There was a long pause before she replied. “This is the trip you needed, Linds. Something quick and dirty and without any ties. He’s just the rebound guy. The one who shows you everything that the world has to offer and that you don’t have to settle for the boring guy unless that’s actually what you want.”
I dipped my head back and let the sun soak my face, but I still felt cold on the inside at the prospect of leaving behind this little slice of heaven I’d carved out for myself here. “It’s not just a rebound crush. I really, really like being around him. It’s been unreal and I’m not ready for it to end.”
“Listen to me and listen well,” she said firmly, letting the steel core of who she was shine through. “Every single person who’s ever had an erotic hookup on a tropical island has probably felt the exact same way you’re feeling now. It’s the kind of relationship you enjoy, but you leave it behind in Fiji. That’s where the magic lies, my friend. You don’t bring that shit home with you.”
“I don’t know how to leave it behind,” I admitted after hesitating for moment. “I don’t want to ruin the magic, but I also don’t know how to say goodbye.”
“Easy. You have one last wild monkey-sex night with the guy, and then tomorrow morning, you shake his hand and wish him luck as you wave goodbye. Clean break, honey. It’s the only way.”
Ember drilled me for information about Jaxon for a few more minutes and made me promise to snap some shots of him on the beach. I might do that but I would never show them to anyone. Then we hung up.
Her advice was solid. Logically, I knew that what she’d said was the right thing to do. My head was right there with her. It was my heart, the bastard, that was the problem. It ached painfully every time I tried to imagine a scenario where I shook his hand and waved him off.
Moping about it wouldn’t bring me anywhere, though. The only part of her plan that sounded appealing was making the most of the last night I had with him. Regardless of my emotional state, I should never have suggested that we spend this day apart.
Our last day.
Dropping a few notes on the table for my coffee, I hurried into the street and hailed a cab. As I slid into the backseat, I snapped at the poor unsuspecting driver. “Step on it please. I need to get there as soon as I can.”
The entire vacation, I’d been harping on about how we had to utilize every moment to its fullest, and yet I’d wasted more than half of my last moments with him wandering around a market feeling sorry for myself. At least I’d purchased a few souvenirs along the way, but that hardly made up for it.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
I raced through the lobby once I’d tipped the driver handsomely for getting us there fast and for having had to put up with my crappy attitude. I knew Jaxon wouldn’t be in our room, so I bypassed the bungalow and headed down to the beach.
He wasn’t there, though. Brightly colored sails dotted the ocean in front of the activity stands on the other side of the beach, and I suddenly knew where he would’ve gone. As I jogged along the warm sand, I heard my name being called out from the patch of grass in front of the empty outdoor dining area.
My head jerked to the side at the sound of the familiar voice, and I headed up to Big Mac when he grinned. He seemed to know a lot of what was going on at this hotel. Perhaps he knew where Jaxon had gone.
“Hey, Lindsay. Heard you went shopping.” He eyeballed my empty hands. “Need any pointers on where to go?”
“No. I dropped my parcels in the lobby. I’m looking for Jaxon actually. Have you seen him?”
“Ah, so my favorite couple gets separation anxiety after all.” He let out a good-natured chuckle and patted the grass beside him. “I saw him much earlier. He was going diving, but that was hours ago.”
“You haven’t seen him since?”
He shook his head, but his eyes suddenly sparkled as he patted the grass again. “Sit here with me. He’s probably still out on the water somewhere. I’ll keep you company for a while before you head back to your room.”
I sighed, raking a frustrated hand through my hair. Of course, he’s gone off on the water. He lives for that stuff. No way would he just sit around waiting for me to come back.
Tired of being alone for the day, I plopped down beside the big man and looped my arms around my knees. My eyes were fixed on the ocean, hoping to catch a glimpse of tanned, broad shoulders and that “why, yes, I can do it all” smirk.
Big Mac let out a low chuckle. “I’ve seen a lot of couples come and go, but the relationship you have with Jaxon is rare.”
“What makes you say that?” I asked, splitting my attention between him and the crowds of tourists participating in all manner of watersports in front of us.
“People come here to get married, on their honeymoons, to have their vows renewed, or to bring their families when they’ve been together many years. It’s not often that I see the kind of friendship combined with electric chemistry that you two have together. It’s a beautiful thing to witness.”
Guilt settled heavily on my chest. “That’s very kind of you to say.”
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, frowning like he had that first day. “Why do you seem like you’re in pain again?”
Fuck. Am I really that easy to read? Suddenly, I didn’t want to hold the truth back any longer. Big Mac had become our friend, and even if he ratted us out if I told him, what were they going to do?
I’d happily pay the difference in the room rate if it meant getting the opinion of the insightful islander next to me. “It’s all a lie. Jaxon and I aren’t married. We met in the lobby of this very hotel on the day we arrived. There was a double booking and he couldn’t find any last-minute accommodation anywhere. Long story short, we’ve been pretending to be newlyweds the whole time. We don’t even know each other.”
