Chapter Sixty-six Estera Roberts’ POV (Present Time)

Cole was adamant about keeping me in the States, but I wore him out and he relented. We left shortly after the dinner the hospital planned to celebrate the end of our internship. Ameera and Ashley decided to stay on for a few more months, but I was certain, that none of us was ready to break the gang yet. They were excited for me when they heard about the program in Columbia but just like Cole, they weren’t so certain I should go in my condition. But I was glad neither pressured me to call Evan. I assured them I was going to be fine. Cole was with me after all. But I saw they were worried still and I promised to return back to the States if I feel I could not cope. That seemed to assuage them a bit. I also dropped a cheque for my rent, knowing leaving the two to shoulder it would be a bit of a stretch. I wasn’t going to pay a dime for my trip, and according to Cole, our expenses for the program were fully covered. And now that we are practicing doctors, we have an insane salary raise. An amount which was going to be piling up even in my absence. At least I knew myself and my baby are pretty financially secure.
The decision to go with Cole seemed like a bold move for my career and also to test the waters with Cole. I was certain he knew my following him to Columbia meant I was prepared for the outcome. And I was. I wanted to explore the possibility of a life with him and see if I could go through with it. I promised myself that if at any time I feel like taking a step back I would leave. But deep inside me, I knew all those were just excuses. I was pregnant, I needed to contact Evan and instead, I was hightailing it out of the country. It was pretty clear I was running away from my reality and the knowledge was evident in my friends' eyes as they hugged me goodbye.
Ameera framed my face and said, “We are here if you need us, just call and we will come to you with bells on!” and that broke me. I drew the two in a hug and cried. They held on to me not bothering to utter a word. I was confused and just needed a breather, and they were prepared to stand by me.
As soon as we settled in the plane that was to take us to Antonio Roldon Betancourt Airport, I took a deep breath and released it slowly. My heart was thudding wildly and I was scared I was making a mistake. I took a side glance at Cole who was already browsing through some medical cases emailed to him and smiled. ‘Well, this particular mistake should be fun,’ I thought. And as if he could feel my eyes on him, he turned his face in my direction. He was wearing his gold-rimmed glasses again. And I grinned openly at him. He arched an eyebrow. I leaned into him and whispered, “I can never get over the fact that you always look like an old gentleman with your glasses on,” I teased. He chuckled.
“How old do you think I am?” he rasped.
“Thirty-something?”
“Thirty-eight—” he replied.
“No way! You are pretty ancient!” I replied, batting my eyelashes at him. “I thought you were way younger.”
“Okay… I will take that as a compliment—” he replied hesitantly, the corner of his lips tweaked with a smile.
“It is!” I replied in a breathy tone, holding his gaze. I watched his eyes darken and lowered to my lips. I moved my lips closer to his, still holding his gaze and flicked out my tongue to lick my lips. He groaned deep in his throat.
“You are killing me, Roberts,” he rasped barely audibly. But I have heard him say that phrase countless times that I could read his lips. I grinned.
According to my search engine, Sapzurro was a small town on the Caribbean Sea located in the northwest corner of the Republic of Colombia.
Capurgana was the nearest town to the small village -– that was if one could call Capurgana a town; it was equally as tiny as Sapzurro but larger. The only accessible mode of transportation was by boat, and Cole was beside me all through the journey. He said another doctor was to join us, an older gentleman from England. And upon sighting the paradisiacal beaches, beautiful mountainous terrain and green vegetation, I knew I was going to love it here. The weather was hot, but Cole said the cabin prepared for us had all modern amenities with air conditioning.
We were the first to get to the cabin although they called it ‘the villa’ it was a cabin built close to the beach. The backyard view was exquisite. They had somewhat caved out a shallow pool right at a corner of it framed and shielded by vegetation. I couldn’t wait to get off my clothes and go dip in it. Cole warned me once we appear at the hospital it was going to be tasking and I intended to take advantage of the little time we had before the storm began as he put it.
Cole communicated with the agent in charge of the villa in their local dialect as if it was something he did every day –- the man was something else. I heard the other man reply with a mix of a little English with Spanish, letting us know our fridge was stocked with food and if we need anything more we should call him.
“Buenas noches, señora!” the man called out loud.
“Buenas noches, señor!” I called back. Cole had warned me to learn a few basic Spanish and I had taken my time to do so on the plane. I have to learn to communicate somehow with my patients without a hired translator hanging around me all day. I explored the house noting only the kitchen and the living room were downstairs. I climbed up the flight of stairs at a corner to the side wall and found myself in a web of corridors that led to about four ensuite rooms. I picked the one at a secluded end, hoping Cole would not mind sharing the one along the corridor that had about two of the rooms. I found the room was spacious. And although with simple decor it had everything I could possibly need. The bathroom surprised me. It had a bathtub and a shower stall. I quickly went to carry one of my bags, placing it on the bed, I brought out a two-piece swimsuit. Wearing a flip-flop, I tied a pink towel around my chest and padded down the stairs and to the back of the house. The air here was different; it smelled fresher than back in New York. It kind of reminded me a bit of home. I smiled in remembrance of my childhood home. The thought generated a mixture of bittersweet memory. I had come to terms with my parents' death after I left Charlestown, and returned there. It had served as my sanctuary. And the feeling that my parents were there with me back then stayed with me. It had helped to get me back on track, giving me the strength I needed to get back up and prove my enemies wrong. I peered down into the pool before I started to climb in. A flight of stone stairs were carved out by the side and I stepped in gingerly till the water reached over my chest. I took a deep breath and a pleased smile spread across my face. Damn, it was cool – a quite refreshing feel. Dipping my head inside, I stayed under for a bit when I resurfaced, Cole was watching me with his arms folded across his chest. He had taken off his clothes too and was wearing only a colorful shorts.
“Having fun?” he said, with a mocking tilt of his lips. I stuck out my tongue at him and giggled. He gave me a hooded scrutiny and added, “They brought our food—”
“Oh, I thought we were going to be handling that—” I replied.
“We sure will. I suppose this is just for tonight. I hope they will be kind enough to make us breakfast tomorrow morning cos I doubt we would have time for more than a cup of coffee. I heard we have 200 patients waiting already…"
"Two hundred?!"
"I told you so, Doctor Roberts. Welcome to ‘work-till-you-drop Villesville’," he replied. I chuckled.
"Join me. The water is pretty cool."
"Are you sure you want me inside there?"
"Why? Of course," I replied. I didn't quite know what he meant by that question until he came inside the pool, went under for about a minute and then came to frame my hips as he swam behind me. I let out a gasp as he undid the knots that held my swimming brief together, leaving me naked as the day I was born. He turned me around to face him, edged lower and closed his mouth around my left nipple.
"Oh!" I breathed and involuntarily reached for his head, running my fingers over and to cup the back of his head, I held his face to my chest. He backed me up to the corner of the pool, made me wrap my legs around him and took my lips. I felt his fingers probe and stroke my vulva and I moaned into his mouth. He did not give me room to think at all!
"Cole, before we go further, I need to tell you something," my voice sounded squeaky -- a mix of panic and pleasure.
"Would this thing you have to tell me, make me stop what I'm doing right now?"
"Um… possibly," I breathed. Then let out a moan as he slipped his finger inside me. He lowered his head to the nook of my neck, grabbing my thighs with both hands, he pressed me firmly to the stone wall and whispered, "I don't want to hear it then, Roberts, I warned you."