CHAPTER SEVEN
With only one more day left on our vacation, Nico was in no hurry to make love to me. Or if he was, he didn't let on. He said he wanted us to get to know each other – really get to know each other – before we moved on to that next step.
“You seem to think I'm this perfect man,” he said, his hands entwined in mine as we curled up together in bed. “And I'm not. I'm nowhere near perfect, and I don't want to deceive you, Sophia. I've got more than my share of faults and flaws.”
“Deceive me? Come on, I see who you are – and you're as perfect as they come,” I said, relishing the energy between us.
The more time I spent with him, the more convinced I was falling for him. It was beyond crazy, but the heart wanted what the heart wanted. And my heart wanted him. In every way possible.
“But I'm not, Sophia. You just bring out the best in me, and so does being here. But when I'm home and working, well, I'm a different man,” he said. “Which is why I think we should wait.”
Inwardly, I groaned. I'd already waited so long for my first time. Most women were already sexually active at my age, and he wanted to keep me waiting. I found the perfect man, the man I wanted to give myself over to, and he wanted to take things slow. I both appreciated and abhorred the sentiment.
“Wait until what?” I asked, looking him dead in the eye. “Could it get any more perfect than this? A practically private island in the South Pacific? This is the stuff of fairy tales, Nico, and it couldn't be more perfect.”
He kissed my hand, and I could see the panic in his eyes. Perhaps he was the one not ready, I suddenly thought. “Have you been with anyone since your wife?”
His eyes quickly shifted to me, then just as quickly, he looked away. Finally, he sighed and answered my question.
“No, not in that way, I haven't,” he said. “I haven't been able to let myself go with anyone before.”
That answered the questions in my mind. It wasn't about making things perfect for me, or rather, that wasn't the only reason. He wanted to be sure he was ready too, ready to move on from Madeline and open himself up to another.
As much as I hated waiting, I knew it was the right thing. This wasn't all about me – this was about us. And as much as it needed to be right for me, it needed to be just as right for him.
I couldn't help but worry though. “Nico, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course, Sophia,” he said. “Anything.”
“What's going to happen when we get back to California?” I asked. “Because I can't just go back to working for my dad, in the diner. I just can't imagine that kind of life anymore. Not after I've felt what happiness – real happiness – is like. I just can't go back to that. Not with him.”
What I didn’t say was that I didn’t want a life that didn’t include him in it anymore. I wanted a chance to see where things with us could go. Nico was silent for a moment, making my feelings of unease grow.
“I have something I have to do,” he said, kissing me before climbing out of bed. “I'll be back.”
“Is everything okay?” I asked, sitting up and suddenly fearing the worst.
What had I said? Had I pushed for too much, too fast? Had I driven him off already? I pushed back the tears as he got dressed.
“Everything is fine, Sophia. Just some work I have to do. I'll be back,” he said. “And don't worry about what will happen when we go back. I promise you, whatever happens, you're going to be as happy there as you are here. I'm going to make sure of it.”
I wanted to believe him, but the way he left so quickly had me worried. There was some small part of me envisioning him getting on a plane and getting out of there, leaving the obviously crazy woman who wanted something more with him behind.
I curled up in bed, alone, and kicked myself for pressing the matter. He was obviously not over his wife, and I'd pushed him too far, too soon.
***
I'd dozed off, so I didn't hear Nico when he came in. It was the last night before we left, and I so badly wanted to sleep with him. Not just in the sexual way, but physically too. I just wanted to be near him, to soak in the comfort I felt in having his body pressed to mine.
The next morning, I awoke and he was curled around me, holding me close. Joy filled me as I realized he had come back to me. Not just back to the bungalow, but back to my bed.
I turned over to face him and he woke up too, a smile forming on his face as soon as our eyes met.
“Does our vacation really have to end?” I groaned. “I just want to stay here in paradise forever.”
“Sadly, it does,” Nico said, kissing my nose. “I have to get back to my company. They need me – and your diner needs you.”
“Yeah, I suppose so,” I whispered. Not that I wanted to go back there and continue working for my father, but that was the life I'd been given.
“Don't look so glum, Sophia,” he said. “We still have the morning here together.”
He kissed me, long and hard, and I kissed him back with everything I had. We'd kept things pretty chaste up until this point, but Nico's hands were wandering more than usual and I felt myself growing more and more excited.
“Are you sure you want to do this? With me?” he asked.
“Yes, yes, of course.” I said, feeling like I was going to explode with desire.
Nico kissed down the length of my neck, softly and gently. His hands moved over my body, lingering and touching me in a way that made me feel sexy, as if there was no one else he'd rather be touching. I let him lead the way, mostly, afraid to do something to screw things up. That moment in paradise, surrounded by the ocean and with Nico, was perfect. I was in sheer ecstasy.
He rolled over, moving himself on top of me, kissing and removing my pajamas one-by-one. There was no rush, nothing about him that was in a hurry, and when he removed my shorts and panties, he moved down between my legs. Spreading my thighs apart, he kissed me, gently moving his tongue between my soft folds. The pleasure was too much for me and my body arched upward as I gasped wildly. He rolled his tongue around, teasing and taunting me, tasting me as he brought me to orgasm rather quickly,, causing me to cry out, calling out his name over and over again as I thrashed wildly around on the bed.
Once it was over, Nico climbed on top of me and stared down at me lovingly. He placed a condom on himself, already being more cautious than most guys my age would have been. “Are you sure?” he asked me again.
“Yes, yes, Nico, please,” I said.
“I just don't want you to –”
I pushed myself upward, and felt his erection pressing against my body. I needed him inside of me, and I needed it now. I reached down and guided him to my opening which was already wet with his saliva. With one upward thrust, I took just the tip of him inside of me and groaned.
I knew he'd be gentle with me, and I was right. Slowly, he filled me up, stretching me open and taking my virginity, all while staring deep into my eyes. Once he was deep inside of me, he moved carefully, rocking back and forth until the pain was replaced by pleasure.
Our bodies were united in pleasure, and I could tell he was close. He was struggling to keep it together, and so I looked into his eyes and gave him permission.
“Come for me, Nico,” I said. “Please.”
“You first,” he said through clenched teeth.
I'd already climaxed once, and I was on the verge of a second, but I wasn't sure if Nico could make it that long. He let out a deep-throated groan and for a second, I thought he'd done it. And just the idea of making him come brought me even closer.
Together, we continued riding out the pleasure until Nico cried out my name, “Sophia. Oh yes,” and the sound of him in so much pleasure brought me to the edge. Staring in each other's eyes, we came together, our bodies writhing on the bed, spasming and shaking as we rode out wave after wave until Nico collapsed on top of me, clearly spent.
“That was amazing,” I said, still not believing what we'd just done.
Kissing me, he smiled. “Yes, it was, Sophia. Truly amazing.”
He curled up beside me, and we drifted off to sleep for a while longer. When I woke up , it was hard to believe all of that wasn't just a dream.
But Nico's naked body next to mine, along with the sweet ache between my legs, was proof enough that yes, we really had made love.
And I couldn't be happier.