A fifteen hour flight felt exactly as long as I imagined it would. Actually, twice as long. The excitement of the nose of the plane angled upward into the atmosphere and headed in the general vicinity of Greece died down after we leveled out and the business of being on a Trans-Atlantic flight got underway-beverages, snacks, movies, drinks. Lather, rinse, repeat.

We were up most of the night before playing board games, watching movies, talking incessantly about our trip, planning nearly every second. The two of us huddled on the bed, up against the headboard, eating Reese's Pieces and flipping through a dog-eared, well worn copy of Frommer's Travel Guide like it was the most interesting novel we'd ever read.

"You know what?" JC sat up, twisting so he was almost facing me. He dug into the bag between us and popped a few of the peanut butter candies in his mouth. "I want to tell you something," he said, around a mouthful. "About this trip."

"I know, no fighting. I wasn't planning on it."

He frowned, shaking his head. "No. I wasn't going to say that. What was that you said, one time? Don't pick at the scab?"

"In New Orleans. You also said that was gross."

"Anyway," he continued, "I wanted to say, just have a good time, you know?" I must have given him a look, because he rolled his eyes, tossed a few more candies into his mouth and tried to elaborate. "I'm just saying that I want you to enjoy yourself. This is a nice trip I put together for us. I want us to love every second of it."

An eyebrow arched as I reached into the bag to grab some candy before he ate it all. He was a freak for peanut butter anything. Before either of us knew it, the bag would be gone. "Enjoy myself. I think I can handle that."

"Okay. Good. Cause I mean..." He hesitated, tilting his head and lowering his voice. He was never so cute as he was then, with the glow of the lamp behind him. Almost angelic. Almost. "You... I mean, I know you get a little weird about the money. You know, when we do expensive things like go on trips and stay at nice hotels and stuff. I don't want you to freak out and be weird about it and I don't want you to think I mean anything by wanting to give you something nice."

 "I don't freak out, JC. It's just that over time, I've come to know you a little bit and I know you'd never spend the money if it weren't for me, and that makes me feel... kind of..."

"Guilty?"

I considered guilt, but it didn't quite match my feeling. I shook my head. "Like a gold-digger." His eyes began to roll again but I grabbed his chin and directed his attention back to me. "Look, I get it.  This is a perk, and you like doing it and it's for us and not just me. But..."

"I know."  He interrupted with a pat to my thigh with a warm, heavy hand. It lingered, smoothing up toward the hem of my boy shorts and then down to my knee and back up. "That's why I'm telling you this right now. It's okay to have a good time. This is special, a gift from me to you. And all I'm saying is have a good time. Don't waste my money."

I reared back so that I could look up at him and see his face without the glare of the lamp behind him. He was almost laughing, his mischievous smile spreading across his face. A breath of relief might have escaped my lungs. For a moment, I thought he was more serious than he appeared to be.

I clicked my teeth and nodded my head and then stretched up toward him, lips puckered. He leaned forward until his lips met mine and let them play awhile, dancing lightly on my lips and then my cheek.

"You uh... seem pretty serious about that."

"I am," was the muffled response, his voice vibrating against my neck, his tongue assaulting it in a most delicious manner. "I paid good money. I want to get the most out of it."

"Well," I chuckled, my voice deepening into a lusty register. "Since you put it that way..."

Our flight departed Atlanta at 12:30, so by the time we were on our way, we were also deliriously sleepy. Almost as soon as we were in the air, JC leaned his extra large seat back, covered himself with a jacket and nodded off, his head tipped to the side and mini-pout firmly in place.  

Me? There was no way I was getting to sleep.

Between trying not to remember that I was flying over an ocean and being too punchy to relax, my mind was buzzing with questions:

Should we have converted some money, even though the travel guides said not to?

How would we read the street signs?

Did our insurance work overseas?

Would our phones work?

What if something happened to one of us? How would I ask for help? What was "help" in Greek? I didn't know any Greek!

I was restless, my hands alternately shaky and cold, then clammy and hot. I closed my eyes and exhaled and then inhaled until the questions in my head died down and I minimized my own self induced stress. Surely, between the two of us very smart people, we would be able to figure things out. 

I tipped my head close to the pane of Plexiglass and tried to see something-anything-but all I saw were clouds. Not the deep blue of the ocean that I was so afraid of flying over. I sank back against the seat, slightly disappointed. I wanted to see what I'd been so afraid of.

Movement in the seat next to me caught my attention. JC was upright, eyes at half mast and fixed on me.

"You're supposed to be trying to sleep."

He still had that post-sleep rumble that sounded like he'd dragged his voice through a gravel pit, something I had found sexy long before I'd met him but had been enhanced since knowing him.

I shook my head but leaned over and brushed my lips against his forehead. His mouth stretched wide with a yawn, making his eyes shrink to mere slivers. As if that took all of his energy stores, he settled back against the leather seat, eyeing the tray in front of him holding a covered cardboard dish and a can of Pepsi.

"I figured you would want to eat, whenever you woke up."

He sat up, leaning over the tray, discarded the cardboard top and picked at the edges of the saran wrap covering a sandwich. "You figured right. Starvin'."  

In minutes he was sweeping crumbs from his shirt and jeans. A flight attendant came by to pick up the garbage and JC relaxed again, sipping his can of Pepsi.

"How you doin'? You okay?" He bumped my knee with his, drawing my attention away from the window where I was still seeking out a glimpse of water.

"I'm doing good. I'm okay," I said, turning back to the window. It was still cloudy, but for a few seconds between wisps, I caught a blink of blue. The sun was about to set, casting a rosy glow over the atmosphere. "It's beautiful up here."

"Kinda surprised you can look out there."  

"Nothing to be afraid of, as long as you're here."

