“So?”
He crossed his arms over his chest, his biceps bulging. “So…fucking…what?”
I stuck my chin up. “What if I wear it out? You bought it for?—”
He came at me, grabbing my arm, lifting me off my feet, throwing me over his shoulder as if I were as solid as a feather.
“Youbought it,” he said, truly pissed. “If I was the one doing the fucking buying, it would look like the one you have in Wyoming.”
Unceremoniously, he set me on my feet in the kitchen. He held my arm to steady me for a second, then waved a hand at the counter. Three gifts, wrapped perfectly, sat on it.
“What are those?” I asked, toying with the bows, truly curious.
“Open them,” he said.
“One has your name on it.”
“You can open it for me, Annie.”
My eyes lifted to his. The moment of anger had passed. We grinned at each other.
It was just the nature of our relationship.
“Mamma sent them over,” he said.
She had bought me two cameras—one made for the water, and one that looked as old as the one Mia had. It took film, which she included. Mia had told me Scarlett had found the camera she had in Paris when she was a ballerina there. Mia said she and Scarlett enjoyed thrifting, and her Mamma had been on the lookout for more cameras like hers. Brando was a luck magnet, as his sons were, and they were hoping that, one day, the cameras would find them.
It seemed as if one of them had, and she had given it to me.
“This is—” I wiped my eyes, tears falling fast and hard. I could not finish. Emotions clogged my throat.
Mariano wrapped me in his arms, kissing the top of my head. I waved a hand, attempting to get myself under control.
“You open yours.” I did not bother to try to stop him when he wiped my face with his lips. I handed him the package. It did not seem as though he would have taken it otherwise.
He ripped the paper and stared at the contents inside of the box. A new book with charcoal sketch pens.
“That is, ah.” He cleared his throat, then flung the book back to the counter. “Let’s fucking go.”
He grabbed both cameras and loaded the older camera with film for me before tucking both inside of my beach bag. I grabbed the matching sarong to the suit, and after handing him his sunglasses, set mine over my eyes. He carried the beach bag I had packed with our towels and things. I slipped my feet into a pair of gold thong sandals as he removed his swim trunks and set them in the bag.
“Ah.” I toyed with the Annie pendant around my neck. I never took it off. Then I went straight to the priceless ring around my finger, fiddling with it. “One.” I lifted my pointer finger. “You are not going to wearanyclothes?Two.” I added a finger. “What about my ring?” Even with the dark sunglasses, I squinted at him.
The light was glaringly bright, and I felt as if I was a newly born being adjusting to this new change in my life. The sun. I was also beginning to feel crusted over, and flying things were buzzing around my head, coming for me. Interested in my stink.
I took a step back from Mariano when he took a step toward me. Easily, he reached out and pulled my body close to his.
He took my pointer finger down. “This is our space in paradise, Annie. We don’t have to wear clothes.”
“Yes, ah, I know, but what about…biting things.” I looked down at his exposed cock and balls.
He grinned, kissing me. “Sweet and salty,” he muttered. He licked his lips. “I fucking love it.” His eyes became intense on mine, and when a cool breeze fluttered by, he shook his head. He took my other finger down, which I did not realize was the bird finger. He laughed. “What about your ring?” He took my hand and started to lead me down the path we had traveled our first night to get to ourbure.
The solar lights were soaking up the sun, and so was the entire island, it seemed. All the flora was tilted into the direction of the rays.
I took a breath, digging in the bag on his shoulder, going for the digital, waterproof camera—it had an option on it to send the photos to mycellulare! “This ring is special, Mariano.” I took a deep breath. I usually had a good feel for my husband; however I did not know how he was going to react to this suggestion. “I want to make a replica of it to use.”
He stopped walking, and so did I.
