�I could quite happily stay here forever you know�� June realised she was probably talking to herself but she said it anyway. The view from their balcony was absolutely gorgeous, she could see the sun rising, had watched it for the past hour, the steady light over the mountains � the rock becoming orangey-red.
The heat was bearable right now, well she didn�t mind it hot at all, in fact she revelled in it. Last night when they�d stepped off the plane it had swept over her, caressing her skin, opening her pores. Jim on the other hand had complained the entire flight about his head aching, and when they�d finally reached the apartment after a 45-minute taxi journey he�d promptly fallen into bed and not surfaced since.
June on the other hand had risen early, had taken a shower, put a loose dress on and some sandals and gone out exploring the small village. She�d visited the few shops there, well aware she probably looked like the typical English tourist with her straw bag and dark glasses and inquisitive glances at restaurant doors and menus hung up outside. She noted every minor detail, the children boarding a coach to school, the boats setting sail for fishing trips � the easiness and calmness to life. She�d bought freshly baked bread and huge chocolate doughnuts for breakfast - orange juice, bottled water, milk and some strange looking cheese for sandwiches.
On the way back up the hill to their apartment she could see the balcony, a light breeze blowing the flimsy material substituting a curtain, and thought of Jim sleeping just inside. And a young boy had approached her, she probably looked an easy target, and so she�d struggled the rest of the way up the hill with her bags and a huge watermelon tucked under her arm.
Now she leant on the cool wall of the balcony, munching on the melon and watching the world begin to wake outside. The streets that were deserted an hour before were now vibrant, the small bakery she had visited had people queuing up outside � she was glad she�d gone out early.
�Hey, what time is it?� A croaky voice crept across the room.
�Well good morning sleepy head � and thank you so much for your help last night.�
Jim struggled to sit up in bed as June wandered over and sat down next to him. �Sorry, guess the travelling got to me.�
�More like the waiting around in airports, worse part of going on holiday.� She moved a pillow to prop up behind his back. �Besides I managed, did your unpacking too and got some food.�
�Marvellous�� he rubbed his forehead as he glanced around the room. �It�s alright isn�t it.�
�I like it � quite cool compared to out there too, which you�ll like. Are you hungry?� She smiled as he raised his eyebrows. �Ok silly question, when are you not.�
Jim rubbed his hands together. �Great stuff breakfast in bed, eggs, bacon, tomatoes, toast��
�Ah you�re not getting that � what have I told you about cholesterol?�
�We�re on holiday.�
�I�m not having you having a heart attack on me at some awkward moment.�
�Awkward?! You mean if you were sunbathing on the beach and I suddenly needed medical attention.�
�I was actually thinking of something with more physical demands placed upon you.� It took a second but eventually it dawned on him and he smiled broadly.
Jim lay back in the bed taking in the room, crisp white sheets spread about him, similar white walls and a tiled floor. A large fan on the ceiling above his head and one on the table at June�s side of the bed. A wardrobe big enough for the two of them, a great woven chair piled with cushions in the corner. He�d not seen the rest of the apartment but he could hear June pottering about in the kitchen with dishes. Simple but effective, neat and tidy and just what they needed for a week. Peace and quiet, and each other, it had been too long since it had been just the two of them.
�So� how about I spoil you every now and then?� June announced as she flounced back into the room carrying two glasses of juice and placing them on the bedside table.
�Spoil me with what?� He folded his arms.
�Ah, you�ll see.� She rushed out of the room again then returned with a plate holding two of the largest chocolate doughnuts he�d ever seen.
�You really are a remarkable woman.�
�I know� there have a treat. Just the one mind.�
�Are you kidding, this will last me all day.�
�No need to get giddy now.� She teased as she kicked off her shoes and made herself comfy next to him.
�So anything in particular you want to do today?� Jim said between chewing.
