Nick was thoroughly enjoying himself. The sun was shining and he could hear the waves crashing onto the shoreline not too far off, but the best part was that Sara was lying next to him with her arm draped across his waist and her head against his chest. The fact that she was wearing quite possibly the smallest bikini he'd ever seen just added to his enjoyment of the situation. It was tempting to just slide his hand down and give her butt a squeeze, but try as he might he just couldn't make his hand move, and for that matter, he couldn't seem to open his eyes either. All of a sudden the sound that he'd thought were waves crashing onto the shore registered in his mind as the shower going in the bathroom, and as he blinked his eyes open sleepily, he realized that he was hugging a pillow and that this was no beach.
Still, a smile flitted across his face as he realized that if Sara was taking a shower then she must be feeling better. And if she was feeling better, then it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that she just might feel like kissing pretty damn soon. Nick stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes and let his smile widen into a grin as he considered that maybe they could be hitting the beach soon, and who knew what sort of swimwear she owned. For now, he was just going to imagine that she had that bikini in his dream.
He didn't notice the water shut off as he allowed his mind to wander to just what he'd like to do with Sara on that beach of his dreams. Nor did he hear the bathroom door open, at least until he heard Sara giggle.
Sara could tell that Nick's mind was obviously somewhere else entirely by the dopey grin on his face and she couldn't help but snicker as she toweled her hair. "Must have been a good dream."
Nick laced his fingers behind his head and chuckled as he opened his eyes. "As a matter of fact it was."
She smirked. "Feel like sharing?" She still wasn't feeling one hundred percent, but she no longer felt like throwing up.
"It was just a dream that would make Greg jealous." Nick had a mischievous glint in his eye.
Sara arched her brows and tried to restrain her smile. "Oh?"
Nick had a self-satisfied smile on his face. "Yep. He would have loved seeing you in a bikini."
"A bikini, huh?" She knew that she was feeling better because she suddenly had an urge to string Nick along.
Nick waggled his eyebrows at her and spoke in a husky tone. "A really, really sexy one."
Sara furrowed her brow and put on a thoughtful expression as she continued to towel dry her curly hair. "Well, I hate to disappoint you, but a bikini really isn't my thing."
Nick's face fell slightly. "Oh?"
Sara continued with the most serious expression she could muster. "What with the risks of skin cancer and all, I really prefer a one piece, and since I thought we might be snorkeling at some point, I got one of those more athletic ones, you know like they use for competitive swimming?"
Suddenly Nick had an image of a swimsuit that covered way too much of Sara.
Sara smirked in an effort to keep from laughing. Nick was as easy to read as a jumbo-tron in a football stadium.
"So, is it one of those kind that comes down to here?" Nick rested his hand mid-thigh and then arched his brow as he moved it up towards his hip. "Or here?" He looked at her hopefully.
Sara snorted out a laugh. "C'mon, we're in Mexico, what do you think?"
Nick looked confused for a moment and then narrowed his gaze at her. "Are you messing with me?"
Sara giggled and walked over to the bed. "It was so easy."
Nick smiled. "Someone's feeling better."
Sara crawled onto the bed and lay down next to him, propping herself up on her elbow as she faced him. "I'm hungry."
He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Did you eat any of the crackers I got you?"
A faint blush colored Sara's cheeks. "Yeah."
Nick glanced over to where the box of crackers had been sitting on the bedside table and noticed that it was empty. When he noticed that the soda was empty too, he smiled and then reached over and tucked a curl behind her ear. "I'm glad you're feeling better."
Sara's stomach gurgled and she smirked. "Not a hundred percent, but I don't feel like throwing up anymore."
"That's good." He grinned at her as he rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow so they were facing each other just inches apart. "Very good."
Sara smiled as she felt him rest his hand on her hip. She had a feeling that he wanted to kiss her, and quite frankly if he didn't do it soon, she was going to take the initiative.
Nick slid his hand up her arm, his palm coming to rest on her cheek. "You are so beautiful."
Sara could tell by the look in his eyes that he really believed what he was saying and rather than protest that he was exaggerating, she unconsciously licked her lips.
Nick studied Sara's expression and felt a wad of nerves in the pit of his stomach begin to unfurl. His throat suddenly felt dry and he wondered why he was so nervous about kissing Sara, and then he realized that it was because there was so much more at risk here than with any other woman he'd ever dated. He smiled softly. "Can I kiss you?"
Sara reached out and placed her palm against his T-shirt clad chest and smiled, having a hard time not staring at his lips. "I wish you would." Her voice was slightly husky.
Nick's smile widened into a grin as he leaned towards her and softly touched his lips against hers. Her lips were so soft and strong and Nick couldn't help but feel a charge of electricity as he felt her respond. There was so much behind that kiss, so much feeling and emotion that it felt a bit overwhelming.
Sara was grinning like a fool as they broke the kiss a few moments later. Not even in her best daydreams had she imagined that he could kiss like that. And as her eyes locked with his, she understood why. The foundation of this relationship was a rock solid friendship that seemed to have grown into love all on it's own, and even if she wasn't ready to say those words, she knew that it was only a matter of time, because it was clear that Nick Stokes adored her.
Nick trailed his fingers along her jaw line as if trying to memorize every nuance of her features. "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to kiss you?"
Sara giggled a little self-consciously. "I don't know about you, but it was worth the wait."
Nick chuckled and then leaned in and kissed her again, knowing that he couldn't let himself get too carried away. As he pulled back he had an impish grin on his face. "So, what does your swimsuit look like anyway?"
Sara smirked, her eyes flitting from his lips to his eyes and back again. "Let's go get something to eat and maybe you'll find out."
Nick's brows arched upwards. "Oh, really?"
Sara nodded and then leaned in and kissed him, this one longer and deeper than the first two. When she suddenly pulled away, she had an odd expression on her face.
Nick looked confused and then concerned. "What's wrong?"
Sara let out a little whimper. "I'll be right back." She bolted from the bed and dashed into the bathroom. Apparently she wasn't feeling as well as she had thought.
Despite the fact that Sara wasn't up for that trip to the beach quite yet, Nick had a huge grin on his face. He had gotten to kiss Sara and the reality was far better than he could have imagined.
