CHAPTER FIFTEEN – "Mexico"
We heard the captain's voice overhead telling us to strap ourselves in for the landing. I took the window seat and watched as we circled over the ocean, then flew over beach, palm trees and tropical beauty.
"Now are you going to tell me where we are?"
"Okay, we are heading to a villa in Mismaloya, a little bit south of Puerto Vallarta. We're in Mexico."
"Wow! I've only been to Cancun for spring break one year--I've never been here!"
"You'll love it. I was here a few years ago—Josef and I came to get away and do some fishing--just for sport, not for eating! Not the greatest idea! Josef's parties kind of took over the peace and quiet!"
"I can only imagine." I didn't think I wanted to know any more about Josef's parties!
We had to go through customs, which took a while, and by the time we were done with that and were heading for the door, I saw that the sun was beginning to set. We walked toward a shiny black Jeep parked outside of the customs area. The Jeep had an open top with roll bars. There was a man in a uniform who loaded our luggage into the back of the Jeep; Mick helped him, then came and got into the back passenger seat beside me. As I belted myself in, I looked at Mick, who was smiling broadly at me as he took my hand in his.
"We are going to relax and have fun, Beth. This is exactly what we need—some time alone together to forget the rest of the world for a while and just--be together!"
"Oh, I have no doubt about the fun part!" I smiled back and looked at my hand in his, which gave me a thrill and made my stomach flutter. I was hopelessly in love with my husband, and right now, I felt on top of the world.
We wound around beautiful resorts and private villas on the narrow highway to wherever we were going. The sun setting over the ocean provided a spectacular show as it made a beautiful orange-white backdrop to the lush trees, palms in black silhouette against the colors of the sunset, flowering shrubs and green vegetation along the road. Soon it would be dark, but Mick still put his sunglasses on as we rode along in the dying light of day.
I noticed that the terrain was hilly, with most of the buildings we were speeding by standing high on hills overlooking the ocean. It was so pretty that I wished we were going slower! We rode along for about a half hour or so, holding hands that squeezed and communicated silently our anticipation of arriving at our secluded destination. The feel of the wind in our hair, the nearness of each other, and the knowing we had two weeks alone was making both of us terribly eager to get on with the honeymoon! I could hardly wait to see where we would be staying!
The Jeep took a sharp right turn off of the main road and started driving up a circular incline, which was actually a very narrow driveway, and it felt as though we were going around and around until we finally reached the top of the hill. The first thing I noticed was how high up we were—we had a magnificent view of the endless sea. Then my eyes took in the villa. Even in the dark, I could see that it was beautiful--white stucco with a red tiled roof. There were welcoming lights on all over, inside the windows and outside, illuminating the path to the house. The lights in the entry were spotlighting a beautiful arbor with white flowers dripping from it, which smelled divine. There was a little terra cotta tiled space in front of the door, a kind of courtyard, with plants and pots and hanging vines with flowers everywhere. Two comfortable chairs and a small table sat out here, and a little fountain tinkled over in the corner. I decided that any house with an entry this pretty should be doubly gorgeous inside! Mick took out a large key and unlocked the aged wooden door, embellished with black wrought iron and a little window with wrought iron panes. We entered the foyer, and Mick said,
"Go ahead and take a look around. I'm going to help Eduard with the luggage—I'll be right back!" He gave me a quick kiss and ran back out the door.
I was immediately in love with the place! Someone was an excellent decorator, and had taken pains to make the villa both elegant and cozy, which isn't always an easy achievement! It felt very welcoming, with a huge bouquet of fresh flowers on the coffee table in the living room, which was set up around a huge, stucco fireplace as a focal point, which held a mantle of aged wood, upon which sat yet another bouquet of fresh flowers and some ancient-looking Mayan artifacts. The furniture was sumptuous, the rugs were colorful and thick, the windows were large and open with heavy velvet draperies which could be pulled over the openings to make the room dark; I imagined by day the view from up here was fabulous! There were more fresh flowers over in a corner of the large room in a small sitting arrangement perfect for two, with two large wing chairs and a small coffee table. I loved that the room was filled with flowers-- they literally made the entire space smell fragrant and romantic.