�Thought we should just have a look around, pick up some leaflets on places to visit, get to know where we are and all that.�
�Sure, will we be walking?�
�Of course we will you fool, it�s only a small place.�
�Don�t laugh at me, I�m not all that good in the heat � we don�t get on too well.�
June took a few deep breaths and tried to calm her laughter. �Well I�ll take care of you don�t worry, we�ll cover every inch of you in sun tan lotion before we go out. I�ve got some water we can take for you, and you got a hat haven�t you?�
�Yeah, I reckon.�
�You either packed it or you didn�t � but then again you did pack last minute.�
�It was hardly a planned trip was it.�
�You had over three weeks to prepare, it wasn�t that last minute.� June took a drink of her juice. �That was nice, wish we could have that for breakfast every morning.�
�Me too, unfortunately we don�t even have time for a cup of tea together these days.�
June ignored his comment and got up from the bed. �Are you going to get up then, have a shower?�
�I suppose.�
�Well don�t sound too enthusiastic Jim we only have a week here you know.�
�And I�m �very� excited about it.� He sounded sarcastic as he got out of bed and searched in the wardrobe for something to wear.
�Jim�� June warned, shaking the bedspread and replacing it neatly on the bed.
�Well, you make it sound like a last ditch attempt to save us.� He snatched the towel she held out for him. �And perhaps you think it is, ey June.�
He swung round and marched out of the room as June shook her head and shouted after him. �So nice to have you wake up happy Jim.� Then to herself. �Such a nice start to the holiday.�
* *
June swirled the rich red liquid around in the bottom of her glass, it was probably crystal, and the plates were good china, the silver top class � and the menu expensive. But it didn�t at all bother her, it wasn�t as if she was notably extravagant in life normally, why she shouldn�t she allow herself the odd treat? Some might say she deserved it; hell everyone back at Sunhill deserved it, well most anyway. She allowed herself a wry smile and drained the last of her wine beckoning to the waiter for another bottle.
The alcohol pouring through her veins felt refreshing, she didn�t drink much nowadays what with Jim not doing, something awkward about it. But tonight it wasn�t unsettling her, she had caught some sun that afternoon and her skin was already bronzing, it didn�t take much, they�d only been here two days and already she was completely relaxed.
She even felt quite brave about wearing a dress she hadn�t taken out of the wardrobe for years. It was a very deep blue, thin straps to show off her shoulders and that clingy material that skimmed her body just perfectly. She usually felt far too �on show� to wear this back home, but she figured nobody here would know her. Probably never see her again, and with all the young girls parading around in bikinis why would somebody notice her anyway? A middle-aged woman way past wearing bikinis, now she was laughing at herself � at least she could still do that.
�Hi.� A deep voice behind her, she swallowed her wine and turned her head in the direction of the voice.
�Oh hello � can I help you?�
�Yes.� An enigmatic smile. �You�re English aren�t you?�
�I am indeed � do I stand out that much?�
�You do.� That smile again, almost drawing her in. �May I?� he asked taking hold of the chair next to June.
�Be my guest.� She twisted herself round to face him. �What can I help you with � are you lost or something?�
�Not exactly � I work round here, every so often.�
�Sounds interesting, what do you do?�
�I�m involved in property, not too exciting.�
�Ahh I can tell.�
�You can?� He fiddled with his watch.
�Well, you�re smartly dressed, look professional.� She didn�t say it but added in her head that he was also very good looking and quite charming. Late thirties perhaps, thick dark hair and an obvious permanent tan � fond of himself too she�d say.
�Well how about a I buy you a drink?�
�Oh I�m doing fine thank you, just got a new bottle. But you�re welcome to a glass.�
�That�s very kind of you, so are you here alone?�
Ahh didn�t take him long to get to that � she bit her lip as she poured him a glass of wine. �No, no I�m not alone.�
�Oh dear, male or female companion.�
She laughed out loud now. �You�re very persistent aren�t you!�
�Well I see something I like no point skating around the issue.�
�A good way to live I suppose, though not one I�ve always been able to follow.� She took another gulp of wine.
�Perhaps you should.�
�Perhaps � but that doesn�t change the fact I�m unavailable to you, though I�m more than happy enough to talk to you about other things.� She leaned forward on the table, was she flirting, surely not! She sat back up straight in her chair as he watched her intently.
