Sergio woke up around noon, eager to set his plans into motion. For all the ups and downs of the heist, there were also long, long hours of doing nothing except stare at the screens, unable to even talk to Raquel because they had to keep listening to the transmission of Angel's bug, and it bored him to tears. He was glad to have something to do today, and he hoped what he had planned would be able to distract Raquel a bit from feeling cooped up, he hoped it would make her feel better. But even aside from that, he was really looking forward to it himself. He got up and quickly got dressed, ready to get started.
He walked over to where Raquel was sitting in front of the monitors, and bent down to kiss her.
"Good morning", she smiled.
"Good afternoon", he smiled back. "How was your shift?"
"Boring", she sighed.
"Everything under control in the Mint?"
"Yes, nothing noteworthy."
"How about in the command center?"
"Elena is getting restless. She's annoyed with the lack of progress."
He nodded. "Let's keep her busy this afternoon, then. I think it's time we activate Plan Valencia."
"That's a good idea."
He kissed her hair. "You call Berlin to set things in motion and I'll go get us something to eat."
…
He got back just in time to see Tokyo, Helsinki and Berlin on the screen fire rounds into rolls of paper while Nairobi was encouraging the hostages to scream. He grinned and sat down in front of the desk, ready for the call he knew would come. And sure enough…
"Hello Inspector."
"What the hell is going on in there?"
He exchanged a satisfied smile with Raquel.
"I don't know what you mean?"
"Those gunshots! What happened?"
"Oh", he said lightly. "That. We were just testing some weapons that had gotten wet, but they worked perfectly. Thank you for asking."
Her tone was icy. "That's bullshit and you know it. Did you hurt any hostages?"
He raised his eyebrows. "Inspector, I'm frankly shocked that you're still doubting my truthfulness. I thought we were past that. I thought we had established a relationship based on mutual trust."
"How can I trust you when you tell me obvious lies?"
"That wasn't a lie, Inspector, I don't know why you would think that."
"It wasn't just a lie, Professor, it was a clumsy lie. Please don't insult my intelligence."
Sergio chuckled. "I would never."
"So what really happened?"
"I already told you."
"Fine", she snapped. "If you insist that those guns weren't used on the hostages, then you won't mind if I make a request."
"I'm not an unreasonable man, Inspector. I will happily comply with any request of yours."
"Really?" she said drily. "How about you surrender then?"
He grinned. "Except that."
"Then I want proof of life for every hostage. Recorded today, in front of a television transmitting live. This is non-negotiable."
"I wouldn't dare argue over such a sensitive issue. We'll comply with your request."
"Good. You have one hour to send them over."
The moment Sergio hung up, Raquel was calling the Mint.
"Rio? Prepare the proof of life, the way we discussed it for Plan Valencia."
"You got it, Lisbon."
Sergio smiled at Raquel.
"Alright. Let's see if this works."
…
Forty minutes later, Rio was sending the edited video footage of the hostages to the command center. Raquel and Sergio listened closely to the transmission of Angel's bug to see if the police would discover that the footage had been tampered with. They weren't disappointed.
"What's the problem?" they heard Elena say.
"The tech guys analyzed the video", a voice answered. "Apparently, it's been edited."
"Why am I not surprised?" Elena said drily. "What did they do?"
"They superimposed footage of the news over old images. We can't take this as proof of life."
"Those gunshots are the headline of every news outlet in the country", Colonel Prieto said. "And the office of the president asks that we go in."
Sergio tensed. He was counting on Elena's level head to keep the police from entering by force. He wasn't disappointed.
"Give me another chance to obtain proof of life", they heard Elena say.
"The president insists we go in now."
"They still have a machine gun. The hostages are still wearing the same suits and masks. If we enter by force, people will get hurt."
"Alright", came Prieto's answer. "You have one more chance."
"Put that bastard on the phone", Elena ordered, and Sergio grinned.
"Why Inspector, what a pleasure to hear from you again so soon."
"I'm afraid this isn't going to be a very pleasant conversation."
"But every conversation with you is a pleasure. How could it not be?"
"Stop your nonsense", Elena said sharply, and Raquel shot him a look that seemed to agree with her. "You think you're smart, tampering with those proof of life messages?"
He refused to let her dictate the terms of the conversation, however.
"Please, Inspector", he said, his tone a little stern. "We can't reduce our relationship to dry accusations like this. You haven't even asked me how I'm doing, or how my day has been so far."
"You really think this is the time for small talk?"
"I think it's never wrong to be polite."
"If you've tampered with the proof of life messages, I can only conclude that…"
"No", he cut her off. "Try again."
"Look", Elena said, clearly trying hard to keep the frustration out of her voice. "Do you want us to send in the tanks?"
"No", he said. "But neither do you, so I suggest that you try a little polite conversation."
She paused, then took a deep breath. "How has your day been, Professor?"
Sergio smiled. "Quite satisfactory, thank you for asking. How has your day been so far, Inspector?"
"Well", she said calmly, "I have the great misfortune that my job requires me to communicate regularly with a guy who's incredibly full of himself. It's testing my patience."
"Ah", he said, his voice full of sympathy. "Men."
"Quite", she said crisply. "Professor, would you be willing to discuss the footage you sent over?"
"How could I refuse such a polite request?"
"We can't accept it as proof of life."
"Then what do you propose?"
"We need to enter the Mint to ascertain that the hostages are all safe and sound."
Sergio and Raquel exchanged a triumphant look.
"You want us to let you in?"
"Yes", she said. "No tanks, no patrols of armed men, just me."
"Will you be unarmed?"
"Of course, but I want to see every single one of those hostages."
"Agreed", Sergio said, smiling in satisfaction. "We will welcome you with open arms."
"And a number of M16's, I expect."
He chuckled. "Can't be too careful, Inspector."
He put down the phone, and Raquel nodded.
"That will keep her busy for a few hours."
"Yes", Sergio said, with a feeling of satisfaction. This would give him time to arrange things without having to worry about Elena calling unexpectedly.
He got up. "I'll leave you to observe the proceedings. I'm going out for a bit."
