Baran left Dilan and went to put on his t-shirt, he took his cell phone from the night table and walked to the balcony at the far end of the room, he needed the fresh air to calm down, and keep his body in check, he also wanted to make sure everything was ready for the day he had planned to share with his wife, after all, they just got married and they were supposed to be on their honeymoon. But because he recently reunited again with his father, Baran didn't want to be far from the mansion, also, there was the launch of the new jewelry collection he created in homage to Dilan, there was a lot to do and he couldn't afford to be away from the company just yet. So today, he wanted to surprise her and somehow compensate for the situation.
While Baran was on the phone with Kerem, he heard the bathroom door opening, he didn't look in that direction, instead he keep looking outside. He could feel Dilan approaching from behind, she was making an effort to be quiet, so he indulged her and pretended he didn't hear her because he was amused by her behavior. Suddenly, Dilan's arms were wrapped around his waist in a tight hug, he was not going to complain about this situation, so he kept talking on the phone and placed his free hand on top of her hands and with his thumb, began to caress her.
Dilan breathed in Baran's scent, she loved to do that, even without perfume his scent did things to her, he smelled like fresh brew coffee with a mix of spice, cedar, wood, and musk, it was addicting. From that position she could hear Baran's voice resonating in his body, it was a little raspy like every morning, and sexy, very sexy.
Once the phone call was over, Baran turned to face Dilan, she had this beautiful blush on her cheek, 'I wonder what this is about' but he said nothing, he lower his head and placed a kiss on her lips. Afterward, he said, "Are you feeling better?" "Yes, the bath was a good idea" "Good, now I'm going to take a quick shower and then we'll head out" Dilan's head went to the side with excitement in her eyes, "Head out? Where to?" While caressing her chin and smiling Baran replied "Surprise, you would need to wait to see" His wife lacked patience, and he loved to tease her by testing it.
Before Baran could go to the bathroom, they heard a knock on the door. Dilan distanced herself from Baran, which made him move his head to the sides in disapproval. "Come in," said Baran. It was Kader, she was bringing a tray with food, he had asked to bring them for breakfast. Immediately he went to the middle of the room and moved a little table to the front of the sofa. After giving them a quick look and a smile, Kader left them alone again. "What is this?" "I thought we should have a private breakfast, just us two, and then we can head out... I'll be back fast, you can start if you are hungry" "No, I'll wait for you". This time, Baran kissed Dilan on the head and went to take a shower.
Dilan was rearranging the bed sheets while she waited. She was a little embarrassed that Kader saw them like that. She also placed Baran's suit on the man's valet by the side of the bed. Afterward, she took a look around and everything was neatly arranged again. At that moment, the bathroom door opened, and Baran came in, his cloth style was casual. He was wearing black pants, a black t-shirt, black sneakers, and an olive green jacket that matched his eyes. After the shower Dilan could not only smell Baran's fragrance, she could taste it, as his regular scent was enhanced with the soap, and she didn't even have to be close to him to experience it. She closed her eyes for a moment and the minute she opened them, Baran's arms were around her, and his face so close their breathing mixed.
"You look so beautiful Dilan... you always do, but today..." Baran didn't finish his sentence, he was mesmerized by his wife, he traced her face with his fingers, he wanted to learn every part of her body by heart, so even with his eyes closed, or when she wasn't there with him, he could still touch her, as his fingertips will remember every line, every curve, the feel of her skin, and the texture of her hair. Dilan broke Baran's train of thought and looking at her outfit she said "Am I dressed properly? I don't know where we are going, so..." Dilan had on a lovely white dress with strips and a pattern of red flowers and green leaves, tight to the waist and flowy on the bottom, with a white cardigan on top and white sneakers. Her hair was loose, parted on the side and she put on natural-looking makeup, just as Baran liked it. He looked at her from top to bottom with admiration in his eyes, then he simply said "You're perfect... let's eat".
After enjoying their first breakfast as husband and wife, they both went down the stairs. Sitting in the main room was Baran's dad, Mr. Kudret. They went to him to wish him a good morning and to let him know that they would spend the day out. "Of course, son, don't worry about us here, go and have fun together, I still don't understand why you wouldn't take my daughter on a honeymoon, but..." "Dad, I told you, we don't want to be away from the house right now" Dilan motioned her head in agreement and said, "We are more than happy like this Dad" Both Mr. Kudret and Baran turned their heads to Dilan with the biggest smile on their faces, as it was the first time Dilan called Mr. Kudret 'Dad'. "Ok kids, go, go, and make the most of the day". They said their goodbyes and went out of the house. Baran's truck was already parked outside, so they got in and went into the city.
