by Elle E Kay
“I won’t pretend to understand what this is about, but I’ll give you the space you need.” His mask went back up, and a big goofy grin replaced the hurt she’d seen on his face only seconds earlier. “Race me to the quad. We’re taking that zip line whether or not the sun goes down.”
“Where is it?” He pointed, and she ran to the beach where he’d left the ATV. She hopped on in front of him. “I’m driving.”
“I’m not sure I like the sound of that. You don’t know your way around the island.”
“I remember how to get to the tree house.”
“Oh, boy.”
He climbed onto the quad behind her. She glanced back when she didn’t feel his arms around her waist and saw he’d chosen to hold on to the metal rack behind him instead of her. Maybe he thought it would be safer. Either that, or he was still upset. There was no telling which it was. His spicy cologne assaulted her senses before the smell of fuel replaced it as she took off down the beach.
“Hey, slow down. You’ll throw me off.” He hollered over the engine noise.
She laughed and sped up. “Payback.”
They were both laughing when they pulled up outside of the tree house. “You ready to fly like a bird, darling?”
“Cut that out.”
“What’s that, love?”
She growled, and he laughed. After opening the shed, he removed some kind of harness and helped her put it on. His touch felt intimate as he strapped her into the contraption, and his slow, methodical movements made it crystal clear that he was enjoying her discomfort. He attached his own harness and pointed to the rope ladder. Taking the hint, she climbed up and headed out to the deck to wait for him there. Coming up behind her, he put his hands on her shoulders. “This will be fun.”
“If you say so.” She fidgeted with her rings.
“Come on.” He hooked her to the zip line. “Tell me when you’re ready.”
She bit her bottom lip. “If you wait for me to give you the okay, I may never go.” Seconds later she was flying above the tree line enjoying the feeling of freedom. When she reached the end of the line, there was a wooden landing. She got her feet under her and unclipped herself, leaning on the rail for support. She couldn’t stop beaming. What a rush.
He arrived thirty seconds later. “Awe-inspiring, isn’t it?” He unclipped himself and turned around in a circle with his arms in the air.
“I’m glad we didn’t do this in the dark. The view is breathtaking. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it.”
He stared into her eyes. “The view is exceptional.”
Every nerve ending in her body was suddenly electrified. She broke eye contact. “The view of the waterfall was amazing”
He stepped out of his harness. “I thought you’d enjoy seeing it from above.”
“I did.” She followed suit and removed her gear.
He reached for her hand. “You’re shaking. It’s the adrenaline. Give it a few minutes to wear off before taking the stairs. They’re steep.”
She sat on the bench built into the landing deck. “I guess that’s what the seat is here for.”
“You know it.”
“Thank you for suggesting this. I had a blast.”
“I’m glad.” He squeezed her hand. “We’ll have loads of fun together, Addison.”
She grinned up at him. “I’m glad we did this.”
“The zip lining or the marriage.”
“Both, but I meant the marriage.”
“Are you sure about that?” He bent down close to her, his lips inches from hers. “I got an entirely contradictory vibe this morning.”
“I apologize if I ruined our wedding day.”
“Nothing is ruined.” His lips touched hers briefly. She wanted to prolong the kiss, but didn’t have the courage to pull him back to her. So, when he rose to his feet, she did the same. “Ready?”
“Sure.” Only now she was shaking again for reasons having little to do with zip lining.
A platonic marriage wasn’t what he’d signed up for, but he was a patient man. If she wanted to wait, they’d wait. He took the steps slowly, so Addison wouldn’t rush. He didn’t need her falling to her death. The thought made his throat constrict. It should’ve been a longer engagement. Why had he hurried the wedding along? Now that they were married, it was evident he’d sped it along for no good reason, but two weeks ago it had seemed like a splendid idea.
Nikki. The answer came to him, and he felt shame. He’d rushed the wedding because of his ex-fiancée. He’d, mistakenly, thought it would get her off his back. Instead, she’d flown into a rage when the news of his wedding plans reached her. She’d shown up at his office, eyes flashing with insanity, and demanded he call off the wedding. He’d ducked in time to avoid the caramel macchiato she’d thrown at him, but the look in her eyes haunted him. He’d come so close to marrying her, and now as he looked at Addison, he realized how blessed he was to not have said ‘I do’ to the wrong woman. He started the trek back to the tree house, and she fell in step beside him.
“Where to now?”
“We have a bit of a walk to get back to the quad.”
“We didn’t go far.”
“It’s a lot farther than it felt.”
“I’m glad I wore my hiking boots.”
“Stay close. The rain forest can be dangerous at dusk. You might not see snakes or other dangers.”
“I didn’t think of that.”
“I’ll protect you.” Slipping an arm around her shoulders, he considered stopping to kiss her, but the need to get out of the forest was more pressing. It wasn’t as if she was ready for the intimacy anyway, and though he’d joked about taking her zip lining in the dark, he hadn’t been serious. The dangers lurking in the forest at night were too great a risk to subject his bride to them.
