Page 115 of Have To Be Mine

“I’ll leave you to settle in,” Elena said with a warm smile. “If you need anything, just call. Otherwise, I’ll come by tomorrow morning to check on you.”

After she left, I wandered through the villa taking it all in and admiring the artwork on the walls. Dash had disappeared somewhere, and I found him on the terrace, setting up a camera on a tripod.

“What are you doing?”

“Capturing the moment.” He adjusted the angle. “I want to remember this. All of it.”

I moved to stand beside him, looking out at the view. The beach below was empty, just white sand and clear water. “It’s beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful.” He turned the camera toward me. “Smile.”

“Dash.”

“Come on. Just one picture.”

I smiled despite myself, letting him snap the photo. Then another. And another. I started laughing, trying to hide my face, but he kept shooting.

“Stop! I’m not even dressed for pictures.”

“You’re perfect exactly as you are.” But he lowered the camera. “Although I did take the liberty of having some more things delivered.”

“What things?”

He led me back inside to one of the bedrooms, where several shopping bags sat on the bed. I opened them to find swimsuits, cover-ups, sundresses, and sandals, all from Blackwell’s latest collections.

“Dash, this is too much.”

“It’s not nearly enough.” He pulled out a black bikini with gold accents. “But you should start with this one. We’re going to the beach.”

I changed in the bathroom, taking a moment to look at myself in the mirror. The bikini fit perfectly, showing off curves I usually hid under cargo pants and tank tops. I felt exposed and beautiful and terrified all at once. I never wore two pieces. I was always thinking about being practical. What if I had to run? A bikini wasn’t going to hold up very well. But I wasn’t running anywhere. I was staying right here with him.

When I came out, Dash was waiting in swim trunks and an open linen shirt. His eyes went dark when he saw me.

“Damn,” he breathed. “You’re going to kill me.”

“It’s just a swimsuit.”

“It’s not just anything. You’re stunning.” He handed me a sheer white cover-up. “Put this on before I change my mind about leaving this room. Right now I’m thinking about taking that thing off with my teeth.”

I slipped the cover-up on and followed him down the path to the beach. The sand was soft and warm under my feet. We walked along the water’s edge while holding hands. Dash pointed out a cave carved into the cliff face.

“Want to explore?”

I nodded, and we made our way over. The cave was cool and dark, with water pooling in places. Light filtered through cracks in the rock, creating patterns on the stone walls. It felt ancient and magical. I could imagine people using the place for whatever ritual they might have had.

“Stand right there,” Dash said, pulling out his phone. “The light is perfect.”

I posed against the rock, feeling silly but also enjoying the attention. He took several pictures, directing me to turn this way, look over my shoulder, and smile at the camera.

“These are beautiful,” he said, scrolling through the photos. “I’m keeping these forever.”

“Let me see.” I reached for his phone, but he held it out of reach.

“Nope. These are mine.”

“Dash, come on. I probably look ridiculous.”

“You look like a goddess. And I’m hanging these on the walls of our new place.”