"Then why aren't you sleeping? We land at like 11am local time. I don't want to waste a day sleeping. That's why we're supposed to be sleeping.right.now." He punctuated his sentence with taps on my thigh.

I grabbed his hand and shoved it back to his own lap. "Well, I can't sleep for fifteen hours, JC. And I'm not scared." I sighed, rolling my head back against the headrest, finally feeling a little tired. "I'm just so excited. I can't wait to get there. And this flight is only halfway over."

JC reached over me and pressed a button, causing the seat to recline, unfolded the jacket he had used to cover himself and laid it over me. He picked up a hand and lovingly, gently, caressed me, making sure to rub the back of my hand with the pad of his thumb. I smiled, my eyes sliding closed. I loved that. He knew it.

"Just relax. Deep breaths, in and out. And have nice dreams of you and me hanging out on some rooftop high, high, way up high-"

"Stop it," I whined. "I'm not doing that well."

He laughed, reclining his own seat and then leaning over me to kiss my cheek. "Sleep, sweet girl. Get lots and lots of sleep. You'll need it."

*

"Oh my God. Which way do we go?"

I felt like we were in another world, maybe another dimension, one not unlike the one I was used to but  filled with people bustling around us with places to go and things to do and speaking quickly and loudly in a tongue I did not understand. We had stopped outside of the seating area at our arrival gate to get our bearings and pull out our identification.

Now we just stood there, numbly staring at the commotion around us at Athens International Airport. To my surprise, there were signs in English. This seemed to calm some of my nerves, but new worries were mounting every second. Namely, where were we? And where were we going?

"I guess we follow the crowd," JC said, pointing the nose of his water bottle toward the swarm of people going in the same direction. "And the signs to luggage claim. Let's go." 

We fell into step with everyone else- the tourists, the people returning home, the people continuing to another city, the flight crew.

"Smell that?" JC elbowed me, nodding his head toward the food vendors down the long corridor. My mouth was watering at the scents coming from the grills and the plates being served up to patrons waiting.  I was mesmerized, walking slowly past them, breathing in the scent of beef, chicken, vegetables, accented with fragrant sauces. My stomach rumbled. I'd been too nervous to eat on the plane.

"Smells so good. I'm hungry."

"Of course, you are." He winked, chuckling at our long standing joke. "Let's figure out where we're going, first, then we'll eat."

It seemed easy enough to navigate our way past the concourses and down the escalator to the eleven baggage claim conveyor belts. Breathing became much easier once I realized that Athens International was just like any other airport-LAX, Atlanta, Orlando. Greece didn't seem like that big of a deal, so far.

Of course we hadn't left the airport, yet.

"Time to pop your Customs cherry," JC joked, rolling his luggage behind him. I snickered, keeping pace with him.

"Are we going straight to Santorini from here, or what?"

"We don't have to. It's early-maybe we could check our stuff in those luggage lockers," he nodded his head toward a long row of pay-by-the-hour lockers near the arrival gates. "Then we could go see some Greek shit."

I had to hold back my laughter as we headed toward Customs. "I'm pretty sure nothing in Greece will compare to a giant cow-"

 "A giant rotating cow. And that cow was awesome."

"Whatever you say, sweetheart. Whatever you say."

We converted a small amount of cash into euro at the airport. The rates were as outrageous as we'd read they would be. Once we arrived in Santorini, we could exchange our dollars for euro at more reasonable rates. For the moment, we only needed enough to pay for two luggage lockers and to meet our ride-- a minibus tour leaving the airport and going to the Acropolis and the Olympic Stadium and other points of interest along the way.

We piled into the bus with a group of chatty tourists, taking the last two side by side seats just as the bus rumbled to life. A man stood up front, casually dressed in a khaki shirt and jeans. He reminded me so much of Charles, from perfect hair with mild streaks of grey, brown eyes that crawled each seat of the bus with pointed concentration, and strong jaw to accompany an angular face and sturdy frame. He was tall, well over six feet, and almost had to hunch down so his hair wouldn't brush against the ceiling of the bus.

He began to speak, and though his accent was quite thick, he was easily understandable. Stefanos, as he introduced himself, was a Greek native, born and raised in Athens and was happy to share his hometown with tourists. He advised us to sit back, relax, and enjoy the tour. JC hung his arm across my shoulder as the bus lurched forward, and amid the beating of my heart in my throat, we left the Athens airport behind.

The tips of his fingers tapped my arm, drumming out a beat to whatever song he was lightly humming in my ear, since he was leaning over me to see out of the window. Upon cresting a hill we were greeted with the most fantastic view-clear blue skies, not a hint of a cloud. From where we were riding along on the road, the side of the mountain dipped into a lush valley and in the center was the metrolopolis of downtown Athens, surrounded by the colorful stone buildings and homes.

"Along this road at sunset," Stefanos announced, "You can watch the night lights slowly turn on downtown."

I could hardly breathe, my hand clutching my chest, my heart thumping wildly beneath it. "I feel like I can see the whole city from here," I said, gasping.

"You don't think about it being that big," JC said. "Take a picture."

"Oh yeah." I dug through a small bag that I had dragged along just to carry our things and picked out my camera, snapping a few photos. "Should I take a couple with the phone, too?"

"Nah," he said, shaking his head. "Well, yeah but don't post any until we know how much it'll cost us to post them."

I chuckled, snapped a few pictures, and put the phone away. I was still smiling, which prompted JC's asking, what?

"Nothing," I said, turning my attention back to the view outside our window. After nearly an hour of smooth travel, Stefano announced that in a few minutes we would reach the base of the hill that led to the Acropolis. We would have to climb from there.

"I hope that you ladies have worn comfortable shoes for hiking," he joked, in his smooth, deep voice. My toes wiggled inside my canvas sneakers. I hoped they held up.

