He stared at the packet, his mind blank. “Splenda?”
“Yeah, I know Splenda is in it.” She ripped it open and dumped a pile of it onto her plate. “It looks like sugar.” She licked a finger and dipped it into the white mound, then licked it off. “It tastes like sugar. But it’s not sugar. What exactly is it?”
Derek had stopped listening much after she licked the Splenda off her finger. He swallowed and tried to get that image out of his head. “I think it comes from sugar. They just do stuff to it so it changes it.”
Nara made a face. “Oh. I was hoping it was chemical residue left over after some science experiment gone wrong, and the people were like, ‘Ooh, this tastes just like sugar.’ So they packaged it up and sold it.”
This was why Derek had fallen in love with Nara. She was quirky. An outside the box thinker. He’d never wondered where Splenda came from. He shook his head at her. “Your brain never shuts off.”
“My brain gets me into trouble,” she muttered. Then she brightened. “Hey, how’s Brielle?”
The mention of his younger sister sent a shiver of pride through him. Brielle was ten years younger, and he’d been her guardian ever since his parents’ car accident when he was seventeen. His parents had both died instantly. He fought hard for emancipation, and then for guardianship. It had been hard, raising her at such a young age himself, but he was so proud of all she’d accomplished. “She’s fine. In her first year of college, if you can believe it.”
Nara gasped. “No, way. Little Brielle? She can’t be that old.”
“I know. Seems like yesterday she was tagging along after us, wanting to do whatever we were doing.”
“She hated to be left out.” Nara smiled at some unknown memory. “What’s she studying?”
“English. She wants to be a writer.”
“Doesn’t surprise me. She’s been crafting stories ever since she was tiny.” Nara suddenly stood up. “You done?”
He looked down at the mess on his plate. He wasn’t going to eat it. “Yeah.”
“Okay, time to get some vacation clothes. You can’t go around looking like you’re closing a business deal.” She tugged his arm and he stood.
“Where should we go?”
“I don’t know. Let’s ask Kay. She’s bound to know the good spots.”
Twenty minutes later he found himself in the middle of a shopping center. Nara dragged him into a shop that looked like it had eaten Magnum P.I.’s wardrobe. Loud was a mild word for every shirt hanging on the wall. Derek thought he might get dizzy just looking at the bold colors and wild patterns.
“Here, try this on.” Nara grabbed a shirt off a rack and handed it to him.
He looked down at the floral vomit and tried to think of a nice way to say he was never, in this lifetime, going to wear a shirt like that. He finally settled on, “This really isn’t my style.”
Nara grinned. “I know. It’s a va-ca-tion.” She sounded out each syllable. “We get to wear funky clothes and play on the beach. Try it on.” She shoved him toward the dressing rooms.
Derek didn’t have the heart to argue with her. She seemed excited to be shopping for him. Maybe the shirt wouldn’t fit, and he’d have a good excuse not to buy it. He took the garment from her and locked himself in the stall.
“Come out after you try it on. I want to see it,” Nara called.
He loosened his tie and then unbuttoned his dress shirt. If this wasn’t humiliating, he didn’t know what was. He slipped into the offensive piece of clothing. Oh, heavens. It fit just fine. And now he had to go out into the store looking like an idiot. He steeled himself and exited the dressing room.
Nara’s hands flew to her mouth when she saw him. “Oh. My. Word. Is that really you, Emperor Derek?”
Her words stung. He knew she called him that because she didn’t like him. He stiffened and tried not to let it bother him. “Is it too much?”
“Nope. It’s just right. In fact, it’s more than just right. We should buy several in different patterns.” She shoved a pair of shorts into his hands. “Now, try this on with it.”
At least the shorts were khaki and looked somewhat normal. He wasn’t used to wearing anything but dress pants, though, so when he walked out of the dressing room with them on, he felt odd. And his extremely white legs were embarrassing.
“Yes. They look great on you. Do they fit?”
