Chapter 9

Santorini, Greece

Santorini was beautiful. The pictures I looked up online were nothing compared to seeing the place in person. The white-washed buildings with the blue-domed roofs created a striking contrast against the deep blue sea and the clear sky.

Many of the buildings were built on the edge of the island's cliffs, and had stunning views of the caldera, a large volcanic crater below. The villa we were staying at looked like a beautiful sculpture of luxury.

It was minimalistic, yet elegant. Large windows offered warm sunlight and stunning balcony views. There was an infinity pool outside that overlooked a cliff that led to the beach. The inside gave a serene and calming vibe with it's earthy tones throughout the space.

"I can't get over how beautiful this is!" Kachelle exclaimed as we looked around.

We'd gotten in about an hour ago and did a little sightseeing before we checked in. She'd slept the majority of the flight. We'd spent the night at her place since it was closer to the interstate. Well, we didn't do much sleeping. It had been two days since our wedding night, and we couldn't seem to get enough of each other. I know I couldn't get enough of her.

The way she molded so perfectly to my dick had me convinced that she was made just for me. Being inside of her felt like being home. I wasn't sure if it was because we'd both abstained from sex for so long before we got married, but one thing was for sure, we had amazing sexual chemistry.

"This is nice as hell," I agreed.

She came to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. Standing on her toes, she kissed me softly.

"Thank you for this."

"You don't have to thank me. You're my wife. Your happiness is my priority."

She smiled and kissed me again. "Can we unpack later? I'm starving. I wanna try that restaurant we passed on the way in."

"I'm down. We can take a quick shower and change, then be on our way."

She gave me a devious grin. "Maybe not too quick."

She gave me a suggestive wink as she released me and strolled off toward the bedroom. I didn't hesitate to follow. She burst into a fit of giggles as I scooped her up and tossed her over my shoulder. I already loved her playful nature. I could be a little childish at times, and it mostly stemmed from having a much younger sibling. Jessa and I played all damn day.

One rendezvous, a shower, and an hour later, we were seated outside at the Pyrgo Restaurant. I sat across from my wife, admiring her beauty. The wind was blowing slightly through her tresses. She'd changed into this sundress that hugged her curves in a way that made me jealous. I watched her wedding ring glistening in the sunlight as she sipped from her wine glass. I'd spent a pretty penny to have it custom made just for her.

"You're staring," she said, lowering the glass with a smile.

"I can't admire you, baby? You're lucky that's all I'm doing. I'm tempted to let everybody know who belongs to you."

"Jacob!"

A random server walked by, and I tapped him. "Hey, man. You see this beautiful woman right here? That's my wife."

The server chuckled. "Congratulations. You must be newlyweds."

Kachelle giggled. "We are."

"I wish many long years of happiness to you two. You make a lovely couple."

She smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded and walked away, leaving us be.

"Is this going to be a thing?" she asked, taking another sip of her wine.

"I told you, I'm my wifing a muthafucka to death. When I fall in love with you, it's gonna be even worse."

"Do you typically fall in love quick?"

"It depends on what you consider quick. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm intentional. When I do anything, I'm all in, or I'm not in it at all. Unfortunately, that hasn't always worked in my favor."

She sighed. "I know what you mean. Sometimes it sucks being the hopeless romantic." She reached out and grabbed my hand. "I don't think that will be the case with us, though."

I lifted her fingers to my lips and kissed them. "It won't."

She leaned over and pecked my lips. I loved that we'd found a level of comfort in each other already. Even if it was quick, it came naturally.

"So…" she said, clearing her throat. "Have you heard from your parents?"

"I haven't. I have a feeling they are gonna be silent until we get back. I know I'll have to pay them a visit."

"Same here."

"I did let Jessa know we made it. She wished us a happy honeymoon."

"I already like her. I really do hope we'll grow close like sisters."

"Jess can be a bit much at times, but when she loves you, you have a protector for life. You can't tell her she's not the big sister."

Kachelle giggled. "You know how little sisters are about their brothers."

"Trust me, I do. Are you and your sister close?"

"Typically, we are. Getting married… I just hope it doesn't permanently change things, you know? I want her to give you a fair chance. All of them."

"Don't worry. They will love me once they get to know me. They might fight it at first, but they will come around."

"I hope so. I hope your family comes around too."

"They will. I had to come around to them having another kid on me so they can come around to me and my untraditional marriage."

Kachelle covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"I cannot! That is so not the same thing, sir."

I grinned. "Just wait until you really get to know Jess. You'll see what I mean when I say I wanna put her up for adoption sometimes at her big age."

"Something tells me you'd be the first running to get her back."

"I would. She can be a pain in the ass, but that's my baby."

