Page 159 of The Illusion
"I think we should save that pasta you made for dinner tomorrow instead. Right now, I have other plans for you."
I laugh and let him pull me up from the couch. "Is that so?"
"Mm-hmm." He's already leading me toward the stairs, his eyes dark with promise. "Very specific plans."
"I like the sound of that."
"I was hoping you would."
CHAPTER
FIFTY-NINE
JULIE
"Pack a bag,"Ryan says one evening as we're cleaning up after dinner. "Something warm. Layers."
I look up from the container of leftovers I’m putting a lid on. "Pack a bag for what?"
"A vacation."
"Ryan, we can't just?—"
"We can. I've already arranged everything with Jamie. She's got the shop covered. My parents are handling anything that comes up at home. We're leaving tomorrow morning."
"Tomorrow? Where are we going?"
He grins, and there's something in that smile that makes my stomach flip. "It's a surprise. But trust me, you're going to love it."
I should ask more questions. I should demand details. But instead, I just smile back at him and say, "Okay."
Because I trust him. Completely.
He takes me to Iceland and from the moment we get off the plane, I’m in love.
"Oh my God," I breathe.
Ryan takes my hand. "Good surprise?"
"The best surprise."
We rent a car and drive toward our hotel, and I can't stop staring out the window. The road stretches on endlessly, and there are barely any other cars. It's just us and the landscape and the sense that we're at the edge of the world.
Our hotel is a small luxury property nestled in a valley, with views of mountains and waterfalls. The room is all clean lines and natural materials—stone and wood and glass. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook a landscape that looks like it belongs in a dream.
"Ryan, this is incredible," I say, turning to him.
"We haven't even started yet," he says, pulling me close. "Come on. We're going to catch the sunset."
The following days blur together in the most perfect way. We wake early and explore. We drive to Skógafoss, a massive waterfall that thunders down from the sky like the earth is weeping. The mist rises up and soaks us, and I'm laughing so hard I can barely breathe. Ryan pulls me close and kisses me right there, with the roar of the waterfall all around us.
We go to a beach where the sand is black as coal and the waves crash against the shore with a violence that's almost beautiful. We walk along the shore holding hands, enjoying eachother. We soak in the Blue Lagoon, surrounded by steam and the smell of minerals, and I float on my back and watch the sky change colors above me. Ryan floats beside me, and we don't talk. We just exist in this moment together, in this place that feels like it exists outside of time.
We eat fresh fish and drink wine and watch the light linger in the sky until nearly midnight. We stop at a small geothermal hot spring and soak in the warm water while the cold air bites at our faces. And we make love constantly. I wouldn't have believed it could get better, but it does. I'm sex mad and not at all upset about it.
The big, body rocking orgasms I read about in my romance books weren’t lying. With the right partner, sex is amazing.
On the sixth day, Ryan wakes me early. "I have one more thing I want to show you," he says, kissing my forehead. "Get dressed. Wear something warm."