Mick and Eduard came in with luggage. Eduard carried our things up a beautiful curved wooden staircase with a fancy wrought iron rail embellished with wrought iron flowers interwoven into the rails, and we watched as he toted our luggage along the open walkway which overlooked the living room, as he hauled our things into what must be our bedroom on the upper level. When Eduard was done putting everything upstairs, Mick handed him a tip, and he handed Mick a set of car keys.
"What car are those for, Mick?"
"Oh, the Jeep. It's staying here with us. There's another car out in the drive right now—Eduard is riding back with someone else, and we get to keep the vehicle in case we want to ever leave here! So! What do you think?" We waved as Eduard left, shutting the door behind him, and Mick went over and clicked the lock into place.
"Oh! It's absolutely beautiful, Mick! I love it! I haven't even made it out of this room yet!"
"I'm glad you like it! The whole place is roomy and homey, but best of all, it's all ours for two whole weeks, and if we don't want to leave, we don't have to." His smile told me he was definitely thinking about just staying here! I'll have to say, the way he looked right now, so relaxed and happy—that seemed like an okay idea to me too!
We stood alone in the big room for a moment, then laughed and hugged. He held me tightly and I sighed with contentment. No work, no bad guys, just me and Mick. I might not ever want to leave, I thought.
"Wanna go skinny dipping?" Mick asked me softly, his mouth close to ear. "The water should feel great right now. It's low tide, too."
"Hmmmm. Skinny dipping, huh? How do we get to the beach? We're really high up here!"
"I'll show you—I'll go get some towels." He sprinted off down a hallway. I stood there, still awed by our surroundings.
I had my carry-on, a/k/a tote bag, in which I had stashed emergency supplies. This morning I had added my swimsuit and flip-flops, which I took out now. I'd somehow had a feeling that we'd end up on a beach, so I came prepared! Mick came back with two huge towels rolled up under one arm, and carried a key ring in his hand. He saw me holding my swimsuit.
"You won't be needing that here!" He looked at the suit, then at me, and raised an eyebrow. "This IS our honeymoon, right?"
"Oh, really? You think I'm going to just go butt naked on a strange beach?"
"Yes, actually I do, because I'm going to be 'butt naked' too, and it isn't strange, it's very private, so you'll keep your reputation safe!"
I looked at him skeptically.
"Hey! I wouldn't lie to you! I plan to enjoy this time, and I certainly don't want you mad at me! So—are you ready to get going? I can't wait to show this to you, Beth! You are going to love it!"
I put down my swimsuit, but kept the flip-flops. "Should I put these on now do you think?"
"Oh, yeah, good idea. I'm just wearing sandals--I don't want you to get sand in your shoes!"
He waited while I slipped off shoes and put on more practical footwear. Then he grabbed my hand and led me off in the direction of an archway, which brought us into a huge kitchen with a giant butcher-block-topped island with pots and pans hanging from a rack overhead. There was an enormous gas stove with about ten burners, very industrial, with a giant, industrial-strength air vent over it, and all the amenities you would find in a real cook's kitchen! I imagined Mick standing naked at the stove making me something to eat. Oh, this was definitely going to be fun!
We went through another wooden door which led out to another courtyard, this one huge, overlooking the ocean, which we could hear, but couldn't see in the dark. I shivered with excitement.
"Honey, are you cold?"
"No! I'm just so excited! This is really beautiful! Look at this place!"
The courtyard was more like an outdoor living room than anything! It had a tall, tiered fountain with water trickling over it. There was an outdoor kitchen with everything Mick would need to cook naked out here! There was a giant flat screen TV hanging on one wall with comfortable-looking outdoor furniture set strategically around it. Nearby, there was a fire pit with a large stack of wood ready to burn. Quite a party house, I thought! The whole courtyard was covered by a canopy of thatch.
Still holding my hand, Mick led me down a few steps to brick path that sloped down to a sort of cage with a gate, and this apparently held a tram. Mick turned on the flashlight he carried in his back pocket and had me shine it on the gate so he could unlock it. We stepped into the tram car and sat down across from each other. Mick pushed a button on the cage that enclosed the little car, and we began to travel very slowly down the hill toward the beach. I couldn't see any other houses or lights anywhere, so I guessed we must be pretty much alone out here—maybe Mick was right—he'd better be! I had nothing to wear!
We came to a stop and got out, walking down about five more steps before our feet sank in the still-warm white sand of the beach. It was fully dark now, but the moon was shining on the water and the white sand, making everything look luminous and magical.
