“Hello? You in there?”
Nicki was waving a hand in front of his face.
“Yeah. Why not?”
His sister’s eyes widened in surprise. “Why not? You mean you’ll …?”
“Yeah. I’ll go for it with Lia if you ‘fess up about you and Gabriel.”
If Nicki was into Gabriel like she seemed to be, putting it out on the table with her father was a no-brainer. Kevin wanted to see her happy. So, if it meant playing along, and pretending that his going after Lia was a chip he was trading, he was more than willing to do that.
Lia was bending over now, pulling on those tattered denim short-shorts of hers, covering her swimsuit bottom (damn shame, too). Nicki didn’t know, and didn’t need to know that right about now there wasn’t a chance in hell that Kevin wasn’t going for it with Lia. Before their stay on the island was over with, that ass would be his.
~9~
Kingfisher Key, FL, Tuesday 3:23 p.m.
Lia was drowsy from the sun, her eyelids heavy and her skin warm. She had fallen into a light sleep immediately after lunch when she and Nicki returned to their cabana for what was supposed to be only a few minutes before everyone set out for a walk down the beach. The Morgans were relentless about their togetherness. Directly after Kim and Tanya’s parents had arrived, with the teenagers in tow, everyone sat around in the shade of the dining area, making plans for the afternoon while waiting for lunch to be served.
No one seemed to consider that they might do things separately. After all, the island was large enough, the available activities varied enough that they could easily split up into smaller groups. But it didn’t seem occur to anyone, and Lia as the sole outsider wasn’t about to suggest it. So, when Nicki prompted that they should go back to the cabana for a little while, to change, wash the saltwater and sand off, she eagerly agreed.
The morning had been a strange mix of real and pretend. It was real that she enjoyed Blake’s company, but pretend that she preferred it over that of anyone else who was part of their group. It was real that she and he seemed to have identical senses of humor; but pretend that she wouldn’t rather sit and lose herself in quiet conversation with Kevin instead. The real was real enough, but the pretend was a little exhausting. When Nicki took first on the shower, Lia lay across her bed, planning to close her eyes for only a few minutes.
Then she opened them again, and Nicki was gone, and she was alone in the cabana. Outside, all she could hear was the rhythmic whooshing of the waves, and the sound of the wind in the leaves of the palm trees. She felt like she could sleep for a million years.
Sitting up, she realized that she had been left behind. Nicki had probably emerged from her shower to find Lia with her eyes closed, and had gone on without her, making excuses for her with the rest of the family. Lia was grateful.
Stretching and yawning, she noted that the sun was high in the sky. When the clan returned from their walk—which might be any minute now—she would have to be in fighting form again, ready to renew her role as Blake’s woman, at least enough to withstand the scrutiny of the newly-arrived Morgans. Especially Kim and Tanya’s brother, Justin. Justin Morgan, was a handsome, cocky nineteen-year old who carried himself with all the swagger of the young, good-looking, and over-privileged. As soon as he’d been introduced to Lia, he’d assessed her from head to toe and apparently finding her worthy of his attention, stuck a little closer to her side than was warranted or appropriate, given that she was introduced as his cousin Blake’s girlfriend. Lia had no serious worries about Blake’s little cousin, but it was going to be tiresome spending the entire time on the island avoiding him.
Standing, she stretched once again and headed for the bathroom. She had just enough time for a shower, and maybe even enough time to twist her hair, and make it look semi-presentable once again. And then she would get in her daily call to Steph and send her the email she had been bugging Lia about.
The shower stall was large and built of large wooden slats. On one side was a bench, where Lia sat while she washed her hair, her legs stretched in front of her. It was the most luxurious shower she had had in ages—the warm water beating down on her head, neck and back felt like a shiatsu massage, and her muscles relaxed in response. Her mind drifted back to the afternoon on the boat, when she spent all her time playing around in the water with Blake, part of her still focused on Kevin.
