Chapter 148: A Different Kind of Paradise
** Eli **
Harper might be joking, but in Eli’s eyes, she really was a beautiful princess ... or a gorgeous queen. The arrangements he had made for the evening could barely do her justice.
He pulled back just enough to look at her again, taking in the view in front of him that was more breathtaking than any sunset and any flowers. Her deep auburn curls were a whirlwind atop the blanket of rose petals, wild from the car ride but all the more alluring because of it. Her cheeks were flushed, probably from too much sun and ocean breeze at the beach, though Eli rather hoped it was from him kissing her.
And her eyes — those beautiful eyes shining like true emeralds, with the kind of sparkle that belonged only to the most precious gems — were smiling as they studied him with a soft gaze that probably matched his own.
It wasn’t the half sorrowful, half comforting look she gave him earlier anymore. That one had soothed his mind with the unconditional acceptance and understanding shining through, whereas this one ... this one ignited his soul with the undisguised fondness and desire hidden beneath.
They kept looking at each other just like that for a long moment, until Harper seemed to remember that she owed him an answer. "I think you already have a good idea of what kind of desires I have for tonight ..." she chuckled lightly, her sweet lips curving up into a pretty crescent. "But let’s keep going with those clichés, shall we? How about kissing me breathless for a start?"
With that, she looped her arms behind him and pulled him close, sealing their lips together once more.
Oh yes, that would be a very good start indeed.
Eli obliged readily, parting her mouth and claiming everything she had to offer. She still tasted like sugar and coconuts, the island flavor a perfect addition to her usual sweetness. As he met the tip of her tongue with his, entangling them in a slow waltz, he felt as if they were on the beach again, surrounded by a tropical paradise of warm sunshine and crisp ocean breeze and the sound of crashing waves.
Except, at this very moment, the warm sunshine was the heat of her body pressing against him, and the crisp ocean breeze was the soft tickle of her breaths brushing against his cheeks. The sound of crashing waves was the leap of her heart thrumming fast beneath him, in a rhythm not unlike his own.
It was a different kind of paradise ... more surreal and more wondrous than any place in this world. A kind of paradise he could only find with her.