The bus began to slow, and then pulled over next to taxis and large buses and limos, all bringing tourists to the same spot. "You've come to Greece at the perfect time. During the summer it can reach 100 degrees. Today, a pleasant seventy-two." He smiled, offering last minute instructions about when to return to the bus, what to leave behind and what to take. We only had my small bag, so we stood to get in the line of people already loading off of the bus.

The Acropolis of Athens, literally "the edge city", is a flat topped rock that rises 490ft above sea level. Atop this rock are buildings. One of the most visited, toured, and marveled is the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the Greek Goddess Athena. Ancient Grecians considered her to be their protector. Standing in front of the massive stone structure with columns that climbed into the sky, topped with intricate swirls and carvings that had been standing since 400BC, I was struck speechless, completely in awe.

"I thought... he said... it wasn't hot up here." JC, who had finally caught up with me, hunched over and rested his hands on his knees and panted. "My hat would come in very handy right now."

Absentmindedly, I patted him on the back while still staring, and then snapped a few pictures with both cameras. After he figured out he wasn't going to get any sympathy, he stood up straight and mimicked my stare, straight up.

"So. What can you tell me about this..." he nodded toward the historic ruins. "This."

"Are you going to correct me, if I say something wrong, Mister Know it All?"

He glanced at me, blinking from behind his shades. "I don't honestly know much about Greek history. You're the history buff. Educate me."

I rolled my head back toward the view and cleared my throat. "Well. Supposedly, this is the most perfect, finest temple ever built. It's highly regarded, everything from how the columns bulge as they get near to the top-they think to drain off rain water-to how the proportions seem to follow the golden ratio. That's uhm... you know, where the sum of the smaller quantities-"

"... is equal to the sum of the larger quantities." JC nodded, his chin in his hands, fingers stroking the tiny hairs growing in.  

"It's uh, kind of disputed but they say that the base of the Parthenon and some of the façade are the golden ratio." I shrugged looking over at him. He stared down at me, expressionless. I didn't know what that meant. "But I don't know. I guess I believe everything I read."

"Mhmmm..." JC stroked his chin some more.

"And uh...this place used to hold ancient treasures. Sort of like a museum. There was a giant statue of Athena in there. Supposedly the government is going to restore monuments like these but it's slow going."

"Interesting." JC glanced down at me, his smartass smirk firmly in place. "I love your sexy brain."

I simultaneously blushed and shrugged him off. "Pssht. Whatever. I like... know tons more. I just didn't want to show off."

"Show it off, baby. Show it off."

"Let's take a picture." I moved next to him, he laid his arm around my shoulder and took the camera.

"Okay, smile....three... two... one." The shutter snapped and he handed it to me and started back down the hill. By habit, I checked the photo on the camera's memory card and sighed. I was smiling sweetly. JC's eyes were closed and his lips were pursed and twisted to the side.

"JC! I can't send this picture of us at the damn Parthenon with you making a stupid face. Come on."

He paused and turned around, laughing. "Why not?"

"Come back here, please and take a real picture."

"That is a real picture."

I huffed a frustrated breath and turned the camera off and shoved it back into my bag, then stomped down the hill to catch up with him.

"What?" He called after me, as I passed him. "Okay, okay. I'll re-take the picture."

"Nope. I'm sending that one straight to Karen and telling her that you wouldn't take a real picture with me."

"Aw... no. Don't... I'll re-take it. Come on. Come back. Serena."

Smug, I grinned to myself and continued down the hill. Two could play at that game.  

Our group gathered back at the minibus, took a headcount and the tour continued through the city. Stefanos spouted facts about landmarks and spots along the way-well known shops, restaurants, sight-seeing destinations. At city center was the Ancient Greek stadium.

The original Olympic stadium, the only one to be constructed with white marble, glistened in the afternoon sun. It was expansive, its U shaped track built before athletic standards dictated official sizes of competition areas.

We were allowed inside, our group spreading out and climbing the steps to sit in the stands and pretend to watch a display of agility and strength. I found a spot toward the middle and sat down. JC followed and sat next to me, then rooted through the bag next to me and pulled out the camera.

"Smile," he said, and snapped a picture. "Now go down there." He pointed to the grassy competition area in the center of the stadium. "Pretend you're... running with a pole and you're gonna do a vault or something."

"Seriously?"

"Go down there," he said, pulling my arm until I stood and then pushing me back toward the steps. "And have fun with it. I can get a picture of you standing on grass at home."

I did as I was told, bounding back down the steps to the soft, springy grass and took an Olympic-like stance-or as close as I could get to one. By the time I was headed back up the steps, I was laughing at myself.

"That was dumb."

"No, it wasn't." JC flipped the camera over and switched to the viewer to show me the picture. "You're totally cute. My turn."

JC opted to pose as a discus thrower, crouching low, his forearms bulging underneath his t-shirt. I snapped the picture as best I could, since I was shaking with laughter. Our pictures were going to turn out totally stupid. But totally fun.

A half hour later, we were on the bus and headed back to the airport. We still had a few details to take care of before catching a short flight to Santorini. We passed restaurant after restaurant, full to overflowing with patrons lazily enjoying an afternoon meal on spacious patios. The scents permeated the windows of the bus, sending my stomach into angry fits of hunger. JC must have heard it, because he leaned into me, dipping his head to my shoulder and laughed.

"Shut up. I am delirious with hunger. Can we eat?"

He nodded. "I'm hungry, too. And then I need to see about our tickets to..." He wiggled his brows and made face. "Santorini," he said with an overblown accent. I smiled and gripped his chin, pulled his head toward me and plopped a wet kiss on his cheek.

"Whassat for?"

"Cause you're cute."

