769 Three Dates A Week
The next morning, Tom was the first to wake up, and as usual, he lay on the bed staring at Lucy.
The knowledge that she would soon become more to him than just his girlfriend brought so much joy and fulfillment to him that he was so tempted to ask her there and then to marry him.
Although a part of him was still scared that Lucy might reject him, but he didn't want to dwell on it.
He hoped that therapy, Harry, and Sonia should have been able to influence her answer positively before then.
After watching Lucy sleep for some time, he decided to wake her so they could watch the sunrise together since they were still on the yacht, and it would be a first for them.
Lucy opened her eyes when he called her name softly and kissed her. She smiled as she met his gaze, and from how clear his eyes were, she could tell he had been awake for quite some time now.
"Good morning, my love," Lucy greeted, and Tom smiled.
"Is that what you plan to be calling me now? You've been calling me that since yesterday," Tom said, and she smiled.
"Maybe that's because my heart is full of so much love for you, and calling you Ace isn't satisfactory anymore," Lucy said, and Tom's heart fluttered.
"Why do you look so touched?" Lucy asked in amusement as she watched him.
"Because I am. Did you sleep well?" He asked as she nodded.
"Of course. How can I not when I slept beside the love of my life?" Lucy asked as she sat up, and Tom gave her a pointed look.
"If you keep doing that, I might get you another yacht or maybe something bigger," Tom said, and she giggled.
"If I keep doing what?" She asked in amusement.
"If you keep making my heart flutter this way," Tom said, and she giggled.
"I woke you up so we can go to the deck to watch the sunrise together. Would you like to join me?" He asked, and she nodded as she got off the bed.
Without wearing anything else, Lucy put on Tom's shirt, which was lying on the dressing stool, while Tom took a short from his luggage and put it on before they walked out of the cabin.
Barefooted, they stood on the deck of the luxury yacht, the gentle lull of the water beneath them.
The air was crisp, carrying the scent of salt and the promise of a new day. They were there in time to watch as the sky began to blush with hues of pink and gold as the sun made its ascent, casting a warm glow on the horizon.
The rhythmic lapping of the waves provided a soothing backdrop to the canvas of colors painting the sky.
Tom stood behind Lucy with his arms around her as they marveled at the spectacle unfolding before them, the shared moment silently affirming the depth of their connection.
"This is so beautiful and peaceful," Lucy whispered softly as though scared that if she spoke too loud, she would break the magic of the moment.
"Yeah. I wish I could capture this moment in painting. Though the focus would be on you because you're more beautiful and peaceful than the sunrise to me," Tom said as he pressed a tender kiss to Lucy's nape, causing a shiver to run down her spine.
As the sun emerged, casting its radiant tendrils across the water, Lucy turned to Tom and kissed him deeply as the morning sun bathed them in a warmth that mirrored the love they shared.
After they broke the kiss, they stood there looking into each other's eyes. Although their hearts were filled with love for each other, words were unnecessary as their connection surpassed the need for spoken declarations.
The sunrise had witnessed not just the birth of a new day but the reassertion of a love that, like the endless expanse of the sea, stretched boundlessly into the horizon.
"The next time we come here, we should bring coffee along. It would be nice to do this with a hot cup of coffee," Lucy said, breaking the silence between them.
"You do know that coffee is bad for ulcers, right?" He asked, and she rolled her eyes.
"Do you have to bring that up?"
"Yes, I do. You shouldn't do things that are detrimental to your health," he said, and she scowled.
"Even cigarette smokers smoke despite the warning…."
"I don't care about cigarette smokers. It's you I care about. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I can't stand seeing you in pain," Tom said, and butterflies fluttered in Lucy's belly.
"The rest of your life?" She asked, and he cocked an eyebrow.
"Yes. Or do you plan to break up with me somewhere along the line?" He asked, and she grinned.
"I don't think so."
"Good. So you should take better care of your health and…."
"You should have stopped at that romantic line. Don't ruin it by nagging," Lucy said with a scowl, and Tom chuckled.
"We should go back inside. The thought that you're not wearing anything under this is making me want to do something to you," Tom said in a husky voice, and Lucy automatically looked down at his groin.
When she saw the small tent that was beginning to form there, she ran for the Cabin without saying another word to him, and Tom chuckled as he followed her.
"We should get ready to leave. Have you called Adolf to come pick us up? We might be late to the office," Lucy said as she took off his shirt and headed for the bathroom, but Tom held her to stop her.
"I was thinking. Since it's Wednesday already and we will be the only ones around the house once we get there, don't you think it will be a nice idea if we stay home for the remaining days of this week and just be in each other's company? I can't remember the last time I had you to myself alone in my house," Tom said, and Lucy pressed her lips together as she considered it.
"Hmmm. Stay home and enjoy each other's company. That sounds like a pretty good idea to me. We don't have to be in a hurry to leave here then. Let's spend some time looking around the resort, and then we can go home," Lucy said, and Tom drew back in surprise to look at her.
Before now, Lucy would never agree to stay back at home on a work day for even a day, how much more a couple of days. Lucy just seemed to surprise him more with her actions each day that he was now looking forward to her shocking him more.
"What?" Lucy asked when she saw how Tom was looking at her in surprise.
Tom shook his head since he didn't want to risk telling her what he was thinking and have her change her mind.
"It's nothing."
"It's something. Tell me," She insisted, and he shook his head.
"No."
"Why not?" She asked with a slight frown.
"Because I don't want to say it," Tom said, and she raised a brow.
