CHAPTER 28

"Morning Sunshine," Nicholas said looking down at her as she came slowly awake, stretching her body languorously. She opened her eyes and stared at him blankly for a few seconds.

Nadine had come back to the bed about an hour after she disappeared into the bathroom the previous night. The light was turned off and he couldn't see her face when she laid back beside him. But he was certain she had been crying.

He had cuddled up to her and folded her into his arms when she didn't resist.

"Are you OK?," he had asked her again.

"I'm fine. I just miss my daughter," she had replied and he knew she was lying.

Whatever was happening between them, he no longer had an idea and he was beginning to have his doubts about the things he thought he knew about her.

After his stipulation for her not to ask him personal question, she had not asked him a single question since they got on the plane, not even the most impersonal question about how the villa was run. She had said something about it skipping her mind but he knew she just wanted to keep to their agreement.

And a woman after his money wouldn't look at him the way he caught her doing sometimes. She looked at him with hurt and a degree of tenderness in her eyes, especially when they made love. She had looked so vulnerable in his arms the night before that he couldn't be certain anymore if everything was truly an act. She was hurting but he didn't even know why.

Could it be him? Could his fact of over seven years all be false? Where does that leave them if that was the case?

He realized she had not even made a single demand on him since they got back together, he had always been the one jumping into conclusions.

"Hi," she murmured sleepily, her eyes still half closed.

"Slept well?," he asked watching her watch him with a guarded look in her eyes.

"Yes. How long have you been watching me sleep?."

"I woke up just about a minute before you did," he lied smoothly. He wasn't about to tell her he had been watching her for all of an hour. He had watched how her eyelashes fanned her cheekbones in sleep, how her pouty pink lips had moved soundlessly about once or twice or how she had reached for him in sleep to wrap an arm around him. She had been so beautiful and innocent and incapable of everything he believed her to be.

And he loved her, sleeping or awake. The realization the night before had left him dumbfounded. Looking into her eyes as he moved inside her had made him realized he never stopped loving her. In fact, his love had grown over the years despite what he had been telling himself.

He had set out to make her fall in love with him but he had forgotten to guard his own heart in the process, believing it was impossible to love her for the part she played in breaking his heart.

He loved her in spite of her deceitful, lying self. But only him had to know that, he wasn't confessing his love to her even if his life depended on it. He couldn't trust her not to hurt him again.

"I don't believe that," she said, bringing him out of his tumultuous thoughts. "You've this glint in your eyes that says otherwise," she accused him playfully.

"What glint?," he asked lowering his head to take her lips in a hot kiss.

Nadine forgot all about her melancholic mood of the night before and kissed him back hungrily, even forgetting all about morning breath.

She had slept stack naked just like him. She moaned softly when she felt his hand testing her readiness.

He gave a moan of appreciation when he noticed her wetness. He didn't bother with any foreplay as he laid on his back and switched her on top of him, straddling him without breaking their passionate kiss.

She rose above him and struggled to get his length inside her.

"I can't," she mouthed at him

"Yes you can," Nicholas said, helping her and bringing her down on him to the hilt. She whimpered.

He helped her set the rhythm, holding her waist to help with her movement. He watched her throw her head back, her flaming hair cascading all around them. She looked like a pagan goddess with the flaming hair and feral look on her face.

He could feel her trying to reach for her peak. He helped her, flicking her clitoris with a finger relentlessly. She groaned and shattered around him. He took pleasure in watching the passion ravage her body.

Nicholas switched their positions and pumped into her hard and fast, his own release just within his reach. He withdrew from her body, releasing his passion on the sheets.

"Good morning handsome," she said when she could finally speak again.

He stared at her, feeling boneless from their love making. "Hey."

"What do you have planned for today?," she asked resting her hands on his chest and dropping her chin onto them to look up at him.

"Staying in bed all day," he said hopefully.

"Seriously?"

"Yes," he replied slowly, his brain still fuzzy from his climax.

"But you said something about snorkeling and visiting the straw markets," she said pouting.

"I only remember saying something about swimming naked," he replied cheekily.

She pulled his chest hair.

"Ouch! That hurts!"

"I could do it again," she posed her hand to do it again.

"Alright. We'll visit the straw market and visit a restaurant to try the local dishes," he concurred fearing the lose of his chest hair.

"Good," she said smiling.

"But that's after you model for me in the swimsuits. I want to see you in every single one of them," he said grinning.

"No way!" She moved to get out of bed.

"Yes way. I just agreed to your wish, don't be selfish," he said stopping her movement.

"I can't. I've not worn a swimsuit since I was a kid."

"The more reason to wear it now, please." He gave her his 'puppy look' and she laughed.

There was no way she would admit to him she was shy to wear a swimsuit around him because of her extra curves. If it turned out to be a disaster, so be it. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her naked anyway, she tried to assure herself.

But wearing something sexy while Nicholas watched was just too intimate for her liking, considering the fact that the type of women he dated would look to die for in a swim wear or anything, maybe some even modelled for top swimsuit brands.

She was no model, far from it. And she didn't care what he thinks of that, she thought, agreeing to wear them for him.

"OK."

He dropped an excited kiss on her lips and moved off the bed towards the walk-in closet stark naked.

The man had a smoking hot body and he knew it. She watched his naked ass disappear into the closet and watched him surface a minute later with about a dozen of the offending swimsuits in his arms. They were mostly one-piece.

She had always believed one-piece were several steps closer to decency than the bikinis but the ones he held in his arms changed her believe irrevocably.

He dropped the lot on the bed and watched her expectantly. She moved to take them off the bed and started toward the bathroom with the sheets around her. He stopped her, giving her a look that told her he wanted to watch her wear them.

"No!" That was just on another level kind of intimate.

"Please," he said with his 'puppy eye look'.

"It's not working, I'm not changing into these while you watch. Sorry to crumble your fantasy."

"Come on, I've seen every inch of your body. What's the big deal about changing while I watch?"

"It's a big deal for me," she said blushing.

"OK. Don't go in with the whole bunch. I get to pick the ones you try on," he said and added when she began to protest "don't argue."

"OK."

He held up a silk skin colored one, the most decent one of the lot. She headed towards the bathroom to change into it.

Nadine stared at herself in the mirror, it wasn't as bad as she thought. The suit had a deep V neckline that showed her cleavage to advantage and a sexy tie at the waist. She spun around repeatedly, admiring herself, forgetting her earlier protests about trying it on. She hoped Nicholas loves it as she stepped out of the bathroom.

He was seated on the bed, finally wearing a pair of shorts.

Nicholas stared at her entranced. He knew she was going to look perfect in the suit. He walked towards her and held her hand, spinning her to admire her sexy body in the suit.

"Perfect. It's taking all my self-control not to rip it off you and have my wicked ways with you," he said as he drew her into his embrace and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Onto the next," he said and moved towards the bed to hold up a black lacy barely there suit. There we go.

She took it from him and headed towards the bathroom. She changed into it and stood in front of the mirror to admire the suit, it was too...sexy. The grommet detailing in the plunging neckline and the thin lace up left nothing to be imagined of her breasts. It was like she was only covering her nipples and her belly. The lace up at the sides enhanced her flaring hips.

She moved to the door to peek out of the bathroom at Nicholas. He was standing right outside the door, grinning mischievously.