We ended up at Karavi, a ninth floor restaurant and bar at the Sofitel Airport Hotel. Sturdy chairs upholstered in crisp white fabric were placed around wood tables in front of panoramic window views of Athens. The menu boasted freshly made Mediterranean and basic Greek fare.

On the table were little white plates, each piled with an assortment of food that smelled incredible-kalamata olives, fried fish, meatballs, an assortment of breads and feta cheese. The Greek, as we read in Frommers, don't generally drink alcohol without eating. Mezedes, or appetizers, were a perfect start to a meal or a companion to a bottle of Ouzo, so we ordered a bottle and some food to eat.

"I feel like I should warn you." I paused to tear a slice of thick textured bread in half and bit off a corner. It took everything in me not to groan at the taste of freshly baked bread. "You know how you say I eat a lot, for a girl? Well, I plan on doing a lot of that. Eating. A lot."

JC nodded toward his plate, full of a sampling of every item on the table. "I obviously plan on joining you." He picked up a slice of bread and tore it in half, watching the steam rising from the crevice between each piece. "Know what this kinda reminds me of?"

I was more meticulous about my food choices, opting to indulge in olives and bread and cheese before our meal came. I glanced up at him, an eyebrow raised. "What?"

"That first weekend I went to see you. On Sunday morning, you made croissants and we had coffee and hung out." He bit into the bread and chewed, his mouth making pleased sounds.

"Oh yeah." I smiled at the warm memory of that first weekend, before I knew what I was really getting myself into. "We still do that."

"Sometimes. Not a lot." Around a large bite he added, "I like traditions."

"Me too. Especially ones that involve hanging out with you and eating. We should do that again, sometime."

He wiggled a brow at me while his fork moved quickly, stabbing at random items and transferring them to his mouth. "I just mean that we used to do a lot of stuff that we haven't done since you moved to LA."

"Like?"

"Like... we used to watch TV shows together, especially when you worked for Qwest. Remember bitching about Top Chef marathons?" I laughed. Yeah, I remembered.  We had gotten away from our old, comfortable habits, the things we did before we became an old "married" couple.

"Hey, remember that game we played one time? The uh... adult board game?"

"Mmmm. You won, if I recall correctly. I also remember that you called me a freak after we played that game."

JC dropped his fork and threw up his hands. "Was I wrong? Tell me. Was I wrong?"

"Nope," I answered, grinning with pride, my eyes rolling up toward the ceiling. "Okay, I hear you. We'll start doing those things we used to do. Like Sundays in bed with croissants and coffee, and bad movies on cable and making out during Star Wars. Happy?"

"Tell you the truth," he said, quietly, leaning heavily on one arm. "I'm pretty damn happy right now."

Without even looking up, I knew he was staring at me. I could feel it, feel his eyes boring into the side of my face. I looked up from my exploration of the breadbasket and caught his stare. His cheeks developed a slightly pink hue, but he didn't look away.

"Me too," I said, sitting back in my seat. "Really happy right now." He suppressed a smile and picked at the brightly colored placemat with the pad of his thumb. I laid a hand over his and squeezed. "Thank you for this."

He closed his eyes and inhaled, his chest expanding with his deep breath as if he was savoring the words. Then with a flick of his wrist, waved away the sentimental moment.  He couldn't fool me, though. "I want you to have a good time, is all. A great time. Really enjoy yourself."

"I'm having the best time already. And you?"

"If you are, I am."

I laughed at his non-answer. "Well, I am. In fact, I was kind of thinking about someth--"

"Have we decided yet?" Our sever wedged between us holding a glass pitcher of water. She refilled JC's glass and topped off mine, rattling off menu items. We ordered liberally, choosing a soup and salad, an entrée and Baklava, a traditional dessert. She reached for the oblong menus encased in leather folios and quietly shuffled back through the dining room.

JC was poking through the basket again, pulling out a roll, and then slathering it with a thick layer of feta cheese. "You were thinking about something?"

I shrugged, smiling around the bread I shoved into my mouth. The damned server showed up at the wrong time and ruined the moment. I had too much time to second-guess myself and decide that now was not the right time to bring it up.

Because what if he didn't want to talk about it, and then it would bother me the entire trip, and I'd have to pretend it wasn't a big deal but it would eat me alive and we would end up fighting... no. Not the right time. Wait it out.

"If I haven't gained five pounds already, I'll be surprised." JC rubbed his belly, rounded from the five course meal, drinks, and dessert.

"Oh, but it was a well earned five pounds. More to come."

Hand in hand, we strolled back toward the airport, our shadow images growing long in the waning daylight. We picked up our bags at the luggage lockers and headed to a smaller airstrip where a small, tiny plane would take us to Santorini. I stood at the window and stared at it while JC bought our tickets, nearly biting a hole in my bottom lip.

"It'll be fine," I heard from behind me. JC pulled the handle of his suitcase, me and my luggage toward the boarding area. My footsteps were slow and plodding, my mouth in a pout. I was not looking forward to this flight.

"I don't trust a plane that you have to go outside and down the stairs and up some other stairs just to board."

"This plane's bigger than the one from Denver to Vail." JC pointed, making complete sense, but my heart was still thumping hard in my ears. "You made that flight, you can make this one. It's a short flight, like forty minutes. Okay?"

I nodded, mumbling something that sounded like ‘whatever' and followed JC down the steps and out to the plane. He checked our baggage with the porter and climbed the steps behind me. There was no assigned seating, so I picked two seats near the middle of the plane and took the one near the window. Maybe I would spot some water between the wispy clouds.   

The plane filled with passengers and the cabin doors closed.  Soon the aircraft began a smooth reverse motion. I turned to JC to announce what was obvious, that we were on the move. He, however, had already cocked his head to the side and rolled it slightly forward. His eyes were closed, his lashes laying against his cheek, his mouth slightly open. Between the long day and the full meal, it was only a matter of time before he passed out.  