"Her husband will have a lot to live up to."

"If she ever decides to settle down, he needs to know he's getting a menace."

Our server finally returned with our food. We'd gone with traditional Greek food since we wanted to embody the experience. I went with the sea bass with stuffed risotto basil oil, and stuffed pumpkin flowers with sour cream and chili, while Kachelle had Caramelized chicken with peppers, sesame, baby potatoes, and cheese cream.

We ate and got to know each other a little as far as each other's likes and dislikes. I learned that her favorite color was pink, she loved RB music, her favorite form of self-care was getting a massage along with getting her nails and feet done.

That was a habit I'd happily fund. I had a thing for nice hands and feet, and she had both. Seeing a pretty set of nails wrapped around my dick or a pretty set of feet on my shoulders did something to me. Of course, I didn't say that to her, but she would find out soon enough.

She told me she was allergic to cats, but she loved dogs and dreamed of owning a pair of Pugs named Barkly and Pawly.

I chuckled. "Barkly and Pawly?"

"Isn't that adorable? I can see them running around now. My complex doesn't allow pets so I've had to hold off on getting them."

"Well, once we get a home, we can see about getting you a Barkly and Pawly."

She smiled. "I never even asked if you were a dog person."

"I like dogs. I had one growing up. His name was Shaq. He was this big-ass Siberian Husky. When Jessa was little, she used to ride his back."

"I bet that was cute."

"It was. He passed away when I went off to college, and I've never owned a dog since. Barkly and Pawly might be a nice addition to the family."

"Speaking of family… I know we still have alot to learn about each other, but how anxious are you to bring kids into this?"

"While I'd love to impregnate you now, I want to enjoy being married for a while. There's so much to explore about each other. I don't wanna add the pressure of having kids too soon when we are really still learning how to co-exist."

She blew a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you said that. I'm on birth control, and I take it religiously. I've never believed in having kids with just anybody. I've seen and heard too many nightmare stories."

"I get it. I can assure you that if and when the time is right, I will be a very active and attentive father. You will be sick of me in your face."

She giggled. "I couldn't be. There is something so sexy about seeing a man be a father. If nothing else, it will make me fall more in love with you. Even with my dad acting the way he is right now, I'm a daddy's girl. He was my first love. I want that for my babies. For you to be our daughter's first love and our son's first hero."

I smiled as I reached for her hand. "I got you and them."

I meant that. I'd been manifesting a healthy union for years now. I asked God to guide me in the ways of a husband and father. Like hers, my pops was trippin' right now, but that was my dude. We had a close relationship, and normally, I told him everything.

I was sure it hurt him that I didn't come to him with my plans to get married. Just like I knew, he wouldn't have understood. He'd spoken to me so many times about the importance of building a good, solid relationship before marriage. I heard what he said and I would apply everything he taught me, just in my own way.

Those principles didn't just apply when dating someone. Many marriages failed because people stop doing the things they did to get their partner when they finally got them. They got complacent just because they felt like they were already married, and their husband or wife wasn't going anywhere.

That was exactly how people ended up being married and feeling single. This was my first marriage, and I wanted it to be my only. Kay and I were willing participants. The service of Arranged Hearts was not free by any means, neither was it a short process. I couldn't see anybody paying for this service just to fuck around.

Maybe I didn't know her yet, but I would.

It wasbright and early the following morning.

Once we got back from the restaurant yesterday, our plan was to relax a little and then go out and see what the nightlife would bring us. Unfortunately, jetlag set in, and we were dead ass tired. After a four-hour drive to Atlanta to catch a fourteen-hour flight, we had every right to be tired. After a shower, we changed into something comfortable and climbed into bed.

The way our bed was positioned we had a beautiful view of the ocean through the glass patio door. She'd cuddled up next to me and rested her head on my chest. It wasn't long before her eyes had closed, and she was snoring softly. I, on the other hand, stayed up for a little while longer just watching her.

It still hadn't fully settled in that I was a married man. I mean, I had a daily reminder on my finger and in my face every time I looked at her. But I was sure it wouldn't register that this was real until we were back home and settled into our new lives together. There was still so much to do!

She told me she'd taken a few weeks off from work, so we had nothing but time on our hands. I wasn't writing a new book, nor had I taken on any illustration projects, so my schedule was free as well. I'd already set up a meeting with my realtor so we could have a conversation about what we were looking for in our first home.

Part of me felt like I was jumping the gun, but I was excited, and I hoped she could understand that. We'd already said we'd alternate weeks at each other's place until we found our forever home. I'd gotten a pretty good feel of her apartment when I spent the night. She was very neat and very clean.

