A/N: The sequel to my one-shot called "Dreamy Desires". This will be slightly less of a one-shot and more of a short story. Enjoy!
In the past several months when Kara usually came to in the mornings, she hated it. Either her sleep would have been restless the previous night, or she'd wake up feeling just as tired and stressed as she did before she hit the bed. But not this morning. Instead, she felt rejuvenated, tranquil… content.
The pillow beneath her was pleasantly cushiony as she pressed her face into it. The sheets around her were cool and silky, conforming to her naked body. She heard the faint rustling of the waves and felt the gentle breeze coming from an open window hit her back. Her mind still nebulous, she quickly remembered where she was and what had happened the previous night. She leisurely opened her eyes, turning in bed and placing her arm where the body next to her should be. But Oliver wasn't there, having woken up before her.
Her senses began to optimize, and she picked up on an aroma of grilled cheese coming from the kitchen. She rose out of bed, picking up her robe and bikini from the floor and putting the garments back on. She took a quick swig of the mouthwash in the bathroom before making her way to the kitchen, where Oliver was waiting for her.
Shirtless, she admired his extraordinarily toned and alluring body as he approached her with a smile.
"Good morning," he said.
"Morning," she replied, as she placed her hands around his shoulders while he put his around her lower back, leaning in for another succulent, impassioned kiss. Indulging, her super-senses became overridden and she pulled away before she got too excited.
"I made us breakfast," he said.
"Thank you. Do you mind if I take a quick shower first?" she asked.
"No, not at all. Spare towels are under the basin," he replied, as she broke away.
She joined him at the dining table as soon as she was done. There seemed to be nothing that Oliver could do wrong, as even the simple breakfast of toasted cheese was divinely scrumptious.
"So, last night, huh?" she said.
"Yeah, last night…" he repeated, grinning. "Last night was great, but I think I might've enjoyed the day a bit more."
"Tough call for me," replied Kara with a sly grin.
"You said you'd like to spend your last few days in Corto Maltese with me?"
"Yeah."
"Does that mean you're going to be staying here?"
"I don't know, haven't decided yet. I need to go back to my hotel, change into some clothes."
"That's a bummer. I'm going to miss seeing you around in a bikini," joked Oliver. Kara rolled her eyes, and Oliver quickly spoke again. "Not that you won't be any less beautiful in more modest dress."
"Relax, Oliver. Chances are you're going to see me without clothes again," she said, as she stood up from the table.
"A man can only hope," he said, as he put a hand out to touch her as she passed. She quickly turned around and grabbed his arm, stopping him.
"But you're going to have to work for it," she said, before letting go.
"Speaking from personal experience, I'd say the juice is worth the squeeze."
Kara simply shook her head and smiled before placing her plate and glass by the sink. "Will you be able to take me back to my hotel?"
Oliver nodded. "When do you want to go?"
"Now, if possible."
"Sure."
Oliver went to his room to grab a helmet and his motorcycle keys. He handed Kara the helmet, much to her surprise.
"Billionaire heir and you don't have a car?" she said, teasing him.
"I have plenty at home," he replied defensively, "It's just easier to get around Corto Maltese on a bike."
Directly behind Oliver's hut was a footpath that led to a small shed where he housed his motorcycle. Kara wasn't surprised to see him own a sleek, exorbitant electric bike, although she did expect him to be a Ducati guy. There was little noise from the vehicle as Oliver started it up. Kara put the helmet on her head, even though she didn't need it, and placed her hands around his waist as he set off.
She told him the address of the hotel, taking them 20 minutes to reach it. Oliver waited outside on his bike while she went to her room and changed, swapping her bikini for a black tank top and denim shorts.
"So where to next?" asked Oliver, as she hopped back on the bike.
"Let's grab a coffee," said Kara.
Oliver took her to a small café towards the outskirts of the main city on the island. Corto Maltese wasn't all that large, but it was big enough to accommodate for locals, tourist resorts and lavish villas owned by one-percenters. The far-northern part of the island was where the richest stayed, such as Oliver, who even had ownership of a stretch of a beach. The small sign above the entrance read "Joel's. Est. 2002." They were the only two customers.