To his credit, our new friend didn’t seem too shocked. Nor did he jump up and wave his hands around shouting “frauds” at the top of his lungs. “That explains your pain, but it doesn’t mean I’m wrong. Are you sure you don’t know each other? It might’ve been true when you arrived, but I’m not so sure it’s true anymore.”
His words hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest. He was right. Jaxon knew me better than almost anybody except maybe Ember. He certainly knew parts of me she didn’t, and he definitely understood me better than Will ever had.
Big Mac smiled. “I thought so.”
His voice was so calm and sure that I couldn’t do anything but listen. “Something brought you two together here in Fiji. The universe sometimes connects us in strange ways, but those connections are already written in the stars, and they always have been. It’s not something we should ever ignore. It’s not something you should ignore, Lindsay.”
Tears welled in my eyes, but he wasn’t done yet. “Just because you met in an unconventional way doesn’t make your connection any less real. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Everyone here has and we consider ourselves experts in these matters.”
“I’m leaving tomorrow,” I whispered, “but I’m happy I got to meet you. Thank you for telling me all that. I’ll keep it in mind.”
He reached into his pocket and extracted a plain business card with a number handwritten on it. “It was cheaper that way than having them printed, but that’s my private line. Call me if you ever need to talk. The universe might’ve pushed you together, but that doesn’t mean the path will always be an easy one.”
Grasping his card in my palm like a lifeline, I flung my arms around him. He chuckled as he rubbed my back in soothing, friendly motions. “Jaxon’s in your room by the way. We didn’t know what time you would be back, but he was almost done the last I saw him. This little chat should’ve bought him the time he needed, but every word I said was true.”
I gave him another squeeze before pushing to my feet. “I need to speak to him. Thank you again for everything, Big Mac. We’re really lucky to have met you.”
The man inclined his head in the direction of our room and
mouthed the word “go.” I didn’t wait any longer, practically sprinting back to the bungalow. When I opened the door, there were rose petals on the floor leading to the dining table. Candles were lit on every available surface, and Jaxon was just setting a box of matches down in the kitchenette.
He turned slowly to face me when he heard the door, and those stars Big Mac had been talking about seemed to align when I looked into his golden eyes. There was no way what I was seeing there was fake. He felt something for me too.
The only question is what?
Chapter 22
JAXON
Lindsay’s blue eyes shone when they met mine. There was a storm brewing behind them, but I hadn’t spent most of my day setting this up to have our last night dissolve into a whirlwind of emotion and another fight about me pushing her to talk about things she wasn’t ready to.
After my fifty-minute dive early this morning, I’d realized that asking her about her brother had been insensitive. I didn’t want that memory overshadowing the time we’d had on this island, so I called in the cavalry and set this up to hopefully wipe that stupid misstep from her mind.
“I know it’s our last night here together, and I wanted to make it memorable,” I said, taking a step toward her. “No more talk about anything that makes us sad. No talking about how our time in Fiji has come to an end. Tonight, it’s just about you and me and making one more memory we can take home with us and look back on wistfully while we’re slaving away at work. We’ll just be in the moment tonight, agreed?”
She swiped her tongue across her lips, looking like there was something she wanted to say, but then she lifted her hands and gave me a smile. “That sounds amazing. You’re remarkable for putting this all together in a few hours.”
I shrugged. “I had a little help from our new friends. Go put on what I’ve laid out for you in the bedroom, and then we’ll get this party started.”
She laughed softly when she recalled I had said those same words to her in what seemed like an entirely different lifetime on the day we’d met. “If it’s lingerie so we can make good on your threat to the manager, you need to know that I’m not that converted to spontaneity just yet.”
“It’s not that.”
“I’ll be back in a minute then.” Reaching out to brush her hands against mine as she walked past, I saw her chest heave at the same time that I felt the electricity that always seemed to be present when we touched.
I wasn’t a big believer in all that shit, but what I felt with her was undeniable. There was no point trying to rationalize away what I knew to be true.
Lindsay disappeared into the bedroom and closed the door behind her, like she’d done those first couple of nights we hadn’t spent together. She emerged a few minutes later wearing the red dress I’d picked out for her earlier. It fit like it’d been tailored for her, plummeting into her cleavage without being indecent, hitting at about mid-thigh, and the richness of the color showing off her sun-kissed skin.
I’d known she was going to look fucking good in it, but what I hadn’t expected was that it wasn’t just my dick showing a definite reaction when she walked out of the room. My heart practically fell over itself at the sight of her in it, and my very blood seemed to thicken in my veins as it pounded in my ears.
“Wow,” I breathed. “You look incredible.”
“Thanks to you.” She lowered her gaze and peered up at me in a way that made her look both flirty and vulnerable at the same time. It made me want to take her into my arms and protect her from anything that might hurt her, while also fucking her six ways from Sunday.
Confusing as balls.
“You might want to stop looking at me like that if you want to get to the early dinner Big Mac has prepared for us,” I said in a warning tone.
She laughed softly, nodding as she moved toward the table. “I wouldn’t want to pass up the opportunity for his food. You really did all this for me?”
