Page 151 of The One
Together, we pick out ripe peaches, vibrant tomatoes, and fragrant herbs, laughing as we argue over which loaf of bread smells better or whether we really need another jar of honey. For most, this would be mundane, an unremarkable errand. But for me, it’s magic. A rare and intimate luxury I never really knew I craved.
We joke and tease each other. Mari’s laughter is like a melody that lingers in my chest. It’s nothing like I’ve ever experienced with anyone before, and it cements what I already know in my gut. She’s it.
This is what my future will look like. Us, together, making the ordinary extraordinary.
I can’t fucking wait.
After we stash our bags of fresh produce in the trunk, I drive us to one of my favorite spots in the area.
It’s a place untouched by time, and I want Mari to see it. After parking the car under the shade of a sprawling tree, I spread out a picnic blanket and set the basket Giulia packed beside us.
After all the taste testing at the market, neither of us is really hungry, but I want to linger here, to stretch out this time with Mari before taking her to the house.
A strange nervousness gnaws at me. That place is my refuge from the world, my sanctuary, the one spot where I can strip away the layers of my life and simply be myself.
No one but Tiero knows it exists. And even he has only been there once in the past five years, right after I bought it.
The smell of freshly baked bread mingled with the tang of sun-ripened tomatoes and herbs wafts through the air as Mari lifts the basket’s flaps. The familiar scent is grounding, but her presence elevates the moment to something divine.
“I didn’t think I’d be able to eat anything again after all that sampling,” Mari muses, a playful smile tugging at her lips, “but this smell is impossible to resist.”
She tears off a piece of bread and looks out at the view.
“And with this scenery, it has to be the most perfect picnic spot I’ve ever seen.”
She’s not wrong.
The landscape is breathtaking. Rolling green hills are dappled with splashes of amber, gold, and crimson, and stretch endlessly toward the distant sea. Vineyards cascade down the slopes in precise rows, their vines now bare after the harvest. Stately cypress trees line the winding gravel paths, their dark forms standing out against the soft blue sky, while the warm hues of fall add a charm to the already perfect scene.
It’s the kind of view you’d see in a glossy magazine ad enticing you to visit Tuscany. But in person, it’s so much more.
There’s a serenity here, a timelessness that most tourists never get to experience. This remote corner of the region is far from the well-worn paths. Exactly why I chose it for my sanctuary.
That, and becausemammagrew up in this area. Her spirit seems to linger here, and sharing it with Mari is important to me.
“That’s my house over there,” I say, pointing to a small farmhouse nestled in the distance, its terracotta roof glowing warmly in the afternoon sunlight.
“What?” Mari asks, sitting up straighter, her hand lifting to shield her eyes for a better look. “Why did we stop here for a picnic if we’re that close?”
“Because I need you to eat more. So you won’t get hungry anytime soon,” I tease, my voice dropping just enough to make her blush.
“Why?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Because after I give you a tour of the house, which, spoiler alert, won’t take long, I plan on pressing you up against the wall and kissing you senseless,” I reply, not taking my eyes off hers.
“Then I’ll free us of our clothes and when we’re both naked, I’m going to lay you out on our bed, drizzle you with the honey you insisted we didn’t need a second jar of, and then take my time licking it off you.”
Mari’s lips part, her breathing a little faster now. Her cheeks are gloriously flushed. She’s already imagining it. Perfect.
So am I.
My cock hardens at the thought of her naked body sprawled out just for me.
I can’t wait to turn that fantasy into reality.
I pull up to the house, my fingers gripping the wheel a little tighter than they need to. That nervousness from earlier hasn’t let up.
Will Mari like it?