�Everything is obtainable, if you want it bad enough.� He took a sip of the wine. Would you like to dance?�
�Oh I don�t think so�� She stretched her legs out and caught his foot with hers. �Sorry.� She quickly pulled her legs back under her chair.
*
Jim stopped as he reached the corner of the restaurant. Odd to see her giving that smile to another man � unnerving, unbalancing, in fact he swore he felt himself shake slightly as he watched her.
Leaning on her elbows across the table to some stranger, well he was guessing he was a stranger. Her cleavage showing, the dark silky material strained against her pale skin, what the hell was she doing? He took a deep breath and a sip of his water before he moved across to them.
�Jim.� She looked up and smiled, perhaps a little too tensely. �Erm this is Rob, he owns this place, can you believe that.�
�Well part owns.� He stood up and shook Jim�s hand. �Nice to meet you.�
�And you.� Jim reluctantly took hold of the man�s hand before sitting down across from June. She stared across at him; he knew that look � annoyance.
�I should let you two get back to your dessert.� Rob smiled, charmingly, aimed at her, his back half turned to Jim who couldn�t help but suck in his breath and eye up the man�s well-toned physique.
�Wonderful to meet you June, I hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday, both of you. And do try and check out those places I said.�
�I will, thank you.� She held up her hand for him to kiss.
Jim waited until they were alone again before leaning across the table to her. �Who was he?�
�I told you, he owns this place. Lucky guy � must make a fortune.� She polished off another glass of wine.
�You met him before?�
�No why?�
�Seemed awfully friendly with him.�
�Oh did I really. Jim he just came across to talk, fellow British. You can�t honestly be jealous� you have no need to be.� She picked up the dessert menu and scanned it.
�He seemed a little too friendly for my liking � and that kiss, what was that all about?�
�Jim, stop it, being so childish.� She held the menu across to him. �Could you read this for me, I left my glasses at the apartment.�
�I don�t want anything.�
�You don�t want dessert! Should I worry?�
�Very funny, let�s just pay the bill and go.�
�Jim.� She was trying to keep her voice low to avoid any attention from the other diners but her tone was sharp.
He ignored her however and got up, finding his wallet out and making his way across to the bar.
* *
June held her dress just above her knees, feeling the cool water wash up against her feet, between her toes that sunk into the damp grainy surface.
The moon was full; the sky clear and under any other circumstance there would have been no reason for this not to be a perfect evening.
Apart from the fact Jim stomped ahead in front of her, funny really, he was angry with her yet he was swinging her shoes in his hand, his in the other and his trouser roughly rolled up, they would be creased tomorrow.
�Jim, are you talking to me yet?�
�What�s to talk about?� He called back, not even turning around.
�Well for a start why you�re even angry with me, I haven�t done anything wrong.�
Now he turned to face her, watching her figure delicately tiptoe through the water. How ridiculous, arguing on a beach at night when they were supposed to be on holiday.
�I suppose this is what we�ve got to isn�t it.� He�d stopped walking now, was watching her intently gauging for reactions.
�What?� She was slowly getting closer, a few seconds more and she would be able to see the expression on his face.
�This,� he waved his arms around. �Can�t even enjoy a moonlit evening on a deserted beach.�
�Of course we can, if you�d stop being so silly.�
�Silly � June don�t patronise me.�
�I�m not. For god�s sake Jim, the way you�re acting. It was an innocent conversation.�
�Not the way you were looking at him, the way you leant towards him, the way you�re supposed to look at me.�
�Oh so it�s all my fault right. It�s my fault we�ve had a rough few months, it�s my fault I can�t talk to you anymore without you clamming up on me. It�s my fault we never make love anymore. Jim, you want to know the truth, yes it felt good to talk to him because he paid me some attention. He made me feel attractive; stupid I know, look at him, some rich playboy character who would never really even think twice about sleeping with me. But for a few minutes it felt good, it feels good for any woman to be made to feel attractive.�
�And I don�t know how to treat women.�
�No, no you do, you just seem to have lost the will to even try with me.�
�That�s not true.�
She shrugged and walked past him, he followed in silence. Close behind her, protective, still holding her shoes then stopping as they reached the road and handing them to her to slip on. She leant on his arm as she did so, how could it be like that, still that closeness after rowing minutes before?
