by Sherie Keys
“Our special evening, and yes. You couldn’t be more perfect.” He smiled at her, leaning close to kiss her tenderly. “Now, we must go.”
With that, he picked up the delicate sheer cover that went with the dress and draped it across her shoulders and then led her out of the house. A limousine was waiting for them, and she was amazed by his extravagance but nonetheless delighted by it. He first took her to dinner at an elegant restaurant in Lisbon, where they had a fine and sumptuous meal, and following that, their driver delivered them to the front steps of a beautiful old building.
She stepped from the car and looked up at it in awe. “What is this place? What are we doing?”
He smiled and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “This is the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos opera house. We are here tonight to see Romeo and Juliet.” He gave her a wink and a kiss on the cheek, and then he led her to the building and an experience that she knew she would never forget.
When they returned home that evening, she was careful to take her dress and jewels off in her own room, but she went to him in his bedroom, and they made love and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Chapter6
She awoke to find him still sleeping the next morning, and she felt her heart aching slightly as she gazed at him while he slept. He had done so many wonderful things for her, but the evening that they had shared the night before was over the top for her. Perhaps a little too over the top, she thought to herself.
Delphine left his bed silently and carefully, going to her bedroom to shower and dress. It was the first time she had showered in it, and she was glad that she had a place to go on her own. She needed the time and space to think.
It had only been a week and a few days since she’d met him, and though the time they had shared had been some of the best times of her life, and he was an amazing man, it was all moving very quickly, too quickly, she thought to herself. She wondered about the jewels and if they might be part of his ploy to make her fall in love with him.
She thought about the other women he had been with, the women who had wanted him for his money, and she realized that they would probably have swooned for diamonds. She considered that he might have suspected that all women would fall for a man who gave them diamonds, but she was determined not to fall in love with him. She had a real life to get back to in her real home, and there was nowhere in her real life where she could ever wear something as beautiful or expensive as the jewelry that he had given to her.
As she dressed and did her hair and makeup, she began to think that maybe things were going so fast between them because she was spending so much time being close to him. She hadn’t thought that it would hurt anything to be close to him, as close as she wanted to be, finding rapturous pleasure in his arms at least once a day, though usually more often. It was like a fantasy to her, but it was real. Delphine realized that she might have gotten too close to him too quickly, and she knew that the best way to steady the torrent of emotion that they were both feeling was to put some space in between them.
It was for that reason that she determined that she would sleep alone in her own room that night and not in his bed with him. They needed breathing room so that they could keep their heads about them, and so that she wouldn’t succumb to his charms and romance. She had a life to get back to, and she couldn’t risk jeopardizing that with another broken heart.
She began cooking breakfast, and it wasn’t too much later that Adrian walked into the kitchen, a smile on his face. He went to her and wrapped her in an embrace from behind. “You left me in bed alone this morning, and now you’re making breakfast for me? I’d have rather woken with you by my side, but this is so sweet of you. Thank you.” He kissed her cheek and then her mouth, and she smiled back at him.
“It’s your turn to make coffee.” she said, hoping that the task would give them a little space while she cooked. She loved being next to him, but she knew she was going to have to keep a distance if she was going to make it out of Portugal with her heart intact.
He made the coffee, and they enjoyed a delicious breakfast together. When it was finished, they shared the chore of dishes, and then he looked at her with bright eyes and a grin. “I thought we’d go for a ride today. You can see some of the Portuguese countryside.”
“A ride?” she asked in confusion, wondering what they would be riding. “Motorcycles?”
He laughed and shook his head. “No, horseback. Do you like horseback riding?”
A grin formed on her face. “I love it! I just don’t get to do it very often!”
“Wonderful! We will remedy that today. Let’s get down to the stables. I’ve had the groomer prepare the horses already.” He led her from the kitchen out of the back of the house and toward the far end of the south garden, into the trees.
“You have stables? You didn’t tell me you had stables, and I thought you gave me a tour of the whole place,” she teased him.
“Oh, I have a few secrets left but not many,” he admitted with a laugh.
The stables were beautiful, though not large. He had four horses, and she met all of them, though the two that they were going to ride were already dressed and outside, waiting for them. He rode a large black stallion, and she rode a slightly smaller white mare.
The horses took to Delphine right away, and she wasn’t the only one pleased about it; Adrian was delighted that they loved her from the start. She saw his approval and she reminded herself that she was leaving, and that her heart could not afford to get caught up in any kind of romance with him.
They rode together through the hills and forests, along a trail that the horses seemed to know well. The trail followed a creek, and they traveled uphill along the bank of it until they crested the top of the hill and dismounted at a grove of trees. The view from the hilltop was second to none, looking out over the Atlantic and the countryside around them.