"Why?"
He smiled mysteriously. "That's a surprise."
She raised her eyebrows. "A surprise? What kind of surprise?"
"I can't tell you that."
She laughed. "Sergio, we're in the middle of a massive heist. Is this really the right time for surprises?"
"Yes", he said decidedly. "It is."
She leaned forward, smiling. "Come on, tell me what it is."
"I don't think you know how surprises work."
"I think you want to tell me, though."
"I don't, and you can't make me."
She tilted her head. "You think so? Don't forget that I'm a trained police officer."
He gave her an amused look. "How will that make me talk?"
"I have my methods."
She got up and walked towards him, then she wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him appealingly.
"Tell me where you're going?"
He suppressed a smile. "That's not going to work."
The next moment, though, she ran her fingers through his hair and started stroking the back of his neck, and he involuntarily closed his eyes to savor her caresses.
"Tell me where you're going", she murmured.
He shook himself. "No."
She brushed her lips past his ear, and a shiver ran down his spine.
"Please?"
He swallowed hard. "No."
She pressed her body against his and started kissing his neck, and he felt his own body respond immediately and enthusiastically. He groaned softly.
"This isn't fair."
"Then tell me."
She ran one of her hands down his chest, over his stomach, and he inhaled sharply as she started stroking him through his pants.
"I don't think these are sanctioned interrogation techniques", he said, his voice strained.
She laughed softly and kissed his neck again.
"But are they working?"
He closed his eyes and whispered: "Stop it, Raquel, you know I can't resist you."
"Then don't", she murmured in his ear. "Tell me where you're going."
He made a supreme effort to shake off the effect of her nearness, then he steeled himself, grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her away, keeping her at arm's length.
"No", he said firmly. "You won't break me this easily."
"Too bad", she grinned.
He carefully released her. "Stay back!"
She laughed and sat down behind the screens.
"Fine, fine. You go do what you have to do."
He swiveled her chair, stole one kiss, then quickly left the hangar, smiling.
…
When he came back in a few hours later, he put his bag of things behind a barrel by the door so she wouldn't see it, then walked up to the desk, where she was still sitting behind the screens.
"How did it go with Elena and the hostages?"
"Smoothly", she said. "Though Elena looks pretty annoyed at how much time it's all taking. I think you can expect another angry phone call once she gets out."
He grinned. "Excellent."
She yawned. "Oh, I'm so bored and tired."
He gave her a sideways look, then suggested carefully: "Why don't you take a nap?"
She nodded. "Actually, that's a good idea. You can sit here and be bored for a while."
As she got into bed, Sergio watched Elena leave the Mint. He waited until he was sure Raquel was sleeping, then set the next part of his plan into motion. He picked up the phone and called the tent.
"So, Inspector, as you could see, all of the hostages are alive and well."
She sounded distinctly annoyed at him. "You set all of this up just to make me waste time, didn't you?"
He grinned. "Astute as always, Inspector."
"Why are you calling me?"
"Well", he said. "I have a proposition."
…
When Raquel woke up from her nap, she felt better than she had in days. She stretched luxuriously, then got out of bed to wash at the sink. As she was washing her hair, she wished yet again that they could have installed a shower, but this former garage simply didn't have the plumbing for one. When she was clean, she put on fresh clothes and walked over to Sergio, sitting at the desk. He looked up and smiled.
"How was your nap?" he asked. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yes", she said. "Much better."
"Good", he said, getting up. He drew her close to him and kissed her softly. "Are you ready for your surprise?"
She'd already forgotten all about that, but she smiled in delight as she remembered. "Yes."
She wondered if maybe he'd gotten her something to make up for their fight that morning, like flowers or chocolates. Instead, he bent his head and whispered in her ear:
"Do you trust me?"
The question surprised her. "In what way?"
He smiled. "In general."
She looked up at him, and the look in his eyes was warm and steady.
"Yes", she said. "Of course I trust you."
He drew one of his ties out of his pocket. "Then I'd like to blindfold you."
She raised her eyebrows. "That's… that's not what I was expecting."
"I need to arrange a few things, and I don't want you to see until it's ready."
"Can't I just turn around?" she laughed, and he grinned.
"Where's the fun in that?"
"Alright", she smiled. "Blindfold me then."
He gestured towards a chair he'd placed at the side of the room. "Sit."
She sat down and felt a delicious flutter of excitement in her stomach as he placed the blindfold over her eyes and the world went dark. She felt him tie a knot, then she shivered as suddenly his warm breath was at her ear.
"Is that alright?" he murmured, and she nodded, a little breathless.
"Good", he said, then he started kissing her neck.
She gasped, then hummed in contentment and tilted her head.
"You smell nice", he murmured, then he straightened up. "A little patience now."
He walked away from her, and she heard him move things around, but she couldn't quite place any of the sounds. What on earth could he be doing? After a few minutes, she was desperately curious. She couldn't resist the temptation to take a peek, just for a moment… She lifted her hand slowly to her blindfold.
"Raquel!"
She jumped and quickly lowered her hand again.
"I was just… my nose itched", she lied.
"No it didn't", he said, amused, and she heard him walk over to her.
She sat up straight as she sensed his presence in front of her.
"You were peeking", he admonished her, his voice soft but stern.
She suppressed a smile. "You have no proof of that."
He bent closer until his mouth was at her ear.
"If you can't control yourself, I'm going to have to tie your hands too."
She shivered in delight as he kissed her neck again, then he murmured:
"Will you behave?"
"I don't know", she smiled. "What do I get if I behave?"
He sounded amused. "You want something in return for not acting like a child?"
"Yes", she said, unabashed. "What can you offer me?"
"I'm already preparing a surprise for you, isn't that enough?"
"I don't know what it is, though. I don't think that's going to motivate me sufficiently. Offer me something else."
He seemed to think about it for a moment, then he said:
"How about this…?"
He placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her face up. The next moment, she felt his lips brush against hers, the softest, most fleeting sensation, making her open her lips with a sigh and lean forward for more.