He watched as she brushed the sand from her feet, dropped the hem of her dress again, and started off up the hill. Past the bakery shut up for the evening, the dim lights of the village, the soothing silence. The way her hips swayed, accentuated by the material clinging to every line, every line that he knew he so well.
He stopped so close behind her when they reached the door he could smell her perfume, close his eyes and lean his forehead in to brush with her hair. But he didn�t, he just watched as she opened the door, stepped inside, threw her bag onto the couch and wandered through to the bathroom to wash her feet and take her make-up off.
He filled the kettle, sat in the darkness of the kitchen area on one of the unstable chairs, and listened to himself � all the things he�d said to her. He wasn�t usually a jealous man so why had it affected him more tonight? Because of the way she looked? Or because every single word she�d said had been true, he didn�t pay as much attention to her anymore. He knew that. It didn�t mean he�d stopped caring, or finding her attractive, but certain things get overlooked. Not on purpose and certainly not because he intended too. But they did.
The kettle clicked and he jumped up, took his shoes off and cursed as the sand covered the floor. He�d forgotten about that. He tiptoed to the bathroom where June was sitting on the wicker chair drying her feet; he sat on the edge of the bath and watched her in silence, then lifted his head up and caught his reflection in the mirror.
�I�ve put on too much weight.� He murmured.
She got up, hung the towel to dry and placed her hands on his shoulders kissing his head. �I love you.�
She didn�t say anything else, spun round and left the bathroom. He undressed and took a quick shower; he could be a real ass at times.
* *
She was in bed by the time he made it into the room, her eyes closed, her head tilted to one side. She wasn�t exactly in the most comfortable position, half sitting, with her head slumping on her shoulder. He gently lifted her and moved her down the bed; she turned onto her side and settled against the pillows.
It wasn�t too hot tonight, warm still but not as stifling as the past two nights. He actually felt quite comfortable with it. There was a mug of tea on the table by his side of the bed, only lukewarm now, and a glass of water too. Sometimes she was too considerate and anticipated him too well. How was it she�d come to know him so well, knew exactly how to handle him and yet at times, well most of the time to be honest he couldn�t work his behaviour out himself. He picked up the after sun and slipped out onto the balcony, tremendous view from there.
There was something that always got to him when he was away from home, especially so far away like he was now. Some measuring of distance that took place in his head, the comfort of knowing his surroundings, the warmth of his bed and his things around him. He would openly admit it to anyone who asked, he had no reason to hide it, he was strictly a home-person.
Domestic, committed to his job, to those he loved, he�d never aspired to be more than that � to be famous or a millionaire or some travelling suave businessman like the guy they�d met tonight. He had no reason to be, over the years he�d learnt that the important things to him were helping others, which of course was what his job boiled down to. Which is why he�d come to love being in CSU, and June of course being with her. Not just the way she treated him but the way she handled others, so similar to him at times it was unnerving. Her openness, her passion to make things work, her obvious awareness of loneliness and the damage it can cause. Her sheer will to hang on to what they had.
Gingerly he applied the lotion to his shoulders, he really needed her to do his back but he couldn�t wake her now. Perhaps he should, perhaps he should be saying all this to her, no it would have to wait. Typical of him to burn within the first few hours of being there, and June evenly tanned and quite at home in the climate. Her hair looked lighter from the sun, it suited her, he should tell her these things, these were the things she wanted to hear.
As he climbed into bed she turned over, her head falling onto his pillow, one hand tucked beneath her cheek propping up her face. He lay down next to her, closed his eyes and listened to the sounds outside. A light breeze outside the window, the annoyance of the insects out there, that permanent clicking sound they made that touched on each and every nerve he had. How was he supposed to sleep with that sound going on, constant, unfaltering in pitch and tone?
Yet she slept through it all, quite happy, he turned his attention to the sound of her breathing, the fragrance of her skin so close to him. He kept his eyes closed as he moved down to touch her lips with his, gently, hardly any pressure upon them.