Everything had a place. Things were color-coordinated and perfectly aligned. If I was being honest, I was a little afraid to touch anything. I wasn't sure how she'd react if something was even the slightest bit off-centered. I knew when we bought a home, I'd have to do a better job at keeping house.

"Good morning," I heard behind me.

I was currently in the kitchen making coffee. Since I was an early riser, most days anyway, I was up with the sun today. I'd gotten in a workout session, showered, and spoken to Jessa already.

I turned to see Kachelle coming toward me with sleep still in her eyes. She came into my outstretched arms and wrapped hers around me.

"Good morning, love," I said, stooping to kiss her lips.

"You let me sleep in," she mumbled.

"I wouldn't dare interrupt your beauty sleep. Are you hungry?"

"I'm starving."

"I can whip us up something real quick. What do you have in mind for the day?"

"I want to do the ATV tour."

My eyes widened. "Oh really?"

"You're surprised?"

"I just wasn't expecting that."

She giggled. "I spent a lot of time in the country parts of South Carolina with my grandparents. I used to ride dirt bikes, four-wheelers, go-carts, and tractors. I'm not as much of a priss as people think by looking at me."

"Well, I gotta see this. I'll book it. Go on and take a shower while I make you something to eat."

"Okay."

She pecked my lips and sauntered off back to the bedroom. I picked up my phone and searched for the tour she wanted. After booking, I went to the fridge and gathered ingredients to make eggs, sausage, and toast. There was also fresh fruit that I decided to dice up. By the time she returned, everything was done and plated.

When she stepped into the kitchen dressed in a pair of cut-off shorts, a midriff top, and a pair of sneakers, I licked my lips. I really felt like she could never look bad. Her face was free of makeup, and she'd pulled her hair up into a messy bun.

"You're—"

"Staring," I finished with a chuckle. "I know. You look beautiful."

She looked down at her outfit. "I look real plain."

"You could never be plain." I pulled her into my arms and pecked her lips. "Do you understand how insanely attracted I am to you, woman?"

I gave her ass a light smack before ushering her into a chair so she could eat. After a quick prayer, we dug in. We spoke briefly about what we wanted to do today. When we were done, we headed out to meet the cab that was picking us up to take us to the tour.

Fifteen minutes later, we pulled up to the ATV park. Filing out of the cab, we headed inside to finish registering. The place was already filled with tourists. After getting situated, we were separated into groups and fitted with protective gear before heading back outside. Waiting for us was a man who I assumed to be the tour guide.

"Welcome, everyone! My name is Nikos, and I'll be your guide for today's ATV tour of the beautiful island of Santorini. Is everyone ready for an exciting adventure?"

The group of us nodded and clapped in agreement.

"Before we begin our exciting ATV tour of Santorini, it's essential that we go over some important safety rules."

He gave us a rundown of the rules and regulations while everyone listened attentively. Several minutes passed before he was done… well, almost.

"One more thing – remember to stay hydrated! We'll take breaks along the way, so make sure to drink plenty of water, especially in this warm weather. If anyone has any questions or concerns about the safety rules, please don't hesitate to ask. Our goal is to have an enjoyable and safe ATV experience together. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads no.

"Alright, everyone! Let's put on our helmets, start our engines, and begin our unforgettable ATV adventure through the stunning island of Santorini!"

We all selected an ATV and mounted them. Once everyone was settled, we took off for the tour. True to her word, Kachelle handled the vehicle with ease. I made up my mind right then to take her on a real ATV with mud and all just to see how she handled it.

As we traveled through the ATV path, we passed the traditional villages which looked like they'd been plucked from a travel magazine. We stopped briefly on the Black Beach, which was known for its striking black volcanic sand and crystal-clear waters. It was quite a sight to see.

I chuckled as Kachelle pulled a small bottle from her backpack and filled it with sand and a couple of tiny shells. Every place we stopped, she either collected something or had us taking pictures. I could tell she was big on capturing moments. I didn't mind that. Most times, I was so busy living in the moment that I rarely captured them to appreciate the memory later.

The last stop on the tour before we headed back was one of the vineyards. Santorini was known for its wine production and I'd discovered that my wife loved a good wine. When they offered us a sample she didn't hesitate to take one and finish off mine.

"You'll have to tell me your favorite wine so I can make sure we always have it," I said as we climbed back on the ATV.

"Alright now. You start spoiling me, you're gonna have to keep me spoiled."

"Ain't no problem with that."

She blushed as she leaned in to kiss me. "Thank you for this. It was fun. I got some really great pictures."

"You never have to thank me for anything I do for you. All you ever have to do is ask love."

We shared a sensual kiss before returning to the group and mounting our ATVs to finish out the tour. I wasn't sure what the rest of this honeymoon would bring, but hopefully, it was the starting point in the adventure we'd share for the rest of our lives.