by R. Linda
“It’s bad, isn’t it? Tell me I haven’t destroyed the dress.”
“Geez, baby cakes. This is what you’ve been hiding behind all those t-shirts and shorts.”
He whistled softly, and I felt him come to stand in front of me. His fingers grazed my wrists and began pulling on the lace, untangling it and freeing my arms.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m repacking your bag again. And taking everything that isn’t lingerie or a swimsuit.”
“Don’t be stupid.” I sighed. “Just help me.”
“I am, but I’m kind of enjoying the view here too.” He traced his fingers across my stomach.
I slapped his hand away. “You’re an idiot. And you’re gay.”
“Meh, details. I’d totally roll around naked in the sheets with you.” He laughed, and my skin heated up in embarrassment. He focused on removing the lace straps from my head. No one had said anything like that to me before, and I didn’t know how to respond, so I joked.
“I’ll hold you to that. If I’m still single and a—” I paused, unable to say the word. So what if I was still a virgin? “—when I’m thirty, then…”
“Thirty? No way, baby cakes. I’m a patient man, but not that patient. Two years. I’ll wait two years for you, and if you’re still holding your v-card tight to your chest, I’m cashing in.” He finally freed the dress from my hair and pulled it down over my chest. He let it slide to the floor before spinning me on the spot to lace up the back. “But I have a feeling, judging by holes that man out there is glaring through these walls and my back—”
“You don’t know he’s glaring this way.” His fingers tickled the skin on my back as I ran my hands down the front of my dress, smoothing out any creases.
“I do. I can feel it, and judging by that, I don’t think you’ll need me in two years. Hell, I don’t think you’ll need me by the end of this week.” He winked and positioned me to face the mirror. “There. You look beautiful, doll face.”
I blushed again, not used to the compliment, and stared in the mirror, pleasantly surprised at how I looked. I could pull off pretty dresses. Jack kissed me on the cheek and grabbed my hand, dragging me out the door and back to Serena and Lavenia.
I felt like I was in one of those cheesy romance movies Bailey insisted we watch every girls’ night in, where a beautiful woman walked into the room and everyone stopped and stared, because that was exactly what happened. All eyes were on me, and I couldn’t move. I didn’t like the attention. Fidgeting with the neckline of my dress that now seemed too low and revealing, I risked a glance at Linc and about combusted.
I’d never get sick of seeing that man in a suit.
“Wow,” I breathed.
Linc shot me a cocky grin. “Wow, yourself. You look gorgeous, Indie,” he said, biting his lip and gazing at my gown.
He called me gorgeous.
And he looked at me like Ryder looked at Bailey.
Chapter Eight
Linc
The dress fitting was a nightmare. The only thing I enjoyed about it was seeing Indie in that dress. She looked incredible. And I may have been more than a little jealous when Jack followed her into the bathroom to “help” her change. I wanted to punch Jack in the face for so many of the comments he made to Indie. He was downright rude and disrespectful, talking to her like she was nothing more than a hot piece of ass. Admittedly, she did look pretty freaking fantastic in that dress. Indie took my breath away. It fit like a glove. Literally. No alterations needed to be made. It was perfect. She was perfect.
But it was like Jack was trying to prove a point, that he had Indie and I didn’t. He was over the top with the PDA, and most of the time Indie looked uncomfortable with his advances. Nate would have been livid had he witnessed everything I did. I was sure of it.
Finally, after having my pants and jacket sleeves lengthened, we were done for the day.
“Wanna grab some lunch?” Indie asked on our way outside to wait for the car.
Yes, if it was just the two of us. Hell no if Jack-ass was coming too. The least amount of time I had to spend with that guy, the better. I’d already reached my quota for the day, and it had only been three hours.
“Not for me, baby cakes. I have things to do, places to see, massages to get at the resort in thirty minutes.” Jack glanced at his watch before slipping his shades over his eyes with a wide grin.
