Chapter 41: Chapter 41
"Dance with the waves, move with the sea. Let the rhythm of the water set your soul free."
-Christy Ann Martine-
***
After breakfast, they headed back to their room with full stomach. It was quite delightful to be accompanied by the ocean and it was a pleasant change of scenery for both of them. However, the day did not stop there. It merely marked the beginning of their unforgettable trip together.
Closing the door, she headed straight on the bed, plumping down her body onto the bed creating a puff sound while Raphael took a seat beside her on the bed, stretching and relaxing his muscle as well. It felt so comfortable after flying for over a day long. Good thing they flew first class to begin with, otherwise she might strain her back from too much sitting.
In the meantime, as they laid in bed curling up in the comfort, they discussed about their plan together that day, though there were many exciting places they would visit, they had come to an agreement. They decided to spend the day in leisure, mostly staying at the bungalow. Though in the bungalow alone they already had plenty of things to do. If by chance they needed something they would just order the service which the resort had provided for them.
Once they were done with doing nothing, they stood up and started taking actions. They unpacked their luggage, Inserting the clothes inside the wardrobe. Afterward she pulled out all of her skincare which she managed to sneak inside her luggage, arranging them at the bathroom. It had a large bath tub which could easily fit two people inside.
Their room was built right above the middle of the water, along with the other bungalow. Clara had found her favorite spot, the "balcony" in the room had a stair which led them straight to the clear water. The sunlight reflected on the water was so tempting to Clara. All she wanted other than sleeping was to jump and get herself wet. Fortunately, she had not forgotten to bring some swimwear. She had changed herself into her sunshine yellow bikini.
Stepping down the stairs with excitement, she slowly put on of her feet inside the water, a huge smile was plastered on her face as she put her other feet inside. When both of her feet were fully in the water, she wriggled her toes to feel the sand beneath her feet, it felt damp and condensed, yet it was soft at the same time. She had been holding herself from drenching her whole body since she arrived. Guess she did not have to do it any longer.
She dipped herself into the water, until her whole hair was covered in salty water stretching out her arms, she swam around a little bit before resurfacing, feeling completely alive and well. As if the ocean had washed away all of her worries. She wiped the water away from her eyes with her palm. Walking around the water in circle. She was tapping and splashing the water like a child. Such joy she had not felt in a long time. It had given her a much better content than all the dresses and jewels he had bought her.
Clara rarely went to the ocean, she could not even remember the last time she had gone to the beach before that. Thus being in the ocean again excited her. She was so immersed in the moment she had not realized she had a visitor.
Raphael had been watching her from above without her knowing it, she appeared to be having so much fun, he could not just watch any longer. He took off his shirt, putting it above the chair. With a mischievous grin he carefully stepped down the stairs to avoid Clara noticing him, she had her back on him as he entered the water. Walking without making a fuss, he slowly made his way toward her. Right before she noticed it, he wrapped his arms around her, the water in Clara's hand dripped as the smile faded from her face.
"You are beautiful." he whispered, burrowing his face on her shoulder. Clara was stunned for a few seconds, before softening up, she turned her head and moved her hand to caress his hair. Both had their eyes fixated at each other.
He lifted up his face and kissed her. Clara accepted the kiss and they knelt down together until the water reached their chest and neck.
"Restez-avec moi, Mon Amour." He kissed her shoulder gently, inhaling her scent mixed with the ocean's, from the distance one could hear the soft sound of the wind hitting the water as the two were making out gently in the water. They remained in the water for the next half an hour, and no one was batting an eye.
For the rest of the day, they remained in their room, both decided to take a nap, resting their body after the long flight. The weather was just perfect for a nap? They had opened up the balcony door to allow the ocean's air and sound of water flowing entered their room them as their arms were entwined around each other. Her head laid above his stomach. It was a tranquil sight to be seen. The evening was spent at the restaurant, nothing truly out of the ordinary, but the real adventure would start the next day.
The next afternoon, they decided to explore the jungle with one of the guide provided by the hotel they were staying in. Other than being known for the crystal clear water and the luxurious vibe around it, the island also offered a safari adventure for those who seek it. Raphael had a preference for thrilling adventure, to the point he almost thought it was too safe for them, but Clara thought it was just perfect. Riding an open air vehicle toward the inner island, they visited the Faanui valley, the local Tiki temple and the locals to learn a bit about The Polynesian culture. Which took the vast majority of their afternoon.
As an artist she was a big fan of not only art, but also history, which had made a huge influence toward the way art has been created throughout time. It did not stop there, she loved learning about other people's culture, she watched carefully as they showed her how the people created their traditional clothing and Pareos.
She even got the chance to take one home for herself, as a complimentary gift from the local. It was known that the people were friendly toward tourists, perhaps because they were already used to them.
