by Avery Aster
* * *
When Malcolm broke the surface, he immediately turned, expecting to see Kylie standing thigh-high in the water where he’d left her. She wasn’t there. A moment of panic flashed through him, but then she appeared like a goddamn water goddess right next to him. She emerged from the water, only an arm’s length away from him. Her hands smoothed back her dark hair from her face, and with her arms raised over her head, her white cotton tank top clung to her luscious curves and left very little to the imagination. His groin tightened as Malcolm’s body responded to her. By instinct, he reached out and wrapped his large hand around her hip to tug her toward him so she fell into his arms.
Kylie looked up at him. Droplets of water on her dark eyelashes fringed those same beautiful eyes he’d dreamt about for years. He could kiss her again. Every nerve in his body wanted to taste the sweetness of her mouth again. But he wouldn’t. Not yet. The night before, he’d kissed her too early. She hadn’t been ready and he’d screwed up. He wouldn’t risk scaring her again.
“See?” Malcolm dropped a chaste kiss on her forehead. “You don’t need a bathing suit. I couldn’t let you go one more second without swimming in the ocean.” He pushed backwards, released her and fell into the water in one smooth motion. As much as he craved holding her close, he wasn’t sure how much personal restraint he had in him. It was safer to put distance between them. At least for the time being.
They spent the next few minutes splashing and swimming in the surf and laughing like children. They rode the waves on their stomachs until they were back on the beach. And finally when they’d had enough of the water, they crawled up the sand and lay out on the beach to let the heat of the sun rejuvenate them.
“That was so fun.”
Malcolm rolled to his side so he was propped up on one elbow and had a better view of her. “I told you,” he said. “And that’s just the start. I’m going to make sure you experience everything you’ve ever dreamed of when it comes to a tropical holiday.”
Kylie opened her eyes just a slit and stared at him. There was a question in her eyes, but she didn’t ask it. He’d always wondered how she couldn’t have known it was really him filling in for Marcus. In his fantasies, he’d believed that she did know, but didn’t know what to say so she hadn’t said anything. And by the look in her eyes and the way she watched him, maybe he’d been right.
But before he could pursue it, the seriousness was gone and Kylie propped herself up in the sand on her elbows. “I still think I should have put on a bathing suit.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” He licked his lips and didn’t even bother disguising the hunger he knew was in his gaze as he greedily ate up the vision of her in the white tank top that still clung to her every curve. “I think that tank top is far better than any bathing suit you could have found.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, and Malcolm instantly regretted his choice of words. “No,” he said. “Don’t ever cover yourself up. You’re beautiful. And who’s going to see?” He waved his arm around the deserted beach. “It’s just us out here.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“You’re afraid of me?”
She shook her head, but bit her lip at the same time.
“You don’t need to be afraid of me.” He spoke softly, but intensely. “I’ll wait until you’re ready.” He touched her arm with the gentlest stroke. “When it’s right, you’ll come to me. But you definitely don’t need to be afraid of me.” He sat up and moved closer to her, so their bare legs touched. A spark flew up his leg and he knew if she bothered to look down, his arousal would be obvious. He didn’t care. He reached out and threaded his fingers through hers, forced her to look at him. “You have no reason to be afraid of me.”
“It’s not you I’m afraid of.” She still would not meet his eyes.
“Then what?”
“It’s me.” He hadn’t expected that to come out of her mouth, and his confusion must have shown on his face because Kylie quickly added, “And how all of this is making me feel.”
His thumb stroked circles on her hand but he didn’t let go. “There’s nothing to be afraid of as long as you—”
“Trust?” She laughed, pulled away from him and jumped to her feet. “That seems to be the word of the moment.”
“I was going to say relax.” He pushed up from the sand. “But trust works too. We better get going.” He took her hand again to have some form of contact with her, even if it was sweet and chaste. “As great as this morning as been, there’s more to do. A lot more.”
