Any idea I might’ve had about how beautiful Nina looks in the morning was utterly humiliated by the real sight of the woman asleep in my arms when I woke up. Her serene face was resting against my chest, one arm wrapped around my waist, one leg hooked between mine.
I spent several minutes just watching her. I even tried breathing slowly, afraid that any sudden movement might wake her before I’d had my fill of the strange, unfamiliar calm in my chest. It was an uncharted peace—a certainty that there was nowhere else in the world I should be at that moment.
Hours later, that feeling hasn’t gone anywhere, even though we’re no longer tangled up in bed. I guide her through what to do, and Nina double-checks everything before nodding her confirmation. I help her off the boat when we’re done, and we cross the wooden path until our feet sink into the sand of the islet.
We walk hand in hand for several meters, unhurried, simply enjoying each other’s company. The sun is beginning to set, showing off amid the explosion of colors typical of this hour. Isit down on the sand and leave my arm extended. Nina accepts it and sits between my legs.
The silence that settles between us is comfortable. The breeze turns her scent into the only thing I can breathe.
“This place is incredible… To think that just yesterday I was sure the sunset in open water was the most beautiful thing there was.”
I smile, burying my face in her hair.
“Thatisa beautiful sunset, but this island has something magical.”
“What’s this place called?”
“Téssera.”
“How have I never heard of it?”
“We’re pretty far from the coast. Téssera is part of a micro-archipelago—one of the central islands. Almost no one has discovered this place.”
“But you did.”
“Actually, Apollo did.”
“Remind me to thank him.”
“For what?” I ask, a little affronted.
“For discovering Téssera, obviously.”
“I’ll accept the thanks on his behalf. Kisses are welcome,” I declare.
Nina laughs, pressing her head against my shoulder.
We stay on the beach—talking, kissing, touching, and admiring the view—until the sky turns deep blue.
“Are you hungry?”
“A little.”
“Then let’s have dinner.”
“Where?” She looks around as if searching for a restaurant, even though with the moon as our only light source, she wouldn’t find one even if it existed. “Are we going back to the boat?”
I just smile and stand.
I help Nina up and lace our fingers together, guiding her along a path I know by heart. She lets herself be led, but when I steer us toward the island’s vegetation, she stops, suspicious.
“Why are we about to head into the bushes? I know you promised to distract me, but I’ll take the sailboat deck—or the bed—over sand and shrubs any day of the week,” she warns, and I burst out laughing.
“Noted,Little Fae. Shall we?”
“You still haven’t answered my question. Why are we going into the bushes?”
“Do you trust me?”