"Ah, Oliver," greeted the buff, bald man at the counter. Although the same height as Oliver, he had a far thicker, more muscular frame, and Kara wondered what this man was doing in a coffee shop when he looked like he could be earning millions in any sport of his choosing. Then again, his gruff, hoarse voice coupled with a partly grey beard told her that he was aged, perhaps too old to compete professionally.
"Muy Buenos, Joel," replied Oliver. The two men conversed in Spanish.
"Normally you always come alone, but I see you've brought a beautiful lady today," he replied. Kara was only conversational in Spanish, not fluent, but she picked up that Joel referred to her as a beautiful lady.
"A friend, only here for a few days," replied Oliver. "Kara, Joel. Joel, Kara."
"Pleasure to meet you," he said in English, placing a hand on his chest and lowering his head out of respect.
"Likewise," she replied.
"What would you like?" asked Oliver. Kara scanned the options on the chalkboard above. They didn't have a pumpkin spice latte, her favourite, so she opted for a cappuccino instead.
"A cappuccino."
"Dos cappuccino," added Oliver, as he handed Joel money. "Gracias."
"Always a pleasure, my friend," he replied in English, before reverting to Spanish for his following question. "Are you sure she's just a friend?" he asked.
"Tan seguro como tú eres un anciano." As surely as you are an old man, replied Oliver.
"49. No demasiado viejo." Not too old, replied Joel with a smile.
Oliver chuckled before taking a seat with Kara at a table.
"What were you guys saying at the end there?" asked Kara, having not understood all of it.
"Oh, nothing," replied Oliver dismissively.
"You and Joel seem to be good pals," noted Kara, "You must come here quite a lot."
"Occasionally. I'd come here when I wanted to get out of my place. Just sit here, watch people walk by, and think about what's waiting for me when I return home."
On the outskirts of the city, this area was less busy than the city center and slightly more tranquil.
"He doesn't sound like a local," said Kara, having picked up on his slight differences in dialect and accent.
"Yeah, he's Cuban. He told me a bit about his life story. Former boxer," explained Oliver, "Cuban Olympic team in 1988, turned pro after. He has family that work here, so he moved here after he retired and opened up this place."
"Did he win a medal or any championships?" Oliver shook his head. "Isn't that a bit sad?" said Kara, "Years of fighting and competing, and this small place is all he has to show for it."
"He looks happy. I suppose that's all that matters," replied Oliver, as he watched Joel exchange banter with his employees, laughing and smiling as he brought Oliver and Kara their drinks.
"Enjoy," he said as he handed them their mugs.
As they sat at their table outside, Oliver watched Kara intently observe an orange stray cat loiter on the sidewalk next to them.
"You like cats?" he asked.
"Yeah, I had one when I was a kid back in Midvale. A tabby, just like this one," she explained, "I named him Streaky. Do you have any cats?"
"No. No pets at the mansion," replied Oliver. "Thea did bring home a stray one day, but we couldn't keep it. She didn't want to let it go, so my father told her that it was actually a tiger cub, and that it needed to be set free."
"That excuse worked?"
"Yeah, she was only 7 at the time, so it did. She still feeds the strays around the mansion to this day."
Oliver's phone buzzed, and she saw that it was a message from Tommy. He put his phone back in his pocket, deciding to reply to it later.
They spent the rest of their day exploring the island, having lunch at a local restaurant before simply wandering around as any other tourists would. After dinner, Oliver dropped Kara by her hotel, walking her right to the entrance.
"Thanks for another great day," said Kara.
"Yeah, I enjoyed it. But… I think we can still make it even better," replied Oliver suggestively.
Kara stepped closer to him with a sly smile. "I told you that you were going to have to work for it."
"Did I do enough work?"
Kara gently ran her hand down his arm and edged her face closer to his ever so slowly, goading Oliver into thinking that she was going to give him the answer that he was looking for. But just as her lips were close enough to brush his, she spoke. "No."
She pulled away, smiling deviously. "I'll meet you at Joel's tomorrow morning, 10:30," she said.
"Alright. See you tomorrow," he replied as she entered her hotel. As Oliver walked back to his bike, he couldn't help but grin. "Pleasure delayer," he muttered under his breath, before speeding back off to his hut.