"Do you want a kiss?" he murmured.
"Yes", she whispered.
"Would that be… sufficient motivation to be patient?"
"I don't know", she smiled. "Let's see how good it is, first."
He laughed. "Excuse me?"
"You're not buying me with a quick peck on the cheek, is all I'm saying. Make it a decent kiss."
"Hmm", he murmured. "Let me see what I can do…"
She still couldn't see him, and he kept her waiting for several long moments, tense with eager anticipation. Then he placed his fingers under her chin again and ran his thumb slowly over her lips, and she loved that he was taking his time, building up to it. Then he pressed his mouth against hers, softly at first, but when she parted her lips, he deepened the kiss with one hand in her hair, and she reached up blindly to wrap her arms around his neck as she returned his kiss with enthusiasm. He kissed her harder, more demandingly, and she felt the inevitable effect his kisses always had on her as her body woke up to him, her heart beating faster, her skin craving his touch, and a deep, vibrant thrum of desire starting up in her lower belly. He kept his mouth on hers for several long moments, then he pulled back, leaving her feeling dazed and slightly breathless.
"Good enough?" he asked her.
She swallowed hard. "Yes."
He nuzzled her ear. "Will you behave now?"
"Yes", she whispered.
"Good", he said, then pressed one more soft kiss to her lips.
She heard him move away from her again, and she hoped to god his surprise was of the bedroom variety. Then she remembered with a distinct feeling of disappointment that they couldn't afford to be distracted from the screens for more than a few minutes, so the hour-long lovemaking session she really craved was out of the question. She sighed and promised herself they would make up for it – more than make up for it – once they were out of here and safe on their island.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and she stiffened in alarm and reached up to take off her blindfold, but he was next to her immediately to push down her hand and say:
"Don't worry, this is part of the surprise."
She heard him open the door and exchange a few words with someone, but she couldn't understand what they were saying. The door closed again, and a little later she saw the light at the edges of her blindfold change from the usual cold white of the fluorescent lighting to something much warmer, and she frowned in confusion. What was he doing?
Then she heard him walk over to her and she felt him take her hand.
"Come with me", he said softly, then guided her by her hand to the middle of the room, where he sat her down on another chair. He came to stand behind her to undo the knot of her blindfold, and her eyebrows went up in surprise as the fabric fell away.
She was sitting at a small table, set for two, with a candle in the middle and plates of food that smelled heavenly. There were glasses of wine, and the tablecloth was covered in small, delicately folded origami flowers. The light was soft and warm, and she turned her head to see several strings of fairy lights.
"What… what is this?"
"A date", he smiled.
"But Sergio, we can't have a date! We're in the middle of a massive operation, we can't afford to be distracted from…"
She looked over at the screens, then saw with a jolt of alarm that they were black and silent.
"What happened?" she asked him urgently, getting up. "Did something malfunction?"
He pushed her back down.
"No, no, don't worry. I turned them off."
"What?"
"We don't need to watch the screens tonight", he explained, walking over to them. "Look."
He turned on one of the screens and she could see the hostages gathered in a group in the museum, guarded by the team. He turned on the second screen and showed Oslo and Helsinki guarding the hostages in the boiler room.
"The entire team is watching over the hostages tonight", he said. "So we don't have to keep an eye on things."
"What about the hostages operating the presses?"
"The presses are running at reduced capacity."
She stared at him. "But… but we said the presses would always run at full force, except when maintenance is needed."
"They'll be running on their own for a few hours so all the hostages could be gathered together and guarded."
"But Sergio", she said, astounded. "That will cost us so much money."
He nodded. "Everything we lose tonight will be taken out of my share. Nobody else will earn any less because of this."
"But we're talking millions here!"
He looked at her steadily. "I don't care. It's worth it to have an evening with you."
She was speechless.
He turned the screens off again. "With all the hostages in one place, we don't have to watch the cameras tonight. If something goes wrong now, there's nothing we can do about it anyway, and they can still call us if necessary."
"But what about the police? Wait, actually, why am I not hearing the transmission from Angel's bug?"
"Because Angel is at home. The police won't bother us tonight."
"How could you possibly know that?"
He smiled. "I negotiated a truce with Elena. Twelve hours."
"And she just accepted it?"
"Her team is tired, so she didn't need much persuading, but I also offered her five hostages in return. We'll release them tomorrow. She's respecting the truce: I heard her send everybody home through Angel's bug."
He came to stand next to her and smiled.
"So that means we have nothing to do or to worry about for the next few hours."
She grabbed his tie and pulled him down for a kiss.
"But why?" she whispered. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because I missed you", he said softly.
"What do you mean?" she laughed. "We've been cooped up here together for four days. You've barely spent an hour away from me."
"But our attention was always on the screens", he said. "I couldn't really be with you. I couldn't hold you. I couldn't sleep next to you. I couldn't even talk to you for more than ten minutes because we were always listening to that stupid bug. Tonight, for a few hours at least, we won't think about the operation and just enjoy each other's company."
He got up and walked over to the record player, and a moment later a soft song started playing, making the atmosphere complete. She was still staring at him in astonishment as he sat down across from her and smiled.
"Eat", he said. "Before it gets cold."
She turned her attention to the food, and noticed for the first time that this was definitely not their usual take-out.
"Where did this come from?"
"From the best restaurant in the neighborhood", he said with a satisfied look. "They usually don't deliver, of course, but I persuaded them to make an exception."
He held out his glass of wine to her, and she lifted her own glass and clinked it against his.
"To a successful heist", she said.
"And to a night away from it", he added.
They sipped their wine, and he said:
"I wanted to get champagne, but it felt like tempting fate… like we would be celebrating the success of the operation before anything is certain."
"I agree", she nodded.
They started eating, and she enjoyed the taste of actual, proper food for a change.
"Where did you get those lights?" she asked him, looking at the strings of fairy lights which were making the usually cold and dark room look almost cozy.
"From the back-up location", he said. "I went by there this afternoon to pick them up."
She lifted one of the small origami flowers from the table.
"And these?"
