Love At First Text ✔️

Him

He was going to speak to her. At some point. When it didn't feel like his heart was in his mouth.

Sebastian was watching as she floated through the market, smiling at the owners and trailing her fingers over everything that caught her eye. Which was, quite literally, everything.

She was wearing a soft yellow dress that sloped off of her shoulders and flared out to her knees in layers of raw edged fabric. Her brown leather belt matched the strappy wedges she'd worn and though she'd complained about the heeled shoes, she'd demanded them necessary because everyone in Seb's family was 'too damn tall' and she felt like a 'short arse' next to them. Sebastian was glad for the shoes. They made her legs look fantastic, and her arse even better.

When they had left the villa this afternoon, her hair was still wet from the shower, so she had knotted it at the nape of her neck. It had dried quickly, and wisps had come free around her face, which danced across her features every time she spun to view something.

She looked ethereal. Phenomenal. He had to tell her.

"Oh, wow." She breathed, bending slightly to view the jewellery. Her eyes raced over the collection, but he saw how her sights returned several times to a bracelet. It was gold plated with patterns engraved into the metal work, and glinting aqua gems encrusted a small clover like charm. She was enraptured by it, her hand working over to touch it.

"Pretty, yes?" The woman sat behind the stand, knotting together string and threading it with beads as she created something else.

Eden looked up to her and nodded. "Beautiful. Did you make this?"

The woman beamed at her interest. "All! This, for you, thirty-five euro."

Sebastian watched as Eden's face fell slightly. She let her fingers skim the bracelet once more before she pulled away. "Maybe another day." She moved on, glancing at it longingly before continuing her wandering.

He didn't have to think about it. He stood right where Eden had a ten seconds later. The woman looked up at him. "Thirty-five for the girl, yeah?"

She grinned. "Yes. Thirty-five." Sebastian handed her the money as she took the bracelet and slotted it into a small paper bag. "Your filenáda?" Seb raised a brow. "Yours? Girl?"

"Oh!" He realised. He looked over to where he could see her giggling with her auntie at the penis bottle openers. "Soon, maybe." He rushed off after her, barely giving her a moment to realise he was behind her before he was taking her wrist and hurrying her outside.

"What are you doing?" She laughed, squinting against the sun.

"I have something for you." He offered her the bag. Her smile faltered with curiosity. "You looked like you might cry if you didn't get it."

Tentatively, she removed the bracelet from the bag. "Oh, Sebastian. I can't – you've already done so much for me."

"Too late. No refunds, she said." She shook her head, but that grin he loved was back. She held it back out to him, and then offered her wrist. He didn't need to be asked to clasp it there, rolling it until he was sure it wouldn't come loose. "There. Stunning."

"Thank you. It's perfect." She told him, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck and press a kiss to his cheek. His arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her from the floor somewhat. She giggled, pulling away to look at him. "What's got you in such a good mood?"

He stared into her eyes. "The view." The bridge of her nose and the apple of her cheeks were already red from the sun, but he saw the blush creep up to darken them. "You look so happy."