The smooth, airy crepe lifted easily off the oiled pan, silky and golden brown. It's surprising that with only flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs and butter, something as delicate, decadent and delicious emerges. As I laid the crepe onto a plate to cool, I gazed out across the tiled floor, to the balcony, through the sheer drapes dancing in the tropical breeze.
Marissa was standing at the railing, her faraway eyes fixated on distant whitecaps in the deep water. A content, relaxed glow cascaded off her shoulders. A satiny v-neck maxi coverup, with vibrant orange flowers offset by ocean blues, flowed gracefully over her heavenly curves. Her head was wrapped in a thin, red cotton scarf, giving her that classic sexy Caribbean vibe. Her smooth black skin glistened from last night's pampering of massage oil and vanilla body butter.
Marissa is a stunning woman, in every sense of that definition, and my pulse quickened at the sight of my gorgeous island beauty.
Anxious to treat her with a tasty breakfast, I began filling each crepe with raspberries and sliced strawberries and pineapple, then sprinkling each with powdered sugar. A dollop of fresh whipped cream was the finishing touch. I stepped onto the balcony, holding my concoction, eager to see that famous smile convey her satisfaction.
"Here you go, babe . . . crepes filled with your favorite fruit. Delicious inside and out, just like you are!"
She turned to look back at me, eyeing the plate of crepes on the balcony table. Her enticing smile lit up her face, yet I detected welled up tears in her enchanting eyes. I stepped behind her, slipping my arms around her waist, pulling her into me and pressing my cheek against hers. Her hands clasped over my forearms, and she tilted her head back against my shoulder. I felt the familiar press of her body against mine.
"What's on your mind, my love?" I whispered into her ear. "Something troubling you?"
"Not at all, Jon. Just reflecting on these past several days, our time together. It's been so perfect . . . made me so happy is all. I can't imagine my life without you in it."
I gave her a long squeeze, pressed my hips into her firm butt, and kissed her neck. "Come sit with me, I'll feed you some crepes and I'll tell you how fabulous you are."
There we sat, overlooking the pristine waters off Antigua's southern coast, as the scent of plumeria and jasmine wafted through the air. Hummingbirds raced by, guzzling sweet nectar from the abundant flowers. It was one of those moments in life where everything is in its proper order. Every constellation in our romantic atmosphere seemed to be perfectly aligned, and the laws of nature were working in our favor.
My fingers stroked the top of Marissa's thigh, and a wave of lovemaking memories washed over us. Just touching her body sends a jolt through my loins. But to fully appreciate this moment, you'd have to go back ten days prior.
Marissa and I arrived at the Curtain Bluff resort on the Caribbean island of Antigua just as the sun was setting. She'd started a new job with a publishing company based in Los Angeles a year earlier, writing cover notes for romance novels, and helping out with proofreading and editing. Her creative talent was skyrocketing her career, and she'd been pushing herself for months, swept up in the excitement and passion of her work.
But it was time for her to live the scenes written about in so many novels, and she needed to be reminded of how much I loved, adored, and cherished her. So, I arranged for a two-week stay at a magnificent all-inclusive resort on Antigua, beginning on Valentine's day. My sole objective was to pamper and pleasure my queen, on the island of her childhood. The amber sunset was the perfect start.
Moments earlier, after arriving at the V.C Bird airport, we made our way to the taxi stand and found our ride. As we sped out for Curtain Bluff, I set a greeting card on Marissa's lap. It was in a red envelope, and I had typed and printed a lengthy message and glued it to the white space on the inside of the card. The front of the card had a small red heart in the center of a circular maze, implying that finding the heart would take some skill and effort. Below that image were the words: I Am So Glad I Found You.
The inside of the card included only the words: Best Discovery Ever (And Now My Heart Is All Yours). The words that I glued into the card read as follows:
"When I think of the apparent random nature in which we met, and the coincidences and twists of fate that have occurred since then, it's hard for me to believe that it was just a random meeting. I feel that I found you, and by so doing, it allowed you to find me.
And then as we found each other, we began to see the reasons why. Throughout these fantastic months, we've been the voice of insight and perspective when we both needed it most. We helped each other put our lives in the proper perspective, and realized that we needed to keep building on the closeness and trust that we've felt.