Kylie walked with him and to his satisfaction, squeezed his hand in hers. “Where are we going?”
“I’ve arranged for us to go on a little scuba diving expedition this afternoon.”
Kylie stopped so abruptly, Malcolm’s arm yanked backwards. Her face was impossible to read. A combination of excitement, wariness, and suspicion. “What?” he asked. “You have always wanted to try diving, haven’t you?”
Her mouth opened in a very cute little o shape before closing again. She swallowed whatever protest or question had been on her tongue and nodded slowly. “I have.”
“Good.” He knew she wasn’t used to his take-charge attitude, and she wasn’t usually the type of woman to follow a man blindly and do whatever he said without protest. But he didn’t care. Malcolm had an agenda for the week, and it involved making sure all her dreams and desires came true. Even the ones she didn’t know she had yet.
CHAPTER 5
Once again traveling by golf cart—this time driven by Malcolm—along the lush paths of the island, Kylie had a chance to see a little more of the landscape, including tennis courts where a handful of guests ran around in the heat and hit the ball back and forth. The idea of tennis never had appealed to Kylie. She couldn’t figure out why people were willing to chase a small ball around. Especially in the heat.
“Those are the first other guests I’ve seen,” Kylie said as they passed. “I was beginning to think we were alone on the island.”
“Well, that was the idea.” Malcolm didn’t take his eyes off the pathway and navigated past another cart that moved in the opposite direction. “I made sure we were on the far end of the island, where it’s more secluded. But you’ll see a lot more people over here as we get closer to the castle.”
And it was a good idea, too, she thought, but didn’t say aloud. Being on a deserted island had always been a fantasy of hers. But it was nice to have some of the amenities of the resort if they wanted them. Like the scuba diving. She’d been surprised when Malcolm mentioned it. But the surprise had quickly faded. After all, it was Malcolm. He knew her better than anyone. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he knew all the details about her island fantasies, too. Marcus had probably told him. A flicker of doubt niggled at the back of her mind, but she pushed it away.
Since she’d woken up determined to have an open mind, she’d had a fabulous time and the day was only getting better. Clearly, an open mind was the key to a good time. And she wasn’t about to change that by letting any common sense or worse, doubt, creep in. No way. She was going to enjoy herself.
Kylie watched Malcolm openly and ignored the passing landscape.
He was gorgeous. In a different way than she remembered. A different way than his brother, for sure. Even though they were identical twins, there were differences. More now than there were then. Or maybe it was just her memory. Time had a way of changing things.
Malcolm noticed her stare and gave her a sly smile as he navigated the cart onto a new path, away from the ocean.
“Where are we going? Shouldn’t we be headed to the water?”
“Of course. And we will, I promise. I have a boat ready to go. But first, we need some lessons. I know I’ve never been scuba diving before and I’m pretty sure there isn’t a lot of opportunity for that in the mountains, so I thought a quick lesson wouldn’t be such a bad idea.”
Kylie laughed. “You’re right. I didn’t even think about that. Is it
even safe? I mean…I don’t want to do anything that—”
“I promise I will never let anything happen to you.” He was so serious, his eyes full of sincerity, there was no room for doubt and Kylie believed him one hundred percent.
They rode the rest of the way in silence. Kylie alternated between looking at the view and staring at Malcolm. He was so familiar. The same old Malcolm. Her friend. But he was different, too. A heat was between them now that had never been there before. She’d felt it last night. Wasn’t that what had spooked her? It wasn’t so much the kiss, which was definitely nothing to be spooked by. But the completely unexpected spark between them when his lips touched hers. And the familiarity in the kiss. It was almost as if they’d done it before, which was ridiculous. It had to have been the twin thing.
She’d thought he’d kiss her again this morning in the ocean. And even though she couldn’t blame him for keeping it chaste, the desire that surged through her when he’d held her close was both unexpected and undeniable. Maybe there was something to be said for all this trust she was putting into the experience of the island. The fact that her attitude had changed so much in less than twenty-four hours shocked her, but Kylie didn’t care because she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. She fully intended to continue to let the magic of Eden work on her.
