Chapter 75 The Romantic Getaway 3
Dandelion.
"Noona literally left us a schedule," I announced, holding up the printed schedule I'd found on the kitchen counter. "It has complete time slots and activities."
Alex looked up from his coffee, eyebrows raised. "Let me see that."
I handed it over and watched his expression shift from surprise to defeat as he read.
"9 AM, breakfast on the terrace. 10 AM, beach walk. 12 PM, lunch at the Seaside Café." He paused. "She scheduled almost every hour of our day."
I nodded,"There's even more. 2 PM couples massage, 4 PM sunset photos by the lighthouse, 6 PM romantic dinner." I couldn't help smiling. "She really thought this through."
"Of course she did." He set down the paper with a sigh. "We could just ignore it you know."
"And have her call Walter every hour asking why we're not following her plan? Because I'm sure she's monitoring us, she'll definitely know when we skip any schedule." I shook my head. "Besides, when was the last time you actually took a day off?"
He opened his mouth, then closed it. "I don't remember."
"Exactly. So maybe we just go along with it and just pretend we're normal people on a normal vacation."
He sighed in defeat, something in his expression softened. "Alright. Just One day."
..............
The beach was beautiful in the morning light, the sand was cool under our feet, We walked in silence at first, that awkward energy still lingering between us.
Then Alex spotted a shell and picked it up, examining it like it was the most interesting thing he had ever seen.
"What are you doing?" I quizzed.
"Looking at this shell."
"I can see that. But why?"
"Noona's schedule said beach walk. I'm walking on the beach and Appreciating nature." He held it up to the light. "This is a very nice shell."
I burst out laughing. "You're ridiculous."
"I'm only following instructions." But he was smiling too, that rare genuine smile that transformed his whole face.
He pocketed the shell and we kept walking. A seagull kept following us, probably hoping for food.
"It's persistent," Alex observed as the bird trailed behind us like a body guard.
"It reminds me of your grandmother."
He burst out into laughter. "That's absolutely accurate. Noona never gives up either."
"At least the seagull is forward about what it wants." I muttered comparing Grandma Wini to the stubborn seagull
"True. Noona's tactic is more of manipulating. "
We ended up at the Seaside Cafe for lunch, just as the schedule demanded. The place was small and cute, with tables overlooking the water. We ordered grilled fish and salad, sitting across from each other in the shade.
"This is actually nice," I admitted, watching boats drift by in the distance.
"Don't sound so impressed."
"I am impressed. I thought this whole weekend would be torture."
"It's only been one day." He muttered.
"Still. It's better than I expected." I took a sip of lemonade. "You're actually a better company than I expected."
His eyebrow arched. "Should I be offended?"
"Probably. But I mean it as a compliment."
He smirked, "Then I'll take it as one."
After lunch, we had the couples massage. I had been dreading it, I was worried about the forced intimacy of lying half naked in the same room with Alex.
But the spa was professional, and oh my goodness the therapists were so skilled, honestly after months of stress, the massage felt amazing.
I must have fallen asleep at some point because I woke up to Alex gently shaking my shoulder.
"It's over," he said quietly. "You were snoring."
My eyes widened, "I don't snore."
"You definitely snore." He insisted.
I sat up, pulling the sheet around me. "That's slander." I quipped with a pout.
"It's the truth." He was already dressed, though his hair was slightly damp like he had splashed water on his face. "Come on. We have sunset photos next."
..................
The lighthouse stood on a rocky side, the waves crashing against the stones below. The sun was beginning to set painting everything gold and orange.
"Stand over there," Alex directed, pulling out his phone.
"You're actually going to take photos?"
"Noona will ask to see them. We need evidence we followed her schedule."
I looked at him with hesitation, "You do have an idea that this breaks rule 9 right?,"
He sighed, "Just stand over there Dandy, there's no point in those rules anymore, you've literally made me break all of them."
I raised a brow, is he seriously trying to blame everything on me?
"You---" I swallowed back my argument and just moved to where he pointed, leaning against the lighthouse railing. The wind whipped my hair around my face.
"Smile," he said from his distance.
"I am smiling."
"That's not a smile, that's a grimace."
"Maybe I'm grimacing at your photography skills." I bit out still annoyed by his remark.
"My photography skills are excellent, thank you."
I scoffed, and his phone clicked. Then clicked again.
"Got it," he muttered.
I burst into laughter, "Just that?, you barely took the right angle, you really are a bad photographer." I said in between laughter, but he suddenly raised back his phone and kept taking photos of me laughing, of me pushing hair out of my face, of me sticking my tongue out at him when I realized he was still shooting.
"Okay, your turn," I said, holding out my hand for the phone.
"I don't do photos."
"Too bad. Noona's schedule says couples photos. Plural. That means both of us."
He sighed and handed over the phone reluctantly and stood where I had been, looking stiff and uncomfortable.
"Relax," I told him.
"I am relaxed."
"No you're not, you look like you're facing a firing squad."
"This is my relaxed face."
I laughed and started snapping pictures. He looked so awkward, that it was actually adorable.
"Tell me a joke," I said.
His brows raised, "What?"
"A joke, make me laugh."
"I don't know any jokes."
"Everyone knows jokes." I insisted.
He thought for a moment. "Why did the scarecrow win an award?"
"Uhm, I don't know, why?"
"Because he was out--standing in his field."
I stared at him. "That's terrible."
"You asked for a joke."
"I asked for a good joke."
"Well you never specified quality." He said innocently.
I burst out laughing again at his naivety, he smiled, and I immediately took the opportunity and captured that moment.
He looked happy, the sunset behind him, with his guard temporarily down.
Turns out this cold CEO could smile so genuinely.