At first she didn�t respond but when he did it again she moved slightly next to him. Her mouth still closed as he kissed her, well not even kisses, just a soft touching of his lips on hers. Short, gentle, simple and innocent like a first love�s kiss all over again. Her mouth opened though when his hand rested at the top of her leg and he kissed her properly, her body responding moving up against his and her arm coming to rest across him.
He felt strange kissing her, like he was shaking, like he couldn�t breathe, like at any second the lights would come on and disturb it. But each and every time he pulled his mouth back and the kiss stopped he longed to feel it again, to move back and just have one more taste, just once more that tingling pleasure beginning in his veins and travelling through his body.
This was better than any form of drug, his head was light and dizzy, his body waking and rising and longing to be inside her, to take it that far just because he could. Just because she was willing to and now this had started it had to be completed.
She flinched against him as his hand cupped her breast and this time she pulled back from the kiss, her eyes shot open and he could hardly bring himself to look at her. It was going so well and he�d rushed it, ruined the moment. He was prepared for her turning over, or another argument, or a pained expression in those beautiful eyes.
But no, she just stared at him, wide-eyed, his hand was still resting on her breast and he felt like an awkward teenager doing everything wrong. He daren�t move his fingers, he daren�t move at all for fear it would end, the contact would cease. It had been so long since he�d touched her like this, felt that sheer and complete joy at being with her.
She closed her eyes again and moved her mouth back to his, this time kissing him deeply, roughly even, forcing his response. One of her legs draped over his and her hands linked around his back pulling him closer to her. Before he knew what was happening she had pulled his boxers down and he realised he needed to catch up.
He tugged at the t-shirt she was wearing pushing it up as high as he could sliding his palms over her skin, she let go of him and lifted her arms so he could take it off and he tried to turn her onto her back but she wouldn�t let him, she held him there side by side, equal.
He kissed as much of her skin as he could in that position, felt her heel digging in the back on his knee, her body shaking against him. She usually repeated his name, words of encouragement but not now, none were needed it was a need they both shared and neither had to impress the other anymore or make a declaration of love, it was evident in the way his lips caressed her skin, the way her hands held his body.
Without thought he slipped her panties off, was manoeuvring himself between her thighs, loving the warmth and softness of the skin as he did so, hoping that this never had to end. That long slow moments like this could dominate his life forever, moments when he knew he was alive and that he did matter, feelings mattered, love mattered no what happened in the world, he had this, one bit of perfection.
The hand that was running through his hair stilled and pulled slightly as he slid inside her, and when he looked to her face she was biting her lip, he worried he was hurting her and stopped but her other hand was at the base of his back urging him on and he caught a slight smile on her lips when he was fully inside.
With her leg on top of his she had more influence over their movements and she was determined to make it last, she was very much in control as she lifted her body against his, he couldn�t thrust inside her like his body was telling him to he had to lie there and endure it, he realised he�d gone from silence to moaning her name to screaming for her. He was clinging to her, kissing any part of her skin he could reach and with his eyes closed he could have been anywhere, floating through time and space as the eagerness built up inside of him.
She loosened her grip and moved back from him slightly so he could move on top of her, immediately he felt it start, shuddered against her body, was vaguely aware of her call out his name and grip his arm.
He felt so good, so warm, so loving; she didn�t want him to move. His head was buried against her shoulder; she could feel his heart thumping against her. His heavy breathing on her skin, his lips occasionally kissing her. She slid her hand down his arm, could feel the pulse of blood in his wrist, then caught his hand and tangled her fingers with his.
He lifted his head up now, moved his body back from hers slightly so he could look at her, she was smiling. He could make that out in the darkness at least. He kissed the hand that was holding his, then her mouth again.
�I do love you June. I don�t mean to hurt you, you�re the last person I would ever want to hurt.�
His voice was shaky; she held his face and kissed him again then moved her body until they were lying on their sides again. Her throat felt dry but she had neither the energy nor will to move for a drink. She pressed her face against his chest, felt his arms come around her body and she was lying in the position she loved so much, her eyes closed instantaneously. She was already half asleep but she heard him as he smoothed his hand over her back. �I love you, I love you, I love you� ��
* *
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