"Oh, Mick! This is so beautiful! Look at the moon! I love to watch the moon rise over the ocean—we should do that for some of our dates when we get back to LA!
He was gazing out on the water, moonlight highlighting each wave. "I think that's a great idea, honey. Let's do it every time we have a full moon! We can walk along the beach and I can hold your hand, and I'll buy you an ice cream cone, and we can just sit and watch the sun set. That sounds like a perfect date to me."
I giggled. "Who knew you were such a romantic guy! I sure never saw that side of you! Not until we got together, anyway!"
"Like I've been telling you—this is not the same me you knew before 'us,' Beth." He pulled me close and held me, stroking my hair as I closed my eyes and leaned on him.
"And I told you I liked you before, but Mick, I'm just crazy about you now!"
"Oh, that's good because you're stuck with me now!" I raised my head and he kissed me, softly and sweetly, our lips barely touching at first, nibbling, teasing, then pressing as teasing became passion, our tongues hungrily tasting, slaking the flame that was burning inside of us. Soon we were kissing so ardently that I felt my body melting into his as my arms went up his back, holding him again, feeling his sweet breath on me, stirring my body, making me pant for him. When we came up for air, we simply smiled that knowing look of lovers who want so badly to hurry, yet want to savor each moment as they realize they have only begun a night of wonder. As we kissed again, I marveled at how my body responded to his, as if we were somehow in perfect sync with each other and knew instinctively how to please the other. How very unusual for new lovers to be this way, I thought. With the electric current between us charging the atmosphere around us as our mouths took each other, I had the feeling that I never wanted to stop holding and kissing this man who took my breath away any time I looked at him, felt him near me or even thought about him!
"I love you so much," I said softly against his lips. "Mick. . ." he continued kissing me until we couldn't stand being only this close.
"Come into the water with me and let me make love to you in the ocean." His voice had an urgent quality to it, and my mood matched his.
I nodded, then pulled his shirt off over his head. We undressed quickly and ran toward the surf, which was lit only by the moon, but was glowing as though lit from inside the water, somehow, making it soothing and inviting. I breathed in the salty air and held Mick's hand as he led the way into the crashing waves.
I gasped a little as we made our way out, waves splashing against my goose-fleshed skin. "It feels kind of cold!"
"It will at first, but I'll warm you up once we get out a little farther." I was shivering, so Mick picked me up around the waist and held me against him as he walked us into the powerful surf, jumping waves as they came, holding me effortlessly until we got out to a level about chest deep—chest deep for Mick, and nipple deep for me with Mick holding my feet up off of the ocean floor, that is. I'm sure it would have been over my head if he should have dropped me!
"You probably would know if there were any drop-offs out here, right?"
"Yeah, it's shallow even at low tide. You don't want to get too much farther out, though, because there is a pretty strong undertow."
"Well, don't let me drown."
"Not a chance, sweetheart! I have so many plans for you! I'd never risk losing you!"
"I trust you, Mick." I knew he was a very strong swimmer, and that was definitely comforting. I'd never be out here alone!
"Good, now hang onto me."
I put my arms around his neck and wrapped my legs around his waist, and we hopped the waves as they kept coming at us steadily.
"It's not so cold out here now, is it?"
"No, it feels refreshing! I love this!" Mostly I loved clinging to Mick with both of us skin-on-skin in the cool, vibrant water. I could see his eyes in the moonlight, and they sparkled with desire. I was sure mine looked similar to his.
He put his mouth on mine and we kissed as though we hadn't done this about a million times. Every time with Mick seemed like a new experience, somehow.
"Mmmmmmm. Oh! I love you so!" He didn't stop kissing me, and I didn't stop kissing him. It amazed me how much I wanted him—all of the time! How could we always be so ready for each other? This defied any rules of love I had ever known before, but our tongues tasted and our lips pressed together, hard and soft, and I rubbed myself against his body as I got all hot and wet with desire, turned on by his passion and his magic mouth.
When we finally pulled back from kissing, we were both breathing fast. My heart was racing.
