Chapter XV: Saltwater and Sunshine
Author's Note: A little bit of fluffy fun after all the emotional toll of the last chapter! Crediting Veronica Fernandez for the James Bond idea. I ran with it and it was a lot of fun to write! As per usual, the characters nor any of the SSD canon belongs to me. No copyright infringement intended.
Shane leaned against Oliver as they comfortably sat on the bed in their suite at the Marbella Resort. The coffee Oliver brought earlier that morning was long gone. Both were lost in their own thoughts until Shane finally broke the silence.
"Darling, how do you feel?" she asked Oliver, lovingly.
"Relieved. Happy. Finally free." He gave her that tender, half-smile she loved. Oliver just finished sharing his contemplations with his heaven-sent, beautiful wife.
"I feel closer to you than ever, Oliver. Opening up like that must have been scary to say the least. You have no idea how grateful I am that you did. Everything you shared provides a deeper understanding. If it's even possible, I felt my heart expanding as I was listening to you. I don't know how I can love you more than I already do." Shane's eyes smiled along with her lips, but they also shimmered with unshed tears. She sensed she'd be shedding happy tears for a lifetime.
"My love, I knew I needed to do this after you spoke so openly in Madrid. What I didn't count on was finally being able to put the past to rest. God has been so merciful." Oliver said these words with the most serene expression Shane had ever seen on his face. Her heart couldn't contain more love for him even if she tried. "I also want to thank you," he continued.
"Whatever for, Oliver?"
"For loving me. For not judging me. For accepting all of me, with all my virtues and flaws. For being gracious, patient, for being my angel."
Not being able to control herself any further, Shane burst into happy tears and threw herself into her husband's arms. The impact made Oliver fall backwards onto the pillows with Shane landing on top of him. She burrowed her face into the crook of his neck, dampening it with her tears.
"I know you're crying because you're happy, my love. Please, let me see your face. Let me kiss you."
Wiping her tears, she looked down at Oliver, her face a beautiful poem of emotions. Oliver lifted his face closer to hers, buried his hand in her hair and brought her in closer for a kiss. It was soft at first, just a meeting of the lips. As their breaths mingled, both shuddered and sighed simultaneously as they sunk into the kiss. His smooth lips shaped themselves over hers, their feelings fusing into one brilliant tangle of passion and desire. Shane tilted her head slightly, with a soft moan emanating from her throat, while Oliver took advantage of her actions and deepened the kiss. He'd never get tired of this feeling, of the rush of emotions every time they kissed. He constantly poured his love for Shane in their soul-stirring kisses, never tiring of how she melted into his arms. Oliver could feel how she trusted him with everything she had, and how she loved him with every fiber of her being. He felt exactly the same.
Oliver gently drew back, fluttering kisses over her cheeks and finally touching his forehead to hers. With a sigh of pure contentment, he said, "While I'd love to continue this further, there are some arrangements I have to tend to now."
With a heady breath Shane asked, "What sort of arrangements do you have to tend to that take you away from making love to your wife, Mr. O'Toole?"
"A surprise for you, my love."
"Hmmm… while I would love for you to stay and have your way with me, I have to say I've been adoring your surprises. So, OK, maybe you can go. Raincheck?" Shane asked, flirtatiously.
"You can most definitely count on that, Mrs. O'Toole." Oliver replied, flashing Shane his lovable smirk.
As Oliver got up and tidied himself to go to the resort lobby, Shane sat up on the bed with her silky lace nightgown pooling around her. "Oliver, just know these past couple of weeks have been…. it's just been something else altogether, Oliver. It's been the time of my life." Shane gushed. She felt so fortunate, the proper words to express it escaped her.
"And to think we still have a couple of days left, my love." Oliver took Shane's hand, touched his lips to her wrist and felt her pulse skip a beat.
