Rachel woke up as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the huge windows; she glanced around and found herself sleeping on a bed in the guest room. Anna slept soundlessly beside her.

She rolled on her stomach and smiled into the pillow, Chris must have carried her back and she was thankful for that. It would have been nearly awkward and a little scandalous to be found with him, in his strong arms and his loving embrace.

Rachel sighed and sat up, she knew she had fallen deep for Chris; she reasoned, who wouldn’t? He was everything she had ever wanted in a man, her man. He made her smile, was always there for her, protected her, and simply relished her.

Her wonderful, astonishing man.

She walked to the guest room balcony and savored the beautiful ambience, lost in her thoughts; her eyes zoomed on a person running on a track which seemed to be laid all through the huge garden.

Rachel stood up, her senses on high alert. She could see Chris coming back after a morning jog.

She loved the way, his hair bounced with his each step. He seemed so very powerful; his each step echoed his confidence, his self-assurance, and his poise.

The way his shirt clung to his chest, sweat dripping; almost deliciously down his delectable body. Rachel nearly drooled.

Wow!

That is a sight she would love to see every day. A vision which aroused her beyond  reasonable sense; with a force that pooled down into a heated, molten, raw desire.

Beautiful sight, beautiful man; she moaned.

She could visualize herself touching, licking that chest as her fingers tightened on the railings. Her stomach ached in longing, in trepidation of something that sweet and breathtaking.

She moved back to the room and ventured outside the house to greet Chris.

Chris looked up and watched as Cassandra walked to him. His breath stuck in awe, watching her standing near him barefoot, in her casual nightwear; looking so very innocent. He wanted this scene to repeat every single day.

Hell, he wanted her to join him in his run. They could together run in the mornings and after indulging in some naughty, fruitful, sinuous exercises.

Chris walked towards Rachel and slowly cupped her cheek, and kissed her, “Morning, my bunny.”

Rachel’s heart skipped a beat, Chris’s closeness having its desired effect on her, “Morning, handsome.”

He smiled and took her hand in his and walked her towards a stunning, Victorian theme carved fountain and made her sit on a nearby bench,” Did you sleep well?” He asked her looking at her as he played with her delicate fingers and brought her fingers close to his lips and laid cute kisses on them.

Rachel smiled and lifted her eyes to take in the entire magnificently laid out garden; it was beyond surreal this close,” Thank you for last night.”

“What did I tell you?  You don’t have to thank me, that was your right,” he winked at her as he lifted her chin to gaze into her eyes.

“This is so beautiful, I absolutely love it; the flowers, the fountain, the track, the greenery; a dream land,” Rachel expressed her emotions as she laid her head on his shoulder.

“It is, isn’t it? Come, I will show you my favorite place,” Chris said as he leaned down to drop a kiss on her head.

They walked hand in hand, Rachel looked at Chris and found him gazing at her, she blushed as he gave her hand a slight squeeze, “Chris, I have to tell you something important about me.”

Chris put his finger on her lips and whispered, “Later, I promise.”

He turned her towards the side of the garden and there lay an exquisite sight; a miniature stream fueled via a water fall, flowing almost discretely without a sound, with lovely flowers on its banks; providing an ideal, serene picnic place.

A place for the family, a place symbolizing romance; a place for them.

Rachel squealed in surprise and letting go of Chris’s hand, ran towards the stream. She sat down on the bank and touched the water; laughing delightfully as the water passed by her fingers.

Chris stood stumped, her eagerness, her delightful reaction; made him fall in love with her all over again.

He walked towards her and picked her up in his arms.

 "Evans, let me go right now," screamed Rachel, she knew Robert and Anna were somewhere around and she did not want to be caught in a compromising situation.

"Ah! Cassandra. I have a name other than Evans, you know. If you don't call me Chris I will be forced to tickle you," he said, his lips curving into a slight grin.

As she opened her mouth to speak, Chris decided she had taken too long to respond so continued, "Okay, too slow," and began tickling her.