"I don't know about you, but I don't feel like swimming," he said as he took a hold of my legs firmly, one in each of his hands. He walked us back to water that was a little shallower so my head wouldn't go under when he lowered me onto his erection, which I had been feeling as it grew steadily under my butt. I kissed him as he moved me down slightly, then with perfect aim he thrust himself firmly into me in one motion, like a sword to its sheath, and I swallowed him up fully within me, moving against him, kissing him, running my hands up into his hair, loving the feel of him in my hands and inside of me. God! How was it possible to love him so much!
We moved together in our own perfect rhythm, devouring each other with our mouths, giving and taking in every way possible. Still kissing, as our breaths came out in short puffs along with our grunts and moans, as we moved with each other, making waves within waves, murmuring soft words of love, sharing the wonder of nature surrounding us, engulfing us, sharing the miracle of our bodies as they moved together, as we became one with the Universe, one with each other, no space between us, no boundaries to separate us, intent upon our need to satisfy the hunger that pressed us on and on, unrelenting until at last we both reached the point of no return, and the rapture turned to thunder in our ears, spasms in our loins, cries into the air and into each other's hair as we kissed and sighed our joy, and rapture became warm, shared contentment.
As we slid down from the high we had reached together, I still clung to him, kissing him hungrily, still squeezing him between my legs, not yet willing to give up the oneness we shared. I felt the same desperation from him, not wanting to be separated from me just yet, as he continued to push and move inside of me until the rhythm began again, and the heat of our desire led us to yet another crashing climax! This time I bent my head back, letting my hair swirl behind me in the water as I clutched and held onto him, feeling his strong arms hold me as he too, cried out his release and I let go of earth and called out to the sky and the moon and the stars, while wave after wave of sea lifted and tossed us, and wave after wave of sheer delight swamped us, bringing us yet again to that place only we could find together, a place of such oneness and closeness that nothing in the world could sever the connection.
Spent at last, I pulled myself back up and laid my head on his shoulder. "Mick, oh! Mick!" I was still shuddering with pleasure as he held me tight.
"Beth," he whispered, breathing hard, "my amazing little water nymph." We stayed there for several minutes until our breathing was normal again.
When I had garnered enough strength to lift my head off of him, I looked into his eyes and watched as they sprouted little crinkles at the corners. I looked at his mouth, which was smiling as it came to rest on mine.
"MMMmmmmm, I love you, I love you, oh, Beth! I love you!" he said, his lips murmuring against my own, then he kissed me hard, full of passion, and I knew that, like me, he had not yet returned to a state of satiety, but rather our acts of love seemed to be building one upon the other, and we knew this night still held many magical moments for us.
He pulled back and looked at me in the moonlight. "Look at you! Beth! You do glow! The light of the moon makes you radiant!" His arms squeezed me so close, and I molded myself to his precious body.
"I never thought I could be this happy! I never knew I could feel like this! Oh Mick!"
He smiled and licked my bottom lip, and I kissed him again, giggling against his lips, still gripping him below, tightening my legs around him, getting the last few tingles of pleasure from our joined bodies. The cool water surrounding us felt exotic and sensual, and Mick felt like the most sensual, sexual being ever born as I ran my hands over the perfect skin of his back. He kissed my face, my lips, my neck, then back to my lips again. Parting was an unbearable thought.
"OmiGOD, Beth! You make me feel so—ah!! What can I say? I guess I feel like I'm the King of the World!"
I just held him as close as I could. "You make me feel the same, except maybe I'm a ravished princess." We stayed there, hugging tight, joyful and happy. Still, I wondered how good it was for Mick. He hadn't even vamped out on me since—well, for a long time!
"Mick?" I whispered close to his ear.
"Yes my darling Beth."
"You aren't vamping at all—does that mean the sex isn't as good for you as it was before?"
He gave me a look, kind of sideways and shy. "You have to ask if the sex is good for me?"
"Well, yes—like I said, I haven't seen you get vampy or get fangs, and I just wondered if I wasn't as exciting to you as the first few times we made love."
He looked at me and shook his head. "Not at ALL, Beth! Not even close! The sex with you is just—so amazing! And before—I only did that a couple of times, so what makes you ask this now?"
"I thought you just, you know, went all vamp when you were having a good, you know, a good time." I blushed, glad he couldn't see me. How silly to blush while I was hanging onto him like a tree frog with him still solidly inside of me.
"Hey, don't be shy with me!" he laughed. "You mean when I come, why don't I get fangs and bite you?"