"I wanted to get you proper flowers", he explained, a little apologetically. "But the only flower store in the neighborhood was closed, so… I made these."
"But that must have taken you hours!"
He shrugged. "I had time while you were sleeping."
She smiled at him. "I love them."
Suddenly, his phone pinged. He picked it up and read the message.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"Elena. She says she's unexpectedly free tonight and asks me if I want to go for that drink later."
She stiffened, but tried to keep her voice neutral as she carefully asked: "Will you?"
"What?" he said, looking up at her with a frown. "No, of course not. Tonight is for you and me."
She felt a warm glow in her stomach as he typed a quick reply, then turned off his phone and put it away.
"You know", she said, as they returned to their food. "I'm a little surprised that you got her to agree to a date."
He looked mildly offended. "Hey! I'm not totally devoid of charm. After all, I managed to get you, didn't I, and you can't keep your hands off me for five minutes."
She laughed. "Well yes, you're cute, that isn't the issue. It's just that you seem so uncomfortable around women, like when you interact with Tokyo or Nairobi."
"True", he nodded. "Most women do make me uncomfortable."
"But not Elena?"
He frowned in thought. "She's not really a woman, though."
Raquel raised her eyebrows. "No? What is she then, a particularly attractive gorilla?"
He chuckled. "I didn't mean it that way, I just meant that she's more of a… a puzzle, you know? A code I have to crack. I'm not interacting with her socially, I'm interacting with her in a… professional capacity, of sorts."
She nodded, then smiled. "Did I make you uncomfortable before we were together?"
"Oh god yes", he said. "But in an entirely different way than Tokyo or Nairobi."
She tilted her head. "Why are you uncomfortable around women in the first place?"
He considered this. "I just… haven't been around them much, I suppose. So I never really got to know them as… people. They've always been a bit of a mystery, I just never know what to say to them, and I'm never really sure what they want from me. Flirting in particular makes me uncomfortable, because I don't know how to flirt back and I don't want to, either."
"I understand", she nodded. "So when I flirted with you…?"
"That was very different", he said. "Because I was so attracted to you, even though it took me a while to realize, and I didn't know what to do with that. It was all so new to me. But as a person… you made me feel so comfortable."
"Really?" she smiled, and he nodded.
"Talking to you was so easy. It always felt so natural to be next to you, to have you touch me, to allow you into my personal space or my room."
He paused for a moment, thinking.
"You know how it feels for me to interact with other people?"
"Tell me."
"I have a finite amount of social energy, and every interaction costs me a bit of that. Some people require a lot of energy, others only a little."
"Do I cost you only a little?"
He gazed at her steadily.
"Raquel", he said softly. "When I'm with you…"
He hesitated. "I'm afraid the best way to describe it isn't very romantic."
"That's okay", she smiled. "Tell me anyway."
He took a breath. "When I'm with you… it feels like when you plug your phone into the charger. You don't cost me energy, Raquel, you give me energy, you give it so freely. I've never felt that with anyone before."
She felt so pleased as he reached across the table and touched her hand, looking at her with a soft smile. The heist had created a rather painful distance between them over the past few days, but tonight it felt like they were at the house in Toledo again, the Professor far away, and he was only Sergio, soft and sweet, her Sergio, the man she'd fallen in love with.
"I spent a long time trying to resist you, Raquel", he said softly. "But in the end, what I felt when I was with you was just too big, too strong, too remarkable to resist."
She smiled at him, then shuddered at a sudden memory. "Oh, all of those weeks we tried resisting were so horrible. Pretending to be just friends when all I wanted to do was kiss you silly."
He gave her a serious look. "Trying to stay away from you was the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life. It was… a physical impossibility."
"That's sweet", she smiled, but he shook his head.
"No, I'm not trying to be sweet, I'm stating a fact." He frowned at her. "You can't imagine what it was like for me, Raquel. You… well, you've pointed out to me that I need to be in control of things, and if that's true for my environment, it's a thousand times more so for myself. It was so important to me to be in control of my mind, my emotions and my body – I established that control when I was in my twenties, and it hadn't wavered in years. And suddenly there you were, and… and I lost it, all of it, and so completely. I couldn't stop thinking about you, and I was experiencing alarming physical symptoms whenever you came near me."
She grinned, and he chuckled.
"Yes, sure, laugh at me, it's funny now. But it was terrifying for me back then! The thing is, I think I could have ignored all of that – not completely, but sufficiently – if it hadn't been for the way you made me feel. You didn't even have to touch me, talk to me, even look at me, for me to feel it. Just being in the same room as you was enough to experience it: that energy you give me, that sense of… of a switch inside of me flicking from 'off' to 'on', that… that desire to live, to live, Raquel… I'd never felt it so strongly. I couldn't ignore that. I couldn't let it slip away, I couldn't let you just disappear from my life."
She listened to him talk with the softest feeling. He didn't often talk about his feelings, and definitely not with this many words, and she was loving every second of it.
He continued: "And from the moment I kissed you, I was sure."
"Sure about what?" she smiled. She knew perfectly well, because she'd been sure about it too, but she still liked to hear him say it.
"That what I felt for you would never go away again. That you made everything better. That you made everything right."
She couldn't not kiss him after that. She got up and walked around the table, and he shifted his chair back so he could pull her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he cupped her face between his hands and kissed her so tenderly it made something flutter in her chest. Then he pulled back and whispered:
"You still do, you know. Make everything better."
She leaned her forehead against his. "You make everything better too."
"Raquel", he said, his voice low. "I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through the past few days. The worry and the fights and the… the awful things I've said to you. You need to know that this is how I really feel, always, underneath it all."
"I know", she said softly. "I do. But it's nice to hear you say it."
They stayed like that for a little while, just leaning their foreheads together. Then she shook herself and drew back with a smile to give him one more kiss.
"Let's not let this good food get cold", she said, then went back to her own chair.
"So", she smiled as she sat back down and picked up her fork again. "You were sure right from the start, were you?"
"Yes", he smiled back. "I was."
"Didn't you tell me you merged our files very early on?"