Malcolm parked the golf cart in the shadow of the castle, and took her hand. His hand felt natural in hers. She squeezed and tugged him toward her. Without taking his hand away, Malcolm wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close before he kissed the top of her head. Electricity ran through her, and instinctively, she tipped her head up.
Instead of the kiss she wanted, Kylie was treated to a smile. “Ready for some fun?”
She nodded. Kylie couldn’t believe herself how ready for fun she actually was. And wouldn’t he be surprised if she told him? Instead of questioning things, she was determined to enjoy every second of it.
“Then let’s get going.”
They skirted the edge of the castle, up a large stone staircase and stepped up into an open pool area. The patio buzzed with people lounging in chairs, enjoying beverages and by the looks of a few amorous couples, each other as well. Kylie looked away with a blush. What kind of resort were they at?
“There they are,” Malcolm said, and Kylie looked to where he pointed. At the far end of the pool deck was a couple surrounded by scuba diving gear, oxygen tanks, and other miscellaneous things that Kylie couldn’t identify.
“Hi,” the woman said when they got close enough. “I’m Jenna and this is Caine. We’re going to show you the basics today. Are you ready?” She asked the question to the two of them, but it was Kylie she looked at.
“Absolutely,” Kylie said. “I’ve wanted to do this for years. Is it hard?”
“Not at all.” Jenna’s smile was warm and Kylie instantly liked her.
“Well then.” Kylie pulled her cover-up off and over her head. “Let’s get started.” She turned to toss it on the lounge chair behind her, but froze when she saw Malcolm staring at her. “What?”
“I was wrong.” He shook his head slowly.
He looked so serious, Kylie was worried he’d changed his mind about scuba diving with her. “About what?”
“Earlier today when I said that white tank top was probably hotter than any bathing suit you could own.” His eyes drank her in greedily as they roamed her body and instead of it making her insecure, Kylie stood straighter, thrusting her hip out. “I was wrong,” Malcolm continued. “Because that bikini is—”
“If you two are ready, we should get started.” Caine walked toward Malcolm and thrust a scuba vest at him. “We have a lot to cover if you want to go out to the wreck site later.”
Jenna laughed and Kylie did her best to focus while the other woman helped her into her gear and explained what everything was for. The next hour flew by while Jenna and Caine passed on their knowledge. Kylie and Malcolm both proved to be quick learners and after a few demo dives in the deep end of the pool, their instructors declared them fit for the ocean. They all loaded up into Caine’s Jeep and headed down to the dock where a boat waited for them.
* * *
“Jenna? You named your boat after your partner?” Malcolm grabbed the tank Caine hefted up to him from the dock, and placed it next to the others.
“Not my partner.” Caine hopped aboard. “My woman.”
“Oh, it’s like that?” The women had gone below deck to put away the refreshments Jenna had packed for them to enjoy after their dive, so it was easier to talk man to man without fear of them overhearing.
“It’s very much like that.” Caine winked. “I let her get away once, but never again. When you find a woman like Jenna, you only make that kind of mistake once.”
“Isn’t that the truth,” Malcolm mused aloud. He’d let Kylie slip through his grasp in a totally different way. But never again. That was a pledge he’d made to himself when he left Cedar Springs. He had to leave her to get her, and now that they were together again, there was no way he was going to screw things up. Kylie would be his, of that he had no doubt. “I learned that the hard way.”
Caine gestured to the hatch that led below deck. “What? You mean…”
Malcolm shook his head.
“I never would have guessed.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Isn’t it always?”
Malcolm chuckled and nodded. “True. But things with Kylie are complicated. She used to date my twin brother. He broke her heart.”
“Ah. Gotcha.” Caine nodded as he turned the key in the ignition and fired up the boat. “Complicated.”
