It’s time for me to take my own advice and practice what I preach.
“Let’s go then,” I say. “But I want you to call some surf schools for me. I’m trying to find someone.”
“No problem. Just give me the name and if he’s in Búzios I’ll find him by the time we get back.”
How can he find him if we’re out on the ocean? He is connected here, and apparently more than I know.
“David. David Rogers,” I say as I notice my voice has softened and my speech slowed slightly. Just saying his name affects me.
“I think that’s a somewhat common name combination, but I can tell he’s one of a kind to you.”
I nod.
“Can you give me any more details so I can make sure to track down the right one?”
I nod again. “He’s…a surf instructor,” I say.
I see Vitor’s look harden as his nostrils flare and I swear I can hear his teeth grind as he’s trying to stay calm but visibly losing the internal battle.
“What does he mean to you?”
“He’s special, but not in a way you might expect.”
Vitor steps in closer to me and I’m not sure if I made the right decision by telling this possessive man another man’s name. The last thing I want to do is put anyone in danger…especially my father.
“When I told you you were mine I meant it. And I will not lie,” he pauses the intensity on his face growing even more. “Hearing you speak another man’s name makes me angry, but there are two things I must remember. I trust you. I truly do. And I never asked you if you were married, because I was sure you were meant to be mine. So I will ask you one time and one time only. If you are married I’ll respect that and I will be forced to walk away, no matter how difficult that will be for me. But if no man has stood in-front of the world and claimed you, and I mean by putting a ring on your finger and showing you off to the world like any man who was lucky enough to be that man who finds the woman of a lifetime, then I will continue to pursue you with everything I have.”
I don’t immediately reply or even move.
“But if you have a boyfriend, then I don’t care. Because I am not concerned about any boys. And any man not to realize right away what he’s found when he’s found you doesn’t deserve you. I know what I’ve found and I will not let you get away…only if you are married then I must resume the life I led up until yesterday even though I will go to my grave knowing the greatest opportunity in my life to live a complete and perfect life has been missed. So I will ask you, my sleek, exotic, sophisticated Jaguar…are you married?”
I shake my head from side to side.
“Say it.”
“I’m not married,” I say.
“I’ll meet you in the lobby in three minutes ready to go boating,” he says as he leans in and kisses me gently on the forehead and then is quickly gone.
I exhale hard not even realizing I was holding my breath the entire time he was talking.
Oh my god is he intense.
If Maria Elena in Vicky Cristina Barcelona had a brother sometimes I think he would be it!
CHAPTER 8
Vera
That evening after boating
Our day on the boat was incredible. We went to multiple beaches. We swam. He did give me that private surf lesson, and I didn’t need a wetsuit since he was there.
The feeling of being in the ocean moving around and the water washing over me was like nothing I could ever describe. And I’m not even much of a sporty person.
I definitely need to get out from behind my computer more often.
And we even managed to see a few surfers out and about but no one who looked like my dad. There were a pair of binoculars on the boat and I zoomed in a few times until I noticed Vitor was looking at me funny. He probably thinks I was checking out the guys but in reality I only have eyes for him.
And I almost told him how I feel about him at lunch, which was of course freshly caught off the boat by the small crew he had on board and also prepared on the spot. Another first for me. The first time I enjoyed seafood like that.
I guess it makes a bigger difference than I thought when it’s not in a bag frozen to the bottom of the back of the freezer in the supermarket.
But when I opened my mouth to finally reveal my emotions this afternoon, at that exact moment Vitor was quick to put two fingers up to my lips which contained a small bite of brigadeiro, basically an incredibly tasty chocolate muffin that’s famous in Brazil. It was like a divine intervention telling me not to use one second to verbalize what I was feeling, but instead to just keep feeling it...just keep living.
And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing since I met him...living, in a way that's truly incredible. Just enjoying each moment without needing to stop and think about it.
And I wanted to continue that enjoyment when we returned to the resort so when we did I went back up to my room to get ready as quickly as I could so I could get to being where I belong...back by his side, which is where I’m headed right now.
I make my way back down to the lobby of the resort only to find Vitor is already there waiting on me. Not to mention he’s dressed like a million bucks and looks like he’d done at least a million or more reps in the gym over the course of his life.
