by Ana Sparks
I was panting by the time he settled himself between my thighs, slowly joining us. My body had to stretch to accommodate his girth, and once our hips were flush, he waited for a moment, relishing how good it felt to be fully connected.
Joel kissed down my neck as he began to move, our bodies picking up a perfect rhythm. The pleasure was intense. Perfect. It was everything I'd ever hoped to find in sex, but thus far had been clearly missing. We were like two waves on the stormy seas outside, rolling and churning together with the kind of harmony that doesn't exist outside of nature. We were passion and longing; need and bliss. We were together, wholly and completely.
My release rose like a tsunami, until I finally came apart like a thousand fireworks shooting off into the night sky. My hair stood on end. My toes curled. It was the purest of pleasures, and it was Joel’s and mine alone.
He tumbled over the edge after me, panting into my ear and whispering my name, over and over again. I held him close, unwilling to part from him—now or ever—even though I knew I eventually would have to. But, for this moment, this perfect, beautiful, fleeting moment, Joel Lockhart was mine. I was his. And the worlds we belonged to held no claim over our sweaty, naked bodies.
Chapter Six
I awoke to the smell of sea salt and the gentle hissing of waves. As my awareness expanded, I felt the warmth of a body pressed up against mine, the masculine scent of Joel's cologne, and his hand clasped around my own. I was on my side, and Joel was spooning me. We had somehow stayed cuddled up like this through the night, even though it had never been a favorite position of mine. I normally liked my space when I slept, but for whatever reason, that rule didn't seem to apply when it came to Joel. I felt like I couldn't be close enough to him if I tried. I had him, and I wanted more of him, still. How was that possible?
His slow breaths tickled at the back of my neck. He was still asleep. I decided to savor the moment for as long as possible, even though the storm was clearly over and we had no reason left to stay there. Who was I kidding? He was the only reason I needed.
I closed my eyes, fully intending to go back to sleep. Then, Joel's hand squeezed mine.
“Are you awake too?” he asked. His voice was thick with sleep, which made him sound even sexier.
“Unfortunately.”
His laugh rumbled through me. “I've got appointments this morning, but I don't want to get up.”
It warmed my heart that he was facing the same dilemma I was. I had no idea what last night meant for us, and I knew that as soon as we left this cabin we'd be entering back into the real world, but for now, we were on the same page.
“There's also the minor problem that this isn't our house and we aren't supposed to be here,” I joked.
“Wouldn't it be nice if it were, though?” Joel rolled onto his back, turning me in his arms so my face rested against his chest. “I could picture myself living in a place like this.”
“Really?” I eyed him skeptically. “Based on your clinic, I assumed you were more of a ‘luxury digs’ kind of guy.”
“Mmm, you're right. I am.” He squeezed the band of his arms around me. “Way to call me out.”
I laughed. “I'm here all week.”
Silence lapsed between us. I shouldn't have said anything. I wouldn't be here all week, and we both knew that. Even if Joel didn't know that Chelsea and I planned to leave as soon as possible after the surgery, or at least lay low for a while, he had to realize that we'd be parting ways, sooner rather than later.
“We should get up,” he said, after a moment.
I groaned. “You're right.”
The two of us disentangled and rolled over to opposite sides of the bed, then started retrieving our clothes from the floor and pulling them back on. Once dressed, the only thing left to do was tidy up the place and get out of there.
Joel flashed a smile before we left. “I hope my car is still intact.”
It was, thankfully, as was mine. We said a slightly awkward but warm goodbye, then got in our respective cars to make the long trek back into town. As I drove away, I took one last look at our little retreat on the beach, and wished I could have last night over again. I would give up almost anything just to experience that magic once more.
I drove back to the hotel in silence. I figured Chelsea would be waiting, excitedly anticipating hearing about my night. We'd always loved gushing about boys together. Despite my sadness about my ‘never-to-be’ relationship with Joel, I was at least looking forward to this one piece of my relationship with my sister which hadn't changed in recent years.
Opportunities to bond were rare these days, especially with what she'd done. Even though Chelsea had essentially ruined my life as I knew it, I wanted our relationship to grow stronger. Was that stupid of me? Maybe. But I'd missed her. I'd missed us. And I wanted to hold on to our sisterly bond as tightly as I could. Maybe then, she would give me some warning before she did something stupid next time.
I walked through the door, and Chelsea was waiting for me. Just not the way that I expected.
“What is this?” I asked, surveying the packed bags sitting on the foot of the bed.
Chelsea's face was ashen and I could tell that she had been crying. I rushed over and pulled her into my arms.
“I don't want to stay here any longer,” she said softly. “I think we should leave today. Right now.”
A bolt of adrenaline sliced through me. Today? Now?
“But we've got our surgery tomorrow,” I reasoned, pulling back to examine her face. “Why leave now?”
Chelsea's eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I don't think we can trust your doctor friend. I'm spooked, Megan. He'll hand us over to the authorities the first chance he gets.”
Where the hell was this coming from?
“Chelsea...” I murmured, rubbing her back. “Joel's a good guy. He's not going to rat us out.”
