Page 79 of Forever Fascinating

“Oh, I already am, darling,” he chuckled, leaning down to kiss her again. “I absolutely, unequivocally, am helplessly infatuated with the incredible woman before me.”

They played in the water for hours, laughing, kissing, and swimming beside each other in the strong sunlight. For Jana, the water was almost too cool, but she couldn’t resist the lure of staying near Matthew.

After some time, they finally got out, sat on the towels they’d brought, talking and drying off in the warm air.

This was indeed paradise,she realized, looking at him as he talked.

Matthew was so beautiful, on the inside and out, and she could never have imagined someone so wonderful finding her special… or at least not nearly as intense as she thought he was.

His hair was ruffled from the saltwater, sticking up in a few places, his tanned skin looking golden in the Aegean sunlight, making his eyes practically glow from his face as he smiled at her.

Jana knew this probably wasn’t one of her finest moments. Her hair was ropey from the saltwater and hopelessly snarled. She was probably going to end up with a pink sunburn or freckles across the bridge of her nose and just under her eyes from the glaring sun… and she had sand in places that shouldn’t be mentioned, yet despite that?

She couldn’t imagine being anywhere else in the world than with him. He looked at her like she was beautiful, as if he was talking to his best friend, and kissed her with all the emotion of a man emotionally invested.

I hope that’s the case, because I’m falling in love with him,she smiled distractedly at his words and nodded, before staring off towards the water.

“Really?” he asked, surprised, causing her to hesitate.

“Really what?”

“Ah ha…” he smiled tenderly, reaching for her hand. “I thought you might not be paying attention. I was asking if you wanted to try eating something remotely normal looking for dinner tonight. What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing,” she squeaked nervously, glancing at him for a moment, only to look away. “I just can’t believe all of this… you know? I feel like if I blink my eyes, it will all disappear – and in two days? It does, no matter what I want, say, or do.”

“I know.”

His voice was quiet, almost alarmingly so, causing her to look at him again only to see him watching her.

“Now it’s my turn,” she spoke softly, meeting his eyes. “What are you thinking about?”

“Dancing… and pennies,” he said abruptly, flashing her a smile. “We should probably get going so we can both wash the salt off of us and…”

“Would you think I was crazy if I said that someday soon, I want to tell my family about us?” she asked achingly, feeling tears sting her eyes as she looked away. “I’m just so happy right now and I feel like I need to share it with someone… yet I’m scared to. I don’t want there to be problems between us and…”

“I already told my parents about you,” he interrupted in a soft voice, causing her to draw in a nervous breath as she looked at him in surprise.

He was watching her, smiling softly, just before he reached a hand across the sand between them. She took his and felt him lacing their fingers together almost immediately.

“I told them and sent them one of the photos of us together for the same reason, Jana. I’ve never been this happy before.”

“You did? You are?”

He nodded slowly; the simple touch between them was almost like a lifeline in whatever maelstrom this was.

“If I tell my family, my brother will have a heart attack and your beautiful nose…”

“Has already been broken once by him,” he smiled ruefully, before chuckling. “I didn’t want to tell you. Stupid masculine pride.”

“What?” she whispered in disbelief, feeling her temper surge as her mind spun in a tizzy of things to say to Jace regarding this. Maybe she would sic Karen on him too. How did he get to fall for someone – but she couldn’t? No, she was going to have a few…

“It’s okay,” he began, whispering softly and interrupting her thoughts. “Maybe after Iceland, Boston could be our next location we travel to – together?”

“Boston?”

He smiled shyly at her, raising her fingertips to his lips.

“I think I would like you to meet my parents and maybe…”

---