“There she is...my beautiful,” Vitor says as he walks toward me to offer me his arm.
It’s not like I have on high heels, or there are any cobblestones to trip over here inside the resort, but still it’s a nice gesture.
“You look incredible, as always,” he says.
“Thank you,” I say trying not to blush too much. “So do you.”
“Ready?”
“You haven’t told me for what?”
“Well, it’s been a long time since lunch and we did a lot of activities today…plus I heard your stomach growling earlier,” he says.
“Oops,” I say leaning into him as the palm of my other hand finds his chest.
“It’s okay. Mine was too. So I was thinking we could grab a bite. I know just the spot.”
“Sounds great, and if it’s half as good as lunch on the boat then I can hardly wait.”
“Half as good? It’s better times two,” he says.
I would find it hard to believe, but since it’s him and he hasn’t steered me wrong yet I’m going to go with it.
CHAPTER 9
Vitor
As she sips on a dessert wine and I sip on my caipirinha, I prepare to give her the news.
I’m trying to control my thoughts and get my emotions in check, but I’m failing right now.
It’s not like we’ve know each other long, or that she even planned to come to Búzios to be with me, but still…she’s mine.
I don’t know why she’s interested in other men, although something tells me this isn’t in the romantic sense.
And my gut feeling was confirmed by my hotel staff because I just don’t see her being with this guy. As a matter of fact they almost look alike.
“I have news for you,” I begin and I see her ears perk up as if she was waiting on this.
I can tell that she can already tell what this news is about. I want to ask her who this guy is, but I also don’t want to blow my chance with her.
I really got to know her today and I know she’s a good girl…the best actually.
Maybe because I’m an older guy I’m a little bit paranoid of the younger generation. All those dating apps and social networks got big at a time when I was really busy and focused on my career so I never got into them.
Sure, I had tons of followers and everything but my accounts were managed by someone else, and we were always very clear and transparent about that.
But I’ve heard other fighters and people talk about how it’s so tough to have a relationship these days with all the ways there are to hook-up.
Hooking up is never what I wanted, went after, or even did.
There are plenty of reasons why but one of the biggest one is I know how hard I put
my all into my life and I want someone who puts their all into me, because that’s exactly what I’m going to do with her.
As far as I’m concerned there are no other women in this world except Vera and the women in my family.
And I hope she feels the same about the men in her life.
She only needs one. Me.
“David Rogers has been located,” I say as I watch her jaw drop and feel my chest sink a little bit in response.
“But he’s gone until late tomorrow night,” I continue and see her mood change slightly at the news before she seems to realize that that’s okay. Now she’s the one wearing her emotions on her sleeve while I keep mine tight to my chest.
“I can bring you to him…if that’s what you want,” I say.
She nods. “Yes. That would be incredible if you could do that,” she says. Suddenly she’s out of her chair and has her arms wrapped around me as she kisses me hard on the mouth, making me realize my worries were unfounded as I expected.
“And I have more news for you,” I say.
“Oh?”
“There is another resort not far from here called Kenoa. I’d like to go there right now…with you.”
“For a drink?” she asks.
“We can do that too,” I say.
“I’m up for a walk along the beach and one more.”
“It’s not a walk along the beach…at least not from here.”
“How do we get there then?”
“By jet.”
“Jet?”
“By helicopter provides much nicer views, but we’d have to stop multiple times and it would take all night.”
“You have access to both?”
“I have very generous friends,” I say, “who will help me even at this hour.”
“But what are we going to do at the resort that we can’t do around here?”
“Make love in the best resort I’ve ever seen while the ocean laps at the sand just outside our window.”
She pauses, moving her upper body back from me but keeping her arms around my neck.
“I have to tell you something,” she says.
“Okay,” I say in a lower tone.
“I’ve…I’ve been saving myself for the one,” she says.
“I must tell you something as well.”
“Okay.”
“I have too.”
I watch as her gaze freezes as she processes exactly what that means.
“When I told you you were mine I meant it. And when I say something it’s forever.”
“But I have to go back home in a couple days.”
“You don’t have to go anywhere but to the resort with me tonight if you’re ready. And if you decide you’d like to stay here in Brazil, with me of course, I have people that can easily make that a reality.”