I sighed, turning back to the window, watching the airport disappear as we raced down the runway and then at the last possible second, the small craft lifted and we were in the air, soaring over land and then, without warning, water.

I wanted to yelp, but gulped it back. Everywhere, in every direction, indigo blue waters and white waves cresting and crashing on island shore surrounded us. Below, ferries carrying passengers cut through the sea, leaving long swirling tails behind them. Without realizing it, I wasn't freaking out, anymore. My heartbeat, while still pulsing in my throat, wasn't racing as quickly as before. I wasn't faint or sweating or near hyperventilation. Once I calmed, I was able to look around a little more, at the islands we were passing, the water we were flying over, and the other passengers on the plane.

Most seemed to be tourists, like us. Others appeared to be native, especially those speaking loudly and quickly in Greek. I could only catch a few words here and there- ya-soo (hello), ka-li-spera (good evening), o-chi, (no), as well as some names- Athena, Eleni, Maria, Cristos. Quietly, I whispered to myself, trying to parrot some of the words so I could say them right. I was thankful JC was asleep; otherwise, he would have laughed at me.

The pilot announced our approach to Thira Island National Airport and our landing very shortly. I breathed a sigh of relief. The plane just felt tiny, especially after being trapped in the air with a full flight of people. The jolt of wheels hitting the pavement jolted JC awake with a start.

"Shit," he said through a yawn, rubbing his eyes with this thumb and forefinger. "Didn't mean to fall asleep."

I reached across my armrest and gave him a pat on the thigh. Instead of pulling away, I let my hand linger there while the plane taxied toward a gate. "You must have been tired. You fell asleep before we even took off."

"You okay?"

His fingers were in my hair, playing with the tight ringlet of curls at the base of my neck. His touch was unexpected, which made me shiver and wiggle around in my seat. I grabbed his hand, pulling it until his arm wrapped around my neck.

"I'm good. I'm trying to stay awake so I'll sleep tonight."

"Hmmm. Good idea."

"Not if you'll be up all night..."

"I've never had a problem sleeping. Don't worry about me."

Our plane reached its destination. Lights flickered, bells sounded, and the noise in the small craft grew to a fever pitch as people unsnapped seat belts and gathered bags and shouted things to each other from one end of the plane to the other. We sat and waited, watching everything and everyone around us, peering out of the window at the tarmac and other planes. When we could finally head up the narrow aisle and down the steps and pick up our luggage from the outdoor cart and then stand in the sun and look around, I heaved a long, relaxed sigh.

JC was busy zipping away his passport and digging through his suitcase, pulling out his hat and his wallet. My hair whipped around in the light wind, becoming infused with the salt from the sea. The air was so different from Atlanta or LA, or even the clean, mountain air of Vail. It was hard to describe, but it was different. In every direction, everything was new. I was ready-- on the balls of my feet ready-- to take off and explore all the new.

"Sweetie?"

I turned around to face JC. He'd slipped on his shades, the ones I bought him in San Antonio that he liked so much but refused to buy himself. The sun was behind him, dipping out of sight behind the stone white buildings of the airport, the last of its rays lighting up the sky with a golden glow.

Without a word, I closed the space between us, lifted up onto my toes and wrapped both arms around his neck. I felt his breath catch in his throat while he stood there for a few seconds, and then his arms were closing around me and he was squeezing me, holding me close, and running one hand up and down my back while I held on for dear life.

"What's wrong? You okay? He bent to whisper into my ear and to comfort me with light brushes of his lips on my cheek and neck. I smiled into his shoulder, my eyes closed, savoring the moment, taking a mental snapshot.

"Everything's fine," I said, reaching up toward the back of his neck. My fingernails scratched lightly on his skin. "Everything is perfect. I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe you brought me here."

He pulled back, his hands resting on my hips. "I had to beat last year's birthday trip."

"You did. By a mile."

"And early, even. Last year's trip was late, remember?"

My hands slid from their place behind his neck, around his face to cradle his chin between them. Gently, I pulled him toward me and kissed him. Lightly, sweetly, and then pulled back, tucking my head into his chest where my ear sought out his heartbeat. It thumped wildly, which made me smile.  

"Love you," he said.

"Love you, too. So much."

Some kind of purring noise rumbled through his chest as his arms closed around me again. His chin settled on top of my head and his hands played in my hair, brushing it back from my face as fast as the wind was pushing it forward.

"Honey."

"Mmmm?"

"The wind off the water is kicking up, so that means it's going to get cold soon and I hate when you whine because you're cold. And since we have tons more to see than the back of the Santorini airport, we should get going."

I straightened, tipping my head up so I could see his teasing grin. "Yeah, because I'm the only one that whines when they're cold, right?"

Oia is a small village on the northwestern tip of Santorini, famous for its majestic view of the Caldera volcano and the most beautiful sunsets in the world.  By the time we reached our hotel, the sun had sunk below the horizon, the moon was on the rise, and the street lights among the homes and shops along the way were softly burning. I was sad I had missed the sunset, but we had six more nights to enjoy them.

Our taxi driver seemed amused with his tourist passengers who spent the entire ride pointing out of one window or another, drawing attention to sites or people or objects. JC took note of every dog he saw languishing on cooling stone rooftops. I smiled at people dining outdoors or walking the streets at an unhurried pace.

Life moved slowly here. There seemed to be no rush, no people running here and there, late for something or on their way to this meeting or that meeting. There didn't seem to be piles and piles of things to do before they could retire for the evening. People took their time here. I could get used to that.