“Oh,” Indie sighed. It might have been my imagination working overtime, but I was sure she looked relieved he said no. Shouldn’t she have been upset that he made plans to do something without her? “Linc, wanna grab lunch and explore a little?”
“Sure, Princess.” I handed Jack the keys with a smug look, since we were so close to the centre of town and could walk. I couldn’t say no to the hopeful expression on her face. Besides, it would give us more time to catch up.
Jack’s eyes narrowed on me. “Look after my girl. If she comes back with so much as a scratch on her pretty little face, you’re a dead man,” he said with a sneer. He wasn’t serious? If there was anyone on this island more protective of her, then it was news to me. Not even Nate seemed as concerned as I did most of the time. He’d usually just roll his eyes and tell me do whatever made me feel better about her safety.
But Jack getting all macho and concerned was almost laughable. The same guy who wouldn’t let her eat more than salad for dinner so she didn’t gain weight was letting me take his girlfriend out for lunch and to explore a tropical island. It was weird. Either they had the most trusting, open, and honest relationship in the world, or he just didn’t give a damn what she did if she looked good doing it.
Hell, if she was my girlfriend, I wouldn’t want to let her out of my sight. At least not for a while. I’d want to spend every waking moment with her, catching up on missed times and relishing her company. I wouldn’t even like her going out for lunch with Ryder alone, and we all knew how deep he was in with Bailey. Still, if Indie was mine, I’d never give her up for anything. She would always come first.
She always did come first. Even now.
“Noted,” I said with a nod and turned to see Indie wave at Jack. But he wasn’t having any of that. He grabbed her and pulled her to his chest and slammed his mouth down on hers, leaning so far into the kiss that she had to arch backwards and grip his shoulders for support as he almost dipped her to the ground.
Over the top? Yes.
Unnecessary? Completely.
Was I jealous? More. Than. Anything.
Finally, after a long minute of being unable to look away from them making out like horny teenagers, Jack-ass got in the car and left.
“So, where to?” Indie smiled and skipped along beside me. She was a stark contrast to the person she was just minutes ago when Jack was still around.
I unclenched my fists and relaxed my fingers. “Anywhere you like.”
***
We ended up wandering around the small town and grabbing some street food, which I’d heard was amazing, and it did not disappoint. We walked the streets and checked out the market, then strolled along the white sand beach. I instantly wished I’d brought my board with me, so I could hit the crystal-clear waves. I was pretty sure the hotel had boards on the beach that guests could borrow, though there was nothing like surfing with your own board.
Before long, we’d moved away from the beach and into the rainforest. The canopy gave a much-needed reprieve from the heat of the sun.
“Oh, it’s beautiful,” Indie exclaimed, spreading her arms wide and tilting her head back.
“It is,” I muttered, though I may have been directing my comment to her more than the rainforest.
“Can you hear that?” Her head snapped forward, and she tilted it to the side, listening carefully.
“Sounds like water.” I nodded to my left where the sound of rushing water was coming from.
“Let’s check it out.” She grabbed my hand and dragged me down the narrow path, brushing aside leaves and overg
rown branches as we went, until we came to a clearing that opened to a sparkling blue waterhole. Rocks and tropical plants surrounded it, and to the far right of the lake was a magnificent waterfall cascading over the edge of the cliff. Birds sang in the trees above us, sunlight filtered through the canopy above and reflected off the rippling water, tempting me to go for a swim.
It was serene.
Peaceful.
And totally secluded.
Not a soul in sight.
Indie slipped her shoes off and sat on a rock at the edge of the water. “Oh, it’s cold,” she cried, dipping her toes into the pool, her back to me. “Come feel the water, Linc.”
I was going to feel the water, all right, but I was going for a swim instead. Peeling my shirt over my head, I kicked off my flip flops and dropped my shorts before gritting my teeth and running straight into the water. I must have startled Indie, because she shrieked as I darted past.
“Ahhh, freaking hell. It’s cold.” I dunked my head and swam a little way out, waiting for my body to adjust to the frigid temperature.
