Her curly hair was piled on top of her head, her blouse made of a very light flowery material that hung off her shoulders, revealing her glistening porcelain skin. I’d once traced my lips across that skin and now I wished I could somehow… do it once again.
I loved the way her curls softened her face, clean and flushed with life, almost giving her the appearance of a teenager. She looked so soft and delicate… I could almost taste her in my mouth once again.
I turned my gaze away, returning to my meal as I tried my best to rediscover the bearings of the conversation, but my attention had been completely seized by this woman I hadn’t been able to get out of my mind over the last few days.
You’re leaving tomorrow, I reminded myself. Forget about her.
For a little while, I listened to the conversation at our table but as though I was possessed, my gaze would shift across the river to settle on her.
She lifted her cocktail to her lips and spoke with her friends, then quietly looked away to take in the ambience of the environment. The pink and orange hues of the setting sun in the distance and the mountains we were surrounded by.
I knew then that I would be speaking to her.
I wouldn’t be able to leave unless I did. I didn’t know what I would say, but it couldn’t be just a mere coincidence that she appeared here, out of all the places in town, and on my last night in the country.
I needed to look into her hazel eyes once more… to take in the seemingly endless depths and to feel the weight of her slender body against mine.
I needed to taste her lips, just one more time, even if it would be the last.
I drained my drink and bid my time.
Leah
“This place is breathtaking,” I said.
“It’s like a water park,” Anne nodded.
I smiled in agreement as I stared at a small water slide positioned in a corner and through it, those who weren’t eating, slid down into the river and swam to their heart’s content.
What fascinated me the most, however, was the several levels of pergolas arranged in rows, high on the side of the cliff.
“I told you guys it would be amazing,” Tracy gloated.
“Amazing is a stretch,” Anne countered. “It’s noisy with all the chatter and rushing water… and those egrets on the—”
“You’re the only one that would have a problem with egrets on the water.” Tracy cut her off.
“Hey!” I scolded. “What is it with you both not getting along during these trips? You’re inseparable at home.”
“That’s because she likes doing things at home,” Tracy snapped.
“That’s because it’s real life, not a vacation,” Anne shot back.
Tracy’s tone rose. “You’re meant to explore during vacations!”
Anne just baited her for the fun of it. “No, you’re not.”
“Are you serious right now?”
She wasn’t, but Tracy was too worked up to see it.
I leaned back against the cushions our pergola was surrounded with and looked away to survey the scene a bit more as we waited for our food.
They kept at their banter, but my mind zoomed out as I watched the people surrounding us. The other pergolas were filled with families and friends, both the town’s locals and quite a healthy number of tourists.
I’d been a bit skeptical when Anne had gotten us the deal for the trip, but now, despite the hiccups thus far, I was glad I came.
Until… I spotted him.
At first, I was certain that my eyes were playing some kind of trick on me. Maybe it was the setting sun and the dimly lit ambience. But I was wrong.
There… on the opposite end of the river, and in a pergola with a handful of people, was the man that had refused to get off my mind.
The day had been good. I’d already managed long hours without thinking about him per se, but the sex haunted me as though it was a crime I had committed.
The flashes and the brutal pangs that came with them—of him ramming into me with complete abandon. They’d left me breathless and parched, starved with the need for him.
Now, he was right here, and staring directly at me.
I’d expected him to have left the town… to have concluded his business and returned to Minnesota by now—yet here he was.
I returned my gaze to my friends, and the distinct sounds of their chatter began to register once more.
“We need to visit Pamukkale before we leave,” Tracy said.
“Isn’t that six hours away?” Anne asked.
“Yes, but it’s worth it. We could make it a two day event, our trip within a trip.”
“No, thank you,” Anne said as she lifted her gigantic glass of Bay Breeze to her lips.
“It’s literally the eighth wonder of the world!” Tracy exclaimed.
“That’s not true.”
“Leah!” Tracy called to me.
My body jumped at her call, my heart missing a beat.
“This place has travertine terraces and thermal pools,” Tracy went on. “It’s literally a cotton castle. We cannot leave without going there.”
I had no clue what she was talking about and for a long time, I just stared blankly at her. All I could see and think of was the man seated with his party just a few feet away from us. This had to be the most goddamn fucking smallest place on earth.
“Leah?”
“What!” I snapped, so goddamn fucking wound up that I could barely breathe.
Her gaze softened then. “Are you okay?”
No, I wasn’t… My chest was heaving. “I need some air. I’ll be right back.”
Carter
I got out of the pergola the moment she did.
I knew I was pushing boundaries here, as she had explicitly told me she didn’t want anything to do with me anymore, but I needed to meet her one more time, and nothing would stop me.
I followed her closely and watched as she asked for directions from one of the