“This is such a beautiful view!” she breathed, staring all around her at it. Her eyes finally stopped on him, and she found him staring at her.
“Yes, it is indeed,” he said quietly, not noticing anything but the woman before him.
He let out a breath and turned to his stallion, removing a blanket that had been packed for them. Spreading it out on the grass underneath the trees, he invited her to sit with him and she did. The creek bubbled and rolled nearby, the horses munched on the grass, and they sat together and looked out over the breathtaking vista before them.
“Tell me more about the work that you do in New York City,” he requested, watching her with interest.
She smiled and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. “Well, my best friend and I are starting a bee business. We want to populate bee colonies in the urban areas around Manhattan. We’re starting with a small radius on the north end of the island, but we’ve met with some pretty negative barriers from the zoning commissioner. Also, we are searching for a location to be based out of, and that’s taking priority over everything else.”
Adrian studied her closely. “Colonizing bees in urban areas… how do you do that? It’s fascinating!”
“Well, we want to take run down areas in busy neighborhoods, places like vacant lots or abandoned buildings, and install garden areas in them along with specialized beehives, so that the bees can pollenate the gardens, and not only provide fruits and vegetables for the neighborhoods, but honey as well. It helps everyone and it’s good for the planet. We’re really working hard to make it happen.” She smiled as she thought about it. She felt a surge of pride and hope in her heart, and she realized that she couldn’t wait to get back to it and make her business dreams happen.
“That is quite a noble effort. I’m impressed.” He gave her a smile. “Tell me, what would you do if you didn’t have to work?”
She shrugged. “I would still do work in the city communities. There’s a lot to be done in many ways, from cleanup and rebuilding to education and literacy. Helping and feeding the homeless. Youth and elderly p
rograms. All kinds of things. If money wasn’t an issue, I’d still be working hard all the time. I live there, and it’s my community, so I know that I have a duty to make it the best I can for everyone who lives there.”
He nodded. “I agree completely.”
Delphine considered him for a long moment. “What about you? What was your business in Sintra about, if I might ask?”
Adrian smiled a little and looked over at her. “That’s a fair question. I asked first. The meeting in Sintra was about buying an area of rundown and abandoned residences and demolishing them. My company is making way there to create new residences. Multiplexes. They will be built to house the poor as well as refugees coming in from other countries.”
She grinned at him. “I love that you’re doing that. How long will it take?”
“Oh, it’ll take a while. Right now, the expectation is two years. I have other businesses that I spend my time on, but that one is important to me, so I’ll be overseeing it no matter what else I’m doing.” He stretched out his legs and leaned back on his arms, soaking up the midday sun.
“That’s me too. Just dedicating myself wholly to the bee project, and no matter what else I’m doing, that’s a priority for me, and for my best friend Justin.” The smile remained on her face, and Adrian watched her appreciatively.
“What other kinds of priorities might you have? What’s close to your heart?” he asked gently, searching her face with his intent gaze.
With a sigh, she decided to be honest with him. “Well, other than the bees, I guess… I want a family. That’s actually why I’m here in Portugal.” She laughed ironically.
He sat up and gave her a curious look. “You came to Portugal to start a family?”
Delphine gasped, realizing his misunderstanding, and she raised her hands and shook them, shaking her head as well. “Oh gosh, no. No that’s not it at all. See, I was in a serious relationship in New York. I thought he and I were going to get married. I thought we were going to start and raise a family together, and after a year and a half with him, I found out recently that he doesn’t want a family. He just wants me. The problem is that I want kids, and I’m not willing to sacrifice having a family just to be with him. So, we broke up. I guess I broke up with him.”
She grew sad and looked down at the grass around her, picking at it with her fingers and snapping the blades off as she spoke. “He’s put me in a difficult place, to be honest. I’m sort of stuck now. I’m a bit older, with no partner to have a family with, and I have to start again from here. It’s a bad situation. I came to Portugal after the breakup to get a breather and sort of level myself out before I try to figure out what my next step will be.” Looking back up then, she turned her gaze to him. “What about you? You said you are thinking of having a family someday?”
Adrian nodded and watched her as he spoke. “Yes, I definitely want a family. I have to find the right woman first, of course, but I do want children very much.”
Delphine smiled and nodded. “I understand that,” she agreed, but then she turned away and looked at the ocean, unwilling to discuss it further. He saw her reaction and let the conversation about family go.
A while later, they rode back down the hill to the stables and then headed to the house. They enjoyed a delicious dinner together and she joined him in watching a movie in his private theatre. The two of them snuggled up on the sofa together with popcorn and wine. When the movie was over, they headed upstairs, but she stopped in front of her door.
He drew up short and turned to look at her, clearly surprised that she wasn’t walking with him to his bedroom. “Will you be sleeping with me tonight?” he asked as uncertainty crept into his voice.