He nodded. "The moment we got together."
"That does surprise me", she admitted. "You'd never been in a relationship before… didn't you want to know if it would work out first?"
He considered this for a moment, then shook his head. "We'd been living together for months. I knew you, and you knew me, it was clear that we were compatible. And the better I got to know you, the more I liked you. So I was fairly certain I'd only keep liking you even more as we went on."
"Still, it was a big thing to do, merging our files." She laughed. "You basically decided on that very first evening that we would live together."
He gave her a warm look. "Well, it turns out that my instincts were right, because I haven't regretted it for one moment."
She smiled at him, but then turned more serious. "I do hope you realize that having a household with a child is very different from the way we were living in Toledo."
He nodded soberly. "Yes, I do."
She gave him a careful look. "How do you feel about becoming a parent? We haven't really talked about it because of the preparations of the heist, but it's getting close now…"
He pushed his glasses up his nose. "Well, I… I'm not sure how I feel about it, because I'm not sure what it will be like. I just hope it won't be too much of a shock to your daughter to be kidnapped from her house one day to go live with a stranger."
"She'll get used to it", Raquel reassured him. "And I'm sure she'll like you."
He looked up anxiously. "Do you think so? Because I have no experience with children at all."
"She's not a toddler anymore", she said. "She's an actual person you can talk to."
Thinking about her daughter caused a sudden stab of longing to shoot through her, but she pushed it away. Soon, she told herself. Soon she'd be holding her again.
"What's your parenting style like?" Sergio asked her, still with that same anxious look in his eyes. "I know it's important to be on the same page about that."
She frowned. "Uhm… I'm not sure."
"Are you a permissive parent, or are you very strict?"
"Somewhere in the middle, I think?"
"Are rules to be followed at all times or can exceptions be made?"
"That… that really depends on the situation. And on the rule in question."
"Should I read some parenting books before I interact with her?"
She smiled. "That's very sweet of you. But different parenting books give wildly differing advice, and I can't recommend you any that I know I'll agree with."
He gave her a look of horror. "You never read any?"
"I read a book about babies when I was pregnant, but ever since she was a toddler I've figured things out on my own, with some occasional advice from my mother."
He frowned at her. "Raquel, this all sounds very vague. I'd prefer a consistent system I could follow."
She laughed. "Sergio, raising a child is a messy business. I can't present you with a book of rules to follow because I don't have one, I'm sorry."
"Then how do you know you're doing it right?"
"I don't", she shrugged. "I just do what feels right in the moment."
He considered her for a moment. "You don't have a very firm grasp on this parenting business, do you?"
She laughed again. "No, I don't. Nobody does."
"That's not very reassuring."
She thought about it, then said: "Look at it this way: parenting is a system of trial and error. You try things out and you take note of what works."
"Alright…" he said slowly. "I suppose that's a valid procedure."
"Just take your cue from me", she said gently. "I'll be there to help you and make sure things run smoothly."
There was a clear look of relief in his eyes. "Thank you."
She kept looking at him for a moment as he returned his attention to his plate, and there was a warm glow in her chest. He was so sweet to worry about this. There would be a period of mutual adjustment, of course, but she had no doubt at all that he and Paula would get along fine after a while, and she was confident that he would be a good parent. She smiled at the thought of their little family, then continued eating.
When the food was gone, she sighed in satisfaction and threw him a fond look.
"Looks like your meticulous organization skills aren't just good for planning heists", she smiled. "But still… I can't believe you did all this for me."
He smiled back. "Of course. But we're not done yet."
She raised her eyebrows. "There's more?"
He nodded. "You wanted to go outside, right?"
"Yes, but…"
"Then we're going outside."
She stared at him in disbelief. "What? But Sergio, we had a huge fight only this morning because I went outside! And now you're on board with it?"
"You were reckless", he said. "When you go outside with me, the circumstances will be carefully controlled."
She sat up straighter. "What do you propose?"
"First of all", he said, "you'll be wearing the wig again, the one you wore when we went into town for our date a few weeks ago."
She wrinkled her nose. "The one that makes me look like Tokyo?"
He grinned. "Exactly. And fake glasses too. Second of all, this time it's dark outside. That, in combination with the wig and glasses, will make you much harder to recognize."
"What about police patrols?"
"We're in the middle of a truce, remember? Elena sent everybody home, including the patrols. There's only a skeleton crew left in the tent. There won't be more police on the streets than usual, and we won't go far."
She was starting to feel excited. "Okay… so where are we going? We can't go anywhere with people."
He smiled mysteriously. "You'll see."
She put on the wig, glasses, and a jacket, then they went outside together. The moment the door of the hangar closed behind them, she felt such a sense of freedom, and she took a deep breath of the cool night air. He took her hand and led her down the street, and it felt so nice to walk next to him, like they were normal people out for an evening stroll. At the corner of the street, there was a small park, and he stopped in front of the gate.
"Here we are."
"The park?" she said in surprise.
"Yes."
"But it's closed", she remarked, pointing at the locked gate and a sign which said The park closes at sundown.
"Not tonight", he smiled, and drew a key out of his pocket. "Not for us."
She turned to him in astonishment. "Where did you get that?"
"I tracked down the guy who's responsible for closing the park every night, and persuaded him to let me have a copy of the key."
She grinned in delight. "You've been very persuasive today."
He grinned back as he opened the gate. "For the right cause, I can be."
He locked the gate behind them, then they walked hand in hand into the park, the path in front of them lit by the light of a nearly full moon. She was enjoying being out of the hangar with every fiber of her being, and just when she thought the evening couldn't get any better, they rounded a corner and in front of them was a little grassy spot surrounded by bushes. Spread out on the grass was a blanket, with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
"What's this?" she exclaimed.
"Dessert", he smiled. "You have to try this wine, it's amazing."
She grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him close.
"You're just full of surprises tonight", she murmured, looking up at him with shining eyes.