Chelsea ignored me, pulling out of my grasp and slumping down onto the bed. “I want to catch a flight tonight.”
“Where to?”
“Anywhere but here.” Her stare was like daggers. I doubted she had a good reason, but I didn't doubt her conviction. “Mexico, maybe? It doesn't matter. Let's just go.”
Let's just go.
Chelsea had apparently already decided that I was coming with her.
“Chelsea, I don't understand.” I approached her, stroking her hair as she sat and stared, dejected, at the floor. “Where is all this coming from? You were fine yesterday.”
Chelsea raised a hand to her face and smoothed it over her features, from her forehead to her chin. Then, she raised her eyes to mine.
“We just need to go,” she said. “Don't you trust me?”
My jaw clenched. “Hon, you did steal a hundred grand and then roped me into helping you cover it up. I wouldn't say you're on the top of my ‘most trusted’ list right now.”
“I never meant to hurt you!” she cried. “I panicked! By the time I realized what I was doing, I'd already done it. And I came to the only person in this whole world that I trusted. So tell me—do you trust me?”
Even though I couldn't honestly say I'd forgiven her for what she'd done, her expression was so woeful and needy that I knew I'd say whatever I had to, to make her feel better.
“Yes, I trust you,” I said.
She sagged with relief. “Then let's get out of here. If we start making a move now, we could be enjoying Piña Coladas on the beach by tonight.”
“We could enjoy Piña Coladas on the beach here, too,” I reminded her. “I trust you, but that doesn't mean I agree with you. I don't think we should be going anywhere just yet. Remember what you said? That the theft was well hidden, that the company probably doesn't even know the money's gone yet?”
I tilted her chin up to look at me and Chelsea gave a weak nod.
I continued. “If you can keep it together for just another couple of days, you'll have a brand new face,” I said. “We can get new identities, and then we won't have to spend
the rest of our days looking over our shoulders. And we won't have to run away to Mexico. We can go back to California. Not to our old homes, of course, but at least we'll be safe.”
She sighed. “I don't know, Meg. I'm so scared. It really hit me this morning, and now I just don't know what to do with myself.”
“Chelsea, it's going to be fine.” I sat down next to her on the edge of the bed, bumping her shoulder with mine. “We've gotten out of tougher scrapes than this.”
She snorted. “Have we?”
“Sure!” I lied. “Remember when we stole cousin David's new bike that Christmas, and took it for a joy ride, only to have to sneak it back into the garage later that night so Mom and Dad didn't kill us?”
“That's hardly the same thing as embezzling thousands of dollars and running off to the Bahamas.”
“True, but at least now we don't have to worry about Mom and Dad grounding us.”
She chuckled. “They are going to be so pissed when they find out.”
I didn't doubt it. Our parents had always instilled good morals in us, which was one of the reasons I found Chelsea's little romp on the dark side so surprising.
“I'm sure they'll get over it.” I pulled her into my side and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “So, what do you say? Stay and get the surgery, then we get out of here?”
She nodded weakly. “Yeah. Okay.” After another pause, she added, “I'm sorry about all this, Megan. I really am.”
“At least now when people ask us which one is the evil twin we'll have a proper answer.”
She laughed and punched me lightly on the arm, then rose and started moving the suitcases from the bed.
“Did the power go out here last night?” I asked, trying to transition the conversation into something a little less emotional.
She nodded. “Apparently they had to shut down the wrap party after only thirty minutes or something like that. Everyone was pretty bummed out.”
“And how do you know that, exactly?” I asked, raising a skeptical brow.
The mischievous smile returned to her face. “I met up with one of the stunt guys,” she said. “Damien, his name was. I ran into him in the hall when I went to reception to grab some candles. We...made our own fun.”
Since her encounter with the crew's resident douchebag was the only thing making Chelsea smile right now, I decided not to tell her what I knew about his true nature. It didn't matter, anyway. The only thing that mattered was that she had fun.
“I'm glad you didn't suffer through the horror on your own,” I said dryly. “Also glad you didn't burn down the hotel.”
“Pfft. We nearly did. What about you?”
My face burned and I turned away to try to hide the flush, but it was too late. Chelsea's eagle eyes picked up everything.
“Ooh la la! I'm glad you realized that when I told you to be good, I actually meant the opposite.”
Her encouragement hadn’t been necessary. The storm itself couldn't have kept Joel and I apart last night.
“Yeah, well, just because you're the fun twin, doesn't mean I can't have a little of it myself sometimes.”
“The fun twin?” She rested her hands on her hips, grinning. “I thought I was the evil one?”
I laughed. “Same thing.”
Chapter Seven
I barely slept the whole night, tossing and turning as horrible dreams revolved in my head. They all featured the surgery in some form, whether it was just our plane crashing on the way to the island, or me waking up without a face at all. My throat was dry when I awoke, but it took a few seconds of deep breathing before I summoned up the will to stand. I was exhausted, mentally and physically. And I was scared out of my mind.
Chelsea apparently didn't have the same problem. She snored all night. Though I was glad that she was apparently free from the torment that plagued my sleep, it was lonely. When I woke in the morning and turned to see her serene, sleeping face, I felt lonelier than ever. It was like looking at myself, at everything I'd be giving up, in just a few short hours. Tomorrow, when I looked in the mirror, all I'd see would be bandages. And after that? Who knew.