Whenever she managed to look directly at him, he was occupied in conversation with Nicki or one of his cousins. He didn’t seem to notice her at all, except for when Nicki had inexplicably tossed a can of beer in the water in her and Blake’s direction. And after that, he had gone to confer with his sister about something that looked very important. Seemed like Blake wasn’t the only Morgan going through changes.
Whatever Nicki and Kevin were talking about had almost brought Nicki to tears; and for the rest of the afternoon, she was distant and pensive, reminding Lia that while for her this was just a game, these were real people with real lives. And she wasn’t part of those lives. She was just someone who had been hired to pretend she was.
Lia didn’t expect to care about that. It had been less than three days since she’d been introduced into this rarefied world, and somehow, she had been seduced. Not by the private jet, swanky accommodations, and VIP treatment, but by the Morgans themselves. Blake with his playfulness and vulnerability; Nicki, with her sweet nature and quiet elegance; and Kevin. Most of all, Kevin. It wasn’t like it was love at first sight or anything stupid like that, but there was no denying that something about him tugged at her; drawing her toward him in a way no one had since Cal.
Cal. Her Big Mistake, whom she hadn’t even thought about in ages.
She was long over him—that she was sure of—but she remembered now how it was in the beginning with him. It was the same way with Kevin—a tiny, niggling curiosity, an itch that only getting to know him better could scratch.
Emerging from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her, Lia was just about to drop it altogether when she spotted him and yelped.
“Didn’t mean to scare you.” Kevin stood from where he’d been sitting on the edge of her unmade bed, and discreetly averted his eyes.
“Well you did,” she said, trying to sound reproachful. “Is there something …?”
“Wondered if you wanted to make a run with me.”
“A run?” she echoed.
“Back to the mainland.”
“A run back to the mainland?”
“Yes, Lia. A run back to the mainland,” he said slowly and deliberately.
This time he did look at her, directly in the eyes. The way he said her name, which she couldn’t recall him having done too many times before, gave her a strange but pleasant chill across the surface of her skin.
“How would that look?” she asked quietly. “You taking off … to the mainland, with Blake’s girlfriend.”
“Blake just told us you left some stuff you needed at the condo.”
Lia wrinkled her brow. “I didn’t leave anything at the …” She stopped and looked up at him.
Kevin raised one eyebrow, and their gazes met and held. Lia felt her face grow warm, and the warmth spread down her neck, her chest, and lower still. Not entirely sure she was reading this situation correctly, she swallowed hard, and held the towel closer.
“Yeah,” she finally managed. “I’ll go on a run with you to the mainland. Sure.”
“Good. Meet me at the dock in twenty?”
Lia nodded dumbly, feeling her heart rate increase. “In twenty,” she repeated.
And when Kevin brushed past her to let himself out, she could have sworn that there was a small, self-satisfied grin on his face.
Ominous, gun-metal gray clouds loomed overhead, and the water had grown much choppier since they had been out on it that morning. This time though, Lia could feel her stomach lurch with each bouncing motion the small speedboat made. Kevin had taken a seat up front, occasionally speaking to the guy who was driving. A
s Lia watched them, their driver pointed, and she followed the direction of his gaze. He was pointing at the sky. There was bad weather moving in—maybe a storm, or maybe just heavy rain.
Standing, Kevin made his way unsteadily from the bow of the boat toward the stern where Lia was sitting. He fell heavily next to her, holding on to avoid being pushed by the momentum, even further toward the rear of the boat.
“There’s some weather moving in,” Kevin said. He had to lean in close so she could hear him, and his lips brushed briefly against her ear. “But he said we shouldn’t worry about it. It’s a fast-moving system that should clear up in the early evening, so we should be fine to get back to the island by dinner tonight.”
Lia felt her stomach dip in disappointment. Until that moment, she wasn’t even consciously aware that she had been hoping for a different outcome. Because it would have taken too much effort to be heard over the roar of the engine and the slapping sound of the waves against the boat, she simply nodded her acknowledgment of what Kevin told her.