They drove in silence while holding hands, with the windows slightly down to let some breeze in. Every once in a while Baran would look at Dilan and kiss her hand. Soon they were on the coast, and the sea smell and sounds of seagulls reached them. "We are here," Baran said, as he parked the truck in a parking lot. He then got out of the truck and Dilan followed him. He went around and opened the trunk to reveal two bicycles. Dilan's eyes were wide open and she turned to face Baran. "You love to ride them and we've never done it together, so I thought it could be a good start to the day" Dilan smiled and rejoiced as she waited for him to unload the bicycles.
They rode close to the coastline, and Dilan was enjoying the breeze and the sensation of freedom. She had never felt this free before. When they met, she saw herself as a prisoner in that mansion, it took her a while to understand Baran's intentions, to realize that they were both paying for the sins of others, not just her. It was a sacrifice for them but it was worth it as it meant the safety of their families. And now she was being compensated by life, for all the hardship they went through. She found her favorite person, the one that would walk with her on the same path, hand in hand, with love, with respect, and with trust.
Baran was riding behind Dilan, rather than the view around him, he could not stop looking at her. She looked so happy, so beautiful, and carefree at this moment, he wanted her to always feel like this. How they reached this point was still a mystery to him, all he knew was that she brought color to his life, excitement, and more importantly, love. He wanted to do everything for her because she deserved it. She healed the biggest wound in his heart, his mother's passing. There would always be a scar there, traces of that little boy that had to grow up way too soon. But now, it was no longer bleeding, he didn't look at it every day, instead, he now could reminisce about the memories of his mother with love and joy, away from the hatred and pain that her death meant. And it was all thanks to his wife.
As they were riding the bicycles, they were approaching a marina, with lines and lines of boats. Baran rode faster to be in front of Dilan and to lead her to where they were going next. He turned into a wooded bridge and made a stop a few minutes after. Dilan did the same. "Why did you stop?" Baran got off the bike and helped her do the same. They left the bikes standing there and Baran reached for Dilan's hand. "Come..." They walked toward a specific boat. It was white, the bottom black, and the windows tainted. Two floors were visible, one she assumed was the captain's cabin. There was a swim platform and once you passed that, there was a sort of sitting area and a glass door that led to the inside of the boat. They board it by a bridge connecting the boat to land.
Baran took Dilan to the front part of the boat. "Have you been on a boat before?" he asked. Dilan could not hide her excitement and while looking all around her, said: "No, I have never". Baran was happy with her reply, it was a first for her and he wanted to have many firsts with her. "Good, wait here". Baran went through the side of the boat and disappeared. She sat down contemplating the view and enjoying the feel of the sun on her skin. The boat rocked gently from side to side and she could hear the sounds of the water against it. A few minutes later, Baran came back and sat right behind her. The boat began to move forward while Dilan rested her body against Baran's. Both experiencing this moment together.
Time passed by, and Baran would signal things for Dilan to see. Watching her amazement, seeing everything through her eyes, and hearing her comments and opinions gave him joy. Eventually, Baran said "Are you hungry?" and kissed her on her cheek. "A bit", while getting up he replied "I'll go to set the table then", "Wait, let me help you", so they went together. Dilan was looking at the inside of the boat for the first time, there was a dining area to the left, a small bar/kitchen area on the right, and in between, she could see stairs, she went straight to them as her curiosity got the best of her, once she descended she found a room big enough for a double bed and a small bathroom to the side. Baran called for her "Dilan, the table is set" She ran to him with embarrassment, she was supposed to help him prepare everything and here she was snooping around.
"Sit, let's eat," said Baran and sat down, signaling Dilan to do the same. "Kader prepared everything for us" were Baran's words in reply to Dilan's face while looking at the table. They ate while stealing glances at each other. Sometimes touching, sometimes caressing, and sometimes feeding one another. After they were done, Dilan got up to clean everything. Baran came from behind and while hugging her said: "Don't worry, someone will come and clean afterward... come".
They went outside, to the back of the boat, and sat down. Dilan with her back to Baran, her head resting on his shoulder, began to play with his hands. At some point Baran started talking "You know, from the moment we met, you became my conscience. In every situation that we faced, with your words, persistence, and let's not forget, your stubbornness..." Baran paused with a half smile on his face, waiting for Dilan's come back to his statement, but she kept quiet. So he became serious again and continued "...you made me choose the right path, the path of healing, the path of forgiving, and the path of love. I could never thank you enough for all of it. I was living in a grey area, I was not unhappy, but I was not happy either. My days went by between work and the mansion, nothing more. That made me resist my feelings for you, you were changing everything in my life, and changes are hard to accept by anyone, even when they are good".