..................
We got gelato on the walk back to the villa. Alex insisted on trying my pistachio flavor and made a face almost immediately, "That's awful."
"It's delicious. Your chocolate is boring."
"Chocolate is classic." He insisted.
"Chocolate is too safe." I held out my cone. "Live a little. Try new things."
He took another taste, slower this time. "Nahh, Still prefer chocolate though."
I sneered, "Because you're boring."
"Because I know what I like." He argued.
We walked back sharing both flavors, he continued his terrible jokes until I was laughing so hard I nearly dropped my cone. Who knew Alexander Graham had a corny sense of humor hidden under all that coldness?
Dinner was at the resort's main restaurant, it was fancier than lunch. They sat us at a table on the terrace, with candles flickering between us, the ocean view was in a distance.
I ordered fish again while Alex got steak. We shared a bottle of wine.
"Thank you," I said after the waiter left.
He raised a brow, "For what?"
"For today. For going along with all of this instead of being miserable about it."
"I wasn't that bad, was I?"
"Nope, but you were when we first arrived."
He smiled awkwardly and held his nose bridge like he was trying to hide his shyness. "I'm sorry. I'm not good at vacations."
"Clearly. But you tried today. That means something."
The waiter brought another wine and we drank, our conversation was flowing easier with each glass. We talked about our childhood memories, and some embarrassing moments, some dreams we had given up on.
"I wanted to be a pilot when I was a kid," he admitted, slightly flushed from the wine.
"Really? Why didn't you?"
"Noona needed me to take over the company. Family obligations." He shrugged.
"Do you regret it?"
He considered the question for a while, "Sometimes I do, But I'm good at what I do. And I built ECO Oils from nothing so I guess that's something."
"Of course it's something. You're...kind of amazing when you're not being annoying."
He smirked, "Kind of amazing?"
"Don't let it go to your head." I sneered.
By the time we finished dinner, we were both warm from the sun, and my cheeks were pink from mild sunburn despite the sunscreen I had insisted on using. The walk back to the villa felt like a dream, everything was soft and spinning.
Inside, I kicked off my shoes and flopped onto the couch. "I'm so full."
"You ate your entire meal plus half of my steak."
"You offered!"I defended with a pout.
"I was being polite."
"Well, next time don't be so polite." I stretched, feeling loose and relaxed in a way I hadn't felt in months. The wine buzzed pleasantly through my system.
Alex poured us both water from the mini fridge. "You should drink this. You'll thank me tomorrow."
"Hmm Mr responsible." I sneered, but still took the glass and drank.
He sat on the opposite end of the couch, closer than he normally allow himself. We had been close all day actually, with small touches and casual contact, it seemed like our barriers were slowly crumbling.
"Today was good," he said quietly.
"Yeah. It was." I admitted.
Then we remained silent, although it wasn't uncomfortable. The villa was quiet around us, just the distant sound of waves.
A question had been building in me all day. Maybe it was the wine giving me courage, or maybe I was just tired of avoiding things,
"Why did you kiss me that day?" I asked.
He went very still. "What?"
"The first time. When we were fighting. Why did you kiss me?"
"Dandelion."
"I just want to know. I need to know, please." I begged hoping for an answer.
He stared at me for a long moment, with a tight jaw. Then he suddenly stood, and I thought he might leave, might shut down like he always did when things got too real.
Instead, he moved closer and sat right next to me, so close our knees touched.
"Because I couldn't stop thinking about you," he said in a low rough voice. "Every night, every morning. You were there in my head and I couldn't get you out."
My breath paused.
"Because Roxy wasn't even enough anymore," he continued, eyes locked on mine. "I'd go to her trying to forget you, but it never worked. Nothing worked."
"Alex."
"I don't know why you drive me insane," he continued. "The way you argue with me. The way you don't back down. The way you fit against me when you sleep. All of it. It drives me completely insane."
I couldn't breathe properly. "I....I thought.....but we..,.."
Before I could process anything he leaned in to me, and his lips crashed on mine, soft and gently this time. Not the angry, desperate kiss from before. This was something else entirely.
This was yearning.
His hand cupped my face as he deepened the kiss, slowly and smoothly, like he had all the time in the world and wanted to memorize every second of it.
I found myself melting into him, my hands fisting in his shirt, pulling him closer. H e groaned low in his throat and shifted, lifting me easily onto his lap so that I was straddling him.
"Hmmm, Alex," I whispered against his mouth.
"Do you want me to stop?" He asked planting a wet kiss on my nape
"No."I moaned out fondling with his buttons.
He claimed my lips again, his hands sliding into my hair, slowly down my back, everywhere all at once. I was drowning in sensation, in the taste of wine on his lips, the warmth of his body against mine.
He stood, lifting me with him. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me to the bed, laying me down gently on the rose petals we had been avoiding all day.
This time, there was no rush, just the two of us finally admitting what had been building between us.
He took his time undressing me, kissing every inch of my exposed skin. And I did the same to him, mapping the lines of his abs.
When he finally settled between my thighs, his weight pressing me into the bed, he paused.
"You sure?" he whispered behind my ears as if waiting for permission to devour me.
And damn I really wanted to be devoured anyway he wanted, instead of answering, I pulled him down into another kiss, grabbing the back of his shirt, pulling him closer, until no space existed between us.
He made a sound against my lips, quiet and raw, the kind of sound that made my stomach tingle.
He kissed me like he's been drowning and I was the only air he
ever wanted, making love to me slowly and perfectly like we were meant for each other. Each movement deliberate, each touch gentle. It was so different from our first time, that rushed, explosive bliss that had left us both shaken.
This was tender. This was terrifying.
This felt like the real lovemaking.