When she was getting dressed after her shower, readying herself to meet Kevin at the dock, Lia heard the voices of the rest of the Morgans, returning from their walk. They sounded buoyant, exuberant—the sounds of a family reunion; and for the first time, Lia felt like an intruder. Suddenly, she had more than one reason to want to get over to the mainland.
Now, sitting on the inadequately-padded seat at the rear of the boat, bouncing uncomfortably up and down, she wondered at Kevin’s willingness to leave the party. Maybe he felt a little like an outsider too.
They docked on the mainland just as the first raindrops began pelting the deck, and Kevin pulled Lia close against his side as they ran for cover along the boat slip. Taking shelter at a tiny bar near the exit of the wharf, they grabbed two stools side by side and looked up at the menu scrawled on a chalkboard that hung overhead. Two tacky plastic parrots flanked it, wearing straw hats.
“Alligator nuggets,” Lia said, reading one of the items aloud, her voice incredulous.
“Ever had ‘em?” Kevin asked.
“Well, I barely just had lunch so …”
He laughed and Lia looked at him.
“What?” she asked, defensively. “I did. And you did too, so …”
“Okay. So, you don’t want to eat the meat of a big, scaly reptile,” Kevin said. “Nothing to be ashamed of. Some people aren’t that adventurous.”
There were tiny pearls of rainwater still dotting his milk-chocolatey skin, and because he did nothing to wipe them away, Lia had the urge to reach up and do so herself. But she didn’t. Instead she glanced up at the menu again and nodded in the direction of the bartender who came over to take their order.
“Alligator nuggets,” she said, sticking her chin out. “And a Corona.”
“Make that two,” Kevin chimed in. “With lime, please.”
It was warm and sultry at the bar, as the rain evaporated upon contact with the warm earth all around them. Lia felt a line of perspiration snaking down the center of her back and pooling near the base of her spine. She squirmed self-consciously on her stool and snuck a look at Kevin who was watching her.
“So,” she said. “What are we really doing here?”
He blinked lazily. “What do you think we’re doing here?”
“Well I know what we’re not doing. I didn’t leave anything at the condo that I need to pick up. So, I’m guessing this is some mission of yours we’re on.”
Kevin nodded slowly. “You could say that.”
“You want to share it with me?” she prompted. “Since I’m your co-conspirator, it only seems fair that I know what kind of trouble you’re getting me into.”
“I’ll only get you into as much trouble as you want me to get you into,” Kevin said as the bartender set their beer in front of them. “Promise.”
Lia felt her face grow warm. Fumbling for something to do with her hands, she reached for her Corona and took a long swallow. She was thirsty, so it went down easy, but then she was lightheaded.
“Whoa. Slow down,” Kevin said. “It’ll taste better once you get some of that alligator.”
“You just love the idea of watching me gag, don’t you?”
“Actually no,” he responded right away. “I wouldn’t want to see you uncomfortable in any way.”
Lia swallowed hard. If that was the case, he was failing.
Alligator nuggets looked perfectly ordinary; appetizing even. They were golden-brown and almost spherical in shape, like hush puppies. Lia reached for one the moment they were set in front of her and Kevin, pretending not to notice that he was watching her, very closely. She took an exploratory sniff.
“Smells good,” she said.
“Stalling?”
“Yup.”
Kevin laughed then reached for a nugget himself, popping it into his mouth without hesitation to demonstrate their deliciousness. Lia watched him chew, then mimicked him, tossing the nugget onto her tongue. She let it sit there for a few moments, absorbing the flavors of the batter. It wasn’t bad. In fact, it was good. All that remained was to bite into the meat.
So, she did.
It still wasn’t bad. It tasted—Lia smiled—almost like chicken. Chewing more heartily now, she reached for another nugget and ate that one, chasing it with a swallow of beer. Kevin was right. Alligator nuggets went well with the beer.
“Proud of yourself?” he asked.
“Very. I’ve officially eaten a lizard.”
Kevin smiled and held his beer bottle out to her. Lia clinked hers against it.
“I’m curious about something,” she said.
