He rolls his eyes. “Hurry up.” He stretches his face out. “And don’t call me Pooky bear, it’s emasculating.”
“Oh please, Mr. Miles, you do know that you’re going to be my bitch by the end of the week . . . right?” I tease.
He smiles and takes the razor from me. “I wouldn’t count on it.”
“What are we doing today?” I ask.
“Whatever you want.”
“Oh . . . what shall we do? The possibilities are endless.” I smile dreamily.
He washes the razor out under the tap and then picks up my toiletry bag; he takes out my contraceptive pill pack and studies it. He pops out today’s pill and holds it on the end of his finger for me. I take it from him and swallow it down.
“When was your last STD test?” he asks.
“Why?”
“Interest’s sake.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to use condoms while we’re on this trip.”
I frown. “Why?”
He shrugs as he leans in to kiss me. “I just don’t want to.”
“No.” I pull back from him.
“Why not?” He seems surprised. “I’ve never had sex without a condom before.”
I stare at him as my brain malfunctions. “Never?”
“No.”
“So why would you want to do it with me?”
“I don’t know, I just do.”
“Well, you’re going to have to wait a bit longer.” I jump down from the cabinet and walk into the bedroom, go to the walk-in closet, and begin to look for something to wear.
He follows me. “Why?”
“Because it’s too intimate for me, that’s something you share with a partner.”
“We’re partners.”
“For the week, Elliot. That doesn’t count.”
“No, we’ll see each other at home. We made a deal, remember? Exclusive casual.”
I try to hide my smile; this is the first time he’s mentioned anything long-term.
“Well . . .” He puts his hands on his hips as if outraged. “Have you done it with anyone else?”
“Yes, of course I have. That’s what boyfriends are for.”
“Well, I’m your boyfriend . . . for the week.”
I roll my eyes as I get my clothes out and lay them on the bed.
“That counts for something,” he says.
“Not really.” I drop my towel and pull my bikini bottoms on.
He takes me into his arms as he tries to sweeten the deal. “I’ll make it worth your while.” His lips drop to my neck.
“No. Discussion over.” I pull out of his arms and put my bikini top on. “Get dressed, we’re going out.”
“Where to?”
“Anywhere away from a bed.” I smile as he bites my neck.
“That won’t save you, I don’t need a bed.” He pushes me up against the wall. “I’m an all-surface kind of man.”
I laugh out loud. “Shut up, you fool. It’s not happening.”
The Canary Islands are everything I ever dreamed of. Sun, sand, and sea, all with such a beautiful backdrop. We’ve eaten at the most beautiful restaurants, laid on the beach for hours and sipped cocktails at quaint little ocean-side bars until late into the night.