“Chels,” I said gently. “You've got to get up. We have to meet Joel soon.”
She stirred, taking in a deep breath as her eyes flickered open. “Is it time already?”
I nodded sadly.
“Damn. I was having a really nice dream.”
My eyebrows rose in surprise. “Were you?”
“Yeah.” She nodded, righting herself in bed. “We were at home, hanging out with Mom and Dad, sitting around the fire pit in their backyard. They were singing to us, but I don't remember the words. I just remember looking at you and smiling.”
The dream felt so familiar, it could have been a memory. It tugged at my heart, and I wondered if maybe I'd gotten the easy dreams. At least mine were just horrible, and waking up was a blessing. I couldn't imagine waking up and realizing I'd dreamt of something that might never happen again.
“Come on,” I said, swallowing back tears. “Let's get down to the dock.” Though Joel and I were friends, at least on some level, I still didn't want to leave him waiting.
We called a cab outside the hotel, since I figured neither of us would be in any state to drive later. Chelsea held my hand while we waited. Neither of us cared if it looked weird, nor had we ever.
Even though we weren't always the most touchy-feely of siblings, there was an unwritten rule between us that if one of us was feeling sad or scared, the other would always let her hold hands with her. It was something we hadn't done in years, something I'd nearly forgotten about. Even now, as the smoke began to curl up from the fire I'd set to my old life, the gesture warmed my heart. We would get through this, and we would be stronger for it.
The cab ride to the dock was quiet and uneventful. I kept hoping that some divine message from the heavens would stop us in our tracks, and that we'd end up not going through with this kooky plan after all, but we arrived without incident.
Joel was waiting in the same spot he had been last time, but I almost didn't recognize him. He was somber today, devoid of the smile that I'd become so fond of. The serious expression didn't suit him.
“Hello ladies, I'm afraid it's the plane again today. I was running a little late this morning. You'll have to take turns.” Joel looked a little worse for wear, and I wondered if he'd had a bad sleep too. Not that he had anything to be worried about.
“I would never turn down a ride in a seaplane,” Chelsea said, trying to stir some enthusiasm.
An unexpected idea hit me, and suddenly Joel having brought the plane was the best-case scenario.
“You two go ahead,” I said, pushing Chelsea toward the handsome doctor. “I just have a little errand to run.”
I ignored the looks of surprise from both of them, not wanting to answer any questions about the nature of this errand.
“Sure,” said Chelsea, looking uncertainly between Joel and me.
“Don't worry, Miss Chelsea,” Joel said, walking forward and gently gripping her elbow. “We won't get started without her. You're safe until then.”
Chelsea laughed nervously. Joel knew just how flat the joke had fallen, but it was too late now. He began leading her down the dock while I turned back to the road to hail another taxi. I only had half an hour or so before Joel returned, and I would need every minute of it.
A cab pulled up and I slid inside, giving directions to the warehouse the film crew had been using as a makeshift studio during our residency on the island. The driver pulled from the curb without a word, and I craned my neck to watch as Joel's plane sputtered to life on the water. The car turned before I could see anything else.
My errand was simple, really. I just wanted one last picture of myself—as me. Sure, I had tons of photos of my face lying around, but I wanted one from today. That way, I could capture everything exactly as it was before the surgery, and I would always have the picture to look back on. Even though it would probably hurt too m
uch to look at it, at first.
Hey, maybe I'd love my new face. Maybe it wouldn't bother me at all that I'd spent the last twenty-odd years looking one way, if I came out looking even better.
Nope. Even as I thought that, it didn't feel right. Because—even if I came out looking like some A-list actress—I would always know that my features had come from the edge of a surgeon’s knife, and not the combination of my parents' DNA.
But was that worth worrying about now, when it was practically done? Nope. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind and continued thinking about the picture I was going to take. There was lots of equipment at the studio, which was why I was headed there. I wanted a good shot, not some fuzzy, crappy one from my phone camera. There probably wouldn't be anybody around the studio today, either, so I could be in and out in a flash. I just hoped that the crew hadn't already packed the equipment away, since everyone was heading home soon.
The cab pulled up in front of the warehouse. I handed the driver a fistful of cash and got out, half-jogging toward the front entrance.
“Excuse me!” a male voice called from behind me.
I turned, wondering if I hadn't paid the cab driver enough, but the car had already pulled away. The man trying to get my attention was wearing a dark suit and sunglasses, so I guessed he was probably someone from the set, wanting to see ID.
“Hi, can I help you?” I asked. “I'm in a bit of a rush.”
The man strode toward me, and my muscles twitched in anticipation of running. Something didn't feel right about this.
“Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask that you come with me.” The man stopped a few feet in front of me, rooted around in his jacket pocket, and then flashed a badge. An FBI badge. “My name is Agent Greaves. We have some questions for you.”
I took a step back, and the man followed. I had a feeling he was being polite because he didn't want to cause a scene, even though it didn't appear that there was anybody else around.