She shook her head subtly. “No, I’m sorry. I think it would be best if I slept in this room tonight. I hope that’s all right.”
Adrian nodded. “Yes, of course. I want you comfortable.” He looked somewhat hurt, but he hid it. “I’d better kiss you goodnight here then, if that’s okay.”
Delphine smiled and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a long, sweet kiss goodnight. “Thank you so much. This was a wonderful day and I loved spending the time with you.”
He seemed to understand just what she was doing then, and he gave her a smile and a nod. “I’m so pleased to hear that. I enjoyed it too. Sweet dreams, Delphine.” He kissed her again, long and slow, and then let her go and waited as she stepped into her room and closed the door. A few moments later, she heard his bedroom door close, and she sighed with frustration and relief.
She would much rather have been in his bed that night, in his arms, holding him and making love with him, but she could not take any chances or risk any deeper emotion with him. Instead, she told herself that she had to think about her return to New York and all the work that was waiting for her when she got back there. The life that was waiting for her, and the fantasy world that she was staying in temporarily in Portugal would become a dream that once was.
Delphine found that she couldn’t sleep, being alone in a strange bed the way that she was. The moonlight was bright outside of her window and it seemed to haunt her, shining on the sea and the waves, spilling all through her windows into the huge room and the big bed where she lay alone in the silence. It was a deafening silence, and both that and the moonlight refused to let her close her eyes. There was something tugging at her, and she didn’t want to admit it to herself at first, but then she couldn’t stop from admitting it to herself.
She wanted to be with him. She was going to go back to New York anyway, and that wasn’t going to change, but she was wasting time with the most incredible lover she had ever known, as well as time with a man who had become a dear friend to her. Sitting up and punching a deep pillow in frustration, she threw back the covers of the big empty bed and left it, stealing through the moonlit room like a spirit.
The door of his bedroom was quiet when she opened it, and she closed it softly behind her. Taking a few steps into the room, she saw with surprise that his bed was empty. She was shocked, wondering where he might be, but then she felt a cool breeze dance around her, swirling her silken evening gown. She turned and saw that the door to the balcony was open.
Walking silently to it, she stood in the doorway and saw that Adrian was standing outside with a robe on, resting his arms on the balustrade of the balcony, staring out to the sea. She smiled to herself and went to him, reaching her hand out to touch him gently.
“You couldn’t sleep either?” she asked with a soft voice. He was startled slightly, but then smiled wide when he saw her.
“No, I can’t sleep. I can’t stop thinking.” He sighed, standing up and facing her.
“What’s on your mind?” she asked curiously.
He sighed and reached his hands to her, closing them on her waist and bringing her closer to him. “You. You are on my mind and I can’t stop thinking about you, and I can’t sleep. I am saturated with you, and I love it.”
Her breath caught as she gazed up into his light eyes. He looked serious. Hesitating only a moment, he leaned toward her and kissed her softly, moving his lips ever so tenderly over hers. She kissed him in return, parting his lips and tasting him with the tip of her tongue. The familiar heat began to burn its way through her, and a moment later she felt his fingers close over her breasts, massing their fullness and teasing her hardening nipples.
They grew breathless, melting into one another, and it wasn’t long before he took her to his bed and shed her of her silken dressing gown. Laying her back in his bed, he took his time running his hands, his mouth, and his tongue over a good deal of her body, until neither of them could wait any longer.
She brought herself on top of him and guided his erection into her, slowly lowering herself over it as they both moaned in pleasure. Together, they moved in perfect rhythm, in perfect synchronization, two lovers as one, knowing how to move, how to best please the other, and they spent a long while that night making love with one another, kissing, touching, tasting, and reveli
ng in the pure erotic ecstasy that they had created together, until at long last after he had brought her to her orgasm several times, he gave in and released himself inside of her, flooding her with his own pleasure, until they were both still.
She lay beside him on his pillow and in his arms. He gazed into her eyes and touched his fingertips to her cheek. Breathlessly, he spoke, and her heart nearly stopped in her chest.
“Are you in love with me?” he asked with a hopeful tone. “Has it changed? Have you fallen in love with me?”
Her heart nearly broke in her chest. Biting at her lip momentarily, she made herself find the courage to answer him. “No, Adrian. I’m not. I’m sorry. I know you wanted me to, but it’s not going to happen. I told you that it wasn’t going to happen. You see, this has been one of the most incredible times of my life, but there’s a big difference between enjoying romance and sex and falling in love with someone for who they are, not for the circumstances that they share with you. It just hasn’t happened. It’s been an amazing time, and I’ve loved it. I wouldn’t trade it, but…” she trailed off and he stared at her.