"Well, yeah!" I buried my face in his neck.
"I can't right now, Beth," he said softly. "You know I have to be very careful with you, now that you're pregnant. I have to keep myself in check."
"You can't bite me at all if I'm pregnant?"
"I won't let myself. It's not that biting or taking some of your blood would be so terrible, maybe not the best idea, but it wouldn't hurt the baby. What would hurt is if I really lost it and drained you. I'd have no choice but to turn you."
"I know, and I told you that would be okay—if it happens. I'm not asking you for it, but you know that I wouldn't be angry."
"I know, sweetheart, and I love you for that. But I can't turn you while you're pregnant—it would kill the baby. See, even having sex with me when you're pregnant is kind of risky. I wouldn't even do it if I didn't know myself well enough to know I can control those—urges really well. But, there is always a risk. Being human and being with a vampire is always taking a chance that something might happen."
"Oh! My gosh! I knew you were wanting to be careful with the baby and all, but I really hadn't thought of—well—that it would kill the baby! You must be feeling a load of responsibility that you didn't have to think about before--this must be pretty tough for you, then, huh?"
"No, not at all. Beth--I love making love to you. And since I love it so much, it's easier not to vamp out. That's kind of a losing control kind of thing."
"But you did—like you said, a few times—you even bit yourself once!"
"And I would do that again before I'd bite you. That's why I'm not terrified of hurting you. I'm pretty good at self-control."
"I know you are, Mick. I just want to please you. I don't want you to have to hold back."
"You do please me! My God! Beth! I've never been so pleased! I don't have to do that to be completely satisfied! That might not hold true for some vampires, but with you, Beth, I'm—just—overwhelmed by how I feel every time we make love!"
"I hope that's true--I feel so selfish, 'cause here I am just going crazy with loving you, and I'm not even considering that you might have to be—not able to just let go like you want to--due to me."
He kissed me on the nose. "Hey. Don't even think about it, honey. This is so great! YOU are so great! I'm the happiest man on earth! Sure, the vamping and biting thing is intense, but honestly, you are the BEST lover I could ever imagine! Even without vamping!"
"Are you sure?" I asked as I hugged him and kissed his neck.
"I've never been so sure of anything in my life, honey. Even if I never bit you again, I'd be completely happy and totally satisfied. Believe me!"
"I do."
Eventually, we decided to go in. I was starting to get chilly. Mick carried me to the beach, where he wrapped me up in one of the huge towels. We gathered our clothing, and when we were ready, we stepped back into the tram, which took us up the hill this time. I was really tired, but Mick took me into an outdoor shower so we could wash the sand off, and that felt wonderful. I let him soap me up everywhere and rinse me off with the detachable shower head. I held onto him as he showered off, then we wrapped up in fresh towels and headed for the bedroom.
Mick carried me easily up the stairs and placed me on a big wooden poster bed, made up with colorful quilts and homespun sheets. As I sank into the soft warmth, I felt my eyes closing, and Mick holding me close.
"Sweet dreams, my angel," he whispered.
"I love you, Mick," I purred, holding the arm he had around me, hoping in my semi-conscious state to keep him here with me for the night.
He must have stayed. I woke with recollections of making love over and over in the night, sleepily but enthusiastically loving him with my body, letting his love permeate my entire being until at last he slept too. In fact, as I opened my eyes, it became clear that his chest was my pillow, and my legs were all tangled up with his. He had an arm over me and slept so peacefully that he looked like a stubbled angel, perfect in shape and form, blissful in sated slumber.
Most of our first few days, we spent in the villa making love and sleeping during the day, and walking on the beach at night, holding hands, taking a swim, making love on a blanket in a cove, drawing corny hearts with our initials in the wet sand, building a pretty cool sandcastle, which took hours in the waning moonlight, then watching it disappear as the tide came back in.
My favorite thing was probably dancing in the moonlight on the sandy beach with Mick singing softly in my ear. He'd spin me and dip me back and kiss me sweetly. We'd part and dance down the beach, then come back together again, clasping hands and stepping in rhythm to his songs. I felt light as a fairy spinning in the magic twilight of a fairy tale with my very own Prince Charming adoring me. Yes, dancing with Mick in the magic moonlight with my head on his chest, listening to his beautiful voice resonating there, well, I doubt there could be anything more romantic than that! He definitely had been my Prince during this entire wedding trip, and every second I spent with him, I found that I only fell more in love.
