Page 182 of Cara

“Cuore mio,” he whispers, his voice a deep, sultry caress.My heart.

“La mia vita,” I respond.My life.

And I mean it. I mean it with every ounce of my being.

Xavier’s lips fall into mine with a sharp, sudden exhale, cradling my face between his scarred hands. Tension coils tightly in his shoulders, and with a desperation that engulfs us both, he deepens the kiss, parting my lips for more, releasing a guttural sound that echoes his relief to finally hold me this way and know it’s forever.

Forever.

As my eyes slowly pull apart, the soft glow of the sunrise embraces his face, bright light dancing in his mesmerizing eyes. Eyes as green as this paradise around us.

The air is filled with the leaves whispering above us.

When Xavier grins widely, his joy is infectious. As he steps back to remove his shirt, I stifle a giggle, failing; it rises within me when he teasingly lifts my sundress over my head.

This new playful energy between us crackles like electricity. We undress hastily, diving into the waves.

Our hands, drunk on happiness, find each other in the abyss. In this secluded part of the world, no one can hear our laughter as it spills over, nor witness how we bathe each other in love, compensating for so much lost time.

We’re as free as the birds soaring over our heads.

As he crushes his lips to mine, that is my one consistent thought.

Our dream come true.

We’refree.

The End