“Well, no, actually. A few of the other fake wives I’ve spent almost every minute of this week with are coming by later. You might want to clear out before they get here.”
Rolling her eyes in that way that had become so familiar it was like I’d been seeing it all my life, she lowered herself into the chair I pulled out for her. “I’ll be sure to leave them some leftovers, but I guess I should just be honored that I’m getting served first.”
“Only the best for my first wife.” I winked as I took my seat, extending my legs to intertwine them with hers. “What did you get up to today? I thought you were going shopping. Didn’t find anything you like?”
“Oh, I, uh, I dropped my packages in the lobby. They said they’d have them sent over.”
“They’re under strict orders not to disturb us tonight, but I’m sure everything will be here first thing in the morning. Get everything you wanted?”
She stared at me for a long time, her head starting to shake before it turned into a nod. “Yeah. Sure. Almost. There’s one last thing here I want, but I don’t know if I’ll get it yet.”
“I’m sure you will.” I grinned at her while uncorking the champagne from the silver bucket next to the table. “If you really want it, that is. The girl I’ve come to know doesn’t let anything stand in her way if she really wants something.”
“Yeah. I guess I have been called tenacious once or twice.” She blinked rapidly, like she was trying to clear something out of her mind, and then smiled. My heart stuttered again, and I wondered if maybe I needed to have it checked out when I got back to Houston.
“So,” she said, leaning forward across the table and taking both my hands in hers, “if we’re being in the moment, what could we possibly talk about?”
“I think we’ve covered just about everything but the basics this week.” I turned my palms up to hers, wagging my brows as I made my suggestion. “What about twenty questions?”
She laughed but nodded her agreement. “Fine, but I go first. What’s your favorite place in the world?”
“Right now? Fiji. Before I came here, my mother’s house,” I said honestly. “Yours?”
“Fiji.” There was no hesitation before she answered. “Favorite color?”
“Black.” Too easy. “Favorite sexual position?”
Her cheeks flushed. “Any of the ones I’ve done with you.”
I hardened behind my zipper as they replayed on a loop in my mind, but that wasn’t what tonight was about. Clearing my throat, I motioned to her. “Your turn.”
“What do you hate the most?”
“Waking up early on vacation.”
“That explains a few things.” She chuckled and took a sip of champagne. “Mine is waking up late on vacation.”
I shook my head at her, pursing my lips like I was terribly disappointed. “I guess we’re just not meant to be.”
It was meant as a joke, but there was a flash of something in her eyes that I was curious to know about. Since I’d made the rule of just being in the moment though, I let it go. For now.
“Would you go back into the service if they asked you right now?” Her voice was a little flat, but she was clearly not eager to discuss whatever had caused it either.
“In a heartbeat.” I tilted my head as I watched her. “What is the quality you admire most in other people?”
“Hmm, interesting. Honesty, I think, but there are many others that seem just as important. If you could be anything, what would you be?”
“That guy who runs the adventure sports counter on the beach outside.” I chuckled and lifted my shoulders when she gave me a disbelieving look. “What could possibly be better than that?”
After thinking about it for a second, she rolled her lips into her mouth and released them slowly. “I actually don’t know. He gets to be on the beach here every day. He obviously lives nearby. The people he works with at the resort seem pretty great and I guess he has to have some kind of passion for the activities he offers. He’s always very enthusiastic.”
“My thoughts exac
tly.” A knock at the door interrupted us, and I knew it had to be our food.
Big Mac had sent us the same seafood platter he’d prepared for us that first night, but he’d added extra delicacies that he’d picked up on us liking over the course of the week.
Lindsay eyes widened when she saw the sheer amount of food being set down on the table between us. “You were joking about all your other wives coming by later, weren’t you? How on earth are we supposed to eat all that?”
“Whatever doesn’t get eaten at the resort gets donated. It’s actually a pretty cool system they’ve got going on. Big Mac explained it to me earlier.”
“I like the idea of getting more involved with charities, but there never seems be enough time,” Lindsay said once the server left. “I think that’s something I need to work on going forward.”
“I volunteer at a couple of places that involve flying. One is an organization that arranges for kids who dream about going on an airplane to take a flight, and the other is one to teach children about how to go about getting into a career in aviation. It’s pretty rewarding.”
I could’ve sworn I saw her jaw loosen, but she caught herself before it dropped. “Is there anything you don’t do? I mean, come on.”
“Mom taught me from an early age about the importance of giving back. Besides, like you pointed out, I’m good with children. I like ‘em.”
“Do you want any?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t have minded, but it just never happened, and I’m not sure it ever will.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
I chuckled. “Right. Do I want any? Yeah. I do. You?”
She narrowed her eyes in thought and blew out a breath through her nose. “I was going to give you a similar answer to the first one you gave me, but then I realized that wouldn’t be fair. My answer is yes.”
We ate our dinner while we continued asking each other questions and just talking. After polishing off more of the food than I would’ve expected over the next few hours, Lindsay pushed her chair back and stood up. “I think we should take a walk. I’m stuffed.”
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