“You’re welcome. Friends?” Valérie holds out their hand to me, but I put my arm around their shoulder and pull V close to me. “Friends.”
“Suggestion—I’ll take Flocke and Dayyan’s luggage to the pitch and you can enjoy the peace and quiet at the beach a little longer before the chaos begins when everyone finds out he’s here.”
That’s very forward-thinking, my rose-colored glasses don’t extend that far at the moment. Flocke looks a little dejected as she watches us walk away, but Dayyan doesn’t pay any attention to her. He holds out his hand to me and I take it, still hearing Danny’s cheer in my head and laughing as freely and genuinely as I probably ever have.
We’ve been sitting close together a lot over the last few weeks. Mostly Dayyan sat behind me, even though I am the taller one of the two of us. As soon as we arrive at the beach, I find a spot near the dunes. Away from the hustle and bustle, I let myself fall into the sand, and pull him between my legs. Dayyan looks at me in surprise, but doesn’t resist, and as soon as he’s sitting in my lap, I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head on his shoulder.
That sounds super brave and dominant, but it’s not. Brave, maybe, for me, but if he had hesitated for even a second, I wouldn’t have known what to do. “Since I’ve arrived, I’ve thought about this.”
“What do you mean?” He turns to me and my breath hitches for a moment. Fuck, he’s gorgeous. Those eyes. His pupils are so small you can see the full range of colors. Brown tones in all shades, speckled with gold, glistening in the sunlight.
“Since I’ve arrived, I’ve been wondering what it’d feel like to sit here with you like this.”
“And?”
I hide my face in his neck and take a deep breath before kissing him gently behind his ear. Just lightly, just a brief touch. I wait for Dayyan to flinch, but he leans into me and giggles. “So much better than I imagined.”
Chapter 32
Dayyan
“Hey, sleepyhead. Wake up.” Fingers gently comb through my hair, I hear the sound of the sea. Where am I? Who ...?
Soft lips touch my temple lightly and I remember where I am. “Sunshine.”
“Not for much longer.“ Jannis smiles, it’s impossible to miss in his voice. “We should go to the pitch, dinner will be ready soon and I’m pretty sure everyone is eagerly awaiting your arrival.”
“Who’s everyone?”
“I told you who’s coming. My family, Valérie with their fathers, and Nika and Élias with their kids. With the two of us, there are fourteen people.” Oh. My. God. “The sooner we get the show over with, the better. And then we’ll put you to bed, you’ve had an exhausting day with the traveling and all.”
I turn around in Jannis’s lap so I can look him straight in the eye. “You’re sweet, thank you. Where am I going to sleep, anyway?” I hadn’t given that any thought yet.
“We’ll discuss that over dinner. Come on, let’s go.” Jannis looks down at me uncertainly and bites his lower lip.
“You can kiss me if you want.”
“Yeah?” Just one word, but it feels as if all his tension has left his body with that one syllable.
“Definitely.” Grinning, I stretch my neck toward him and Jannis comes closer. I was so nervous before our very first kiss, always wondering what it would feel like to kiss a man. But when his lips are on mine, it doesn’t matter. I’m kissing the person who makes my heart beat faster, who is responsible for the butterflies fluttering in my belly, and that feeling is incomparable and irreplaceable.
I’ve been with a few girls before and I’ve kissed them, but it never felt as special as it does with Jannis.
For a split second, his lips brush mine, then he looks at me again.
“More.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Jannis’s uncertainty is almost palpable, swirling around us and between us like a sticky mass, and I can only speculate about what might have triggered it. Danny is one possibility, but I think he’s just horribly inexperienced and, after years of rejection, it’s hard for him to believe anyone really wants him.
I sit up and look him straight in the eyes. “You can always take my hand, hold me in your arms, kiss me. Whenever you want.”
He looks at me once more before his eyes close and his lips find mine so gently I reach for his cheeks to make sure I’m not imagining the kiss.
Suddenly, Jannis pushes me away, and jumps up. I stare at him with my mouth open as he holds out his hand to me. “Let’s go. I want to introduce you to my family. Only if that’s okay with you. I...”
