Page 41 of Once Upon a Holiday Vacation
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Back in our cabin, I rifled through my suitcase, pulling out my navy swim trunks. Weston was already changing, and I couldn’t help but steal a glance at him. The compass tattoo over his heart caught my eye, the red E and W standing out against his flawless skin. Sometimes I needed to pinch myself to make sure this was all real and that he really was mine.
As we made our way to the pool, the excitement of vacation thrummed through me. The ship’s corridors were alive with laughter and chatter, festive holiday decorations in every corner, the smell of saltwater growing stronger as we neared the deck.
“I can’t believe we’re finally on a cruise again,” I said.
He slung an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “Believe it, babe. We’ve got a whole week of this ahead of us.”
The moment we reached the pool, Weston’s eyes lit up with boyish excitement. “Last one in is a rotten egg!”
I shook my head, smiling. “You go ahead,” I said, settling into a nearby lounge chair. “I’ll just read for a bit.”
He shrugged, then walked over to the pool and executed a perfect dive into the sparkling blue water. I pulled out my book, determined to lose myself in its pages, but found my gaze constantly drawn back to the pool instead.
As Weston cut through the water with powerful strokes, memories of the past two years flooded my mind. I thought of the day we moved into our little fixer-upper, Weston insistingon carrying me over the threshold “for practice.” The time we brought home our rescue puppy, Cassie, and how Weston had fallen asleep on the floor next to her crate, so she wouldn’t be alone on her first night. The proud smile on his face when he told me about his promotion to Fire Chief and my move up to Library Administrator.
“Life has definitely been good to us,” I murmured, watching him effortlessly glide through the water.
My book lay forgotten in my lap as I lost myself in thoughts of Weston. How could I focus on fictional characters when the most captivating story was right in front of me? Our story. A tale of friendship, love, and passion.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away as he swam. His strong arms propelled him through the water with effortless grace, muscles rippling beneath his smooth skin. As he reached the pool’s edge and pulled himself up, droplets clung to his sculpted chest, drawing my attention to the compass tattoo over his heart. The E and W in red ink seemed to pulse with each breath he took.
“Like what you see, East?” Weston called out, a playful grin spreading across his face as he sauntered towards me.
I felt my cheeks flush, caught in my blatant staring. “I was just... admiring the water,” I lied, fumbling with my book.
“Oh really?” His eyes sparkled with mischief. Before I could react, he shook his head vigorously, sending a spray of cool water cascading over me.
“West!” I yelped, jumping up from my lounge chair. “You’re worse than Cassie after a bath!”
He laughed, the sound warming me more than the sun ever could. “I couldn’t help it. You looked so… hot sitting over here, I thought maybe I should cool you off.”
I tried to glare at him, but I couldn’t help the smile tugging at my lips. “I was perfectly dry and happy right here with my book, thank you very much.”
“Didn’t look to me like you were doing much reading.” he teased. He lowered his voice as he leaned down over me, water dripping off him and onto my chest. “Looked like you were thinking some pretty good thoughts. Would they by any chance have to do with me?”
“Mmm. Maybe.” My pulse began to race as the tip of his tongue peeked out, swiping over the silver ring in his lip.
His eyes gleamed as he leaned in closer, his hands gripping the sides of my lounge chair. “Maybe, huh? I think I can do better than maybe.”
He closed the distance between us, capturing my lips in a kiss that tasted of chlorine and sunscreen. I melted into it, forgetting about how wet he was getting me and the busy pool deck around us. My fingers found their way to his damp hair, pulling him closer.
When we finally broke apart, both a little breathless, Weston gave me that heart-stopping grin of his. “How’s that for maybe?”
I laughed, pushing at his chest playfully. “Okay, okay. You win. I was definitely thinking about you.”
“I knew it,” he said triumphantly, settling onto the edge of my chair.
I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t suppress my laugh. “You’re incorrigible, you know that?”
“Mmm, big words,” he teased, leaning in closer. “You know what they do to me.” He kissed me again, and my toes literally curled.
As we parted, breathless and grinning, a voice startled us. “Oh, you two are just adorable!”
We turned to see a woman in her sixties smiling at us from a nearby lounge chair. Her eyes crinkled warmly as she continued, “I hope you don’t mind me saying, but it’s so refreshing to see a couple so in love. How long have you been together?”
I felt a flush creeping up my neck, torn between embarrassment at being caught and pride at being recognized as a couple. Weston, ever the social butterfly, beamed at the woman.