“What’s that?”
“Blake.”
“Lots of women are curious about Blake.” Kevin shrugged.
“No, I mean, why would he make up that story about me needing to go back to the condo?”
“Because I asked him to,” Kevin said evenly.
“You did?” Lia asked, her voice a squeak.
At that Kevin turned on his barstool. “Look at me,” he said. And when she didn’t, he said it again. “Look at me.”
Lia turned on her stool as well so they were facing each other, knees touching. For a moment she was transfixed, by the thick scowling lips, and the dark, hooded eyes that right now were even darker still. And he hadn’t shaved for a couple of days so there was a shadow dusting his square, chiseled jaw.
Leaning in closer, Kevin lowered his voice. He inclined his head in the direction of the boat slip. “What happened back there on the island … all that stuff with Blake? That’s a game. But what’s going to happen—what is happening—with you and me? That’s on the real.”
~10~
Miami, FL, Tuesday, 6:16 p.m.
Kevin watched as Lia browsed the aisles of the souvenir shop, pausing occasionally to look at one of the tchotchkes, or brightly-colored t-shirts, the assorted landscapes with poor attempts at depicting the Biscayne Bay sunset. After dashing from the bar to Blake’s SUV which was parked at the dock, they sat in the muggy confines of the vehicle, both silent for a moment until Lia finally looked at him.
Now what?
The way she asked the question made Kevin’s dick twitch. Something between them had been stripped away since their conversation over alligator nuggets and beer. Now there was no longer any pretense that they had any business being back on the mainland, except that Kevin wanted to spend some time with her. That knowledge hummed and buzzed between them as they sat there in the warm, stuffiness of Blake’s luxury vehicle.
Want to see a little bit of Miami? Kevin asked her.
Yeah, Lia said. And maybe get some cool stuff for a couple of my friends.
So, he took her to the first souvenir shop he spotted, one of those brightly-lit, garishly decorated places that featured garments in every pastel shade known to mankind, sunglasses, flip-flops, and knick-knacks so cheap that even once packed, they sometimes didn’t make it home without damage or destruction. But Lia seemed to be loving it. The corni
er the item, the longer she lingered in front of it. So far, she had a figurine of a frog sunning himself under an umbrella, an alligator grinning either mischievously (or menacingly; Kevin couldn’t decide) and two hollow yellow cans that purported to contain “pure, unpasteurized Florida sunshine”.
Pausing in front of a row of pink tank tops with cartoonish pictures of coconuts strategically placed over the breast area, Lia grabbed one and showed it to him, grinning.
“This is just the kitschiest thing ever,” she said. And then after a moment’s hesitation, she dropped that into her basket as well.
“You do realize you’re wasting your money, right?”
“I do,” she answered evenly.
“Okay.” He shook his head in amusement.
“You know how they say, ‘it’s the thought that counts’?” Lia asked, resuming her stroll along the aisle. “It’s true. No one’s going to care about this stuff. I know that. But they’ll care that while I was away, I thought of them.”
“Yeah, I get it. It’s just …” He broke off, deciding not to speculate on her financial situation. But it was just that he’d gotten the impression that the money for this gig wasn’t inconsequential for her.
“It’s worth it, believe me,” she said, as though she’d read his mind. “Most of this junk is for my best friend Steph. She’s two lampshades away from being a hoarder and if I go anyplace and come back without a whole bunch of crap to feed her habit, she’ll never speak to me again.”
Kevin smiled again, but didn’t comment, contenting himself with hanging back and watching the hypnotic sway of her walk. She was a tiny, little thing, with a backside he would describe as ‘pert’. On the boat earlier that afternoon, he’d made a point of not looking at it too often, of not looking at her too often. His cousins Kim and Tanya were hawk-eyed about stuff like that and if he’d so much as glanced in Lia’s direction one time too many, they wouldn’t have been too shy about calling him out on it.
And that’s why he’d made this little deal with Blake who had his own reasons for wanting to sneak back to the mainland for at least one day during their little family vacation.
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