The Last Night in Lisbon

They made it back to bed eventually, after a lazy shower that involved more kissing than washing. Alex’s body felt loose and warm, her muscles limp with exhaustion, but her mind was still buzzing with the night’s revelations.

Ben pulled her into his arms as soon as they collapsed onto the mattress, his chest warm and solid against her back. “You okay?” he murmured, his lips brushing her temple.

Alex smiled, snuggling deeper into his embrace. “Better than okay,” she sighed, her eyes already growing heavy. “I’m perfect.”

Ben’s chuckle vibrated against her spine. “You are,” he agreed, his hand skimming up her stomach to cup her breast. “Fucking perfect.”

Alex hummed, her nipple tightening under his touch. “We should talk,” she murmured, her voice slurring with sleep. “About… about what comes next.”

Ben stilled behind her, his hand going quiet on her skin. “What do you mean?” he asked carefully.

Alex yawned, her body sinking deeper into the mattress. “Boundaries,” she mumbled. “Desires. All the things we should have talked about before.”

Ben was silent for a long moment, his breath warm against her neck. “We don’t have to decide anything now,” he finally said, his voice soft. “We’ve got time. Six months of phone calls and video chats to figure it out.”

Alex nodded, her eyes fluttering closed. “Six months,” she echoed, her voice thick with sleep. “And then you’ll be home.”

“Home,” Ben agreed, his arms tightening around her. “Where I belong.”

Alex didn’t remember falling asleep. One moment she was drifting in the warm haze of Ben’s embrace, the next she was blinking awake to the soft gray light of dawn.

Ben was still behind her, his breathing deep and even against her back. Alex lay still for a long moment, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, feeling the rise and fall of his chest.

“Morning,” Ben murmured eventually, his voice rough with sleep.

Alex turned in his arms, smiling up at him. “Morning,” she whispered, her fingers tracing the stubble on his jaw. “Did you sleep?”

Ben shook his head, his eyes warm on hers. “No,” he said simply. “I was watching you.”

Alex’s smile widened, her heart squeezing in her chest. “Creeper,” she teased, her thumb brushing his lower lip.

Ben nipped at her finger, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Your creeper,” he corrected, his hand sliding down to squeeze her ass. “All yours.”

Alex laughed, the sound bright and clear in the quiet room. “All mine,” she agreed, leaning in to kiss him. “Always.”

They made love again in the pearly dawn light, a slow, sweet coupling that was more about connection than climax. When it was over, they lay tangled together for a long moment, their bodies slick with sweat, their hearts beating in sync.

“I don’t want to go,” Ben murmured eventually, his lips brushing her temple. “Six months feels like forever.”

Alex smiled, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw. “It’ll go by before we know it,” she said softly. “And we’ll have plenty of phone calls and video dates to keep us busy.”

Ben chuckled, his hand sliding down to squeeze her ass. “Video dates, huh?” he teased. “And what exactly will we be doing on these video dates?”

Alex laughed, the sound bright and clear in the quiet room. “Use your imagination,” she whispered, leaning in to kiss him. “I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”

Their goodbye was bittersweet, full of clinging kisses and murmured promises. Alex stood on the villa’s front step and watched Ben’s taxi disappear around the corner, her heart aching with a mixture of love and loneliness.

She found the note tucked into her suitcase when she got back to the bedroom, a single sheet of paper folded in half with her name on the front. Inside, Ben’s neat handwriting covered the page:

*My darling Alex,* *Last night was everything I dreamed it could be and more. You are my heart, my home, my greatest adventure. I’ll be counting the days until I can hold you again.* *Love always,* *Ben*

Taped to the bottom of the note was a small, slim book. Alex pulled it free, her breath catching when she saw the title: *“The Adventurous Bride’s Guide to Backdoor Fun.”*

She laughed, her eyes tearing up even as her heart swelled with love. Trust Ben to find the perfect combination of sweet and dirty.

Smiling to herself, Alex tucked the note and the book into her carry-on, already anticipating their reunion. Six months wasn’t so long, not when they had a lifetime of adventures ahead of them.