Rachel threw her head back in laughter. As Chris tickled her, Rachel's breathing became heavier and shorter. She was taking in deeper breaths trying to sustain her body's needs.

"NO PLEASE, STOP" Rachel screeched. Knowing he wouldn't stop unless she called him Chris, "Chrissss, please."

"See, was that so hard?" he said, placing her gently back on the ground.

Though they were standing barely millimeters apart, Rachel nudged closer to Chris. She stood up on her feet so their lips barely touched. She brushed her lips lightly on to Chris's. Before he could respond, Rachel dropped back to her natural height, blushing a deep crimson color.  

He had been taken aback by her subtle, lovable actions but quickly regained himself as Rachel dropped back down and began to turn, Chris held out his hand quickly yet carefully grasping her arm. He spun her back around to face him whilst saying, "Not so fast missy, you aren't getting away with that and just running off. I'm not letting you go that easily," grinning all the while.

Chris wrapping his arms around her waist, quite easily lifted Rachel off her feet. He felt Rachel relax into the embrace and continued kissing her tenderly. Rachel was just as relieved and found her arms making their way up and snaking their way around Chris' neck. She responded to the kiss with identical enthusiasm as Chris had.

Just then, a voice broke their warm embrace, “These people are here busy doing grown up stuff while we have been searching for them god knows where.”

Chris and Rachel abruptly broke apart as Rachel blushed; Chris lowered her onto the ground.

‘Robert,” Rachel admonished him while he simply grinned at her,” Where is Anna?” she further asked noting her friend’s absence.

“Waiting for us back in the house for breakfast but you seemed to be already getting your mouths busy and your tummy filled,” Robert quipped as he walked towards Chris and slapped his back.

Chris simply rolled his eyes and twisting his wrist said,”Yes, of course. I just can’t get enough of my gorgeous girl. I would love to have this meal for lunch and dinner as well,” he looked at Rachel and winked.

Rachel giggled while she playfully hit Chris, “Come On, let’s go,” she entangled her fingers with his and walked towards the house.

…………

After a scrumptious break-fast, some light hearted moments and a fight with the house-keeper Mary which won Rachel all the brownie points as Rachel insisted on helping Mary lay down the breakfast and clean up after wards even surprising her with a warm hug; Anna and Rachel were dropped off to the café while Chris and Robert went for their meeting which was to take place in a nearby town; they were to be back by the next day.

…….

In the evening, the next day; Rachel after work decided to message Chris asking him to come over to the café as she wanted to tell him something important. She realized it was high time, she told him her truth.

She was undeniably falling in love with him and he seemed to be enamored with her. She did not want a stupid misunderstanding to ruin their beautifully laid relationship, a relationship that they had sewn with trust, simplicity, playfulness and togetherness.

“I’ve never seen you late before,” Rachel asked Chris playfully as he sauntered in the café.

Chris smiled back, “I apologize, got delayed as I stopped to pick up this,” with that he laid in her hands a gorgeous bouquet of flowers.

“Thank you, Chris. This is beautiful,” she smiled as she brought the flowers closer to her lips and kissed them.

He let his eyes roam over her, said, “Not as beautiful as you.” Then he swept her into his arms and kissed her.

He guided her to a pair of chairs, “You wanted to talk about something?” Chris asked.

 She was staring at him with a soft smile on her beautiful face, “Yes, it is something I have been trying to tell you for the past few days but we always tend to get disrupted.”

Chris took Rachel’s hand.

For a long moment, he found it difficult to speak.

 Her beauty, her poise, and her grace never failed to move him. Staring into her blue eyes, he finally said, “I am the happiest man in the world right now and I am all yours,” he teased her as he continued to hold her hand in his.

I am so lucky, she thought.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to utter the next words when his phone rang, it was Robert. Chris looked apologetically at Rachel,” Cassandra, will you please excuse me for two minutes to take this phone call. I had asked Robert to enquire about a problem we are facing in the Asian market.”