"That's right, we do," Shane said with bated breath. Even after that blissful kiss, Oliver's subtly intimate touches always managed to send little shockwaves of electricity through her. She'd never get tired of them.
"I might have a few tricks up my sleeve, Mrs. O'Toole," he said, flirtatiously.
"Oh, you do?"
"Of course. I mean to always surprise you in the best ways possible," he replied, capturing her lips with his.
Both sighed softly as their lips fused in a sweet kiss. Once again, Oliver pulled away. "I'll see you in a bit, my love. Why don't we meet up at the beach?"
"Are you sure? I need to shower and put myself together."
"Yes. Take your time. I can take a plunge in the water if I finish quickly."
"Sounds good, darling. See you in a bit. Don't take too long!"
"I won't. I love you." He softly caressed Shane's cheek and blew her a kiss as he left the suite. He couldn't wait to see Shane's reaction to what he had planned.
###
Shane walked towards the beach, wondering what Oliver was up to. She was excited to find out what he had planned. As she made her way down the path, she found herself distracted from her thoughts by her surroundings. The resort had quite the set-up! Along the shore, there were umbrellas ready to provide the guests with shade from the sun and cushioned chaises facing the water to lay on. Each chaise had a fluffy blue and white striped towel, carefully folded and laid out. In between the chairs, there were small tables with cup holders for the guests' drinks of choice. Shane couldn't wait to order a fruity drink with a little paper umbrella. She sighed in pure contentment. She was thoroughly delighted that she had to decide between a sangria or a daiquiri. It was a tough decision, but somebody had to make it!
Shane settled on a spot for two. It was a bit further away from the resort, but it offered more privacy than the spots closer to the pool. She waved to the waiter and decided on a passion fruit daiquiri, bottled water, and a fruit plate. It'd be nice to have something to nosh on that could keep them hydrated as well. She'd let Oliver choose if he wanted something else to drink when he finally joined her.
Why wasn't Oliver back yet? He was taking too long. She needed help rubbing sunscreen on her back. She took off her gauzy buttercup yellow coverup which revealed a royal blue halter top bikini with tiny yellow flower detailing. She looked understatedly elegant and adorable at the same time. She had her hair up in a messy bun. It was her nod to the warm weather and the beach location. Shane was unaware how she captured the gazes of people nearby. Her golden hair and statuesque figure garnered a lot of approving glances.
Shane took a seat and rummaged through her tote to find a tube of sunscreen. As she started to slather her arms and legs with the creamy lotion, the waiter came by with her order. She wondered again where in the Sam Hill Oliver was. She sat back, and as she was to take a sip from her daiquiri, a spectacle began.
Behind her oversized designer sunglasses, Shane's eyes were looking out at the water. There were a few kids splashing about the shore and there were a few sailboats further out towards the horizon. Some people were swimming, some were snorkeling, and there was a gathering of young women lying on the sand soaking up the sun. The water was beautifully crystalline, with turquoise blue colors shimmering in the sunlight.
Shane saw a body swimming underwater, making its way gracefully, swiftly, quietly as one fluid movement towards the shore. That body emerged and the sun cast a golden glow over it. Shane was almost blinded, not only by the sunlight, but by the striking vision she witnessed. Muscles rippled, as droplets of water sluiced down sinewy muscles. The broad back, the tapered waist, and the strong leg muscles had the young women sunbathing staring unabashedly, and Shane's mouth felt like cotton.
She was speechless! Her drink was still in her hand and the daiquiri's straw was shaking slightly under her lips. She took a long sip of the drink, gulping it down spasmodically. It was a good thing she was lying on the chaise, otherwise she'd have collapsed! Oliver in a bathing suit, emerging from the water, was an image she'd never be able to erase from her mind.