Unfortunately, they fit just fine. “You have a knack for selecting the right size of clothing.”
The smile that lit up Nara’s face was bright. “Maybe it comes from working in the fashion industry.”
“I’m sure of it.”
That statement seemed to please her. She pulled several other shirts from racks as well as some more shorts for him. He tried them all on while she kept pulling more. After he was done, he joined her at the checkout counter. He stared at her piles of clothes. “You look like you’re getting ready for an apocalypse of the islands or something.”
Nara grinned. “We need some vacation clothes. I barely brought anything. These aren’t all yours, you know.”
“Okay, good, because I got a little worried when I saw this.” He pulled on a piece of hot pink fabric in the pile, and out shot a bikini top. His face heated as he stared at the two pink cups dangling from the strap he held.
She snatched it out of his hand. “Get your mitts off. This is what I’m changing into in a minute. We’re getting some beach time.”
Great. Now all he could think about was how she might look wearing that swimsuit. He closed his eyes and tried to get the mental picture from his head. Unfortunately, he was going to be seeing the real thing in a few minutes. This week was going to kill him.
They left the store with the clothes and were soon back at the resort. Nara grabbed her new bikini and walked toward the bathroom. “I’ll change in here. You get into your swim trunks and knock on the door when you’re done, okay?”
Wait. What? “You want me to swim with you?” He swallowed the lump forming in his throat. “I didn’t buy any trunks.”
“I picked out a pair for you while you were trying on clothes. I’m sure they’ll fit.”
“I thought maybe I’d just sit on a lounge chair. Enjoy the fresh air.”
Nara frowned. “Don’t you want to get into the water?”
He debated what to say to her. The water did look inviting, but he had never learned to swim. He felt silly admitting it, though. A grown man who didn’t know how to swim? It was stupid.
As he hesitated, she walked to the pile of clothes they’d purchased and pulled out a pair of dark blue trunks. “Come on. Just put them on. You need to loosen up.” She reached up to mess up his hair, but she was short and he could easily evade her reach.
After several failed attempts Nara huffed and shoved the trunks at him. He took them and almost cracked a smile. Almost. She was quite adorable when she was frustrated. “All right.”
She smiled at him and disappeared into the bathroom. He sighed and got dressed, then knocked on her door. There was no use arguing with Nara. She always found a way to convince him to do what she wanted, even when they were kids.
A memory flitted through his mind as he waited for Nara to come out of the bathroom, and he chuckled. The door opened and she stepped out. She wore her swimsuit and had a towel around her neck. He had to admit, she looked every bit as good as his imagination. She froze, her eyes wide as she stared at him.
He self-consciously glanced down at his bare chest. Did he have something on him? Toothpaste? Did he dribble his breakfast? He didn’t see anything, thank heavens. “What are you looking at?”
She blinked and her gaze lifted to his. “Nothing. You were smiling. Why?”
“I was thinking about that time when we were about eight years old, and you had gotten this idea in your head that we could make lots of money by selling rocks to our fathers’ co-workers. So, we started up that company.”
She laughed. “N and D rocks. Oh, my goodness. I haven’t
thought of that in years. Those poor people, buying our three-dollar rocks.” She shook her head and giggled. “What made you think of that?”
He sobered, and his face heated. He couldn’t tell her it was because she was being bossy about his swim trunks. “No reason.”
Nara rummaged through their bags of purchases and pulled out a bottle of sunscreen. “Will you do my back?”
Derek froze. She wanted him to do what? Before he could object, Nara squirted some lotion into his hand and then turned around. She held up her long, black hair and waited. “Hurry up. The beach is calling me.”
He had no other choice. He rubbed the sunscreen into his hands and then applied it to her. Nerves shot through him as he touched her warm skin. It was so smooth, and soft. Like she bathed in some secret youth-giving oils. And standing this close to her he could smell her shampoo. Touching her brought back every feeling of longing he ever had when Nara was around. But he couldn’t have her. Not in the way he wanted. And right now it was killing him. He quickly finished up. “There. That’s done.”
