Can Yaman International Presents: Aşk ve Gurur~ Love and Pride

Chapter 10, Part 2: Hep Kalbimdesin ("You're Always In My Heart")

At the end of Chapter 10, Part 1: (Can) I turned around, determined to get away before she saw me. I should have never stayed here or come in the first place. After a few steps and against all of the common sense I should have mustered, I whirled around again. "I will just take one look," I promised myself. "One look to hold me for all of the lonely weeks ahead." I drank in the sight of her like a dying man thirsting for water. Her hair was waving like a pennant in the wind. She was standing tall and looked like nothing less than a goddess. She suddenly ran to the water and plunged in. I started walking towards her and when she failed to resurface, I broke into a run.

(Author's Note: Please read to the end of the chapter. Your comments are welcome and don't forget to vote too. Thank you!)

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Sanem's POV:

Was I dreaming? I had to be and if I was, I never wanted to wake up. He was gently setting me down on my feet, my body brushing against his on the way down.

"Are you okay?" Can asked.

I nodded, afraid to breathe lest he disappear. He lifted his hand and his index finger traced a droplet of water on my lower lip. His eyes were transfixed by what he was doing and I felt his short puffs of breath on my mouth. I touched his finger with the tip of my tongue and he closed his eyes with a deep sigh.

I had missed him so much but my paltry memories had done him no justice. The reality, the beauty of him was so overpowering. His lips were just a tempting hair's breadth away from mine. His thick spiky lashes made wet crescents on his cheeks when he closed his eyes. The sight of him made my heart turn over. I cupped his face tentatively and when dream Can didn't rebuff my advances, I grew bolder in my caresses. I ran my hands down his neck and over his broad shoulders. The need to kiss him was almost a biological imperative. Well, I thought, this was my dream so why not?

I leaned up on my toes and pressed my mouth to his. We both groaned in relief when our parted lips met and his tongue swept over mine. The kiss was a hungry and desperate, teeth-clashing one. The fire burning between us was even more tumultuous for having been denied for so long. I pressed my body to his and one of his hands cupped the back of my head and twined in my wet hair to hold me still, to possess my mouth. His other hand skimmed down my arm, grabbed my backside and roughly pushed my hips into his hardness.

I moaned helplessly against his mouth then his head snapped up suddenly and I felt his body go rigid in my arms. I pulled back to see the passion in his eyes slowly extinguish. He let go of me abruptly and staggered back several steps, putting a healthy distance between us. Not a dream, then.

But he was here, in the flesh. Looking devastatingly gorgeous but also clearly wishing himself a thousand miles from where I was. My heart cried out, "I missed you," but I could not say the words. We stared at each other and the words settled around us as if we had both spoken.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen," he muttered. "I saw you go under..." his eyes darted away.

"I'm not sorry," I said softly. I wanted to plead with him, "Please look at me," but could not get the words out.

"I didn't know the house was occupied," he said frowning. He reached in his pocket and I knew he was reaching for his stones. When I could tell he did not find them, now I knew he was agitated.

"How are you?" I asked. At the exact time as I asked the question, he said, "The photographer got sick and Deren asked me to take over. Or I wouldn't have come."

My heart fell to my feet. "Oh," I said and looked away. He wouldn't have come if he'd known I'd be here, in other words. I knew this but hearing it was something else altogether. Battling for control, I raised my eyes to his and caught him staring at me. I was arrested by the look on his face. It was one of sheer, unvarnished, transparent longing. A yearning so pure it took my breath away. But he quickly concealed it and looked away again.