by Strong, Mimi
I doubled over with giggles, and when I looked up at Luthor, he had a bemused expression on his face, and he was neither confirming nor denying anything.
We reached the reef for that day's dive and went over the safety protocols again. My heart was beating faster, and I was excited to get down there with all the beautiful fish and coral again.
Luthor was quiet. He'd been cool since our talk in the shower, and I wondered if I should have left rejecting his money until the very end of the trip. The more I thought about it, I realized it likely made him uncomfortable to not have the power.
Well, it had taken a while, but now he knew how I'd felt when he left me in that pitch-black restaurant. I would likely bring that up at some point as well … or maybe not.
In a day, I'd be flying home to Jacob's arms, and this time in Indonesia with Luthor was just a vacation. A vacation from my real life.
Suzanne came up to me before we got into the water, saying, “Will you be my diving buddy? Luthor can go with Simon.”
I glanced over at Luthor, who shrugged. Apparently he wasn't that keen to hold my hand and swim around with me, appreciating Simon's company equally. Simon could have him.
“Sure,” I said to Suzanne. “But no underwater scuba sex.”
“But you look so good in that suit.”
“So do you,” I said, and gave her a hug. Whatever happened, I was so glad my best friend was there with me.
We got into the water and began the descent. This dive was a little deeper than the previous one, and this coral reef was similar, but different, like a neighborhood you don't normally shop in.
Suzanne and I goofed around holding hands for a bit and doing a little synchronized swimming, then we got down to the sightseeing.
I'd been looking at photos back at the resort, including some coffee table books back at the villa, and I was able to name some of the sea creatures.
We found some striped Emperor Angelfish, flashing through the water with their bright orange tail fins. A snake-like Blue Ribbon Eel darted out from shadows and nearly scared my scuba pants right off, but luckily they were attached to the whole suit.
I spotted a gorgeous little fish, the Yellowstripe Basslet, with its prom-dress-pink body and yellow racing stripe.
My body felt a little denser that day, perhaps because of all the rich food we'd been eating, or perhaps because we'd be leaving soon, and before long I was at the bottom of the ocean.
Suzanne had her back to me, watching some long, skinny Trumpetfish buoy along, when my flipper stirred up the sand and rocks below me. The sand came to life, whirling around me, and my leg felt hot. Pain. I struggled to breath. Pain.
I waved for Suzanne, but she was so far away. I looked down and saw a trail of blood pluming from my leg.
The blood was beautiful, like the feathery coral, fanning out.
I yelled for Suzanne, but she couldn't hear me, not through the equipment on my face and all the water.
Suzanne!
The blood plumed up, tinging the water.
I've never been good with the sight of my own blood.
It makes me faint.
* To be continued in Borrowed Billionaire #5 – the final installment *
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Catou Martine
London Lace #1
Mimi Strong
Borrowed Billionaire #1 #2 #3 #4 #5
Her Teddy Bear #1 #2 #3
The Ice Cream Shop Boy #1 #2 #3
Why Not Tonight? #1 #2
Two Hot People Had Sex #1
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