Chapter 273: Breakfast
When Stefan erged, clean and dressed, he found Genevieve standing by the window in the living room.
She turned to see Stefan standing there, dressed in a fresh white shirt and soft gray slacks. His hair was damp, slicked back in a way that made her want to run her fingers through it.
He winked when their eyes t. "I believe I look fresh enough to eat now."
Color rose on her face. Knowing Stefan, she had known he wouldnt let that go so easily. Now she wasn’t sure whether to scowl at him or laugh. Her stomach twisted, half from hunger, half from embarrassnt.
"Let’s leave already," she said, a small smile on her lips.
"After breakfast, we’ll go get so groceries and ingredients for dinner tonight."
She raised her brows. "What about lunch?"
He smirked. "I see you don’t joke with your stomach. We’ll have lunch at the couple’s cabana."
Her lips parted in an impressed smile. "You seem to have our whole day planned."
He held her gaze, and gave her a crooked smile. "Trust , I do."
Her heart gave a hard thump. "I look forward to it."
They left the villa together and walked down the stone path lined with flowering shrubs. The sun was up fully now, warm on their faces. Stefan reached out without warning, taking her hand.
"Relax," he said when she stiffened. "We’re just walking to breakfast."
"I’m relaxed," she murmured.
"No, you weren’t," he said, giving her fingers a light squeeze. "I’m sorry about last night."
A crease ford between her brows. "Why are you sorry?"
"I made you uncomfortable with all of that. Let’s forget about it, okay?"
She smiled. "You don’t have to apologize for that. I was deeply touched by it even though I couldn’t accept it for personal reasons. So, please don’t feel sorry about it."
"Alright. Thanks," he said, and as they continued their little stroll.
"I guess there is sothing about this place," Stefan said after a while.
Genevieve looked at him. "What do you an?"
"Proposals seem not to go right here," he joked, and Genevieve laughed out loud to his relief.
"Can you just drop it?"
"Sure. Sure." As they approached the restaurant of choice, Stefan pointed out different areas of the resort to her.
"I’m guessing you’d love to get a property here so ti in the future?" She asked when she saw how much he seed to know and love the resort.
"Sure. What do you think about us getting a property here in the future?"
Genevieve’s heart ached with longing and smiled wistfully, wishing she could see herself in that future. "It’d be nice."
"Imagine coming here say on our seventh anniversary with our five year old daughter. I hope she looks completely like you..."
"Why is it our seventh anniversary and she is five?" Genevieve cut in curiously.
"I want to have fun with just you for a while, then you’d be pregnant and have her within the second year," he explained patiently.
Genevieve raised a brow. "That seems like a well thought out plan."
Stefan smiled. "It is."
"Are you always so ticulous? Do you plan every tiny detail of your life?" She asked, fascinated.
"I usually do. The only detail I didn’t plan was falling in love with you," he admitted.
Her pulse quickened at that. "That sounds sweet."
Stefan chuckled. "Let’s get back to course. You dragged
off course. So picture us walking together this way, you hand in mind, our little girl giggling and running ahead of us, her pigtails flying behind her. You’re calling out to her to be careful with her steps but she’s not listening. So, I grab her and carry her on my shoulder. I hold onto her with my right hand, while I’m holding you close with my left. We sing happily as we march down to devour our breakfast."
Genevieve was smiling so hard as she imagined the exact scene his words painted. She didn’t realize tears were running down her cheeks until she suddenly sniffled.
Stefan stopped and turned to her, then brushed the tears away.
"That sounds so beautiful," she said, her voice thick with emotion. She wished she could have a life like that with Stefan.
"That’s going to be our life together, Viv. I can see you so well in my future," he said with a confident smile as he brushed his lips against her forehead.
Genevieve’s heart lurched in her chest at the tenderness of his gesture. She savored the warmth of his lips against her skin, wishing she could freeze this mont in ti and live inside it forever.
She wanted to just co clean with him right there and be done with it, because her heart couldn’t take any more of his sweetness when she was lying to him.
"Stefan..." her voice was quiet, almost fragile
"Yes?" he murmured, still close enough that his breath feathered across her temple.