She made a turnaround motion with her finger. “Your turn.”
Derek nodded then faced the other direction. He held his breath while she applied the sunscreen to his back. Her touch was feather-light, and yet she still managed to send shivers through him. Why had he picked the beach for their honeymoon? He should have booked them an Alaskan cruise.
“Okay, you’re done.” She tossed the bottle of lotion on the desk and opened the sliding glass door to the patio. “Come on. Let’s go. My feet are itching to get in that sand.”
Derek followed after her, the warmth from the sun hitting him as he stepped off the wooden planks of the patio. It was bright out, and he wished he’d put on his sunglasses. The sand was hot, so he picked up his steps.
Nara turned around and opened her arms wide, walking backwards toward the ocean. “This is amazing, isn’t it? Have you ever felt such soft sand?” She didn’t wait for him to answer. She ran toward the water.
The wet sand was much cooler, and he stood for a moment, letting a wave wash over his feet. Nara continued further out into the water, then turned and beckoned to him. “It’s only a little cold. You get used to it fast.”
“I’m good standing here,” he called to her.
She made a face, then walked toward him. “You’re not going to be a sour pants this entire week, are you?”
Sour pants? What was she talking about? He frowned. “I’m no such thing.”
She grabbed his arm. “Then come on.”
Chapter 5
Nara tugged on the Emperor’s arm until he grudgingly stumbled toward the ocean water. “You don’t have to be so grumpy all the time, you know.”
His eyes widened. “Grumpy? I’m not…”
“You know, I decided this morning, it’s going to be my mission to get you to loosen up during this trip. Have some fun. This is step number one. Getting you into a swimsuit and in the water.” She gave him a smile. “And now, here you are, trying to ruin it by being so stubborn.”
He walked with her until the water was knee deep, then he stopped. “I’m not stubborn.”
A wave came and almost knocked her down. His Highness didn’t even budge. How unfair. She hated that she was height-challenged. “You are, too. Let’s keep going. The waves will kill me here. They’re better out there. You can move with them.”
Derek looked like he’d rather go back indoors. “I don’t think I want to go that far.”
She pulled on his arm. “Why not?”
He swallowed, and a look came across his face that made her pause. But a second later it was gone, and he was back to his stoic expression. She wasn’t exactly sure what that look had meant, and it left her puzzled. “No reason,” he said.
Nara stared up at him, and a sudden thought entered her head. “Do you know how to swim?”
Derek averted his gaze. He didn’t answer her, but even the non-answer was an answer, and she was stunned. Who grew up in L.A. and didn’t learn how to swim? It was insane. But then a wave of sympathy washed over her and she smiled up at him. He was probably embarrassed about it.
“We won’t go so far out that you can’t stand. And when a wave comes, all you have to do is jump. You’re much taller than me. We won’t be too deep.”
He gave her a skeptical look. Unfortunately, a wave hit as he was contemplating what she said, and she wasn’t ready for it. It knocked her face first into the water. She held her breath as she tried to regain her footing and not take in a mouthful of ocean water, but she was disoriented and couldn’t get her face out of the water. Strong hands clasped her arms and brought her upright. Derek pulled her to him. “You okay?”
She coughed and took in a breath of air. She was sure her face was aflame with embarrassment, but she nodded mustered up the best smile she could. “I’m fine.”
“And you say this is fun?”
He said it in his usual stark manner, but she noticed a slight twinge of his lips when she looked up at him. Was he hiding a smile? She laughed, unable to believe it. His Highness was making a joke. How unusual. “Yes, this is fun. I promise.”
“All right,” he said, looking out at the ocean. “We’ll go deeper if you say it’s better.”
“It is. Come on.” She grabbed his hand and together they walked further into the ocean, where the waves wouldn’t knock her down. She found a spot where she could still stand and stopped. “Here.”
Derek seemed uneasy. “Now what?”
“Now, when a wave comes, jump with it. Let it bounce you up.”
