“Do you hear that? It sounds like running water. A small stream, maybe? Let’s hike down the side of the mountain off the trail and see if we can find it.”
The thought of leaving the trail makes me apprehensive, even if we are on a small island. I’m not concerned about getting lost, but there could be deep holes or other hazards that would make it hard or impossible to get back out. But I’m determined to be more adventurous and less scared of my shadow.
“Okay, let’s go.” Maybe I’ll just hang back a couple of steps behind him. No sense in both of us disappearing into a hidden cave, never to be seen again. At least this way I will still be able to go get help.
We hike down the hill, talking and laughing as we wind around large rocks and wide trees. The scenery is beautiful, and the undergrowth is rich. We haven’t found any hidden crevices or dangerous precipices, so I dial my anxiety back a couple hundred levels. After about an hour, I notice there are no trails. Anywhere. We’ve alternated walking up, down, and sideways so much that we couldn’t find our path back to the trail if we tried.
I’m not convinced we haven’t doubled back over our own tracks once or twice by now.
“Rod, we’ve been walking for a while and haven’t come across any water yet. Are you sure we’re going in the right direction?”
“Nope.”
“That’s reassuring.” My deadpan response makes him laugh out loud.
“I’m not worried about it and you shouldn’t be either. We’re having fun, aren’t we? Exploring uncharted forests. Making our own path through the jungle. Getting to know each other without any prying eyes. Where in the world are we? We don’t know. But I do know I get you all to myself, so there’s no way our little adventure can be wrong.”
“Let me get this straight. You’re Waldo and I’m Dora? What if we don’t make it back to the taxi in time and he leaves without us?”
“What if he does? What’s the worst that can happen? I’ll call another one. I have my phone.” He shrugs, not concerned at all. “You love this island, so take all the time you want to explore. If we get back at three in the morning, we’ll miss out on eating in the formal dining room tonight. We’ll just create our own dining experience right here in the jungle. The more I talk, the more determined I am to miss our ride and just stay here.”
“Are you holding me hostage now?” I smile, knowing he wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.
“Hostage is such a hostile term. I prefer to call it hosting an unsuspecting guest for an extended period of time.”
“Yes, obviously that description is much more accurate. My bad.”
“You’re forgiven. No need to grovel at my feet and beg for my forgiveness.”
“Hilarious. Let’s stop in that clearing over there and lighten the weight of your backpack a little. Maybe we can get our bearings while we’re sitting still.”
We settle on the large rocks to rest and rehydrate, and I pull out my phone to look at the picture I took of the trail map. At this point, I’m hoping to find anything that directs us to our current location and the best way to get back on track. First of all, I was honestly looking forward to seeing the waterfall and taking a swim in the crystal clear water. And second, as tempting as Rod’s idea of being stranded in the jungle is, the anxiety of the entire situation may just send me to a premature death. Best not to chance it.
“Hey, let me see that picture. I think I recognize that landmark.” Rod takes my phone from my hand, locks the screen, and slips it into his pocket.
I awkwardly stare at him for a few moments, waiting for his signature smile to light up his face as he hands my phone back. But neither happens. He unwraps a protein bar and sticks one end into my open mouth.
Now he smiles. Even though it’s overtly playful and definitely sarcastic, it’s still sexy as hell. This man will be the end of me.
I take a bite of the snack and glare at him while I chew. “Care to tell me why you stole my phone?”
“Again with the overly aggressive language, Daisy. Clearly, I didn’t steal your phone. It’s safe and sound in my pocket, out of your reach and away from your purview. We’re on an adventure and you’re cheating with a map.” He tsks at me and shakes his head in mock disappointment.
“You’re intentionally trying to get us lost so we’ll miss the taxi. Are you insane and just forgot to mention that little detail before now?”
“My psychiatrist says only one of my personalities is insane. The rest of us are mentally stable.”
I cross my arms and arch one eyebrow at him.
“Fine. No, I’m not crazy, I’m simply enjoying this too much to rejoin civilization just yet. We’re not lost. Even if we get back and we’ve missed our ride, we’ll be fine. Just trust me, okay? It seems you and I both had to grow up faster than most others, so we missed out on the luxury of being irresponsible. Maybe I’m using this excursion to pretend I’m footloose and obligation free for a while.”
The heartfelt explanation makes me pause and take stock of my own life. He’s not wrong by any stretch of the imagination. “All right, Rod. Maybe I’m the crazy one because I never thought I’d say this, but I trust you. From what you just said, you need a break from real life before life breaks you.”
“You have no idea. Regardless of what happens, we have today to do whatever the fuck we want to do. Right now, I want to take you to the waterfall and swim. Eat your gooey cardboard bar so we can go.”
“Do you know how to get to the waterfall from here?”
“I know exactly how to get to the waterfall from here. Did you really think I was lost on this little island?” He bites off a piece of his snack bar and grins as he chews.
“You intentionally let me believe we were lost.” I grab a piece of moss off the rock and throw it at him. Even when I try to glare at him, I can’t stay mad when he smiles at me with that innocent but mischievous grin.
“Sorry if I legit scared you. That wasn’t my intention. I’ll take excellent care of you. It’s what I do.” He shrugs, leaving that statement out there as if it means nothing.