“How? Who?”
“It doesn’t really matter, but it’s completely legal.”
“But how do you know all these different people? Why does everyone at the hotel treat you so special? Why when I asked for help locating my father at the hotel did the receptionist seem nervous?”
It’s her father. I can see she realizes she let it slip out, but I’m not going to point it out. I want her to feel safe talking about anything and everything with me. I want her to know she always can, without judgment or questions that she doesn’t need or want.
“Because the hotel…belongs to me.”
“Just like me?”
“Not like that. The hotel belongs to me in title…in deed. You belong to my soul, as I belong to yours. And I’m ready to show you that tonight when I put a baby right here,” I say placing my hand gently on her stomach.
Her arms release from around me and she slowly goes back to her side of the small dinner table.
Her eyes lock back on mine as I return her gaze, saying nothing.
I don’t want to pressure her at all. I want her to have all the time she needs to make a conscious decision about what she wants to do.
I’m going to take her to see her father no matter what her answer is in regards to leaving for the other resort tonight. I’m a man of my word.
But words can’t describe her beauty or how much I want her to go with me now. I can call the pilot and have our ride ready in less than twenty minutes.
These are all things I can do without a second thought, just like making her mine.
It required no conscious decision-making. As crazy as it sounds it was love at first sight. I realize that and I’m not afraid to admit it, even though I may be this big, burly guy with a reputation as a dangerous combat sports fighter.
Latin American people are known to be a passionate group, but my whole life I’ve been mostly calculated. And that’s because my whole life was about my career.
And now, just like that, the passion that has been inside me all these years…the passion that I repressed…the passion that I though somehow skipped over me has hit me with its full force.
Because of her.
I want to ravish her and make a big, happy family with her immediately.
She’s the one. The one to be my first and I will be her first.
And that all starts with tonight.
And then our first child.
And then a second and a third and who knows how many.
I’ve felt over fifty thousand people cheer my name as I walked into a ring before. For those moments I was cool as a cucumber.
But right now? I can barely breathe.
This means more to me than anything else ever has.
And I need that yes from her.
She stands up from her seat never taking her eyes off mine as she extends her hand to me.
“I’m ready,” she says.
I take her hand in mine and bring it to my mouth, kissing the back.
And with that I stand and interlock her fingers in mine and with my free hand I hit the number one on my phone.
I programmed the pilot’s number in as the number one speed dial on my phone before dinner because I don’t want to lose one second.
I want every moment in this life that I can…spent with her.
CHAPTER 10
Vera
As the helicopter descends next to Kenoa Resort right along the coast I remember a book I read years ago that came out way back in 1983.
In it the author mentions that the upper class isn’t the highest class. There is one higher that he refers to as the top class, which remains out of sight. They frequently hide from the masses and have completely hidden homes, unlike the upper class which like to show their wealth.
On the ride over Vitor opened up about his past and about his career in MMA. Thinking back to Fussell’s book, he mentions that the top class makes their money from inheritance alone meaning Vitor wouldn’t qualify in regards to his definition.
But what Vitor is showing me is sort of that top class now that he’s accumulated wealth and status and everything that goes along with it. And he does it in a way where he hides out of sight, like that top class.
It makes me realize that all that writing I was doing for work wasn’t about holidays for the wealthiest people, as I’d thought. There was another even more wealthier group that existed all this time.
And I feel like Vitor’s letting me into this secret society…one that he’s apparently cracked into himself through hard work and good decision-making.
Regardless of whether the author of that book was right, I do see the possibility that he might just be. At the time I read the book I found it almost humorous in places, because I was ignorant that there was truly a life like this that existed.
And even though I’m a simple girl who is more than happy with a bowl of guacamole and another of chips in front of me as I watch the sunset on a public beach, I have to admit it’s incredibly interesting to see this lifestyle…and experience it.
And tonight will be the experience I’ve waited on my entire life. I feel like Vitor has been giving me all these gifts since we first met, and now I�
�m about to give him the biggest gift I can in return.
My love.
And not to be outdone he is going to give me the same gift in return.
I don’t deserve this guy, but am I ever happy he chose me.
Possessive Brazilian: An Older Man Younger Woman Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 75) Page 4