Raphael on the other hand, was only there to accompany Clara. He remained by her side at all time, almost as if he wanted to glue himself to her. She did not notice it, for he did it in a subtle manner. All was thinking was how to made things fun for her. He wanted to place her before himself, and he thought he would never be able to do that to anyone.
He wanted to earn her trust. He wanted her to love him. He had understood that all the wealth and riches would be meaningless to men if he could not please his woman. The men of Desroches had always had a tradition of caring for their women. From the first glance, their parents might seem like your average couple with their fair share of arguments and small fights, but an outsider would have no idea how much Archard Desroches had spoiled his wife Darline. It was in their blood.
Moreover, to understand how long he had been waiting for her only added up the reason why he must always be on guard. He was low key terrified of other man taking her away from him. Sure, he knew not many men could compare to him on every aspect, but still, there were people who could.
He watched her as she laughed alongside the locals, finding herself fitting in just right while he remained silent. Occasionally joining the conversation whenever he asked her to. Her charm beguiled him, she truly was one of a kind. During his time, he decided he would never want to lose her, ever.
***
Stingray feeding was a great attraction of the island, and there was no way Clara would miss it. The next morning it was the first thing that popped onto her head. She nagged Raphael to bring her there, he had no choice but to comply to her wishes, as he always did. Truth to be told, he thought he might have spoilt her a little bit too much, finding himself unable to refuse her every will, but he derived a strange pleasure from doing so. He started to think if she might have put him under some sort of magic spell, one he would never want to break himself from.
Using the boat, they arrived at the stingray feeding spot. She was amazed by the sight of plenty of stingrays gathering in a place together, acting docile and friendly toward the people who came to feed them. An excited Clara immediately approached the little crowd of people who were doing the same thing, while Raphael was still trying to check everything, she was already gone to the other side. He shouted to tell her to be careful when she entered the water, but she ignored him.
A few stingrays started to surround her, they were going below her as she took a fish out from the bucket. The stingray's mouth was below their face and Clara could feel one of them latching itself onto her leg to take a bite of the fish, it felt a bit ticklish and slimy. Clara chuckled in awe, it felt incredible. She flashed a happy grin to Raphael.
Another stingray approached her and she did the same thing Clara did not fear them at all. Because they seemed to be well accustomed to people. They were rather tame and cute. She made her first attempt, placing her palm on the water while Raphael was standing a bit further, because as much as he wanted to deny it, he was a bit scared of the stingray. These very same creatures had managed to kill Steve Irwin, one of the bravest figure when it comes down to animal handling. It sucked when he heard the news since he was fond of the man as a little boy.
Clara bent down slightly so she could place the food in the water properly while the stingray approached her, their mouth, which was located under their body, started to munch on the food on her hand. It gave a ticklish sensation which made her chuckle. The food was gone within seconds. Clara was having so much fun while Raphael nervously feared for her safety, though nothing wrong would really happen to her since they were supervised and the animal themselves had been used to the presence of the guests.
What the couple did not realize at the moment was another woman who happened to recognize them. It could not be helped, after all Raphael had made quite the name in the upper society. The woman pulled out her phone, carefully taking a picture of the two together, in secret. She posted it and the picture had spread on the media faster than lighting as people started reposting them nearly everywhere. On the other hand, Raphael and Clara had no idea about it.
In the afternoon they went snorkeling. It was something Raphael was looking forward to more so than Clara did. When he was younger snorkeling and diving were his favorite thing to do in tropical region. Since France was not exactly known for their white sand beaches and colorful corals, he needed an escape somewhere else whenever he wanted to feel the most out of the ocean.
Thus, he was pretty skilled when it came down to snorkeling, Clara on the other hand had zero experience with snorkeling and diving. Her hand was shaking right before they jumped into the water, she was scared of drowning, but Raphael took her hand firmly, assuring her that he would always protect her and nothing was to be feared.
As she held on tight to his hand, she jumped out of the boat and floated on the surface. Realizing she was not going to drown, she calmed down a little and started pacing herself with the gentle wave. Within minutes, both of them had gone swimming side by side as she placed her face below the surface to gaze at the underwater view.
They could see the reef and sand below along with schools of colorful fishes swimming around ocean without restraint. It was breathtaking. Clara had to get herself used to the goggles because she had never worn one before, but it was rather nice for her first experience.
"Did you enjoy it?" He asked her as they both were back on the boat.
"Of course I do, it was fascinating." he could not help but smile along with her. Clara was beautiful even when she was drenched in salty water. The way her wet skin gleamed under the sunlight had made him wanted her even more, but poor Raphael had to hold it back until they were back in their room, after that, he would ravish her to his heart's desire.