“We’re not going to crash.”
“No one plans to.”
“Just breathe and enjoy the freedom of zooming through the sky like a bird. Soaring above everyone and everything.”
She pried her gaze away from the vast stretch of ocean that surrounded them and decided to focus on Gavin instead. His eyes were alight with excitement. Her serious businessman was grinning from ear to ear like a child with his first bicycle. He adjusted the controls like a pro, setting the cruising altitude and putting them on a course to...somewhere.
It was an amazing transformation. Sabine had seen Gavin happy. Angry. Sad. She’d watched his face contort in the pinnacle of passion and go blank with deep thought. But not once had she ever seen him truly joyful. It suited him. He should’ve joined the Air Force. He might not have a thirty-million-dollar apartment on Central Park South, but he would’ve been happier. Sometimes you have to make the hard choices to chase your dream. She’d left her entire family behind to follow hers and had rarely regretted the decision.
Two hours later, Gavin started talking into the headset again, and they were granted permission to land although she didn’t see anything but miles of blue sea. The plane slowly dropped in altitude. The ocean lightened to a bright turquoise blue, and mossy-green islands appeared through the clouds. She closed her eyes when they landed, but Gavin did a great job at that.
They taxied around the small island airport, finally passing a sign to help her figure out where she was. Welcome to Bermuda.
Bermuda!
At the hangar, they were directed to a location to leave the jet. Gavin shut all the equipment down and they opened the door, extending steps to the ground. Sabine was excited about the trip but grateful to finally have her sandals touching the earth again.
Gavin directed a couple men to unload luggage from the cargo hold and move it to a black town car waiting outside. The driver then whisked them through the narrow, winding streets. After a while, they turned off the main road to a sand-and-gravel drive that disappeared through the thick cover of trees. The world seemed to slip farther away with every turn until at last they came upon a secluded two-story home right on the beach. The house was bright yellow with a white roof and white shutters around each window.
The driver carried their bags inside, leaving them on the tile floor of the master bedroom suite. Sabine followed behind him, taking in every detail of their home away from home. It was decorated in a casual beach style with bright colors and lots of light. There were large French doors off the living room that opened onto a deck. She walked outside, stepping onto it and realizing that it actually extended out over the water.
Sabine leaned against the railing and looked all around her. She didn’t see another house or boat anywhere. There was nothing but palm trees, black volcanic rock, clear blue water and pink sand. It was unexpected, but peachy-pink sand stretched out on either side of them.
“The sand is pink,” she said, when she heard Gavin step out onto the patio behind her.
“I thought you’d like that.” He pressed against her back and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Sabine sighed and eased against him. She could feel the tension start to drift away just being here in his arms. He was right. As much as she’d protested, she needed this vacation.
“I didn’t even know such a thing existed. It’s beautiful.” Her gaze fell on some multicolored glittering stones in the sand. “What is that?” She pointed to the beach. “Shells?”
“Sea glass. They have some beaches here that are just covered in it.”
Sabine had the urge to walk along the beach and collect some glass to take home. Maybe she could work it into her art. She hadn’t done any painting yet, but she had begun allowing herself to think about it again. The ideas were forming, waiting for her to execute when she was ready. Sea glass might very well feature prominently in the first piece.
“This place is amazing. I want to paint it.”
Gavin nuzzled his nose along the shell of her ear. “Good. I want you to paint. I even brought supplies with me.”
Sabine turned in his arms with a small frown. “I didn’t notice any canvases.”
He grinned and planted his hands on the railing to trap her there. “That’s because they’re body paints. I’m your canvas.”
“Oohhh...” Sabine cooed, the possibilities flowing into her mind. This could certainly be fun. “When can we start my next masterpiece?”
Gavin captured her lips with his own, coaxing her blood to move faster and her skin to flush with the heat of desire. One hand moved to her waist and slid beneath her shirt to caress her bare skin. “Right now,” he whispered against her lips.