He looked down at her, his expression so warm she felt an answering flutter in her stomach. Oh, when he looked at her like that… She stood on her toes and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her body to his, and he closed his arms around her waist and held her close. They remained wrapped up in each other for several long moments, sinking into kiss after kiss, then they reluctantly broke apart and sat down on the blanket. He poured her a glass of wine, and her eyebrows went up in surprise when she tasted it. It was delicately sweet, with a slight sparkle, and truly delicious.
"This is ice wine", he explained. "The grapes aren't harvested until after the first frost. It's perfect for a special occasion."
They talked quietly as they sipped their wine, and when her glass was empty, she put it aside, then pulled off the itchy wig and lay down on the blanket with her head in his lap. He softly stroked her hair as she looked up at the clear night sky, marveling at the multitude of stars.
"You know", she sighed. "Looking up at the stars always gives a nice sense of perspective."
"In what way?"
"Don't they make our earthly concerns seem small and unimportant?"
He tilted his head back and silently regarded the night sky for a few moments. Then he looked back down at her.
"Not really, no."
"But there are entire galaxies out there, so much bigger than we are."
"But empty, as far as we know." He paused for a moment, struggling to put his thoughts into words. "The movements of the stars are impressive, sure, but they're not important, because the stars don't care. Our earthly concerns matterbecause we are here to care about them."
She considered him. "You're saying importance is relative."
"Exactly. Importance, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Somewhere in the universe, a supernova is exploding, destroying entire worlds. But if nobody has seen it, if nobody cares, is it any more important than our date tonight?"
She grinned up at him. "Our date tonight is more important than a supernova exploding?"
"It is", he said earnestly. "Because this I care about."
Her eyes were shining as she looked at him.
"I didn't know you had such a philosophical side."
"It's not because I don't usually share these thoughts that I don't have them", he mumbled, a little embarrassed.
"You know", she said thoughtfully. "You don't look like it, but really you're a romantic."
He frowned. "Is that a bad thing?"
"No", she said softly. "It's just unexpected because you're so rational most of the time." She lightly touched his hand. "Believe me, I love it."
He contemplated her silently as he stroked her arm, so many more things he wanted to say. How could she think the stars were bigger than they were? Was there anything in the known universe that was softer than her skin? Was there any star brighter than her smile? Was there anything that could compare even in the slightest to the feeling he got when she kissed him? Were there physical forces more significant than what he felt for her, in this exact moment? It seemed absurd. What did the universe matter, so cold and distant, when she was here next to him, warm and full of life.
Her eyes shifted from the sky to him, and she smiled.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
He countered her question: "Why are you looking at the stars?"
"Because they're beautiful."
"Yes", he murmured. "Exactly."
She sat up and gave him a delighted smile. When she looked at him, there was such a soft expression in his eyes that it made her ache a little as he reached out a hand and carefully tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. The look he was giving her tugged at something inside of her chest, and she leaned in to him without thinking, drawn to him beyond the possibility of resistance, the option of not kissing him not an option at all. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply, and they fell back onto the blanket, she on top of him, and he sighed in contentment as he wrapped her in his arms.
"Do you want to make love right here?" she whispered between kisses. "Under the stars?"
He hesitated. "I see the romance of it, but don't you think it's a little cold?"
"Well, we don't have to undress completely", she smiled, "and a little physical activity would help keep us warm."
He was still hesitating.
"Raquel", he whispered, "you know I always, always want you, but… I want to do it right tonight. I don't want to do it quickly, shivering in the cold, without being able to feel your skin – quietly, because the street is right behind those bushes."
She smiled down at him. "How do you want to do it, then?"
He closed his arms tightly around her and rolled over so he was on top of her now. He bent his head to whisper in her ear:
"I want to take my time with you. I want to undress you so I can see you, so I can touch you, so I can cover every inch of you with kisses. I've had enough of quickies – I want to make love to you slowly, properly, and very thoroughly tonight."
Shivers were running down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold, as the warm rumble of his voice made her imagine the most delicious things. Her desire for him, always right underneath the surface, was stirring as a glowing ember in her stomach, and she realized she wanted to take it slow, too, make it last, enjoy his kisses and caresses for what little time they had.
"Let's go back inside", she whispered.
"Are you sure?" he teased with a smile. "What about the fresh air?"
"Fresh air is overrated."
He chuckled and got up, then held out his hand to help her up too, pulling her close to him in the process to kiss her.
"Thank you for this", she said as he released her. "It was so nice to be out."
He nuzzled her ear as he replied: "I'll make it even nicer to go back in."
She smiled broadly as they gathered their things and made their way back out of the park. When they stepped back into the hangar, she was grateful for the warmth inside, and she lost no time pulling him to the bed. When they got there, however, they were confronted by the fact that there was very little space between the top bunk and the lower – really just enough to lie down, not to sit up or even lie on top of each other. They looked at it in dismay for a bit, then Raquel said:
"Okay, that won't do."
"We really didn't think there would have to be more than one person at a time in that bed."
She spread out their park blanket on the floor next to the bed.
"Put the mattress on this, that will give us much more space."
"Good idea", he smiled, and he lifted the mattress onto the blanket. Then he went to the table where they'd had dinner, and collected the strings of fairy lights to arrange them around the mattress on the floor so it lay in a nest of warm, glowing lights.
"There", he said, "that's at least a little better."
She smiled in delight as he walked over to her, then he came to stand close behind her. He carefully brushed her hair away from her neck, and she bent her head with a happy sigh as he started kissing her there. He took off her jacket, and she immediately started unbuttoning her shirt, but he plucked her hands away.
"I want to undress you", he murmured in her ear, and she shot him a look over her shoulder.
"Alright, but don't take too long."
"We said we'd take it slow tonight."
"We can take it slow once we're actually naked. Any time we lose undressing is time we could spend in the bed."
He smiled and kissed her neck again. "You're always so impatient. It makes you miss out on one of the greatest joys in life."
"Really?" she said, amused. "And what is that?"
