Your skin began to sweat slowly, in response to the growing heat. You frowned, bothered by the brightness, realizing that the sun was already high — much higher than it should have been. The weight on your body was familiar, so intimate that it almost felt like part of you. The heat of his skin mixed with yours, the unmistakable and addictive scent of musk that made even the most discreet hairs stand on end. 

Javier Reyes. 

The name reverberated in your mind. No other thoughts — just the pirate lying on top of you. 

Javier Reyes. French pirate captain. Charming, arrogant, dangerously irresistible. He was a legend on the seas, hunted by the English Navy and feared by many among his own. But still... you were not surprised to see him return to his home island, months after the silence. Wounded in his pride, but guided by something stronger. He had come back for you. 

 The past between you was made up of intense days and painful absences. He loved you, you never doubted that. But his life was made up of risks, chases, battles. And he knew that his mere presence already put you in danger. It tore him apart.

The night before had been perfect. Maybe the best you had had in a long time. And, by the way he was nestling into your chest now, you knew that Javier had felt the same. His head rested softly between your breasts, his hair damp with sweat, his skin warm and slightly flushed. His arms wrapped tightly around your waist, as if he feared that you would disappear at the slightest movement.

"I should never have left her..." The thought hovered in his mind, like a silent prayer.

You hesitated. But your hand moved on its own, betraying any doubt, sliding through the dark, messy locks. The strands slipped through his fingers like silk, eliciting a soft, sleepy growl from his lips.

"... I missed you..." His voice was low, hoarse, dragged by the weight of sleep — but true. Truer than any promise he could have made.