe around humans and dogs, and makes the house smell nice.” She gave him a smile as he pulled away further.

“You are a brilliant woman, you know that?” The kiss he placed on her nose spoke of his own adoration.

She gave him a pleased smile as her mother came out of the barn once more, the matador hat on her head, a green summery dress flowing around her knees.

“Dad’s not going to know you when you get home, Mom!” Mary gave her mother an appreciative whistle as she sat across from them.

“It’ll do him some good. Shake him up, get the juices flowing, you know?” The mantle of sophistication and worldliness disappeared as she spoke but Mary knew Lillian didn’t care. She was what she was and that’s all there was to it.

“Your makeup looks nice. I stopped wearing it with this heat, it all just melted off of me anyway.” Mary waved at her green eyes, catching Ben’s attention. She had beautiful eyes after all.

“Oh, I expect this will as well, but it’s nice to start the day out feeling pretty. We’ll all wilt in this heat but nobody will notice me looking like a clown because the other tourists all look exactly the same.” Lillian laughed and waved a goodbye as she stood to leave. The Vogelsangs were in the street, waiting for her. With a blown kiss she turned to leave by the front door.

“It’s just us for the day then?” Ben asked, his hand draped over her shoulder, playing in her hair.

“Yes, the Vogelsangs seems to have adopted Mom. It’s not a bad thing, is it? She loves it here and it gives us time together.” Her eyes sought his out and he knew what she was thinking because he was thinking the same. Nobody else was home, they were totally alone.

He pulled her out of the chair, his body hungry for hers, his mind needing her to fill his senses.

He pushed her to a shaded wall, his spontaneity a result of her influence. He’d normally have his day planned, but Mary had brought him to a place of spontaneity he’d been lacking in his life. His lips found hers as he pressed his body to hers. She made quick work of removing his clothes as their hungry mouths worked together.

Soon he was naked, his muscled body tanned from head to toe, and she grinned as she pulled away. Her own clothes disappeared and then she was in his arms, rising in the air as he lifted her, pressing her against the wall again.

“I love you,” Mary whispered the words, words she hadn’t meant to say, but definitely meant.

“Good. I love you.” His response was growled just beneath her ear as he shifted, pressing his length into her welcoming opening, sliding in with ease. He paused as he slid home, taking a moment to enjoy being inside of this beautiful woman and her beautiful body. “Fuck, I love you so much.”

His lips found hers once more, and he began to move, thrusting into her in a way that had her gasping quickly. He enjoyed the view as she let her head fall back against the brick wall. Her face was a picture he didn’t want to forget. Ben fought back a sob of pain, pushed back his tears. She was leaving soon and this was a time to enjoy, not blubber all over the poor woman.

Besides, his dick was so happy he had to control himself. Mary was unlike any other woman he’d ever made love with. She enjoyed herself, gave herself up to it in a way he’d never experienced. And her enjoyment was his enjoyment.

Ben redoubled his efforts, shifting to kiss her neck, moving down the sweat dampened skin to her breasts. Round and plentiful, her breasts were a delight, and he wanted to memorize every inch of her. He thought about the costs of flights to America and wondered if he’d be able to eat anything there, gritting his teeth, trying to make it last, trying to wait for just the right moment.

His hands, strong and capable, held her bottom so he couldn’t touch her with them. He shifted again and her gasps turned to cries of pleasure as he rubbed against her clit. There we go, he thought.

Ben stopped thinking, stopped trying to control himself, and let his body follow hers as she began to ripple around him. She took him to a place that only they knew, a place where they were one. As her tight sheath grasped at him, he let himself go and pulsed into her, his body feeding hers with his essence.

They clung together, both lost in the moment, Mary’s legs still wrapped around his waist, her body slick with sweat, and their eyes locked together.

“I do love you, Mary. We’ve got a problem but I think we can overcome it. We’ll talk about that later. For now, I want to take you to the beach and love you in the water. Come on, let’s go.” He let her slide down the wall, took her in for a glass of water, and held her as she stared up at him.

“We’ll sort it, darling. Don’t worry.” He kissed her nose and led her out to the car, not sure how but knowing he could make this work, somehow. He just had to figure out who to call first.

* * *

They spent their final week in bed, in the water, watching the stars shine, and the sun come up together. They danced to the music coming from other villas around them, they danced at a bar he took her too, and they danced at the beach, before falling together in the darkness.

Mary began to plan her return, even though they’d agreed to wait to talk about it all. Ben had rubbed off on her as much as she’d rubbed off on him. She’d noticed he’d begun to loosen up; he wasn’t so regimented or controlled now. Heck, he’d even left a picture totally sideways at one of the restaurants they’d visited this week. It had bugged even her but he’d totally ignored it, even when she’d gone to wash up. She’d come out expecting to find it sorted but he’d left it.

She’d smiled to herself and went back to their table, kissing him softly before sitting down.

“You’ve changed, do you know that?” Her eyes gleamed when she smiled.

“I don’t know what you mean. None of your American rubbish has rubbed off on me. I’m British, we don’t change, madam.” He held his head in such a way that implied he was offended but she knew better.

“Oh, I forgot, you’re impervious to our ways aren’t you? So superior. I hope it doesn’t rain when we get outside.” She gave him a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

“And why’s that?” His handsome face told her he knew but he was playing along.

“Well, it would be shame for you to drown. You know, that nose of yours stuck up in the air like that could be problematic. Is it hard to breathe that way?” She teased him some more and he scowled playfully.

“I’ll show you drowning later, young lady. For now, let’s get home. Your mother will be home in an hour and you need a spanking.” He paid the waiter and they left, their arms locked.

“Spanking? I’ll break your hands first, buddy!” She glared up at him but softened it with a kiss.

“I think you’ll be begging me for more!” He closed the door to the car before he began a loud panting sound. “Oh Ben! Oh Ben, take me big Daddy, oh yes, take me, take me! Isn’t that how it goes?”

He turned to her with a totally serious look and for a moment she was too shocked to respond. Was he serious? He looked serious. Then he laughed and pulled her close. “That was too easy. Come on, I want your thighs around my ears, I don’t want to spank you.”

She pushed him away but laughed as he pulled onto the street. She was going to miss this. She sobered for a moment. Just one more day left. They were leaving early in the morning, a little over 24 hours from now. She turned to Ben, reality finally setting in.

“Are we sorting it, love?” Her eyes pleaded with him to give her an answer.

“Well, if you don’t mind coming here you can come back in a few weeks, maybe six to eight. But I need to get some papers sorted and it’s Portugal.”

Mary turned to him and they both laughed as they spoke in unison. “Amanhã!”

The Portuguese word for tomorrow. Mary knew that if it was meant to be it would be. There was no use in fighting what couldn’t be fought.

That night their lovemaking was frantic, a primal thing fueled by despair. It was sad, joyous, and left them both too stunned to sleep. Was it real? There were doubts, there were worries, but most of all, there was love and that was too precious to throw away. But could Mary handle leaving everything she knew for a place that was already showing its flaws? Could she live in a place where everything was so very different? It was a lot to think about, something for another time. Now they needed more of each other. They turned to each other and began again.