The taxi driver dropped us the entrance of an enormous white stone structure that stretched to the right and to the left as far as my eye could see. A shiny brass sign installed into a giant pillar in front of the building read Canaves Suites.I followed JC through the glass doors to the front desk and stood by while he navigated thick accents and passable English skills by pointing and nodding.  He slid a credit card across the counter, then waited to sign the slip of paper and placed the card back into his wallet.

The clerk waved her hand and a porter came, rolling a cart behind him. He loaded up our luggage and then, in perfect English said, "Follow me."

We took a lit pathway along the back of the hotel. To our right were the common areas. Lounge chairs were evenly placed around a pool. A few tables and chairs made up an outdoor seating area. Every few feet, there was a bench, a chair, or a pedestal along the cliff from which to sit and stare at the view from one side of the hotel. To the left, the Aegean Sea churned, its waters crashing onto the shore below us. The sky wasn't just dark, it was black as ink, illuminated only by the moon, making the sea look like a blanket. I couldn't wait to see it in the daylight.

We walked a few minutes along the edge of the building until we reached a door marked "9". The porter pulled a key from his pocket and opened the door, then pushed it open and graciously waved us inside. JC stepped aside, nodding his head to me to go first.

For weeks, he had been teasing me with how much I would love our accommodations, but he wouldn't tell me where we were staying, so I couldn't look it up ahead of time. Now that I could look, I approached cautiously. JC followed closely behind me, no doubt awaiting my response.

I don't know why I ever doubted him.

His years of traveling and being used to the best had come in handy before, but he'd really outdone himself this time. I stepped over the threshold into a room so unbelievably beautiful, it took my breath away. From the knotty pine wood floors to the marble and black lacquer finishes and the white painted steps that led to a loft, I was in awe. The suite was two floors- a bedroom loft upstairs and a living area downstairs with a fireplace, two couches and a kitchenette, all surrounded by floor to ceiling windows dressed in sheer drapes billowing in the breeze. The lighting was low and romantic, provided by small wrought iron lamps placed throughout the space.

I turned, making one complete revolution, taking it all in but barely coming out of my stupor and slack-jawed stare. "This is... honey, it's beautiful in here."

"You like it?"

I turned again to find him. He was leaning against a counter that ran the length of the small kitchen, hands in his pockets, bottom lip wedged between his teeth.

"I... oh my God. I love it. I totally, totally love it." He seemed pleased, and when his eyes caught mine, he was smiling so widely that he had laugh lines alongside them.  

"Everything okay?" The porter! We'd forgotten he was standing there with our luggage. "I can take the bags upstairs if you like. There's a balcony up there."

"Sure," JC said, springing into action. He grabbed the hand of his suitcase while the porter picked up mine and our other bags and climbed the staircase as if they weighed nothing at all. Once he reached the landing, he set the bags next to the staircase and waited for us to reach the top.

The centerpiece of the loft bedroom was most certainly the bed; a California King piled high with pillows and covered with a white linen bedspread. A dark blue quilt bearing the logo of the hotel was folded and placed at the foot of the bed. Flanking the bed were two nightstands of dark wood, each holding a small lamp giving off a warm, romantic glow. A bureau in matching wood sat opposite the bed and above it, a mounted flat panel television. Off the bedroom was a very cozy bathroom with the same dark wood cabinetry and marble countertops that matched the kitchen downstairs.

Straight ahead were two wide, windowed French doors that when opened, led out into a balcony. A bistro table with a place setting for two sat on one end, and a bench, painted a deep dark blue with a pristine white cushion sat on the other.

"Tomorrow, this view will be spectacular," said our porter. "Blue as far as the eye can see. Beautiful sunrise, beautiful days, beautiful sunsets."

"Sounds nice. Looking forward to those," JC said, digging into his pocket and offering him the last of the Euros he had in his pocket. He accepted with a grateful smile, nodded and stepped away. I heard his shoes clacking down the stairs, the door to our suite close and then his footsteps going back down the way we had come, until they faded into the distance.

And then it was just the two of us.

JC stepped behind me, his arms closing around my waist, pulling me back toward him until our bodies were practically molded into one. He dipped his head, resting his chin on my shoulder as we swayed together, listening to the sea below us, feeling the light wind ease past us, taking our time moving our trip forward. It was, after all, Greece. Life moved slower here. 

Like so many moments since I'd met him, I felt ever so lucky, just then.

I could have stood there forever with him were I not suddenly so tired. I tried to stifle a yawn, and then mask it, but it would not be held back.

"Hmmmm." His chest rumbled against my back. "Someone's sleepy."

"Not very," I said. "Just kind of."

"Maybe we should to go inside, unpack a few things? You think we can both fit in that shower?" 

I laughed, thinking about how small the tub/shower combo seemed to be. I wasn't really in the mood to fight for footing. "We could probably make it work. I sort of want to go it alone, though. Do you mind?"

"Not at all." He stepped back, pulling me backward by my hands through the balcony doors. "Go, get your stuff together and hop in."

"You're okay with not showering with me?"

He shrugged. "This is your trip. It's all about you. You want to take a shower by yourself, I'm all for it. Really. Go."

I spun on my heels and rushed toward my suitcase, before he could change his mind. I heard him flop onto the bed and grunt as he moved around, getting comfortable.

"Hey, don't go to sleep on me, okay?"

"I'm not. Don't uh... start anything in the shower without me, okay?"

I rolled my eyes, shower kit in hand, and headed toward the bathroom. "No promises," I tossed out, before closing - and locking-the door.  While very nicely furnished the room was quite small, really only the size of a half bath with a tub/shower tucked into a corner. It was a small price to pay for the rest of the suite, so without another thought, I reached around the sink to turn on the faucet.

"Honey!" I heard through the door. "We have satellite TV! I'm watching Friends right now!"

