Page 68 of Kiss Away Your Pain (Wounded Hearts 2)

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Candi

I’m thrilled that his conversation with his mom went well. I hope he opens up to me more about it at dinner tonight. I hope he knows he can trust and confide in me.

I put on my lipstick and check my look in the full-length mirror. Satisfied, I go out to the living area of our suite. He’s out on the veranda, overlooking Petra, where we’re about to go eat. Wearing black jeans and a vertical-striped copper, black, and light gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up, he looks handsome.

“I’m ready.”

Turning around, he looks me up and down. “Whoa. We have different definitions of the word cute. Maybe we should order room service instead,” he says, rubbing the scruff on his chin.

I laugh, taking his hand and tugging. “Come on.”

When we get to the restaurant, we’re brought out to an intimate two-person table overlooking the Aegean Sea. Greece is breathtaking. Oia is built on the slopes of a cliff, facing a volcano, and the panoramic view is nothing short of majestic. From the angle of where we’re sitting, we can see dozens of lighted homes and buildings that appear to be stacked on top of one another. A handful of boats are docked in the calm water below.

The tiny lantern with a tea light in it provides a warm, romantic glow over our table that’s adjacent to a short stone wall. Traditional Greek music carries subtly on the gentle breeze. Within minutes, the waiter comes by to take our drink order and Enzo orders a bottle of Henriot champagne. When the waiter returns with our bottle and glasses, we place our food order. Enzo gets côte de boeuf and I get the cod fricassee. Having inadvertently skipped lunch, we’re both starving.

“You look beautiful tonight.” Where he was being playful earlier, his tone is now earnest.

“Thank you.” His compliments are a soft caress.

He leans his body forward a little, focusing his gaze on my face. “You’re a beautiful person, Candi. Thank you for encouraging me to come here and find my mom. Thank you for being here to support me. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think I would’ve ever come. You changed my life. And I’m grateful for you.”

When Dom died, I closed off my heart. Locked it up and threw away the key. No one could ever replace him or be to me everything he was. And now, I sit across from a man who’s loving, thoughtful, passionate, and so much more. A man who’s seeping into my heart and making me feel things I never thought I could feel again.

“Youhad the courage to do it. This took a lot of guts, to be vulnerable and take the risk. I’m just glad I could be by your side to support you.”

“Heh,” he chuckles under his breath, leaning in more with his elbows on the table and clasping his hands. “You see a version of me I can’t even imagine.”

I lean forward, mirroring his body language. “I see the true you. A man who just took a chance of having his heart crushed in a vice, not knowing what he would hear or how painful it could be, and did it anyway. I see a brave man.”

“Thank you for this gift you’ve given me.” He lifts his glass toward me and I meet it with mine.

“Do you want to tell me what you learned? It’s okay if you don’t.”

“No, I do.” He takes a drink of his champagne then shares the highlights of their talk.

“I hope this helped you heal a little bit. I know it doesn’t erase years of pain and heartache.”

“It doesn’t. But, it’s good to have answers and to know it wasn’t because she didn’t love us. My heart hurts for my dad.” A mist coats his eyes as he squeezes his lips together and traces the bottom of his glass with his finger. “I wish he could’ve known she got clean before he died. Maybe they could’ve rekindled their love and he’d still be here today.”

I reach my hand across the table and clasp my fingers around his, wanting some of his heartache to flow to me, so I can hold it for him.

“Maybe someday you can fix your relationship with your dad. He’s still here and you have that chance,” he says gently.

My heart stings a little. “Maybe someday.” I don’t know if that’ll ever happen.

Our delicious dinners arrive and we lighten our conversation as we eat.

“Wanna grab some whiskeys and take in the view from our veranda?” he asks after we finish our meals.

Looking forward to spending the rest of the evening with him, I offer a silent nod and smile. My mind reels with vibrant flashes of last night, our kisses, his touch on me, the way he felt inside me. Craving percolates.

Back in our suite, we both take our shoes off and bring our whiskeys out to the veranda. I take a sip of mine and set it on the little iron table. Looking up at the sky, I walk to the railing and he joins me. Warm air strokes my skin.

“It’s so beautiful,” I say. Suspended in the dark blue sky that’s speckled with tiny white stars, the moon glows, lighting the surface of the sea below.

He tucks in behind me, his strong chest touching my back, and looks up into the peaceful, mammoth sky.

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