Chapter Seven: After the Sun
The beach was nearly an hour from home — just far enough to feel like a getaway, close enough to chase on a whim. They’d packed light: a soft blanket, cold drinks, and the kind of afternoon that didn’t need much else. It had been her idea — a spontaneous escape from the rhythm of everyday life.
The sun was bold and honey-warm, soaking into their skin as they lay stretched on the sand. Waves broke gently in the distance, but the real current ran between them. She wore a pale bikini that caught the light like a second skin, and every time she rose to walk toward the water, he couldn’t help but watch her — the sway of her hips, the way her damp hair clung to the curve of her back.
They swam, they dried, they swam again. Their laughter floated on the breeze, easy and close. The heat of the sun seemed to pull everything closer — skin, glances, thoughts that hovered just below the surface. The air around them shimmered, and with it, so did the tension.
When the sky began to shift into soft gold, they packed up slowly, skin still warm from sun and sea. The drive back was quiet in the most intimate way. Her head rested against the seat, her bare legs curled beneath her, still glistening slightly from the ocean. Every now and then, she glanced over with a small smile — the kind that said she knew exactly what was building between them.
Home greeted them like a secret — a place tucked away from the world, silent and still beneath the falling dusk. Not a beach house, but their own little sanctuary, away from tourists and noise. The walls held their scent, their memories, the things they didn’t say out loud.
Inside, she peeled off her damp clothes and wrapped herself in a robe. He watched her pad barefoot through the hall, the light catching her skin in flashes of bronze and ivory. Something about the way she moved — slow, languid, sun-heavy — made it impossible to wait much longer.
They didn’t rush. The energy between them was thick, but tender. In the kitchen, they shared a few bites — olives, soft bread, a little cheese and fruit. But their hunger wasn’t really for food.
She stood at the sink, sipping water, when he came up behind her. His hands slid around her waist, his mouth close to her ear. “You’ve been driving me crazy all day.”
She turned, leaning back against the counter, her lips curling into a soft, knowing smile. “You didn’t exactly hide it.”
He kissed her, finally, fully. The kind of kiss that says we're done waiting.
They made their way to the bedroom, their steps slow but their breathing faster. Robes slipped to the floor, fingers trailing sun-warmed skin, the scent of her shampoo still fresh from the quick shower she’d taken. The sheets welcomed them like water — soft, cool, familiar.
What happened next wasn’t wild or rushed. It was deliberate, charged. They touched like they had all night. Kissed like the sun was still on their skin. She let go in his arms, wrapped around him with the ease of something longed for all day. He followed, his breath against her neck, his hands holding her like she was something precious.
Later, wrapped in each other and the quiet hum of night, she whispered, “That sun... it really gets under your skin.”
He smiled, his fingers drawing lazy patterns along her hip. “It wasn’t the sun,” he said. “It was you.”
She laughed — soft, sleepy, glowing.
Outside, the crickets began their song, and inside, nothing else mattered. Just the fading warmth of the day, the slow thrum of hearts, and the quiet satisfaction of coming home — to each other.