To that confession, "Baran..." was the only word that escaped Dilan's lips, more like a whisper. He resumed talking "The first time I saw you, I was curious and attracted by you, the way you confronted me to protect Firtina, no one to that point had talked to me that way. I was mad, but also in awe at your braveness... when they brought you to the farm, and I realized who you were, it was a shock, I was angry at the situation, and I was angry at myself for having these feelings despite you being the daughter of who you were. I was also aware of the storm I would have to face in my house once I brought you there, but it was the only choice, the only way to prevent blood from spilling, you do know that, right?"
Dilan turned to look into his eyes, he was bothered by this, his voice was soft yet he spoke hurriedly like it was difficult for him to say what he was saying and him trying to lighten the mood with that little joke he made about her, didn't help him at all. Touching his face with both hands, Dilan replied "I know, I know it was the correct path. As you said, changes are difficult to accept, I resisted you as well, at the beginning I wasn't aware of why everything was happening, and it seemed crazy to me. Later, when my father confessed what he had done to your family... I was ashamed, I didn't know what to do and I had no one to talk to, and I wanted to somehow repair some of the damage, but it was an impossible task that led us to many confrontations and heartaches" Baran grabbed Dilan's hands and lowered them, he then rested his forehead to hers "True, there were many misunderstanding, but we overcame every one of them and I'm glad we did. You are the most beautiful gift that life gave me, a gift that brought happiness not only to me, but everyone else in the mansion, I love you Dilan" "I love you, Baran".
They stayed embracing each other for the remainder of the evening in silence pondering on their conversation. Close to the sunset, the boat made its way back to the marina. It was a lovely and peaceful day for the two of them. But it was time to go to the mansion as the night was upon them. They got in the truck and began their journey back. Dilan was telling Baran how she would love to spend a day like that with both Zumrut and Cihan. Baran reminded her that their siblings were like vinegar and water at the moment. Best to make them approach slowly, he didn't want anyone falling overboard. To that Dilan laughed, she could picture it in her head, and he was right.
They finally arrived at the mansion and entered while holding hands, it was a little late, so dinner time had passed. However, neither Dilan nor Baran were hungry, Kader packed a lot of good food, and they had more than they should have. Baran headed to his study after taking a quick shower, during the ride home Kerem called him, so he needed to answer some important emails. Dilan stayed in the room, took a quick shower herself, and changed clothing in preparation for sleeping. She wore a green nightie and a robe of the same color on top. Seeing that Baran was not returning yet, Dilan headed out to look for him. She could see the light coming from his study, he was still working, so she decided to go to the kitchen to make some tea for them to drink together.
She was making herself busy when Baran's arms wrapped around Dilan's waist and his chin rested on her shoulder. "I was making tea for us, did you finish your work?" "Yes," he replied, in a tone so soft that she could barely hear him. Dilan turned slowly to look at him, he was close to her face, and there was something about the way he was looking at her, something that immediately send electricity through her body, desire. Then he lowered his head and she thought he would kiss her, but he made no attempt to do it. He just stayed there so close she felt like their lips would touch but no. It was torture, delicious torture as she desperately wanted to kiss him.
Baran was dying to kiss Dilan, but he wanted her to make the first move this time. He saw it as a small step to overcome her shyness. So he stayed close to her, lingering over her lips but moved no further. He could see her being confused at the situation, their noses brushing a bit, both holding their breath in anticipation, but Dilan made no move. When he was about to give up, he felt Dilan tighten her grip on his arms and then she stood on her tiptoes to close the distance between them.
Their lips clashed with one another. The kiss became heated immediately, their tongues caressing and stimulating, they had a whole day of build-up, and they both needed release. Baran was holding her waist with one hand, while the other one was touching her breast. A moan escaped Dilan's lips. Her hands were on his neck and his hair, her fingernails lightly scratching his skin. It was exhilarating. Suddenly, they both stopped as they heard steps coming down the stairs. Their breathing agitated, Dilan's cheeks were fully blushed and Baran's hair a little wild, but they both tried to compose themselves fast. They could hear the steps close, but sooner they disappeared as they heard the door leading to the pool open. Baran grabbed Dilan's hand and took the opportunity to head out to their room unseen to finish what they started.