He gently pulled her closer so her back was pressed against him, then put a hand under her chin and carefully tilted her head back so her throat was exposed. Then he started tracing his fingers over her skin, slowly, starting right underneath her chin and moving downwards in a straight line, his touch light as a feather on the delicate skin of her throat, then brushing past her collarbone, over her chest, drawing a line between her breasts, and she held her breath and didn't move as his hand slid slowly, slowly downwards, trailing over her stomach, then even lower to dip between her legs and stroke the inside of her thighs. She closed her eyes, suddenly weak with longing, as he whispered in her ear:
"Anticipation."
She shivered and pressed herself even closer against him. He kept his mouth close to her ear as he reached back up and opened the first button of her shirt.
"Time I spend undressing you isn't time I lose", he murmured. "I'm not saying it's the best part, but it's one of my favorite parts nonetheless."
He opened the second button.
"It's time I can spend looking forward to everything else…" A third button. "Imagining the things I want to do…"
She swallowed hard as he undid the next button.
"With every button I get closer to your skin", he said softly. "That's a lovely thought."
Finally he reached the last button and her shirt hung open. He slipped it off one shoulder and kissed her there, then he pressed kisses along the line of her shoulder and the back of her neck to her other shoulder, and the shirt dropped to the ground. She was wearing a black top underneath, and instead of pulling it over her head straight away, he slipped his hand underneath it and stroked her stomach.
"You're so soft", he whispered. "I love touching you."
Then, unexpectedly, he went down on his haunches behind her, pushed up her top and kissed her lower back. She smiled as he took her by the hips and turned her around to kiss her stomach. He started kissing her just above the waistband of her pants, then moved up and up and up, pushing her top up in the process to reveal more and more skin. He kissed his way up between her breasts and over her chest. Finally she raised her arms and he pulled her top off completely, but he kept kissing her, over her throat and along the line of her jaw until he reached her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they sank into the kiss for a while as he stroked her bare back.
"See how undressing can be fun too?" he said as they broke apart, and she smiled and nodded, running her fingers through his hair.
"Maybe I don't mind it that much after all…"
"Good", he smiled back.
"Do I get to undress you now?"
His smile broadened. "Of course."
She looked into his eyes as she slowly undid his tie, then pushed his jacket off his shoulders. As her fingers started on the buttons of his shirt, she lifted her face and started kissing his neck, and he heaved a sigh of contentment. As she opened his buttons one by one, she let her mouth follow her fingers, kissing her way down his chest and stomach. As she kneeled down in front of him, she could see that he was hard, and she pressed a kiss to him through the fabric of his pants, making him gasp.
"Oh, Raquel…"
She looked up at him with sparkling eyes.
"Oh no", she teased. "Anticipation, remember? It's your favorite part."
He laughed and the tension broke as he pulled her back up and swept her into his arms to kiss her. He allowed her to unbutton her own pants, but he still insisted on kneeling down in front of her take them off, so he could press soft kisses to the inside of her thighs that made her sigh. He spent several long moments running his hands lovingly over her hips and down her legs, before getting back up so she could unbutton his pants, too. Soon they only had their underwear left, and when he took hers off with gentle hands she suddenly felt very vulnerable, standing naked in the middle of the large, dark hangar. But then he wrapped his arms around her protectively, and the feeling faded in the delight of having his skin warm against hers as he kissed her. Still…
"Bed now?" she said, looking up at him hopefully as they broke apart, and he smiled and nodded.
They stepped over the glowing strings of lights and slipped naked between the sheets, smiling at each other and cuddling close. As she lay back in the pillows, Raquel looked up at the dark ceiling above them and sighed.
"It's much warmer in here than outside, but it's still not the most romantic setting, no matter how many lights you put around the bed."
He looked around, considering the room. "Hmm. Very true."
Then his face lit up. "Ah! I know how to solve this…"
He grabbed the sheet and pulled it over their heads. It was a thin white sheet, so the fairy lights shone through it, creating a warm cocoon suffused by a soft golden glow.
"There", he murmured. "Forget about the heist. Forget about this stupid hangar. We could be anywhere right now: a beach in the Caribbean, or a five-star hotel on a mountain top somewhere. Where do you want to be?"
She didn't have to think about it.
"Home", she said. "Our house in Palawan, after all of this is over. Safe, with Paula in the next room, and the rest of our lives in front of us."
He nodded earnestly. "Then that's where we are."
She looked at him, feeling the golden glow of the lights inside of her as well, filling her with warmth and happiness. She loved him so much. She loved him in every way, she loved every part of him, but this – this was how she loved him the most: unguarded, gentle, caring, and with her, really with her, in the moment. She reached out a hand and stroked his cheek, and he closed his eyes at her touch and shifted closer.
"I can't wait to start my life with you", he whispered. "It's… it's been so amazing already, these months with you, but really it was only just the prelude. Soon, it will really start, and we can be normal and do normal things."
"Like what?" she smiled.
He gave her the brightest smile in return. "You know, I have no idea what normal couples do. But I can't wait to find out with you. Tell me something you want to do once we have our home."
"Watch a movie with you on the couch", she said. "Sharing a blanket."
"That sounds nice", he said softly. "What else?"
"Cooking together."
He laughed. "Last time we cooked together, you had to stitch my hand. Are you sure you want to risk it again?"
She grinned. "You'll get better. I'll teach you."
He gave her a warm smile. "I'd like that."
She stroked his beard. "Is there anything you want to do?"
He thought about it for a moment, then he said quietly: "Come home to you."
"What do you mean?"
"Just… that I'd be out, for… for whatever reason, and when I get home… you'd be there."
She smiled. "Of course I'd be there. It would be our house."
He gave her a steady look. "Raquel… I've never come home to anyone before. I've never wanted to. But now… it seems like the most wonderful thing in the world."
She suddenly understood, really understood, how completely he was prepared to change his life for her. It wasn't just a question of moving in with someone new like it was for her, it would be a complete reversal of his entire way of life, and she hadn't fully grasped that before now. They'd talked about Paula before and he seemed ready to take on that responsibility, but she knew from experience that the arrival of a child in your life wasn't something you could ever be fully prepared for. It was a hard thing for anyone to adapt to, but for someone like him? He'd been alone all of his life, he'd always been able to have things exactly the way he liked them, quiet and neatly ordered. How would he react to the inevitable mess and noise of family life? She suddenly felt worried, and he noticed immediately.