"Seriously?" I called back. "You're in Greece watching American TV? Turn it to something Greek!"

He didn't answer back, but I heard him laughing. Satisfied that he was fairly distracted by the TV, at least enough to shower in peace, I stepped under a cascade of warm water and breathed a long, relaxed sigh. Stress that I didn't even realize I was carrying on my shoulders-from the flight, our arrival to Greece, and our eventful day swirled down the drain.

Weeks before we left on our trip, JC and I indulged in a little bit of shopping-not for clothes to wear day to day, but for things to wear at night. Things for me to wear at night. I let him flip through a catalog and pick out what he liked and then I placed an order, based on his preference. For our first night in Greece, I gingerly pulled thin strips of pink and black lace up and over my hips. The matching gown was a sheer and backless a halter top with lace bodice. It was skimpy for sure, but knowing JC had picked it out with visions of what I might look like in it helped me feel a little more comfortable.

Besides, if I had my way, I wouldn't be wearing it long.

I opened the bathroom door and a shock of cool air from the bedroom greeted me. I had my clothes bunched in one arm and the bag I used to keep all of my toiletry items in the other. As I bent over to put my clothes in the laundry bag and tuck away my shower kit, I heard movement on the bed behind me. When I turned around, JC was up, sitting on the edge of the bed, eyes-and mouth-open wide.

Inside, I was smug and very pleased. It was the reaction I'd been hoping for.

"That uhm... that-that-that..." He swallowed once, blinked twice and tried again. "That one turned out nice."

"Yeah," I said, running my hands along the silky fabric, up and over my breasts and down my sides. His eyes followed my hands. "You made nice picks. You like it?"

"I love it." He stretched out his arms to me, beckoning with his fingers. "Come to me."

"Coming." I crossed the room, stopping when I reached the bed and had wedged myself between his legs. His eyes seemed glued to the swell of my breasts, staring hard as if he couldn't help himself. "You can touch me, you know."

"I know. I wanna... I mean... hold on."

He gripped me by the waist and stood up, and then made me sit on the bed. "Just lay back. Get comfortable. Here's the remote." He tossed it at me, and then crossed the room to squat over his suitcase and pulled a small black leather bag from under a few pairs of shoes.

"You're all clean and you smell good and I smell like olives and dirt. Back soon." He stalked toward the bathroom door and closed it, in such a rush that the door slammed.

I climbed further up onto the bed and sat in the middle of it, flipping through channels. There were local TV and satellite channels piped in from all over the world. I spent a few minutes trying to watch Greek TV, but soon I was bored and turned it. I settled on MTV Europe, tapped my toe to the music while listening to JC shower, shave and brush his teeth.

A cloud of steam billowed out from the bathroom when the door finally opened, filling the room with the scent of tea tree oil. JC emerged naked, dumping his clothes on top of his suitcase and his bag on top of that. He turned around and paused, running a hand over his damp hair.

It was my turn to stare, wide eyed. No matter how many times I saw him nude, I never had enough time to just... look at him. JC hid most of his physique under layers of clothing, masking most of his assets until private, intimate moments.

He was slim, but not skinny. Solid was the word, from the chest covered with a layer of soft curly hair to the rippled muscles of his abdominals that had become more defined due to the weight he lost while out on the road, to the lean, muscular strength of otherwise very pale legs and long feet. And then there was... well. He was ready for me. After a full head-to-toe inspection, I was ready for him, too.

"Uh. So, where was I?" He took a leap, almost from across the room onto the bed, and then wiggled around until he was lying next to me. "Right about here seems familiar. Hi."

"Hi," I answered, casually leaning back on my elbows. "Shower was nice, huh?"

"It was. But I don't think both of us would fit in there. Not for what I like to do with you in the shower."

"Oh, we could. We don't need that much room, really. It would just be a tight fit."

"You think so?" He pondered, his eyes drawn to the music video on the screen. I had muted the sound when he came out of the bathroom. "We should test your theory. Maybe tomorrow."

"Maybe."

We both watched the screen in silence, each waiting for the other to make a move. I chuckled, sitting up and moving over him to straddle his torso.

He grinned up at me, a twinkle in his eye. "Hey. How you doin'?"

"I'm in a fancy hotel room with a sexy man. I think I'm doing okay. How about you?"

"Uh...." His hands began their usual path of ascent, from my calves to my thighs, up and over my hips and waist, finally cupping a breast in each hand and rubbing the pad of his thumb over a nipple.  My body responded with a roll and a shudder. "Hot girl. Pink lace. I almost can't breathe."

 "You want me to move?"

"Nope." He gripped my waist, holding me in my spot. "You just stay right there."

"Happily." 

My hands did their own exploring, brushing the still wet hairs on his chest, then crawling up to his shoulders and then his neck and finally up to his chin, which I cupped between my hands and stroked his cheeks with my thumbs. I leaned down and grazed his lips with mine a few times before pressing my mouth to his and then pulling away. He whimpered, lifting his head to mine until our lips were meshed together again. As if he was relieved, he sighed and relaxed, tipped his head and opened his mouth.

He groaned, the vibration traveling through him and into me and adding more fuel to the fire already burning. We kissed for what felt like hours, enjoying our time alone in a remote location. We had nothing but time and no one but each other. It was bliss.

Eventually, JC grew impatient and sat up, gently rolling us over so he was on top. He was warm-his skin was already clammy, a hint that he would be glistening with sweat soon. I felt him against me, pressing into my body as he sank his weight onto me. I wiggled my hips against him while our kiss resumed. He was taking his time, dragging it out. I both loved and hated when he did that.