"Should I make you say it?" She asked, and Tom chuckled.
"Please do," He said, and when she saw the naughty glint in his eyes, She shook her head.
"You know what? Don't say it," she said with a shrug as she headed for the bathroom, but Tom caught her hand and pulled her with him as he fell to the bed.
"Why the hurry? We've got all day, remember?" He asked as he lowered his head to her nipple, and even before his lips got there, her nipples hardened.
"You've changed a lot, and I love you more each day," Tom said as he kissed her nipple.
"In what way?" She asked with her eyes closed as she enjoyed the sensation of his hands on her body.
"In the past, you never would have agreed to skip work," Tom said, and she opened her eyes.
"True," She said simply since she knew why that had changed.
In the past, she had placed her job above him and was still treading very carefully when it came to their relationship, but now she had opened her heart completely to him and didn't mind missing work for a couple of days to be with her man.
"What has changed?" Tom asked as he continued to kiss her body while he caressed her with his fingers.
"Me," Lucy said, and Tom chuckled.
"I know. What changed in you?" He asked curiously since he suspected it had to do with her decision to now marry him, and he hoped she would open up to him.
"My love for you," Lucy said easily.
"You love me more, I suppose?" He asked as he looked at her now, and she nodded as she held his gaze.
"Yeah. More than I ever thought possible," She said, and Tom kissed her deeply before going on to make love to her.
After they were done freshening up, Tom gave Adolf a call to let him know he could be on his way to pick them up, and then they both left the yacht.
Tom took her around the resort, which was still being constructed, pointing out various buildings to her and what they were meant for.
"I want it to be like a country club. People can only get in here strictly by membership…."
"I'm sure not many people can afford it," Lucy cut in, and Tom nodded.
"Exactly. That is why it has to be that way. People naturally love to have something that not everyone can have. Wealthy people are especially drawn to the exclusive. It makes them feel powerful and affluential," Tom said, and Lucy raised a brow.
"I suppose that applies to you, too?" She asked with interest.
"You should tell me. Does it?" He asked, and she nodded.
"Yes. I believe you're like that in a way, and maybe I am too, even though I'm not wealthy," she said, and he smiled.
"You're the most exclusive entity I've been drawn to," Tom said, and Lucy raised a brow.
"What do you mean?"
"You are exclusively mine," Tom said with a wink, and she giggled.
"Who says you have me now?"
"I know I do. Your actions are louder than words," he said, and she smiled as they continued down their path.
"Perhaps I could put the yacht up for hire to those who come to the resort. What do you think?" She asked, and Tom chuckled.
"Why?"
"Well, it would be a shame for it to just be sitting here waiting to be used. It should be an asset, not a liability. I'm sure it will earn me a lot of money, especially if the members of the resort club are wealthy. Besides, there should be a service like that since most people would want to cruise on the water when they're spending time at the resort," she said reasonably, and Tom nodded in approval.
08:47
"You're thinking like a business person," he said, and she arched a brow.
"The love of my life is a businessman, so what do you expect?" She asked, and he laughed softly.
"Are you sure you want to put the yacht up for hire?" He asked, and she nodded.
"Yes. Why? You do not want me to?" She asked, and he shook his head.
"I told you already. It's yours. You can do whatever you want with it. Besides, it's a lovely idea. But I hope you realize that you would need workers to be on standby to attend to those who would hire it," Tom pointed out, and Lucy's eyes widened as she stopped walking.
"I didn't think of that. I would become an employer?" She asked excitedly, and Tom chuckled.
"Are you that happy to be an employer of labor?" He asked, and she nodded.
"Yes, I am. But it might be expensive to maintain," She said thoughtfully as she reached into her handbag and whipped out her journal.
Tom watched her in amusement as she jotted down something, a frown of concentration between her brows as she murmured to herself as though she was making some mathematical calculations.
She stopped when Tom began to chuckle and looked at him in confusion, "What?"
"We are standing in the middle of this place under the morning sun, darling. Can't your budgeting wait until we get home?" He asked, and she looked around them for a minute before looking at him with a grin.
"Sorry. I got carried away," She said as she returned her journal to her handbag while Tom simply shook his head in amusement as he continued walking.
An hour later, Adolf arrived, and they got into the car to go home.
"Jewel?" Tom called, and Lucy, resting her head on his shoulder, raised her head to look at him.
"Yes?"
"Let's go on a dinner date," Tom said, and Lucy raised an amused brow.
"When?"
"Today."
"Another date? Why? You want to be taking me out on dates every day?" Lucy asked, and Tom smiled.
"Now that you just mentioned it, I think it's not a bad idea at all. Let's go out on dates every day, and when we resume work next week, it'll be after the close of work," Tom said, and Lucy giggled.
"You can't be serious," She said with a shake of her head.
"Why not? It doesn't have to be a formal date all the time. We went for an ice cream date the other time, didn't we? We can go on other types of dates. I'm sure we will never run out of dates," He said, and Lucy laughed softly while Adolf smiled as he looked at them through the rearview mirror.
"Okay, how about we make it three times a week? We've had one yesterday, and we will have one later today. That leaves us with another one before the week runs out. And maybe later we can discuss a proper schedule for our dates. Maybe twice within the week and once on weekends," Lucy suggested, and Tom nodded.
"I think that is a perfect arrangement. Let's leave it at that. Three dates a week, it is then. It has to be this way forever, okay? You can't change your mind later," Tom said, and when Lucy nodded in affirmation, he grinned, thinking that this way, he had secured his time with her in the future, even if they had kids together.
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