“
But a girl would get so attached if she was intimate with him. Why did his dad force him to do this? It’s not fair.”
“Maybe it’s payback for leaving home.”
“But the poor woman had nothing to do with it. Why is she getting punished?”
“We could debate this all day, and it’s not going to change a thing. I thought we were going to look for a starfish.”
“Oh, I want to see one of those!” I said.
“C’mon,” Abby said as she swam off.
James stayed by my side every second. Perhaps he sensed that I was slightly terrified to be out in the open water by myself, or perhaps he simply liked holding my hand. Either way, it was nice to stick together, picking up shells, pointing at fish, and exploring the coral reef that circled the island, to our hearts’ content.
By the time we finished, the sun was almost swallowed up by the sky, so we headed back to shore to get cleaned up for dinner. Nick and Abby went to Granny’s private study, the only room in the house that was connected to the internet. Meanwhile, James and I took a long shower, then enjoyed an even longer roll in the sheets, one that wouldn’t be interrupted by Nick and Abby since they were facetiming with their beautiful Arabella.
It was like the man didn’t have an off switch. He was pure charisma. We’d spent the entire day swimming in the ocean, yet he was like an Energizer Bunny fresh off a nap. He literally just kept going and going and going! The rum we sipped on all day like a bunch of drunken pirates had absolutely no effect on him, and when I finally laid my head upon the pillow and demanded a nap, he jogged lightly from the room and informed me that he was going out for another swim.
By the time we headed down for dinner that night, dressed in our island best, we were in high spirits. However, dinner, as it turned out, was nowhere to be found.
“Where is everyone?” I asked, glancing around the empty dining room. “Granny doesn’t strike me as the type of woman who is ever late.”
The six of us stood in the center of the room, glancing around with increasing confusion, when the sound of tribal drums filtered suddenly through the open window. James and Nick lit up at the same time, while Abby and I just stood there, hoping the frightening old lady had not decided to sacrifice us to the island gods once and for all.
“What the hell is that?” Abby demanded as a curl of smoke drifted lazily inside, hanging in the air between us. “Some kind of Lord of the Flies reenactment? I hope she’s not looking for a virgin sacrifice, because she’s not gonna find that in this room!”
“No, silly,” Nick said, then kissed her on the forehead. “It’s only a luau.”
A luau?! My eyes lit up as I turned to look out the window, standing on my tiptoes to catch a glimpse of the excitement. Of all my island fantasies, a luau was near the top of the list, and I couldn’t believe one was happening right outside. “Did you tell her?” I asked James quietly as we headed for the door. “Did you do this?”
He shook his head and raked his dark hair away from his eyes. The island air had put an extra spring in his step, and our day in the sun had bronzed his skin, giving him an unearthly sort of glow as we headed through a trail of tiki-torches to a clearing in the trees. “It wasn’t me. This was all Granny,” he said.
A moment later, we rounded the corner, and I stopped in my tracks, my eyes widening as I took in the scene. It was everything I could have imagined and so much more. A wide swatch of land had been cleared away in the middle of a copse of palms, leaving nothing but a circle of silky grass, surrounded on all sides by brightly glowing torches. Garlands of fresh flowers were draped from the trees, and a life band, assumedly occupants of the guest quarters, serenated us with a festive, spirited tune. A roaring bonfire crackled away in the center, its flames dancing along with the beat as they licked up toward the sky. It seemed Granny’s entire staff was in on the surprise, because they were all there, garbed in perfectly accurate luau attire, their faces orange with the glow of the fire as they laughed and feasted and danced beneath the stars.
“This is incredible,” I said, my eyes flying from one thing to the next. I was so utterly overwhelmed that I couldn’t exactly concentrate on one area or another. “We should do this every night.”
James laughed and pulled me against his side, flashing a secret smile at Granny as she sauntered into view, looking like a queen with a crown of flowers on her head and a pack of rabid corgis running at her feet. The two locked eyes for a split second before she opened her arms wide and gestured for us to join the party in front of her, a silent invitation with a twinkling smile.
As a pair of servers in grass skirts rushed past and draped colorful leis over our necks, I turned to James with a dazed smile. “Where do we even start? Food, drinks, or we could—”
“Yes, milady, let’s dance.”
He caught my hand and pulled me to the dancing area, spinning me into his chest as the music suddenly changed to a slower, more sensual tune. It was all I could do to stay on my feet in the sand. The air was warm and thick with the scent of flowers, and my head was light and spinning with rum. Not only that, but the flickering torch flames in James’s dark eyes made me want to tear off his clothes right then and there.
“I will remember this forever,” I murmured, pressing my lips into his neck as waves of his hair fell down around us, blanketing me in that honeyed scent. “Thank you for letting us stay. I’ll never forget it, James, truly.”
His lips tugged up in a sweet smile, and his fingers found their way around the small of my back. “This is just the start for us, Della. There is so much more to come.”
My entire body just melted into him, and a blissful smile decorated my face as I closed my eyes. “Promise?”
He pressed a tender kiss against the top of my head, while his arms tightened instinctively around me to cradle me possessively against his chest. “Cross my heart.”
I watched Charlie laughing as Sherry fed him a bite of food. Charlie seemed like a funny, fun guy. He had the looks, the charm, and the charisma. I was sure he would be able to somehow get his inheritance.
Abby and Nick looked like two people deeply in love. I watched how captivated he was by his wife. He loved her more than anything. They were laughing, kissing, and having the time of their lives.
The next few hours flew by in a whoosh of firelight and rum. After the mouthwatering feast, Granny turned in for the night, but not before instructing, “You children carry on and have a good time now,” and we thanked her and assured her we would.