Mick enjoyed cooking in the fully stocked kitchen, and we found more than one use for the butcher block island! That night my hair smelled of onions, which made us laugh. To say we were happy would have been to say the universe is large. We were so completely besotted with love that we could barely stay apart long enough for me to use the bathroom! (I agreed he could come in with me when I peed or brushed my teeth—other things, no!)
By Friday, Mick suggested we venture out a little. We had pretty much been in our little cocoon for almost a week without seeing another person except for an occasional glimpse of the maid, who came in at night when we most often were out in the courtyard or down on the beach.
"That's fine with me—where did you want to go?" I asked. It was late afternoon, and we had just gotten up. Mick usually woke first in the freezer room, which was a very beautifully appointed bedroom with a large freezer where the bed normally would sit, and he would come crawling into bed with me, all cold, which would wake me up, and then I'd proceed to 'warm' him up. After he was thoroughly warmed, we'd have our "breakfast," and decide what to do for the night. It was so perfect to be able to live on his schedule—I wondered how we'd manage when we were home again. I'd miss living on his nocturnal time clock. I found that living as a night creature was actually very nice! I found it profoundly peaceful, and didn't miss the hustle-bustle of daylight. Just another way we were compatible, I guessed.
"I had an idea to drive up the road a little bit—just a couple of miles or so, and we can park the Jeep down by where we turn off onto a little dirt road. I want to walk you up to the restaurant that's about a half a mile up the road. I think you'll find the things you see along the way pretty interesting!"
"How do you know about this restaurant?"
"Oh, Josef and I walked up the road and had a drink up there. People around here know it, and I think you'll love the food! I thought it would be fun to show you the local way of life along the way."
"Sounds good to me!"
We dressed in casual clothes, Mick in jeans and a long-sleeved white striped shirt, and sandals again. I had a cotton sundress and brought a sweater in case it got chilly. I did my hair in one of the two master baths we had, and Mick watched and talked as he leaned against the wall taking in everything I did. Yes, even brushing my teeth!
We took off into the late afternoon sun, both wearing our sunglasses. It was fun to be out driving with the wind in our hair. Mick looked good behind the wheel of the Jeep, and I had a hard time looking out at the scenery instead of watching his muscles under the denim of his jeans when he braked and clutched and shifted the gears. I was such a goner when it came to looking at him!
"What?" he asked when he caught me staring at him.
"Nothing—I just love to watch you drive."
He looked at me slyly. "Now you know why I like to watch you in the bathroom."
"Touché! Do you think we're weird? Getting off on watching each other all of the time?"
"Nah, we're just newlyweds. We're on our honeymoon so we can watch each other all we want and not have to explain it to anyone." He smiled again and I was love-struck once again. He had nailed it, though. We certainly couldn't explain this to anyone!
Mick downshifted as he slowed us down to make a right turn onto the dirt road leading to our adventure. We parked and decided it was useless to lock the thing up when it had no top on it, so we just took the keys and left it. Mick took my hand in his and we started walking into a tiny village. Mismaloya. This was certainly a new adventure!
--
Back in LA, Josef's phone rang just as he and Simone had finished having a great time in bed. Simone was curled up in a ball, hugging a pillow to her.
"Ah, let it ring, Josef. Who'd be calling at this hour?"
"Well, it's not 'this hour' in Paris. It's a friend of mine—Hello? Victor? Yes, what have you found?" Josef sat up and put his feet on the floor as he listened to his friend so far away.
"You are kidding me! No, I said YOU JEST!" he hollered. "Victor! Why would she be in New York? I thought she was in trouble with the Tribunal!" He listened and Simone put a pillow over her head. Josef seemed a little upset, but then, when he talked on the phone, he was frequently upset!
"Well, thanks for the information. I appreciate it. If you hear anything else, please call any time, night or day. Yes. Merci, Victor—"
Josef stood up and paced the floor. Why would Coraline come back to the States, and why would she be in New York City? What was she up to now? Oh, man, he'd better tell Mick—warn Mick, rather! Coraline would not be happy to find her 'ex' married to Beth! An unpleasant feeling of apprehension came over him.
"Trouble!" he said under his breath. "I hate trouble!"