"Don't do that," I scold him. "You scared me half to death..."
He looks me deep in the eyes, the moon playing tricks with his irises, making them almost completely black. He looks like a devilishly handsome demon... and I don't mind at all.
"Scared you, did I?" he whispers softly, the words like a caress on my skin. He murmurs something else under his breath that I can't hear, then leans in closer for a kiss. And even though I've kissed Kade a thousand times before, this time it feels different. As romantic as the picture might seem, there's something in his kiss. Something dark and sinister.
Shivering, I let him kiss me passionately and deeply, claiming him with his tongue and pressing his body so close to mine I can feel the length of his thick cock against my thigh.
"Kade," I whisper softly, and he moves away at the sound of his name. He gives me one last grin, but this one seems more ominous than the cheeky smile I'm used to from my love. I feel utterly confused as he salutes me goodbye, then disappears into the darkness. My heart pounding with fear and confusion, I wrap my hands around my body to keep myself warm and head back into our suite.
As I walk, I realize something was off with that kiss. That wasn't Kade—that wasn't my husband. But there's only one other person who could take his place... And he's back in New York, far away from us.
Or is he?
At first, I thought this vacation would be a breeze—a welcome distraction from our busy everyday life. But with each day that passes, my anxiety grows. I'm having trouble breathing, and the nightmares have returned after that one night of blissful, uninterrupted sleep. Kade can tell something isn't right, but I'm still sulking about what I saw on the beach that day—something he still refuses to acknowledge.
Today is a terrible day, and I've been in a foul mood since I woke up at five a.m. Kade has been gone for most of the day, surely dealing with another work emergency. When we left for Hawaii, he promised me he wouldn't deal with work while we're here, but I've barely even seen him since our arrival. Left to my own devices, I've been walking around the beach aimlessly and reading more than I do at home.
But everywhere I go, I feel a pair of eyes on my back, gone as soon as I look over my shoulder. The feeling is so overwhelming; I've chosen to stay in our suite most of the time, too afraid to venture outside for fear of that gaze on my back. I'm reading a book in the window seat when I hear Kade walk in our suite. He walks over to me, setting his laptop on the coffee table and giving me a sweet grin. Even though I don't want it to, it manages to melt all of my insides into mush, making me remember just how much I love this man... my stepbrother, my once-tormentor, now-lover.
"Got a surprise for you," Kade says, and his smile widens. "Know you're a sucker for those."
He's full of surprises lately, and as much as I try to fight my expression of glee, a smile eventually appears on my face as I set my book down and join him on the couch. He wraps me in his embrace, and I settle in his arms, the only safe place I've ever known. I've lost my father, my mother, nearly lost a brother... And Kade is the only one who can comfort me. He produces a brochure from his bag and puts it in my hands. My eyes scour the colorful pages, the words on the thick paper jumping out at me.
Secluded... Romantic... An adventure... Beautiful and unforgettable.
"What is this?" I ask Kade, the excitement easy to hear in my voice. I thumb my opal butterfly pendant between my fingers and look at him expectantly. I've worn the necklace every day since he got it for me. He chuckles and smoothes my hair down.
"I wanted to apologize for being such a dick." I look at him, waiting for him to admit it was really him I saw down at the beach with that woman, but no such luck. "I've been working a lot, and I promised you a vacation. Thought we could spend some time really alone, just you and me, if you want?" His eyes are hopeful, but I can see the mischievous grin hiding right under that expression. And I can't help it—my gaze mimics his, and I grin widely, nodding at his question.
"Awesome," Kade says, kissing me deeply and affectionately. He shows me the brochure again, explaining what we'll be doing.
"There's an island off the shore, you can see it from our balcony. The hotel has two houses on it, each on one side of the island. They suggested this retreat—they have electricity, but no internet signal. The receptionist assured me it was all very luxurious, but a unique experience to be on your own there. One house's already taken, but I got us the second one."