“Right.” Malcolm sat and crossed one leg over the other. “But that’s going to change.” He actually felt as confident as he sounded, which didn’t surprise him. The more time he spent with Kylie, the more he knew they belonged together and that’s all that mattered. He’d deal with everything else later.
“I believe it, man. This island is special.” Caine glanced around, looking for the girls. “Jenna thinks it’s magical, and I don’t know if I’d go that far, but there is something special about Eden. It’s like the island knows what you need, and it’s your own imagination and fantasy that determine what happen here.”
What Caine was saying wasn’t new to Malcolm. He’d heard it before from one of his buddies at the gym. As soon as Malcolm had overheard him talking about Eden, he knew it was exactly the place he needed to bring Kylie. It had taken him six months of planning and preparation, but they were finally there and although Malcolm knew exactly what his fantasies and imagination would create for him on the island, he could only hope that Kylie’s fantasies would match his.
At that moment, the women came up from below, and Malcolm lost his train of thought when he saw Kylie’s lush body showcased in the hot pink bikini that had taken his breath away earlier. Back in the mountains, her usual attire consisted more of parkas and knit caps, at least in the winter months. And in the summer he’d done his best to avoid looking at her, because while he was a sucker for punishment by falling in love with his brother’s girl, even he had his limits. But that was all changing now, he thought as he watched her climb up and into the cockpit of the boat. Her hair caught in the ocean breeze and she laughed as she pulled it back off her face. Yes, that was definitely going to change.
Kylie was no longer Marcus’s girl. He’d been good. He’d waited while she nursed her broken heart, while she raged and went through her “no-more-men-ever” phase. Hell, he’d even made sure his brother didn’t have any lingering feelings for her. Not that that was an issue. He was too stupid back then to see what he had, and as time went on and he spent time on the professional snowboarding circuit, surrounded by snow bunnies, he was even more of an idiot, at least where Kylie was concerned.
If Caine was right, and the island of Eden was all about fantasies, then he certainly had a lot to look forward to. He shifted to the side to make room for Kylie to sit next
to him as the couple tossed the ropes to the dock and Caine navigated the boat out to sea. Despite the hot day, the wind coming off the water was cool and instinctively, Malcolm wrapped his arm around Kylie’s bare shoulders.
She snuggled into him, and he held her tight. Something had definitely shifted between them from last night, and whatever it was, he wasn’t going to mess with it.
CHAPTER 6
The boat bounced over the waves and with every bump, she slid a little closer to Malcolm, who’d already pulled her close into his side. Soon, she found she used the waves and bounces as an excuse to get even closer because being cuddled up next to his hard chest with his strong arm wrapped around her holding her tight had never felt more right.
The ride was over far too soon, and Caine slowed the boat as they came to an area with some interesting rock formations jutting out of the water. “There’s a lot of reef around here,” he said. “I’d rather not meet any of them up close with the boat.”
“Absolutely,” Malcolm agreed. He gave her one more squeeze before he released her to stand and get a look around.
“The wreck is right below us.” Jenna got the gear ready and lined up the tanks on the deck. “It’s not really a very deep dive, but you’ll be pretty satisfied with what you see, I’m sure. And maybe you’ll even find some artifacts.”
Kylie’s ears perked up. “Artifacts? Like what?”
“Well, when the boat sank in the early 1900s, it was said to have a young couple aboard. Their names were Kevin and Michelle and they were on their way from the Old World to start a new life together.” Jenna shot a look at Kylie over her shoulder. “You see, they had to run away to be together because Michelle was meant to marry Kevin’s older brother, Edward.”
Kylie’s heart stuttered. “What?”
“That’s how the story goes. They were both from wealthy families and it was an arranged marriage, but from the time she was a girl, she loved the wrong brother.” Jenna shrugged. “Well, I guess he wasn’t wrong to her. But back then it was all about lineage and money and deals between families. So if they wanted to be together, they had to run away.”