As each layer of ourselves was shared, we felt immediate acceptance, unconditional love. And then the greatest miracle occurred, we began seeing each other as the person within, and not just the outer shell. Now I can't imagine my life in any other way than having you be a part of it. Even if I tried, the cement has set, and I can no more tell myself not to love you as I could tell my body to lose my arms.
Fate has done for us what we never could have done for ourselves, and I'll continue to trust in his time and methods. Meanwhile, I'll bask in the chance I have to articulate every nuance and subtlety of you that I find so beautiful, brilliant and incredibly exciting.
I don't expect you to understand why I feel as I do, but I beg you to accept it all, and trust me. Within the confines of what is possible, you have all of my heart. What does that mean? It means that I have cast off my own selfish wishes and desires, and care more about what is best for you, how you're feeling, and how you're doing, as you face the realities of this life.
Since my thoughts are constantly filled with you, even the slightest exchange becomes a thrill. The mere thought that you might feel similarly turns me to jello. What more can be said other than I love you? I think there's something even more powerful than that . . . I Love to Be in Love With You.
You seem to have obtained the checklist of things that my heart craves for, but never receives. And when even the tiniest bread crumb of love and adoration is sent my way, I feel the jolt of adrenaline rushing through my veins. I love the woman inside you so much, that anything attached to you becomes instantly attractive and gorgeous. Even your human imperfections become cute and adorable. I'm yours, babe. Plain and simple. Over the course of ten months, I've recognized that you possess the combination to my heart, and I freely open it to you.
I don't know what the future will bring, and that's OK by me, as long as I get to spend each present day with you. Every interaction carries with it the backdrop of this woman that is so perfect for me. The mere sound of your voice is comforting and soothing to me. Reading your words sends multiple messages to my heart.
On the surface, you might be telling me about a conversation with a family member or an errand you're running or about a dream you had the night before. My mind hears those things, but my heart is feeling, "She cares about me, she loves me, she wants my friendship and love as much as I want hers!!!"
So, 24 and 28, now that we've established the unavoidable fact that 143&53, and that you 82 in ways that I didn't even think I needed to be, what will you do with me? My hope and wish is that you'll continue to be the same person you've always been, and that you'll keep sharing those things that are closest to your heart with me. That's the woman I've fallen in love with, that's the woman that owns my heart.
I hope that you feel the same way about me (you wouldn't believe me if I said I didn't want that), but as my love for you is unconditional, I'll still love you regardless of how you feel. However, I like my chances!
So on this particular Valentine's Day, I hope that it's the first of many, the one that we never forget, and the one that forever sets a feeling in our hearts that we think back on for decades. I'm in this for the long haul. I hope that we keep finding ways to keep this feeling alive, and that Mr. Fate keeps smiling down on us. You're perfect, babe, simply perfect."
I insisted that she wait until we were checked in at the resort before she read it, but selfishly, I wanted her mind filled with the anticipation of what was inside. Within an hour we were laying on our king size bed, just looking into each other's eyes, recognizing that an amazing journey was in front of us.
I asked Marissa to open the card, and I watched by her side as she read it. She slowly read the card, as if savoring each word. When she was finished, tears filled her eyes, and she lay motionless, staring into the sheets.
"Are you OK babe?" I said, smiling.
After a long pause, she replied, "Yes. You make me feel so special, Jon. I'm not used to being adored like this."
I wrapped my arms around her, kissing her forehead and guiding her head into my chest.
The evening sky and ocean waves that first night would have to wait, I thought. I gently pushed Marissa onto her back, and let my tongue glide slowly across her lips. Her scent is so erotic to me. Undoubtedly a combination of her soap and natural body oils, she smells tempting and delicious at all times. I laid my right leg between her legs, and pressed myself in tight against her body, as my tongue plunged into her mouth, met by her own eager tongue. The fingertips of my right hand glided slowly up and down her tummy, circling her nipples at the northern tip, and her pussy at the southern edge. Her soft, smooth lips are delicious to me, and we made out passionately as our hearts pounded within us.
Now ten days later, we were completely relaxed and free of the busy distractions of careers and responsibilities. There we sat, as the new day's sunshine lit up the turquoise ocean water, two lovers feeling the glow and ready for another adventure.