She stopped in her tracks and looked up at him, her hands on her hips. “You’d better.”
“Better what?” He’d forgotten what they’d been talking about.
“Protect me.”
“Or what?”
“Or else.”
“Or else what?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“You’ve grown feisty in your old age, darling.”
“Enough with the darling, and who are you calling old?”
He chuckled and resumed the hike.
She was breathing heavily when they reached the tree house. Flopping to the ground, she grinned up at him.
“I should’ve told you to pack a bag, then we could’ve stayed the night instead of riding back to the main house.”
“I wouldn’t want to intrude on your private space.”
“Well, that’s too bad.” He turned away from her, but looked back over his shoulder. “I would welcome the intrusion.”
He hopped on the quad before she got any ideas about driving again. It wasn’t a good idea for her to navigate the path in the dark and the sun was nearly gone. When she mounted the quad behind him, her arms slipped around his waist and he felt his muscles tighten at the touch of her fingers. He had to get a grip before he pushed her too far. If she wasn’t ready, he needed to respect that. The effect she had on him wasn’t making it easy though. If he gave in and kissed her with the passion he wanted to, he’d scare her further into her shell. After turning the headlights on, he drove them back to the house.
They arrived back at the house, and Zach pulled the quad into a garage filled with equipment and toys. She looked around at the boats, dirt bikes, and quads. “What’s all this for?” Addison jumped off the quad and stood beside it.
“Mostly for fun.”
“I figured that, but you can’t ride it all.”
“Sometimes I have guests.”
“You must have a lot of them.”
He laughed. “Let’s get some dinner.”
“Who’s cooking? You sent the staff away, remember?”
“Greta prepared everything we’ll need. All we have to do is heat it up.”
“Nice.
” She grinned. “I’m liking Greta a great deal, and I don’t think I even met her.”
“You met her this morning, but you can’t be expected to remember everyone. It was a hectic morning.”
“Great. When people ask me to describe my wedding day, I can say it was ‘hectic.’”
“It was, but I hope you’ll also think of it as magical.”
“It was.”
“I’m glad. I hoped it would be.”
She stood on her tiptoes and placed an experimental kiss on his lips. After a sharp intake of breath he pulled away. His hasty retreat concerned her. Had she messed up again?
He hurried to the back door, and she followed him into the kitchen. Zach heated the food while she gathered up plates and silverware to set the table. He suggested she set the table on the patio, so they could eat while watching the waves lap at the shore. When he brought the food out, she said grace silently before they ate their reheated meal. He left momentarily and returned with chocolate mousse for dessert.
“I shouldn’t.” She stared at the sweet dish.
“Why not?”
“I’m supposed to keep my sugar levels even rather than binge on junk. Protein takes longer to break down, so it’s my go-to choice, although a bite or two of sweets won’t hurt me. This looks scrumptious.”
He put it in front of her with a spoon. “Don’t pass out on me again. I’m not sure my heart can take the stress.”
She took a bite. “I promise to be careful.”
Once she’d had a taste, she set her spoon down and walked to the water's edge. She felt Zach watching her as she waded into the water.
A few minutes later, he was beside her. “It’s been a long day. You should get some rest.”
“I am tired.” She kicked at the water. “The water is so warm. Nothing like the Delaware and Maryland beaches, huh?”
“Nothing like it, but those days and nights on the beach with you were some of the best times of my life.”
“Mine too.”
“Come on. Let’s go in.” He reached for her hand, but she scurried away and kicked water in his direction.
He wiped salt water from his face. “You will pay for that you little minx.” Reaching down, he used both hands to splash her.
She collapsed in a fit of giggles, so he reached out to help her up, but he didn’t release her. Instead, he tugged her close and held her firmly against him. Every fiber in her body responded to him, but soon after he initiated the contact, he broke the spell by dropping his hands and taking a step back. She longed to tell him how much she’d wanted his kiss, but her courage failed, and the words didn’t come.
When he reached the dry sand, he called back to her. “Let’s get inside.”
Chapter 7
A ddison lay awake for hours rolling around in the giant bed. In the wee hours of the morning sleep caught up with her, but a pounding on the bedroom door interrupted her slumber. She pulled a pillow over her face, but the pounding didn’t stop.
Rising from the bed she stomped her way to the door and threw it open. “What?” she growled.
Zach stood there grinning. “Not a morning person, sunshine?”
“What do you want?”
“To take you kayaking.” She was disappointed that his glasses were gone.
“Kayaking?”
“That’s what I said.”
She looked down at her crumpled t-shirt and gym shorts. “Let me get dressed.”
“I’ll wait in the kitchen. You will eat before we go.”
“Bossy, aren’t you?” She put her hands on her hips. “What if I’m not hungry?”
“Tough. You’re eating breakfast.”
He turned to go, and she hurried into the bathroom. When she glimpsed herself in the mirror, she cringed. She’d answered the door with her hair flying in every direction. Taking her time, she showered and dressed so she would be presentable. It wasn’t as if the kayaks would float away before they got to them.