But the words refused to co. She couldn’t. At least not yet. They were yet to have breakfast. She didn’t want to ruin the day that had just started.
She shook her head lightly and forced a smile. "Co on, I’m starving."
His gaze stayed on her, probing for a few seconds, then he let it go with an easy grin. "Let’s go feed that hungry monster in your stomach."
They walked the remaining short distance in silence, both thinking about the best ti to reveal their secrets.
When they reached one of the resort’s open-air restaurant, the hostess led them to a table near the window, where the ocean glimred blue in the distance.
A waiter poured water into their glasses and handed them nus. Stefan didn’t even glance at his before setting it down.
"You already picked sothing?" Genevieve asked curiously.
"I know what I want."
Genevieve raised a brow. "What do you want?"
"He leaned in, voice low and smooth. "You."
She nearly choked on her sip of water. "Stefan!"
His grin spread wide. "Oh! You ant on the nu?" He asked with mock innocence. "The special burrito package."
She shook her head, fighting a smile as she returned her attention to the nu. "I’ve figured out what I want."
Stefan signaled the waiter over, and Genevieve ordered a vegetable olet with toast. Stefan ordered the breakfast burrito package, and two cups of coffee—one for himself, one for her.
Their food ca quickly, the plates steaming with aroma. Genevieve’s olet was fluffy and golden, dotted with colorful peppers and spinach, while Stefan’s burrito was thick, wrapped tight in a warm tortilla, oozing with lted cheese and the scent of seasoned eggs and sausage.
"Here," Stefan said after the waiter left, slicing into his burrito and forking up a chunk with just the right amount of filling. He held it out toward her with a grin.
She frowned, leaning back. "I have my own food."
"But you don’t have a burrito," he said with mock seriousness, lowering his voice as if conspiring. "It won’t hurt to have a taste of what you’ll be missing if you don’t open your mouth."
Her lips parted in reluctant amusent at the irony of his statent. Wasn’t that what she was doing right now? Having a taste of what she will be missing if she opened her mouth to tell him the truth?
"Maybe it’s best not to taste it. That way I won’t miss it," she said thoughtfully. "I should live with my choice," she said, pointing at her own food.
Stefan sensed she wasn’t talking about just the food, still he held out the fork. "C’mon, eat," he urged her.
She rolled her eyes, but curiosity betrayed her. She leaned forward, lips brushing the edge of the fork as she took the bite. The tortilla gave way to a burst of smoky, cheesy flavor, making her blink.
"Okay..." she admitted, her voice muffled around the mouthful. "That’s good. I’ll have that for breakfast tomorrow."
"Told you." His grin widened with smug triumph. "Now feed
a bite of your olet."
Her fork froze halfway to her mouth. "What? No."
"Fair is fair. Tit for tat, olet for burrito," he said easily, already leaning across the table, mouth open in exaggerated expectation.
Heat rose up her neck and she giggled. "You’re ridiculous," she muttered as she lifted her fork, reaching toward him.
He caught her wrist midair, his thumb brushing her skin as he guided her hand closer. Her pulse jumped at the unexpected touch. Then he leaned in and took the bite from her fork, his lips brushing the tal in a way that sent a shiver straight through her chest.
"There’s love in sharing," he added with a wink as he chewed with slow satisfaction. "The olet is perfect. Just like you."
She shot him a look, cheeks burning, "Thank you."
Stefan chuckled, cutting another piece of burrito. "Want more?"
"No," she said quickly.
"Yes," he corrected, slipping the fork closer to her plate.
She groaned, but her lips quirked as she leaned forward again, letting him feed her another bite.
Breakfast went on like that, him teasing, her protesting, but her protests growing weaker each ti. She laughed more than she expected to over such simple things.
By the ti the plates were cleared, Genevieve’s nerves had softened, replaced by a warmth that spread all over her heart.
She decided then and there that she wouldn’t be able to wait until the end of their stay to co clean with Stefan.
She was going to summon the courage to open up to him that night after dinner. She’d face whatever was going to happen.
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