To Love & To Cherish (To Have or To Hold Book 3)

CHAPTER 5

　　The next morning my eyelids fluttered open, and for a moment I wondered where I was. Getting my bearings, I sat up on the edge of the bed and noted Jace, naked and beautiful, asleep, and only partially covered by the silk sheet.

　　Going to stand up, my stomach curdled again, and a wave of sickness passed through me. Realising that this time I wasn’t going to be keeping anything down, I dashed to the bathroom and practically threw myself at the toilet. Heaving my guts up, the remnants of food from last night, with a hint of the ginger tea, went flying into the toilet, and I sat on the bathroom floor afterwards to catch my breath.

　　“Becca?” came Jace’s voice, as he lightly knocked on the door.

　　“It’s okay, I’m fine,” I answered, trying to get my stomach back in place.

　　“You’re not fine. Do you want me to get a doctor?”

　　“No, honestly, I feel better now. I think the food I ate last night sat on my stomach wrong after swimming. Honestly, I’ve not got a temperature or anything like that, so I’ll be fine.”

　　I could hear him sigh. “Just let me get a doctor to check you over…”

　　“I’m not ill!” I lightly laughed, getting myself up off the floor and realising how cold my naked butt was after sitting on the marble floor.

　　“Hmm, well, we’ll take it easier today and see how you go.”

　　“You need to stop fussing,” I replied, brushing my teeth.

　　“I can’t help it. I care about you too much.”

　　“You make that sound like a bad thing,” I replied, spitting out the toothpaste.

　　“You know what I mean. It’s not a bad thing. Anyway, when you’re ready, get dressed and we’ll see what you want to eat.”

　　“Okay. I’ll be out in a minute. I’ll just grab a shower.”

　　Washing myself down in the shower, I did feel much better, and soaping up with the luxury vanilla shower gel, I was refreshed and ready to enjoy the rest of our time here.

　　Drying off and being relieved that I felt a lot better than I had done this morning, I got dressed and went to locate Jace. Sitting on the deck and enjoying his breakfast whilst reading a book and being served with orange juice by a member of the crew, I went and sat at the table.

　　“Are you feeling better?” Jace asked, dropping his book down.

　　“Yes, much better. I’m actually really hungry now.” I chuckled, feasting my eyes on the delicious breakfast treats.

　　“It’s good that you’ve got an appetite. Dig in,” he offered, as I began to help myself to the selection.

　　Once we’d eaten, it wasn’t long before we docked in Marigot Bay, and I was eager to enjoy the new surroundings and see what the bay had to offer.

　　Stepping off the boat, I did feel better being back on land, so perhaps I was a bit seasick. Before this honeymoon, I’d never been on a yacht before, so I wouldn’t have been aware of it if I was.

　　Once off the boat, I took a look around the marina, and it was like nothing I had ever seen before. With superyachts galore, on the deep blue open waters and the green palms of the gardens, this was a playground for the rich and famous.

　　People were dotted around, either spectating the rows of superyachts as a point of fascination, or the owners of the boats were having gatherings of what looked like friends and family. It was nice to see the life that was going on, and as we walked along hand-in-hand and surrounded by bodyguards, people around us looked on trying to figure out what famous people we were.

　　We weren’t famous – just being followed by some deranged psychopath, that warranted this kind of security. I did notice how a lot of the women didn’t pay much attention to me, as Jace, in his sunglasses, was a far more appealing prospect for them to feast their eyes upon. I’d witnessed that many times, and instead of feeling insecure about it, I decided to take it as a compliment, to be married to such a stunning man.

　　Making tracks toward a nearby stretch of road, a car was awaiting our arrival, and getting in, Jace led me in by my hand first.

　　“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I asked, as Jace got comfortable on the seat next to me.

　　“Considering you’ve not been too well, I’ve decided that we’re going to have a day of culture and relaxation,” he answered, placing his hand on mine.

　　“You make me sound like an invalid.” I chuckled. “I’m totally fine now. I think my sea legs went for a walk on me.”

　　“You do look better. I would’ve never have suggested using the yacht if I knew you were seasick.”

　　“You weren’t to know, but it’s not been too bad. I told you, food on my stomach after that swim was what made me off-colour. I’m fine now, and just want to enjoy our honeymoon.”

　　“Me too.” He smiled, reaching over and placing a soft kiss on my lips.

　　Being momentarily distracted by his lips on mine, I pulled away and decided to spectate out of the window. Marigot Bay was full of lush colours and sweeping landscapes, and it was a visual feast for the eyes. For such a vibrant and busy place, the relaxing feel seemed to be a staple piece, and I could see why people flocked here.

　　First, we stopped off at a market, and it took me back to the days in Barbados, before I had really gotten to know Jace. I remembered having no money and wondering what I was going to do, until Jace came along and saved me. I’d never thought of myself as a damsel in distress, but as I watched my new husband, browsing the selection of market stalls before us, I didn’t mind him being my knight in shining armour.

　　Wandering through the reams of stalls, with permanent vendors to one side and temporary tent-style stalls on the other, dressed colourfully and beckoning us in, the aromas and atmosphere was wonderful to be a part of.

　　Eyeing up all the clothing, jewellery and crafts, we held hands as we tried to blend in – which was difficult when there were bodyguards around us. Jace told me all about how this was the French side of the bay, and it did strike me how this did feel like mainland France, although with a Caribbean breeze and subtropical climate.

　　The downside was that it was full of cruise ship tourists, all eager to see the sights and picking the market clean of anything and everything. Deciding to move on after a while, Jace told me that we would go elsewhere before the traffic became gridlocked.

　　Stopping off for lunch at a local “Lolo”, which was a casual restaurant selling an array of barbequed meats, seafood, and large side dishes, we tucked into some delicious food, as we sat and chatted about our surroundings. With only a roof separating us and our tropical surroundings, it was basically eating al fresco, and I loved the atmosphere of warmth and being at ease.

　　Eating and watching the world go by in an ideal people-watching spot, as various colourful characters passed us by, it was lovely for us to spend time here, and I was thankful for the experience.

　　When we had finished eating, we ventured back to the car to head to our next port of call. After meandering down the open stretches of road, lined with palm trees and beautiful flowers in rainbow colours, we stopped outside of what looked like a holiday villa with its wooden balconies and painted exterior, and I was led out of the car by Jace.

　　“What is this place?” I asked him, as we crossed the road together.

　　“It’s an art gallery. Some of the artwork is wonderful, and this is a place that tourists often stop to look at.”

　　“I hadn’t realised how much history there was in Marigot,” I voiced, as we approached the entrance.

　　“You’d be surprised. There’s a world full of wonder around us, and it puts life’s pitfalls into a smaller perspective,” Jace commented, holding the door open for me.

　　Not entirely knowing what he meant with that statement, we entered the gallery to be met with a homely sight of reams of paintings gracing the walls. I’d never thought much of art gallery’s when I was back home, but being away in foreign climates, there was something fascinating about soaking everything in about the culture. This historic house was holding some of the nicest paintings I’d ever seen, and it was something unique to experience.

　　The owner of the gallery came out to us, and explaining how the light impacts his work and how he creates these unique masterpieces, it was amazing to hear how someone, in a small pocket of this vast world, was so creative and putting out beautiful paintings for people to enjoy. Each painting transported me to where the artist had stood, in that moment of space and time, and I could see what Jace meant about being taken away for a while and realising that there was a big world out there, and perspective was always a good thing to have.