Rachel knew how business worked, a small problem could threaten the very bearing of the entire well-laid down craft; so she simply nodded and Chris stood up, kissing Rachel’s forehead ventured outside to take the call.

Rachel waited, nervousness eating her very core.

How would he react? Will he be okay? Will he accept her?

In her defense, she had tried to tell him many times but was always interrupted. Her hands shook with fear.

After waiting for fifteen minutes and literally dying in unbridled anxiety, she walked outside to find Chris barking instructions on his phone.

He looked at her and moved towards her, “I apologize, Cassandra. There is serious trouble with the workforce for my Asian project.”

“What happened?” Rachel asked forgetting her dilemma as she took in his worried stance.

“The workforce there is refusing to work in accordance with the productivity, we expected out of them. My stock there has fallen below the breakeven point. I am paying them a salary better than as compared to others in the same industry but still they are again on a strike. All my ten factories in Asia are ensuing sudden loss and strike,” Chris turned her back to her.

She laid her hand on his shoulder,” I believe in you. Why not think from the worker’s point of view?”

Chris turned around to look at her. Half expecting a sympathetic smile, he saw instead a big grin filled with hope and belief.

 She was incredibly beautiful, her eyes alight, her hair shining as if she had bathed in the moonlight. He could not help but smile back at her. Suddenly, his smile exploded into a grin as broad at hers.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Worker’s point of view? Excellent. I got it, I have a solution. How about I corroborate the worker’s individual capacity with incentive? Each worker, with a targeted productivity and equivalent incentive; that would take care of the worker’s problem as well as the productivity. Thank you, my little bunny. Thank you,” Chris moved forward and hugged her close to him.

After dropping a kiss on her head and asking for forgiveness, he rushed out to his office to put his plan into action. He had to leave for Asia in the night but he promised her to meet her in the café just before he left.

………………..

Rachel doodled on her paper, as she waited for Chris. Chris had just texted her that he would be coming in to meet her. She randomly sat on a table as Anna worked in the pantry.

Mrs. Chris Evans. She wrote the name all over the cream colored paper. The name flowed easily from her ball-point pen, and she traced and retraced the name until the blue ink was a navy color and the paper began to tear.

Rachel's head popped up for a second, and realizing who it was, she tried hard to hide it from plain sight. Unfortunately, Robert walked by the chair Rachel was currently on and glanced at her paper.

“What is that, you were writing, Cassandra?” Robert smirked at Rachel.

“Nothing important,” she picked up the parchment and rolled it in her hand.

Rachel knew Robert could see through her lie. She looked down, “So, you’re also going with Chris?”

"That can wait. Now, what did the parchment say again, Cassandra?" Robert asked.

Chris stood slightly behind him waiting for her answer and watching her closely.

"Shut it, Robert, if you know what's good for y-" Rachel hissed before Robert interrupted her.

"Ok, sure. Whatever you say," and with that, Robert left them alone and walked into the pantry where he could see Anna switching off the light.

Chris walked around the chair and sat down next to Rachel in the chair,” I apologize, I couldn’t listen to what you wanted to say but when I come back, I promise to hear you out.”

He pulled Rachel up from her chair on his lap.

She sunk right into Chris’s lap, wrapped one arm around his neck and as he gave her a long, deep, sensual kiss. She was shocked at first but soon kissed him back, running one hand up the back of his shirt and the other entangling around his neck.

She stifled the moan she wanted to let out. She had to keep in control; Robert and Anna were with them. Rachel raised her hands to Chris’s face and gently pulled him away. He looked up at her, clearly enjoying the kiss and appeared to have wanted to continue despite the audience around her.

“Later, my handsome,” she whispered. She extracted herself from him, kissing his forehead and stood up as Anna and Robert walked up to them.

"So, now that you have discussed the doodling, Chris it’s time to leave,” Robert said, a smirk on his face.

"Sure," Chris laughed. He got up, hugged Rachel tightly.

He brought his lips close to her ear and with a husky voice said, “But just so you know, Cassandra, that name is reserved only for you."