Sebastian woke up and found her small petite figure perfectly placed in his embrace. Her head was on his chest as her hands rested on top of each other on his abdomen. He quietly moved her so he could get up without waking her up, but before that he stood still for a few minutes observing her peaceful sleeping face.

What if he told her how they were sleeping? What if he told her how their bodies fitted into each other so perfectly?

For him, she seemed like something so precious, so beautiful, that he could not move his gaze from her long eyelashes and from her light brown freckles and rosy cheeks. He could not understand why he felt so protective of her.

Most of the time he found her to be hard to deal. He never had to speak so honestly with anyone, but he knew that the only way that they could get along was if they were both honest with each other, since she never hid anything that she was thinking from him.

She was the most honest and raw person he had ever met. That honesty scared him as much as it attracted him. He had always yearned for an honest connection with someone, and yet, he never felt ready for it. He never trusted anyone long enough. Could she be changing that? He wondered.

Eleanor woke up to the sound of a door opening. Slowly she opened her eyes as she tried to adjust them to the light that invaded the room, and she saw him. Sebastian Crain with only a towel wrapped around his waist as he stepped out of the shower.

'Good morning. Did I wake you?' he asked, smiling while he was casually drying his hair with a towel.

'No.'

She covered her face with the sheets.

What is happening? What kind of scenery is this? She wondered. She woke up to the stunning view that Sebastian's body was. And he talked to her with one of his dazzling beams, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

'Still sleepy?'

Sebastian stepped closer to her, standing with his face hovering above hers, waiting for her to put the sheet aside and to look at him.

'A little,' she answered, with her face still covered.

She finally revealed her face, and Sebastian stole a soft kiss. He could not help himself. Maybe it was the relaxing atmosphere surrounding them from being so far away from home that made everything even more magical. Or maybe it was just the way she was looking. Either way, he could not resist her any longer. He wanted her so much.

As Eleanor left the bathroom after getting ready and went back into the room, Sebastian received a phone call that left him with a very serious expression.

'Work?'

'No,' he gulped, 'Lina called me, to warn us that our parents have arrived.'

'What? I thought I would barely talk to your parents. Weren't they supposed to show up only on the wedding day? I thought I had to talk to them for three minutes on that day, and that was it.'

'So, did I. They told us they were busy and couldn't clear up their schedule sooner. Turns out that was a lie and that they wanted to surprise Lina by showing up earlier.'

'I'm doomed,' she said as she paced back and forward.

'No, you're not and stop doing that or you'll make a hole in the floor.'

'I can't. I'm too nervous.' Sebastian got up and walked towards her, grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to face him.

'You will be fine. They are not the bogyman.'

'I know that, but I'm not ready to meet you parents. I thought I was, but I'm not. What if they don't like me?'

'They will.' He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. 'What's there not to like?'

'Aren't you at least a little nervous? I mean, probably not. It's not like it is the first time you introduce a girlfriend to your parents.'

'Well... It is, actually. I've dated a lot,' — he stopped as he saw Eleanor raise her eyebrows — 'I mean. I've dated a fair amount, I guess. But nothing was ever serious enough for me to even bother to introduce anyone to my family.'