Chapter 45: His dark eyes glinting

Caroline stepped onto the open sand, pausing as a cool wave rushed in and lapped against her feet. The ocean breeze blew strong, and she raised a hand to shade her eyes from the glaring sun.

"Andrew, look over there! I can see seabirds," Caroline said, pointing excitedly toward the right. "I had no idea the ocean would be this vast and deep blue."

She scanned the coast, her eyes shining with quiet wonder.

"When I was little, I always wanted to build a sandcastle like the ones on TV," she admitted, finding a dry spot a short distance from the tide. "Let’s build one together."

Setting her hands into the soft sand, she began shaping the base, but the ocean breeze kept blowing loose strands of hair across her face. Andrew watched her for a moment before dropping down into the sand behind her. Gathering her hair gently, he pulled a rubber band from his pocket and bound it neatly at the nape of her neck.

Caroline’s breath caught in her throat at his unexpected closeness, touched by the quiet thoughtfulness in his gesture.

"Thank you," she whispered, tilting her head back to look at him for a second before returning to her work.

"Do it like this," Andrew murmured, reaching around her to guide her hands along the base, which had already collapsed a few times under the loose sand.

With him sitting right behind her, she could feel the firm heat of his chest pressing against her back. Her focus scattered almost instantly. Memories of their morning in the kitchen came flooding back. The warmth of his lips tracing her skin, the weight of his hands, the trail of his fingers against her skin...

’What on earth am I thinking?’

Caroline slammed the brakes on her runaway thoughts, shaking her head slightly to clear it. She forced her eyes down toward the sand, only to realize the base they had built together was remarkably sturdy now. A stray wave washed over the shore, foaming around their feet, but the foundation held completely intact.

"Wow! How did you do that?" she asked, turning to him with genuine enthusiasm, her eyes bright with delight.

"I just did," Andrew answered with a faint, amused smile, scooping up a fresh pile of damp sand for her to work with. "Now build the rest of it."

"I forgot you majored in architecture," Caroline said, her eyes crinkling with a bright smile.

With Andrew subtly guiding the structural support, it took them nearly an hour to finish the intricate miniature fortress. Once the final tower stood firm, Caroline carefully used a smooth stick to trace letters into the wet sand beside it:

Caroline’s Castle!

She sat back on her heels, admiring their creation as the ocean breeze swept past them.

"All your worries just vanish when you build something like this," she mused, her tone turning soft and reflective. "I think that’s why people love making these... even if it’s temporary, it makes you focus entirely on the present."

"That’s true," Andrew agreed. He glanced up at the climbing sun, noticing the slight flush on her cheeks. "You’ll end up sunburnt if we stay out here much longer. Let’s get under the shade."

He stood up and extended his hand down to her. Caroline took it, and with a light tug, he pulled her to her feet. Intertwining his fingers with hers, he led her across the warm sand toward a open-air cabana set up along the edge of the private beach.

Caroline sank into one of the plush, cushioned loungers, letting out a contented sigh.

Just a few feet away, a private bartender was already at work behind a small marble counter, deftly mixing a pair of refreshing drinks according to the brief instructions Andrew had passed along.

Andrew picked up his camera and snapped a quick side shot of her.

Hearing the subtle click of the shutter, she turned her head immediately. "Did you just take my picture?"

"Yes," Andrew replied, stepping closer to show her the screen. "Your side profile came out remarkably well. Sexy, I’d say."

A hot flush spread across Caroline’s cheeks at his compliment. Smiling faintly at her reaction, Andrew set the camera aside, walked over to the bar counter, and grabbed their freshly prepared drinks before dismissing the private bartender for the afternoon.

He handed her a tall, chilled glass of sparkling lemonade garnished with mint, while keeping a dark, amber-hued cocktail for himself as he sank into the lounger beside her.

"Umm... it’s refreshing," Caroline remarked, taking a slow sip of the chilled drink before setting it down on the small side table between them.

Noticing the cool ocean breeze picking up, she adjusted her cover-up, tugging the fabric over her bare thighs. Andrew’s gaze followed her movement. He set his own unfinished cocktail down beside hers and leaned back against his lounger.

"Have you ever been to a spa?" Andrew asked quietly.

"No," Caroline replied, shaking her head.

"I’ve booked a couple’s spa session for us," Andrew stated, watching her reaction. "It’s right here along the private beach. We can go tomorrow if you’d rather rest today, but trust me... you’ll feel completely relaxed and at peace when it’s done."

"So, what happens at a couple’s spa?" Caroline asked, tilting her head as she looked over at him.

"A lot of things," Andrew replied smoothly. "We’ll lie side by side, looking at each other while we get massaged."

"Massages from women?" Caroline asked, a sudden pause in her voice. She looked down for a second before meeting his eyes again. "Would you actually let someone else touch you? I mean... I don’t want other women touching you."

She knew it might sound silly or possessive, but the thought of another woman placing her hands on him made a sharp knot form in her chest.

Andrew’s lips curled into an amused smirk at her open display of jealousy.

"A male masseur would handle my session, and a female masseuse would handle yours," he explained, his dark eyes glinting with satisfaction. "Unless, of course, you’d rather do it yourself? How about that?"