Indie’s squeals had turned into laughter. “You’re crazy!”
“The water’s beautiful. You should come in.” I swam a little closer to her, trying to hide my chattering teeth.
“You just finished screaming about how cold the water is. I’m not that stupid.” She put her foot back in and kicked water at me.
One way or another, she was getting in that water.
I smiled at her. It wasn’t a friendly smile. It was sinister. Her eyes widened, and she moved back on the rock, knowing I was coming for her.
“You better lose that dress real quick, Princess. I’d hate for it to get wrecked.” I crept closer. Panic marred her features. She knew all too well that I meant what I said.
“You wouldn’t.” She held her hands out to stop me.
“Come on. You know me better than that. You’re getting in this water. It’s just up to you whether your pretty dress is coming in with you.” I turned my back to her. “You have until the count of three. If you’re not in the water by then, I’m turning around regardless of whether you’re still dressed or not.”
“Linc, I’m not skinny-dipping with you.” Her voice quivered a touch with nerves.
I chuckled. “No one said anything about skinny-dipping, but please don’t let me stop you if you feel inclined to swim naked.” I reached for the waistband of my boxers, and intending to mess with her a little more, I removed them completely. “I might just join you.” I threw my underwear over my shoulder and onto the rock.
I was surely going to hell for this.
“Linc! Oh my God!” I looked over my shoulder at her to find her face buried in her hands.
“To the count of three, Indie,” I warned one last time.
She huffed.
What was I doing? She was Nate’s sister.
“One.”
And she had Jack-ass for a boyfriend.
“Two.”
She was completely off limits.
“Three.”
It was silent. I turned to find her standing on the rock, twisting her hands nervously in front of her. Her dress…at her feet.
I gulped.
Lace. White lace. Matching.
Hell.
I was going to hell.
And I didn’t care. I didn’t care that she was Nate’s sister. I didn’t care that she had a boyfriend. I didn’t care that she was entirely off limits. She was mine. Always had been. And one way or another, I wasn’t leaving this island without getting what I wanted.
Forcing my eyes to remain on her face and not roam all over her smooth and creamy—there I went with the smooth and creamy thoughts again—exposed skin, I arched an eyebrow. “Well.”
“I’m scared it’s going to be cold.”
“You’ll get used to it,” I promised.
“Okay.” She smiled and took a step forward, but then she turned and climbed back over the rocks and darted off to the right. Where was she going?
“Indie,” I shouted. “Where are you?”
She giggled. “You’ll see.”
“Dammit. Get back here. Don’t go wandering off.” I waded toward the shore and was climbing onto the rock where her yellow dress was when I heard it.
A wolf whistle.
I’d forgotten I was completely naked. Dropping back in the water, I turned to see where the sound had come from.
And, sure enough, there was Indie at the top of the freaking cliff, right beside the waterfall.
“No. Don’t you dare do it!” I yelled up to her, but it was useless. She wouldn’t listen to me. It wasn’t safe. There could be rocks. It could be shallow. There could be vines and branches she could get tangled up in. She could hit her head. Break her neck.
“Ready.” She lifted her arms out to the side and screamed as she leapt forward over the edge of the cliff.
I couldn’t watch her go down. My lifeguard instincts kicked in, so I dove and swam in the direction she would have hit the water, preparing for the worst. She had to be okay. She couldn’t have hurt herself. She would be fine. Right? Panic was setting in. I’d seen something like this happen too many times. Guys being dared to jump into unknown water, getting caught in rips, seaweed, or misjudging the safe distance and smashing into the rocks. She had to be okay.
Coming up for a breath, I heard Indie before I saw her. “Oh my God, Linc. You’re an idiot,” she said, swimming for me.
I was the idiot? How? She just jumped off a damn cliff, and I was the idiot. She risked her life and scared me half to death, and I was the idiot.
“What the hell were you thinking, Indie?” I growled, coming to a stop right in front of her.