The kiss deepened and grew more passionate, full of moans and gut level groans and bodies grinding against each other. I could hardly breathe, between my mouth being occupied and my heart beating out of my chest but hell if I was going to stop. My hands went to the back of his neck and up through his thick head of hair, my nails dragging against his scalp. He shuddered, from his shoulders to his toes. I laughed, mid kiss.

JC lifted his head, ending the kiss with a smack, and opened his eyes. "You like knowing you can do that to me, huh?"

"I love it," I said, my nails making another trip against the sensitive skin of his neck and across his shoulders. "Do you want me to stop?"

"Never." His head sank to its usual spot, between my neck and shoulder. "Never stop making me feel good. Never stop turning me on. Never stop loving me. Please don't stop loving me."

"I could never stop loving you, JC. Not ever." He mumbled something, muffled into my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

His head lifted again and settled into the palm of his hand as he leaned onto an elbow. One large hand cupped my chin, his thumb stroking my lips. I stared up at him, very suddenly concerned. Why would he think I would stop loving him?

"Just happy, right now. And I don't want it to go away."

"It won't. I promise. And I'm keeping all of my promises, now."

JC laughed and dipped his head toward my shoulder again. His lips skipped across my skin, sending bolts of lightning down my body. "Good," he whispered. "That's what I want to hear."

He sat up suddenly, a smile on his lips. I watched him, his eyes moving down my neck, over the lace bodice of my very short gown to where it spit open to reveal my bare body except for the wisps of lace that made up the panties I wore. Slowly, as if they were reluctant, his eyes moved to my legs, long and lean from dancing. I was the proudest I'd ever been of my body. JC seemed to appreciate it, too.

"Have I ever told you," he murmured, running a hand down my thigh and back up the inside, inching high, very high up. "That you're my favorite person, ever?"

"I thought Tyler was your favorite person."

His thumb swept over my skin as his hand slowly moved higher until he came into contact with lace, warmed by my body. I shuddered, barely breathing, my hips rolling toward him. "For different reasons, you're my favorite."

I swallowed, my mind a fog. His thumb found my clit and pressed, rotating slowly. He was sending me into orbit without even really trying. "That's funny because you're my favorite person. Especially right now. Fuck."

He chuckled, watching me writhe and moan. "I plan to. Right now I like to see you squirm."

"Unh! Shit, you're...I'm gonna come."

"Do it. I want to watch you."

I didn't need much more encouragement than that. He loved watching me and I loved being watched. My head tossed back, my hips violently arching into him, both hands gripping his arm while I grunted and bit down on my lip so I wouldn't scream  A lick of red hot fire shot through me, my body clenched from my toes to ears and involuntarily, I shot out a yelp while my hips convulsed and jerked.

JC didn't stop until I was lying flat again. In a swift motion he pulled both sides of my panties down my legs and tossed them over his shoulder. Before I could stop him, his head lowered.

"Oh my God, no! No no no! I can't take it. Fuck, JC!"

I could see his smile in his eyes when they shot up to meet mine. He moaned, but didn't stop, sucking my clit into his mouth and stroking with the tip of his tongue. My heart was beating so fast, my breaths so rapid and shallow, I was sure I would pass out, soon. I tried to close my legs, push on his head, move away from him-nothing worked. He was relentless.

In a few short moments I was on the edge of climax again, this time not shy about my cries and moans and screams into the air. I thrashed around on the bed, amazed at JC's ability to hold on.  

"Baby... I'm gonna come again."

Mmmmm, he moaned, but didn't move.

"I want to come with you." I sat up, panting, and grabbed his head. "Stop. Oh God, stop. Please!"

To my surprise, the sensation of suction and the warmth of his mouth were gone. I didn't have much time to react to that because in the next moment he pushed me down on my back and lay between my legs. He teased me, rubbing himself against me before finally giving in to the roll of my hips and filling me, fuller than I had ever felt before.

I wanted to scream, he felt so good, but my mouth was occupied as he kissed me, wildly and deeply. My eyes fluttered shut; my hands flew to their usual spot, along his back so I could feel him use his whole body. His movements were slow and sensuous at first but quickly grew in intensity until he was pounding his body against mine, skin slapping against skin, teeth lightly nipping my shoulder. 

"Fuck yes," I grunted into his ear. "You know how to do it. I'm so close. Fuck me!"

JC moved a hand between us and stroked me again, which was enough to send me into a fit of writhing and screaming.

"Let it go," he said, his breaths coming hard and fast. "Come for me."

My body pulsed as if it was teetering on the edge of a cliff and when I finally allowed myself to fall over the side, I was powerless to stop the feeling of drowning in ecstasy, grunting and screaming. His name bounced off of the walls and back to my ears in a voice I didn't recognize as my own.

Almost instantly, I felt JC tense. He thrust into me with fury, his skin turning pink and his eyes shut tight, whimpers coming from deep in his throat. His hips slowed from manic pounding to deep, sensuous movements until his hips jerked and a long, satisfied groan curled from him. I squeezed him, milking every last drop from him until his body relaxed and sank down slowly onto mine.

I tried hard to catch a breath but it seemed almost impossible. We both dripped in sweat, lost in the tangle that the bedspread had become, sucking in air from the now stuffy room.

"God, that was good," I choked out. "I so needed that."

I stroked his hair and relished the feeling of his hot breath on my neck and his sweaty skin slipping against mine.

JC swallowed, and then said, "You can..." Pant, pant. "You can just call me JC."

I felt myself drifting toward unconsciousness. "Wore me out, baby."

"You know how I do," he teased, sitting up. "Hey, get up."

I sat up while he pulled at the bedspread, and then turned the sheets down. I crawled into bed while he went around and turned off all of the lights. By the time I felt him behind me, his arm wrapped around my waist, I had all but passed out.

But not before I felt his lips on my shoulder and then my cheek, and heard him whisper into my ear, "Today was perfect. I love you."