"What's wrong?"
"I just hope you'll be able to get used to it."
"To what?"
"Living with other people. I'm afraid you'll miss your freedom, your independence."
He smiled. "I will gladly let myself be caught if it's you doing the catching."
"I'm serious, Sergio. What if it's too much for you?"
His expression turned serious too as he thought about it. Then he said:
"I have no experience with this, Raquel, so I can't tell you anything with certainty. I can only tell you how I feel about things now. In the past months, no matter how much time we spent together, I've never been able to get enough of you. Not even close to enough. So the idea that you might be too much… well, it's frankly absurd. I can't picture it. I can't begin to picture it. As long as you're with me, I'll be able to get used to anything."
She knew he wasn't the man for empty flattery or exaggeration, yet she still found it hard to believe him for a moment. What middle-aged man loved so intensely, so completely? Then she remembered: you are my first love, and suddenly it made sense. She found herself envying him, just a little – how marvelous, to be able to love without the memories of past pain weighing you down – heart unblemished and unbroken, eyes unclouded by tears – to be able to love freely, without reservations, using words like forever with impunity, because life hadn't yet proven you wrong. And to experience that not, the way she'd experienced it, as a hormonal teenager falling for the wrong boy, but in the fullness of life, as a mature and fully-fledged individual certain of who you are, finding the love of your life.
She loved his love for her, built on the unshakeable certainty that nothing could tear them apart. She couldn't quite bring herself to believe that – she'd had that certainty before, and she knew that life could lead you into uncharted territory where certainties meant nothing anymore – but she loved that he believed it. She cherished that fact, she treasured it. And she made a silent promise that – if she could help it at all – she would never prove him wrong. Whatever uncertainties she had, they were about changing and unforeseen circumstances, but not about him – never about him.
She'd come so far – he'd helpedher come so far. Even though there were still some remains of insecurity and fear deep inside her, she was loving again, loving more fully than she had thought possible. Six months ago, she'd been so sure that she would never be able to open herself to another person again… and then there he was. Somehow, gradually, he had unfractured her, putting the shattered pieces of her heart back together with each small kindness, with each gentle word, each careful touch. In a world that had seemed infinitely hostile and cruel, he had made her feel safe again, he had sheltered her from the storm, until she'd gathered her newly-restored heart in her hands and given it to him freely, knowing he would treat it with nothing but care. It was all new to him – of course he made mistakes – but he never meant to hurt her, and that was all that mattered.
He pushed himself up on an elbow and looked down at her.
"What are you thinking about?"
She smiled up at him. "That I love you."
His eyes were so warm and steady. "I love you too."
He bent his head and kissed her cheek, softly, slowly. She closed her eyes and smiled as he covered her entire face in unhurried kisses, everywhere except her mouth. Then, he just brushed his lips against hers, barely touching her, there one moment and gone the next, making her wish for real contact. He did it again, and again, until she tilted her face up with a pure, insistent longing to feel his mouth on hers, and in response, he cupped her face in his hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb, before lowering his head and pressing his lips against hers in the softest kiss, so sweet, so tender that she felt something inside her melt as she gratefully gave herself over to the feeling of it. She opened her lips and he deepened the kiss, slow and sensual, and they sank into it, minute after soft, golden minute.
How she loved kissing him. They'd been doing it for months now, and often she didn't particularly think about it anymore, but when he kissed her like this, taking his time and giving her his full and undivided attention, it still felt new and exciting, and she still lost herself in the wonder of it. In the protective circle of his arms, she allowed herself to surrender completely to the happiness that filled her, all of her cares and worries erased by his kisses, the outside world falling away until it seemed nothing but a half-remembered dream. Here, in the warm glowing bubble created by the sheet over their heads, he was her entire world, a world that was gentler and kinder than anything she'd experienced before.
How he loved kissing her. The first time she'd kissed him, she'd sparked something inside of him, something he'd never felt before, and now every time she kissed him again, it burned brighter. She made him feel so awake, so brilliantly and vibrantly alive – her fingers, so soft on his skin, making him feel at home in the world for the first time in his life. Over the past few days, the heist had demanded so much of his attention, but it seemed small and unimportant now as he lost and then found himself again in her embrace. For most of his life, he'd lived in the world of his plans, but not tonight – tonight she was his entire world, a world that was softer and warmer than he could ever have imagined.
Tonight, in the golden atmosphere they had created between the sheets, they both felt a fleeting touch of magic. Time stopped. Space contracted to the exact dimensions of their bed. And within those boundaries, their caresses wove a delicate enchantment, making them more significant, more deeply felt than usual. Lips pressed against skin lit glowing fires, tender hands awoke slumbering desires, while softly whispered words created an intimacy soft as down. With their limbs entwined, they realized that any sense of separation between them had been merely an illusion, because in the deepest, truest sense, they were one. As they slowly moved together, skin against skin, sensual pleasure merged seamlessly with emotional bliss to shape an experience that transcended the physical, pure and beautiful and true. At its zenith, it left them breathless and trembling, lifted out of themselves for one glorious, eternal moment, to come back down to a sweet awareness of profound and complete fulfillment.
Afterwards they were quiet for a while, lying close together side by side, their eyes closed, their foreheads touching. She slowly felt things shift into place again: time restarted, the world felt big again, and reality was once again a very real presence on the other side of that sheet. And yet… for moment after moment, she refused to acknowledge it as she basked for a little while longer in the lingering closeness between them, feeling warm and cherished and replete. Then they broke apart and looked at each other.
Did you feel that too? his eyes asked her.
Yes, she replied wordlessly. I felt it too.
He smiled a warm, happy smile and shifted closer to her, and when she cuddled up against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Soon, he would get up, dress himself, then turn on the screens again and order Berlin to let the presses run at full force again. But not yet, not yet. For just a little longer, they would stay here and be everything to each other.