Sailing With Destiny

Pont des Arts

I loved Mitchell, I truly did with all my heart but he had one particular pet peeve that I hated so much. For some reason, Mitchell was a morning person and I could've lived with that but, like a rooster, he couldn't resist and woke those around him, namely me at the crack of dawn.

In the past, Mitchell was outright cruel about his wake-ups. He banged on my bedroom door, yelled at the top of his lungs, or, worse of all, pulled the covers off me. I recalled our previous trip when I wanted nothing more than to strangle him every morning, nothing infuriated me more than when I heard how he yelled at me first thing.

Our dynamics had obviously changed now that he was in love with me. Over the last week when I stayed with him at his beach house in Malibu, he never woke me and instead was extra quiet so my sleep wasn't interrupted. However, back then I had nothing to do and he was awake at five-thirty to get ready for work. Whereas this particular morning, we were both on vacation and he seemed to enjoy making the best of each day so, in his eyes, there was a reason for me to get up early.

I squeezed my eyes tight as his cool, slightly rough fingertips brushed over my cheekbone, "Rise and shine, Milo."

"Five more minutes," I sleepily mumbled.

His warm breath fanned over my face when he responded, "Those five minutes ended thirty minutes ago."

"Lo que sea," I murmured and rolled over to my other side.

Silence then followed and a content smile covered my lips but I counted my blessings way too soon because within seconds, the bed dipped and I felt Mitchell's presence near me.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty," he said softly, "We need to leave soon."

Mitchell truly must've hated sleep, I felt as if I was asleep for only an hour when I vaguely heard him get up, and then almost a few moments later, he persisted until I got up.

"If you keep on bugging me, I will go Maleficent on you and put you to sleep forever," I grumbled.

Mitchell responded not with words but instead, his presence drew closer and I felt his lips over my cheek. I paid no heed to his kiss; him placing a single kiss here and there wasn't uncommon while I was asleep.

I obstinately kept my eyes closed when he lingered and placed feathery kisses across my jaw before his lips moved further up to mine.

He first placed a chaste, gentle kiss over my lips but soon enough his warm tongue caressed over my bottom lip and my annoying hormones immediately reacted.

A low moan escaped my throat when I kissed him back and parted my lips to deepen the kiss but, like a damn tease, he pulled away and my eyes were forced awake when a single water drop fell onto my forehead.

I blinked a few times and was greeted by Mitchell's bright eyes and dimpled grin.

"Would you look at that," he softly said, "I pulled a Prince Phillip, one kiss and you're awake."

Mitchell was very close and he smelled really good. Fresh out of the shower, the scent of his body wash and shampoo mixed with his minty breath and engulfed me. His hair was damp and a drop from one of the couple strands that always sat over one side of his forehead fell over my face.

I stretched out an arm and slowly shook my head, "Nope," I gazed up at him with sleepy eyes, "Getting me wet woke me not the kiss."

The moment my half-asleep brain registered my words, I realized how wrong Mitchell was going to interpret them.

As expected, both his brows raised and lips twitched at the corners in amusement, "Oh, is that so?"

I rolled my eyes, reached for his hair, pushed the damps strands back with my fingers, and elaborated, "I meant water is dripping from your hair."