When she arrived in the kitchen, Zach had her plate filled with eggs, pancakes, and sausage. She stared at the food. “You can’t expect me to eat this much food.”
“Eat as much or as little as you like.” He smirked. “I rifled through the cabinets and found sugar-free syrup since you said you’re not supposed to OD on sugar.”
She narrowed her eyes. “If you think I’m using sugar-free anything you have another thing coming. Do you have strawberries or bananas and whipped cream?”
“Yeah. I think so.”
Raiding the refrigerator, she pulled out what she needed and cut up the strawberries. When she reached the table, Zach was waiting for her and hadn’t touched his food.
“What are you waiting for?”
“Don’t you want to say grace?”
“Right. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I noticed you prayed over your food last night. I would’ve said grace out loud, but I’m not used to sharing a meal with another Christian. It’s nice.”
She bowed her head, and he led them in prayer thanking the Lord for the bounty He’d provided. When she met his eyes, she couldn’t help but smile. She’d never been around a man who prayed out loud, and it surprised her how attractive she found him in that moment.
Addison devoured her food. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was.
“I guess you can eat more than you thought.” He grinned showing off both dimples.
“Yeah. Maybe so.” She returned his smile. “It’s a good thing we’ll be kayaking, so I can work off the calories.”
“You needed the sustenance. You’ve been going nonstop for days.”
“Whose fault is that?” She laughed.
“I plead the fifth.” He went to the sink to wash up the dishes, and she rummaged through the drawers until she found a dish towel, and then dried.
“You see the dishwasher there, right?” she asked.
“It’s easier to hand wash them.”
“If you say so.”
“It’s not like I get to do dishes often.”
She grinned. “If you expect me to feel sorry for you because your help doesn’t let you do dishes, you can forget it.”
“I guess that came out wrong.”
“Yeah. Made you sound like an over-privileged brat.”
“You know better.” He took the towel from her hand. “There is no church on the island, but if you need time for your morning devotions and Bible reading before we go, I’ll understand completely.”
“It can wait until we get back. What about you?”
“I start all my mornings with God’s word. Today was no exception.”
“In that case, I’ll definitely wait until after our excursion.”
“In that case, let’s head out to the boat launch on the lake. From there it’s only a few feet to the creek.”
“Creek? We’re not kayaking in the ocean?”
“We can if you’re confident in your abilities. The sea kayaks are in the garage, but I think you’ll prefer the stream. It should be calm and serene.”
“Sounds fantastic.”
“Let’s take the ATV.”
“You take that quad everywhere, huh?”
“We could take a dirt bike if you’d prefer?”
“Let’s stick with the quad.”
“Single or tandem?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you want to kayak by yourself or with me? I need to know which kayak or kayaks to untie.”
“I haven’t done this before, so tandem might be best.”
“A first-timer.” Zach untied a bright green kayak. He instructed her on how to hold the paddle before he put the vessel in the water and held it still for her. “You’ll sit up front.”
He climbed in behind her. “That’s it, but use your torso to power the movement instead of relying on your arm strength. Now loosen your grip. If you hold it that tightly we won’t make it far before your hands give out.”
She relaxed a little, and they sliced through the water. A
short-time later, they were in the midst of the rain forest. It didn’t take long for her to feel like she’d been paddling for hours. Zach stopped paddling and suggested she do the same. Then, he tossed her a bottle of water.
She caught it and took a swig. “Thanks. You didn’t mention the stream came through the rain forest.”
“It’s a tiny island. Everything goes through the rain forest.”
“A few days ago I’d never seen one. Now, it almost feels like home. It’s so peaceful here.”
“It is home. A vacation home, but it’s one of our homes.”
“That sounds so outrageous. Who ever thought we’d have more than one home.”
“Not me.” He chuckled.
“I can feel the awesome presence of God in this place. His artistry is evident everywhere I turn.”
“Hence the reason I purchased the island.” The winds picked up and leaves fell into the surrounding water. “We’d better head back. It feels like a storm’s brewing.”
“The remnants of that hurricane you mentioned the other day?”
“No. There wouldn’t be remnants yet, it isn’t expected to make landfall until this evening. It should miss us completely. Just to be certain, we’ll check the radar when we get back.”
“What about the cruise ship?” Her brow wrinkled in concern. “Will my mother and the others be in danger?”
“I spoke with the captain before they left, he was heading the ship toward Cancun, and they expect the storm to veer north barely skimming the Bahamas on its way to make landfall in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Even if it changes course, the ship moves far faster than the storm and can easily outrun it.”
Another few minutes passed. “We should head back. I know you’re not used to paddling, and could use a longer break, but we should return to the house.”
When they arrived back at the boat launch, she rubbed her tired arms. “I will be sore tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry I pushed you so hard.” His brow crinkled, and his eyes filled with concern.
“Is there something you're not telling me?”
“No. It’s just… never mind. Let’s get back and look at the radar.”