But… what is up with that bathing suit? Shane thought, as her eyes widened like saucers. Oliver sported a pair of light blue bathing trunks with a contrasting navy trim. It sat low on the waist, reaching the top of his thighs, and hugging his skin in all the right places. Shane gulped and immediately took another sip of her daiquiri. Had Oliver finally cut loose completely? She figured he might, especially after pouring his heart out about his past. However, she hadn't expected this! She wondered if he knew the impact he was making. If she didn't know him and if he wasn't her husband, she would've been staring unabashedly too. She would be thinking this man was not only incredibly good looking, but he was also very confident. In addition to the good looks, it was his confidence that made him even more attractive. Had he been like this all along? Maybe it had always there, but she hadn't been particularly attentive to it?
Oliver saw Shane lying on the chaise and smiled brilliantly. That was all it took for the sunbathing ladies to practically swoon. Realization dawned on them this perfect male specimen was taken. Lucky girl, they thought.
"Hi there, my love," Oliver said, as he approached her. He leaned in for a quick kiss, splattering Shane with droplets of sea water. "The water's wonderful! We should go in together."
Shane coughed, choking on her daiquiri. She was speechless and kept staring at Oliver with wide eyes. She was thankful they were shaded by her sunglasses.
"Sweetheart, is something the matter?" Oliver asked.
Shane cleared her throat and found her voice. "No, nothing, darling. It's just… I've never seen you in a bathing suit before! Your boxers never prepared me for this!"
"You should've seen what I had to wear for swim meets." Oliver snickered and his eyes glittered with mischief.
"Please don't tell me… I think you shared enough!" Shane couldn't help but laugh. "I can only imagine the hordes of women chasing after you if the swim team uniform was similar to your current attire!"
"Shane. They're called speedos."
"I. Don't. Want. To. Have. This. Conversation. Oliver." She practically chugged down half of her daiquiri. "This whole scenario is enough to make me want to be drunk before noon," Shane huffed.
Oliver exerted all his control not to laugh. He didn't want to mortify her further, but he was finding this whole situation highly amusing. He gazed at Shane, taking in with appreciative eyes how incredible she looked in her bathing suit. Oliver held out a hand. "Come on, let's go dive in. I'll tell you the surprise I've been planning."
"I am tempted, Mr. O'Toole, but first, you must apply sunscreen to my back!" She slapped the tube into Oliver's extended hand.
He stared at it. He had never touched Shane that way in public.
"I know what you're thinking, Oliver, so get over it. I promise I won't bite. Not here anyway," she said playfully.
Ignoring her last comment to avoid escalating the situation, he said, "Well, we don't want your lovely skin to burn…" He squeezed a dollop of the sunscreen in his hand, then proceeded to rub it into the skin on back of her neck and the long line of her back. Oliver made sure to spread the lotion underneath her bikini strap to protect her skin in case her top shifted and exposed that bit of skin. He continued by gently working in the lotion on her lower back. He took advantage of the opportunity and gave her a bit of a massage, pressing his thumbs in circles around her lumbar region. Shane tilted her head and hummed slightly in appreciation.
"Darling, this massage spells trouble… It's lovely though and feels incredible." Shane said, turning around, smiling her appreciation.
"Maybe we can continue this later?" Oliver asked, lowering his voice to that rich timbre that never failed to make Shane's heart flutter.
Shane winked at him. "Oh, you can count on that, dear husband!"
Between their kiss that morning, the sunscreen massage and Shane's flirtatious nature, they certainly were building anticipation… But right now, Oliver knew he needed to cool off!
"Come on, let's dive in!" Taking Shane's hand, they ran towards the water. Still holding hands, both dove in headfirst, enjoying the fluidity and smoothness of being one with the ocean water.
"Oh my goodness, this feels wonderful," Shane said, as they finally came up for air, tilting her head and letting her hair cascade down her back. "I have to say, Oliver, scheduling a couple of days at a beach was a stroke of genius."
"I know how you feel about warm locations, my love," he grinned, looking adorable with his wet spiky hair. "I figured after all the traveling and sightseeing, it would be nice to relax at the beach before flying back home."
