30minutes, Carlos occasionally adjusting the angle of the wheel under my hands. The shoreline looks magical at night, the torches that line the beach are all lit, casting eerie shadows over the palm trees; white twinkling lights from the apartment windows and patches of glowing yellow, pools out from the bars and mingles together in the background.
Carlos takes my hand from the wheel and places it on to a lever which controls the speed, "We're just going to ease this back gently to slow us down" he explains, letting me do it, but keeping his hand over mine to make sure I do it right. Under our joint effort the engine drops to a low purr before silencing all together. "Well done" Carlos congratulates me with a quick peck on the cheek.
We drop anchor and begin to disembark as Carlos does a quick circuit of the boat to ensure everything is locked up before we go. Once we are all safely in the speed boat, its a short journey back to the shore and under Carlos's instruction, John switches off the engine at the last second so that the front of the boat courses onto the sand. We all jump out, firmly back on dry land and the boys drag the speed boat up the beach to a safe distance from the sea.
The combination of fighting, swimming and sea air today has really taken it out of me and I suddenly feel woozy, I lean against Carlos, letting him take my weight and ease the strain on my legs.
"Anyone up for a nightcap?" John asks, apparently still full of beans.
"I think I best get this one back home before she falls asleep on her feet" Carlos makes the excuse for us to leave.
We say our goodbyes, arranging to meet Wednesday night for dinner; the resort is hosting a traditional Mexican evening with Mariachis, I have no idea what that is, but I'm told it's not to be missed!
Wearily we head back home, each time I come back here now I’m filled with a sense of longing; I’ve come to see this as my home, but with only three days more until I leave, it’s like I’ve already started missing it.
“Are you hungry sweetness?” Carlos asks as we cross the threshold hand in hand. I shake my head half through being too exhausted to speak and half through melancholy.
“Do you want to just go to bed?” he offers and I shake my head again, a little smirk crossing my lips as I realise that I’m behaving like a spoilt kid; in the way that only Carlos can, he humours me, pulling me down onto the sofa and switching the T.V on, “How about a cuddle then?”
“Mmmm” I reward him with a sound as I snuggle up under his arm.
Me and my lover, alone together at last, it’s the perfect end to a perfect evening.
Chapter 10
I wake the next day to the smell of bacon, the inviting smell forces my eyes to open, only to find Carlos literally wafting a fried breakfast under my nose.
“What’s all this?” I ask groggily, pulling myself up into a sitting position.
“Breakfast in bed” He announces, placing the tray on my lap, “and flowers” he adds, pulling a huge bunch of bright exotic flowers out from behind his back; they are tied together with the same sky blue ribbon he used to secure the box containing my sandals, from the first day we met.
“You never fail to surprise me” I smile, taking it all in, “they are beautiful and the breakfast looks scrumptious! How did you do all this without waking me?” I was tired last night, but I zonked out quite early so I would have thought I would wake before him this morning, or at least wake when he got up.
In answer he simply taps the side of his nose “That’s my secret, if I told you I’d have to kill you” he winks at me. I don’t care how it happened, I just love the fact that it did.
“Love you Mr. Johnson” I say, taking a bite of toast.
“Love you more Ms. Mavers” he responds, jumping back into bed with me and sneaking a piece of crispy bacon off my plate in the process.
When I'm down to my last few mouthfuls he starts kissing my neck, I carry on eating as if I haven't noticed his sudden hunger for me. He moves in small spiralling circles up towards my ear, then takes the lobe