She pulled her arm back and punched me in the shoulder as I reached for her. “I didn’t know where you went or what happened. I jumped, and you were gone.” Her eyes were wide with fear, so I pulled her in close, my legs brushing hers as I treaded water to keep us both afloat. “I was scared,” she sniffed into my shoulder.
“You—you were scared? Geez, Indie, I thought you hit shallow water, and…do you know how dangerous that was? Anything could have happened.”
“I’m sorry, okay? I knew it was safe, though.” She draped one arm around my neck, and the other rested on my shoulder.
“How?” I gulped, fully aware I was completely naked, and she was getting a little too close to be appropriate.
“There was a sign up the path from where I was sitting on the rock.” She screwed her nose up in that cute way she did so often growing up to get out of trouble, and it worked. Every time.
How could I be mad at that face?
“Okay,” I sighed.
Her fingers danced across my shoulder, circling the scar there, the only sign of the accident I’d had. Her lips pulled down into a frown. I expected her to say something about it, but she didn’t. I didn’t know why I expected a reaction, though. She hadn’t seemed too concerned when it happened a year ago.
“Now we’re here, so let’s go for a swim.” I released her, needing to put some distance between us.
We swam toward the waterfall, the torrent thundering down and churning around us the closer we got.
Indie dove first, swimming under the curtain of water raining down over the cliff, with me following close behind. We came up for air in the mouth of a small cave. The rush of the water was muted from the walls of rock around us.
“Wow,” Indie breathed, looking back through the water into the clearing where we left our clothes. “It’s beautiful.”
“It is. Let’s keep going.” I swam slowly into the cave but stopped when I realised Indie wasn’t following. “You coming or not?”
“Not. What if there are bats or something?”
“There are no bats, Princess.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Trust me. I can see light up ahead. I think it opens at the top.”
“Nope, you go. I’ll stay here.”
“Seriously. You
’ll jump off a cliff, but you won’t swim twenty metres into a cave?”
“Well, I’m not stupid.”
“I’m not going to win this, am I?”
“No. Have fun!” She waved her fingers at me, so I turned and swam away.
I wouldn’t be long. I just wanted to see what was in there. And it turned out to be nothing. The hole in the top was barely a crack, and the light I saw was mostly reflection on the water. It was quite disappointing after the gorgeous waterfall and swimming hole. Deciding not to waste time, I dove under the water and headed straight back for Indie.
Chapter Nine
Indie
I hated treading water. The constant movement just to keep your head above. It was awful. My arms and legs were so tired, I gave up and swam to the rock walls and found a place I could grip onto while I waited. And waited.
I was thinking about swimming back out and getting dressed, because it was surely getting late, and we’d have to head back soon, when something brushed against my leg. I froze. Ahhh. What was that? It brushed my leg again, higher up this time, making me squirm. Did I stay still or swim away? It could have been a crocodile…Did they have them in Fiji? A piranha? Some sort of human-eating fish.
A shark. It was a shark, right? Seriously, it wasn’t that much of a stretch. All the rivers on this island led back to the ocean at some point, didn’t they? A shark could have easily swum upstream and…
Grabbed my thigh…
I held my breath because they smelled fear, or was that blood? A shark could have easily tickled my hips and made the water swirl around me. And a shark could just as easily have had blond dreadlocks.
“Dammit, Linc,” I cried, letting go of the wall so I could shove his head underwater, which only made him laugh.
“Couldn’t resist.” He came up spluttering out a laugh and reached for the rock wall behind me, caging me in. “Sorry.”
I had no choice but to hold onto his shoulders for support, or I’d drown. He was close. So close I could feel his body heat warming me through the chill in the water. Droplets clung to his eyelashes, dripped down his face and onto me. He was that close. What was he doing? His nose skimmed along my cheek, making my heart stutter. I was having palpitations. Oh God, I was going to have a heart attack, and all he did was wipe his nose on me. Gross!
