3

BREAKFAST

I tried to bring a special breakfast to my lover for in-room dining. I didn’t want to wake him. Honestly, I’m exhausted. I was up all night. That’s okay because that’s my normal wakey time, but I think I’m still a little traumatized by drowning.

When I slip into a nightgown, yawn, crawl into bed, and gaze out over our open balcony, facing a glorious view of the sun over the sea, my lover puts his arm around me. And that feels nice. As he spoons me, his hand wanders over my shoulder and inside my soft silk nightgown. That feels nicer. I turn for easy access. I even scoot a little closer, with my butt touching his body.

“I thought you were sleeping,” I say, as his fingers sneak under my bra and along the curve of my breast.

“Where were you, Gorgi?”

I push his hand back, scoot up on our soft bed, and pull off my nightgown. Then, just wearing a bra and panties, I lie back in bed. But I don’t put my head down on the pillow until I take in another gorgeous view of the Italian Riviera shining through the doors to our balcony. It’s so beautiful. To the side, rectangular buildings with three or four stories of windows reflect the rays of the brightening red dawn. Bello, as the locals say. Yellow lights come from those buildings and from docked ships shining along the water. And there’s a red glow on the horizon. I think of my spider friend and the irony that she chose to live in such an amazing place but prefers gazing at the statue of her god underwater to the most beautiful scenery in the world.

“I got you breakfast, babe,” I say. “Juice, cappuccino, and biscotti. It’s totally Italy.”

“I can’t wait,” he says, kissing my neck.

He keeps kissing me. I don’t think he wants an Italian breakfast, to tell you the truth. I think he wants Ancient Greek. Me.

He tugs at my panties. Yeah. I help him by pulling them off and throwing them off the bed.

“Where were you?” he asks, kissing my neck again.

“With another man.”

He stops kissing me.

“Just a joke,” I say with a laugh.

“That’s not funny.” But he laughs. “Really, Gorge, we were so tired, I was surprised to see you not at the hotel.”

“I couldn’t sleep and I didn’t want to disturb you.”

I’m cursed, you know. I can’t show my hair outside because the sun shows my snakes moving under my hair. But they don’t come out at night. So I often walk along the beach back home while my boyfriend sleeps. So my excuse isn’t that hard for him to believe.

“I heard you shower.”

“Yeah, I wanted to smell good for you. Kiss me.” And I lean back and pucker up. He quickly closes his eyes to avoid my gaze. It’s dark in the room but glowing a bit green from my desire. Maybe it’s dark enough to not curse him with my poisonous gaze, but I’ve trained him not to chance it.

I feel his body press closer against me.

“You’re not going to tell me where you went?” he asks, running his lips along my arm. Shit, I want to. But I feel like the less he knows, the less trouble he’ll get into. “You don’t have to,” he says. Then I feel his lips and stubble wander over my neck, and I laugh because it tickles. He fingers my bra. “This place is amazing.” He turns to our balcony. So do some of my wigglies in my hair. It’s okay if he feels the movement. He knows by now about my fucking cursed snakes and monster identity.

“You still think I shouldn’t have come with you?”

Yes.

He unclasps my bra just in time to ask me that. That makes me chuckle again. As I hear him removing his underwear, the answer’s pretty obvious, isn’t it. Especially when he slowly enters me with his cock. But, yeah, he shouldn’t have come.

Fuck, that feels good…

He tricked me. I told him I had to go to Europe for a friend, and he snatched my ticket from me and studied it. Before I knew it, I found him running down the loading bridge at the airport with luggage over his shoulder. Then he was sitting next to me. Yeah, he even bought a seat next to mine. He thought he was just being fun. He didn’t know the kind of friend I was visiting or how much trouble she was in. So there I was, stuck with a choice between demanding that he get off the plane and letting him come with me. So…

Fuck…that feels soooo good. Well, what is a girl to do? Right?

“Oh, God,” I say with a moan. “Yes. I’m very happy you’re here.”

He laughs. “You’re so funny.”

“Why are you always saying I’m funny?”

“Because you’re making love to me while cracking jokes.”

“Actually, you kinda started that one.”

He’s groping my breasts, squeezing, while pushing into me. He squeezes a bit too hard, but that’s okay—it tells me I’m driving him wild. I am arguably the most beautiful girl that ever was, you know—sans the snakes and fangs. His fingers play with my erect nipples. Then I feel my stupid hair moving even more.

He groans.

“I have some bad news,” I say, as he repositions. He moves his weight right on top of me, but he turns his head to avoid my petrifying gaze. Then I run my hands along the hard muscles of his back and arms. He runs his lips along my cheek with more kisses. A snake or two drifts by, but he doesn’t seem to notice or care.

“What?” he breathes. “What is it?”

“I lost your snorkeling mask.”

“What!” he snaps. He actually stops moving. “You did? How?” He almost stares into my green eyes, he gets so worked up.

“I left it in a bag when we got off the train,” I lie. Geesh, I didn’t know he’d care that much.

“That was prescription, babe. I don’t think they’ll have that here.”

“I’m sorry. We can check with the concierge.”

“They won’t have it,” he says, shaking his head.

“Your vision isn’t that bad.” And I run my palm across the stubble of his cheek. He turns from my gaze, and I light his face green with my desire.

“But I really wanted to see the Christo degli Abissi.”

He closes his eyes. I chuckle again because he sounds like a tantruming kid. I cradle his head.

“I told you, I saw the one in Florida. This is the original. I wanted to see it with clear eyes.” It wasn’t all that great in the dark. “Yesterday you were telling me you could skip snorkeling altogether since we couldn’t go together,” I object. “Now you’re mad?”

“I know. But…you got me all excited over seeing it.”

“We’ll figure out something. Maybe we can fit you with glasses inside a mask or something.”

“You can’t do that.” His hand runs along my hip, and he’s still lying on me. He kisses my cheek. Then he does what I rarely let any man do—he runs his fingers through my hair. “Oh…forget it. You’re right. I’m being stupid.” He caresses the curves of my breasts. I rise and kiss his lips. Then I dance my tongue with his. He stops kissing me for a moment and looks behind him, gazing at the rays of yellow from the rising sun. “This is the most amazing place I’ve ever seen.”

“And you’re the most amazing man I’ve ever been with.” I pull his hard body closer to me. “Now get back to doing what you were doing, mister.”

“We could snorkel together at night,” he says. “It’s warm enough.”

“Are you crazy! Who snorkels in the middle of the night?”

Giggles.