"You figured right, darling." Shane touched his shoulders, gliding her hands over his neck and clasping her hands behind it. "But do tell, what's this surprise you've been talking about?"
Shane's body was very close to his, not to mention her lovely face, effectively distracting him. The combination of sun, seawater and Shane in a bathing suit was a heady one. Oliver cleared his throat, looking up, as if trying to assert some type of control over himself, and said, "Well, I booked a trip to a private island off the coast of Marbella."
Shane's jaw dropped down at the shock. "You did what?!"
Finding his composure and sliding his hands over her waist, he asked, "My love, wouldn't you enjoy a more private beach setting?" He loved the feeling of touching her exposed skin in the water.
Still shocked over her husband's surprise she said, "Well, yes… of course! But I thought that was just a fantasy! A dream!"
"I aim to make all your dreams come true." Oliver nuzzled her cheek, giving her a quick kiss.
"When are we going?" Shane was still shocked over this surprise.
"We're sailing this afternoon, staying overnight and returning tomorrow at sunset." Oliver was thrilled to see how excited Shane was. He couldn't wait to go on this final honeymoon adventure.
"Amazing!" Shane exclaimed, her face radiant with happiness. "So, do I need to pack an overnight bag? I assume we're leaving our luggage here?"
"Yes. You can just pack a bag. We're keeping the suite, so we can leave the rest of our things there."
"What should I take?"
"I would tell you just a toothbrush, but you might want to take one of your nice dresses for tonight."
"Who are you and what in the Sam Hill have you done with Oliver O'Toole? Just a toothbrush?!" Shane gaped at her husband.
"Well, yes."
"I wonder what Joe will say about this new you."
"There's a new me?"
"Yes, darling. You've come undone."
"I've come what?"
"Undone. First it was #SexyFlirtyOliver and now it's #SexyFlirtyOliverUnleashed."
"My love, I just can't with the hashtags. I don't know their purpose, nor do I want to." Oliver couldn't help chuckling and tried to stifle his laughter.
"It's definitely a new you. You haven't needed Yoohoo and there haven't been any clams in sight. The red wine consumed has been sans shellfish. Every day you're more comfortable, not only with my public displays of affection, but you've doled them out as well. Oh, and then there was the James Bond spectacle earlier on."
"Excuse me, the what spectacle?"
"The James Bond water spectacle, Oliver," Shane affirmed, looking directly into his eyes.
"You're serious."
"As serious as a heart attack."
"I'm at a loss for words, my love."
"Do I need to spell this out for you?"
"Please do, as I'm still befuddled over here. What does James Bond have to do with any of this?" Oliver was finding the whole conversation preposterous.
Shane sighed, put on her most serious expression and condescendingly, started to explain.
"Oliver, can you wrap your head around the fact you have the body of a movie star, a Greek god, along with all that is good and pure, all rolled into one?"
"I do know I am somewhat fit, yes. But that description is an exaggeration."
"No, it's not. Trust me." Shane continued. "Are you also aware swimmer's bodies are considered delectable?"
"I only care to be delectable for you."
"That's a wonderful answer Oliver, and I love you even more for it. When you emerged from the water like Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, the entire crowd on the lost it, including me. THAT was the spectacle."
For a split-second Oliver was dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open. To his credit, he recovered quickly, ran his fingers through his hair and started shaking with laughter. "This is too much, my love. I have certainly never seen myself that way."
Shane's eyes softened and she tenderly kissed him on the cheek. She whispered in his ear, "I know you don't. Your confidence, along with that behavior, makes you irresistible. I'm so glad you're mine."
"Forever." Oliver replied, resting his forehead on hers.
Meanwhile, the sunbathing ladies were practically green with envy as they stared shamelessly at the honeymooners, so obviously in love and enthralled with each other. They could only wish one day they'd find someone who looked at them like that. If that miracle ever happened, they'd certainly never let go.