the neck, the buttons straining his chest. It wasn't fatigue that kept him there, but something har

an of t

new it as soon as he sat next to her, as if a part of him, dormant for years, had suddenly awakened. The image was repeated clearly: her, with salty

o belong entirely to the everyday world. As if she had stepped straight out of a poem.He turned on the car's air conditioning, but didn't roll down the windows. Outside, the sea continued to speak to him with its voice of waves. A few meters away, he could still hear the soft music coming fr

l to

over her shoulder and sandals in hand, gazing at the sea with the peace of someone who belongs to the landscape. He felt drawn to it without knowing why. Perhaps it was her way o

thinking too muc

sked in a deep, gentle voi

ould sit, he did so without hesitation. But he chose to sit next to her, not in front of her. Not as a strategy

usled by the sea breeze. She smelled of the sea, of the sun, of something fresh. And yet, she didn't seem uncomfortable. Sh

of speaking, like someone who chooses words without haste, but with precision. She told him she was a writer. That left him speec

r the coast. About how some early mornings he liked to stop the patrol car, turn off the engine, and

walk, Javier felt time slow down. His gaze followed her, inevitable. She moved forward with a natural confidence, knowing she was being watched. And then, just before reachi

her silhouette speak without saying a word. Javier felt the air become denser, warmer. It wasn't just desire. There

ment was so perfect it must end soon, she c

"in case he needed any information or security information." An excuse as obvious as it was beautiful. And he gave it to

hat smile. Something she didn't say, but he felt like an echo. Lik

at other ma

of intensity and possessiveness. The guy wasn't just anyone. He had a history with her, she knew that immediately

f marking his place, of making it clear that he wasn't just another stranger. He asked if he could bu

signs. And that wasn't a definitive "no." It was a "not now." It was a "this isn't the ti

thought of nothing but seeing her again. He wasn't going to rush her. He wasn't going to force

same seven months, the same place, the same sea-