Author's Note: This is the honeymoon chapter....so a little bit of light mature content here.

Noah

"I know what you're doing, you know?" Elle's voice interrupts my afternoon musings.

"What do you mean?' I ask innocently.

"Trying to convince yourself it's real, that it wasn't just a dream."

We're lying together on the daybed next to the plunge pool, Elle's back to my stomach and her head resting against my chest. The fingers of our left hands are intertwined, and I had been twisting them slightly, enjoying the play of the light reflected off the diamonds in Elle's rings.

I grin, "Oh I know it was real. I remember it vividly."

"Do you now?" Elle's voice is teasing.

"Yep." I drop my voice and whisper in her ear, "You know what else I remember vividly?"

Elle's head lolls back against my arm as she looks up at me. "What?" she breathes.

"What we did in the limo on the way back to the hotel that night."

A sly look comes across Elle's face. "Really? I'm not sure I recall anything particularly memorable happening..."

I smirk, "I guess I'll just have to refresh your memory then."

"Well, if you insist." That didn't require much encouragement, I note with some satisfaction.

Elle gets up, presumably thinking I mean to head back inside our villa, but I grab her hand and pull her back towards me.

"No. Here."

"Here? Really?"

"Elle, we're facing a very secluded stretch of beach, I think the chances of someone walking past right now are pretty low." I raise an eyebrow and tug on her short sarong. "Besides, this can stay. These, however," I pull the strings on the sides of her bikini bottoms. "These have to go."

Elle rolls her eyes at me as the offending fabric falls to the ground at her feet.

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Elle

I wake up to the sound of the ocean, the small waves breaking and the water reaching towards the sand before sliding away again. The sheer curtains billow in the light breeze, the early morning air just cool enough to warrant the light cotton sheet that covers me. I turn my head and find Noah still fast asleep, his long eyelashes casting light shadows on the skin below his eyes.

Excellent.

I've rarely had the opportunity to watch him sleep this past week, but it's truly one of my favorite things in the world. He looks so peaceful and I love observing him in this purest form, a blank canvas, no thought or emotion altering his handsome face. To me, this is what Noah really looks like, and a part of me is thrilled that I'm the only one who ever gets to see it.

The urge to reach out and softly trace the lines of his face with my fingertips is strong, and only my desire to keep gazing at him awhile longer stops me. I wonder if he's dreaming. Our whole honeymoon has been like a dream, like something that exists apart from the real world. I'm beyond grateful that we still have a few days left, because I'm not ready to go back to reality. Not that our reality is so bad, not at all, it's just that I don't want to share him with anyone else yet.

It's been such a joy to slow down, to not be busy. To focus only on each other. I suppose all newlyweds feel the same way. I hear Noah's breathing change and watch as his eyelids flutter open and his eyes focus on mine. A small smile plays on his lips.

"Hi," he breathes.

"Hi."

"Been awake long?" his voice is quiet and still rough with sleep.

"Just long enough," I smile.

"Hmm. Are you awake awake or can we doze for a bit?"

"We can doze."

"Good. Come here then," he says sleepily, lifting his arm so that I can snuggle in against him. My head is tucked in under his chin and our arms are wrapped around each other. It's very warm and cozy, but lying with him this way means I can feel every line of his body pressed along mine. I can't help but move slightly against him.

"Mmm...Elle?"

"Yeah?"

"You wriggling like that isn't exactly conducive to sleeping."

"It's not?" I ask innocently, while I trail my fingernails down his back.

I can hear the smile in his voice when he responds, "No."

I angle my head slightly so I can kiss his neck. I feel his body responding and that spurs me on. I kiss up along his jaw and nip lightly at his earlobe.

"Okay, I'm awake," Noah groans and his hand moves down to my lower back, holding me tightly as he grinds against me. It's my turn to groan and my eyes close. I feel Noah roll me onto my back and his hand roams from my hip to where the heat is building between my legs. His lips find mine and I open my mouth to his tongue as his fingers dip inside me and begin to satisfy the growing ache there.

I feel a moment of loss when he breaks our kiss and withdraws his fingers. I open my eyes to see him moving over me to settle between my legs. I catch my bottom lip between my teeth as I gaze down his body and when he slides home, my eyes close once more.

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Noah

I'm watching my wife (yeah that still gives me a thrill every time I think or say it), getting ready for work. We've been home for a few weeks, but we're definitely still in the honeymoon phase, as evidenced by the fact that our early morning activities mean that Elle is now rushing to get out the door on time. It's Saturday, but her new game is in testing so she needs to head into the office today. Which means I get to lie in bed and enjoy the view as Elle comes out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, fresh from her shower.

Of course I enjoy the view even more once she drops the towel to start getting dressed. I move to get out of bed but Elle stops me, holding up her hand.

"No! You stay right there mister!"

I laugh, "What? I can't even get out of bed now?" I'd already been banned from joining her in the shower earlier.

Elle shakes her head. "Nope. If you and all your nakedness come anywhere near me, we both know I am not going to get out that door anytime soon. And I needed to be out that door like five minutes ago."

I smirk, "Fine." I sit up in bed, leaning against the headboard and arrange the sheet so it's covering the lower half of my nakedness.

Elle finishes getting dressed and goes back into the bathroom to fix her hair. When she comes back out she smiles at me and waves, heading towards the door to leave. "Bye babe."

"What? I don't even get a goodbye kiss?" I complain.

Elle turns back and grins at me, shaking her head. "Nice try." She blows me a kiss. "Have a good day Mr Flynn."

I smile at her. "You too, Mrs Flynn. Hurry back."

Elle's giggle trails behind her as she flees the apartment.

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Elle

Noah's doing push ups in the living room. I'm meant to be finishing some work. But how am I supposed to concentrate when he's doing that, wearing only a pair of shorts? Well, boxers and a pair of shorts, I note, because the shorts are slung low enough on his hips that I can see the waistband of his boxers peeking over the top. I can also see all the muscles of his back and shoulders quite clearly due to the lack of shirt. Those muscles are covered in a light sheen of sweat from the exertion and it's doing things to me.

It's been months since we got married and while I'm sure that this insatiable fascination we have for each other will wane at some point, it's showing no signs of slowing down yet. I stare at my husband from the doorway and wonder how best to get his attention, given that he's still got his earbuds in. I decide maybe the direct approach is best. I shrug out of my top, ball it up and throw it across the room so it lands in front of Noah. He turns his head to the side and raises his eyebrow at me.

My only response is to slide my skirt down over my hips and let it fall to my feet. Noah's eyes narrow slightly and I turn and run, barely making it through the bedroom door before he catches me and then we're on the bed again and his hands are everywhere.