He sighed. “And then I’ll be having fun?”
She slapped his arm. Man, he was buff. When did he have time to work out? He was as much a work-a-holic as her father. “Yes. We’ll be having fun.” She pointed. “Look, here comes one now.”
As the wave gathered, she readied herself and then called, “Now,” when it was about to overtake them. She grabbed Derek’s hand and jumped with him. The wave lifted them up and Nara squealed as it tossed her. She grabbed onto Derek’s neck and clung to him as the water receded, laughing.
She stared at him, her face just inches from him. He seemed to be assessing the situation, just staring at her. Touching him started to make her feel funny, like when he touched her chin in the limo, but she held on because she knew he was about to say something. “You’re right. That was fun,” he finally said.
Ha! Nara, one. Derek, zip. She was going to win this little self-bet thing she had going on. Next, her goal was to have him show that he was having fun. She let go of his neck. “Awesome. But try not to be so serious. When the next wave comes, you have to scream as it lifts us.”
“You want me to what?”
“You need to. Or you’ll never learn how to do this correctly.” She waited for another big wave. When one began gathering in the distance she said, “Okay, get ready.”
As the wave lifted them up, Derek let out a blood-curdling scream, as if he’d just seen someone stabbed to death and the murderer was now coming after him. Nara was so not expecting that. She burst out laughing.
“What the heck was that?” she managed to ask, after her laughter subsided.
“You told me to scream.”
She couldn’t believe it. Derek was making another joke. He was actually funny. How in the world had this happened? Ever since she could remember, Derek was the serious one. The one worried about his grades in school. The one worried about everything. And after his parents’ death, it became his whole life. Worry about this. Worry about that. Work and more work, and don’t ever crack a smile.
But now she was beginning to wonder if maybe she’d just read him wrong. He was being a good sport, going along with her insistence on getting into the ocean even though he probably couldn’t swim. And he seriously made her laugh just now. He was so deadpan. How had she not noticed before? “You’re hilarious.”
They enjoyed the water for another hour before she grew bored. They pulled a couple of lounge chairs
into the sun and Nara laid back. “This is heaven. Isn’t it?” she said, closing her eyes and letting the warmth hit her.
Derek didn’t answer, and she twisted to look at him, shading her eyes so she could see his face. “You don’t like the beach?”
“It’s fine.”
“Just fine? Why did you plan a trip to a beach resort then, if you only think it’s fine?”
“You like the beach.”
Nara’s throat suddenly swelled and she couldn’t get any words out. Derek planned this whole trip based on what she liked? She couldn’t believe it. Who would have thought Derek could be so thoughtful? She tried to think of something to say to him. “What’s your dream vacation?”
Derek shook his head. “I don’t really do vacations.”
Now that was more like the Derek she knew. “I know you don’t. But if someone said they were giving you a free trip to anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?”
He shrugged. “Iceland?”
“You like the cold?”
He shifted and his lounger creaked. “It’s not the cold that attracts me. It’s the beauty. I grew up near the ocean. I’ve never been anywhere like Iceland. I’ve seen some stunning photos. And at least once in my life I’d love to see the Northern Lights.”
“Now, that’s something I agree with. The Northern Lights would be awesome to see.” She laid back and closed her eyes, letting the sun warm her skin. The smell of the salty seawater mixed with the coconut sunscreen was divine. She could die now and be happy.
As she relaxed, she could hear Derek’s chair squeak as he moved. He must be restless, which was crazy, because how could anyone be restless while lying in the sun on the beach? But a tiny part of her felt guilty because he’d said he didn’t love the ocean. This was her thing. And she was forcing him to be outside with her. Still, the fresh air and sunlight would do him some good, right? He was never outdoors. He needed some Vitamin D.
Derek took in a breath, like he was going to say something, but then didn’t speak. Nara almost turned to look at him, but decided she was too relaxed to move. A minute later, he finally spoke.
A Marriage of Anything but Convenience Page 3