When it means everything.
With our stash of snacks and drinks diminished, we set off in search of the infamous waterfall again. Only this time, he walks by my side as we make our way down the hill. The landscape flattens and we wind along the path, passing beautiful flowers and stunning greenery.
Rod stops my progress with an arm extended in front of me. Then he pushes a palm frond out of the way and reveals a stunning cascade of water.
“Did you order the waterfall with a side of stunned silence?” He grins, so proud of his cleverness.
But he’s not wrong. My mouth is still gaping open from the magnificence of the scene in front of me. The spray from the twenty-foot tall waterfall carries on the wind and dampens our skin. The low roar of the water striking the rocks below drowns out any external noises. Only Rod and I occupy this small section of paradise, and I’m instantly protective of it.
“Last one in has to walk out naked.” Before my words register, I take off running toward the shimmering pool.
“You want to play dirty, huh? I can play dirty too.” His laughter echoes off the rock walls surrounding the private cove, reverberating back to my ears as he gains on me.
With maybe half a step left to my advantage, I lunge for the water and make it in the small pool just before he does. We’re technically close enough to call it a tie, but I’ll only concede that as a last resort. Until then, I’m claiming my victory wholeheartedly. When I surface, he’s so close to me I can feel his body heat in the water.
“Looks like you have a long walk back to the parking lot in your birthday suit.” I move my arms as I tread water and my fingers brush across his chest.
When did he have time to remove his shirt?
Now I’m acutely aware of the immediate proximity of his manly bare chest. My naked march dare may backfire on me. What if he’s already naked in the water with me? So many thoughts fly through my mind. Too many
scenarios play out in my daydreams to home in on just one. Flirting and teasing is one thing, but I’m not quite ready for the actual act just yet. I’ve spent a lot of time with him, but I still don’t know his last name or anything else about him.
“Where’d you go just now?” He’s in my face with his voice low and intimate, and his eyes are too discerning. “You’re heating the water with how fast your mind is racing. Slow down and enjoy the waterfall.”
His wet lips press against mine momentarily before pulling back. He waggles his eyebrows and swims toward the water beating against the rocks. I watch him, mesmerized by his agility, as he climbs up on the wet, slick rocks and stands under the waterfall as if he’s in an outdoor shower. He stretches his arms out to the side, leans his head back, and smiles up at the sun.
He is chiseled and muscled all over—a work of art perfectly carved.
My brain makes a mental note, along with a permanent snapshot. He’s not naked—he’s still wearing his shorts.
Damn it.
Life on the edge, right? I swim over and meet him at the rocks. He looks down at me with the most carefree expression I’ve seen him wear this entire trip. He seems as if the weight of the world has been lifted from his shoulders and he can finally breathe freely for the first time. I accept his proffered hand, and he hoists me up to stand beside him under the world’s most exotic showerhead. We lean our heads back and let the water wash over us.
The sound of giggles pulls me from my deep thoughts, but when I open my eyes, I realize it’s coming from me.
“This fall has magical qualities,” he yells over the roar of the water beating against the rocks. But I’d know exactly what he was saying, even if he whispered. “It washes away all the worries, doubts, and fears. All that’s left in this place is the happiness you bring with you.”
He’ll crush you, Daisy. You know it. You feel it. You even can see it happen.
And yet, I wouldn’t exit this wild ride, even if I could. He’s all I want, wrapped up in one man. I think.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Daisy
“This was the best day I’ve ever had. Oh my gosh, I can’t get over how perfect everything was. I loved everything about it—the views, the waterfall and the pool, the flowers, the entire island. I’m so glad we took that trip.” I can’t stop gushing about the off-trail excursion Rod and I took today as we step into the hotel elevator.
Tracy and Kevin made plans of their own, and she said I probably wouldn’t see her until late tonight. In fact, I think her exact words were that I shouldn’t wait up for her.
“It was an outstanding day, wasn’t it?” Rod looks down at me with a smile, our height difference magnified while I’m wearing my flip-flops. “I’m glad we went too.”
This boundless energy inside me won’t be contained much longer. I’ll start bouncing off the walls any second now. I feel like a completely different person. As if I’ve walked around in a fog for the last twenty-seven years and I’m finally awake for the first time. The colors are more vibrant, the scents more aromatic, and the sounds are clear as a bell.
Of course, it could also have everything to do with all the nerve endings in my body firing simultaneously when Hot Rod and I took an impromptu dip in the water under the cascading falls. The way his hands slid across my wet skin. His lips on mine. How he stared at me when he didn’t know I’d seen him from the corner of my eye.
How we were on the verge of tearing off our clothes and going at it right there on the slick rocks, but a tour group interrupted us a split second before the full moon came out. I’m glad they showed up when they did and brought me out of my Rod-induced haze. I never allow passion to carry me too far away from logic, but in that moment, I was a goner. Tracy would’ve been happy, had I gone through with it, but I know myself better than that—I would’ve walked away with an enormous amount of guilt.
Staying true to myself is painful sometimes.
“Are you going to the costume party tonight?” I can’t help but bounce on the balls of my feet to expend the bundle of energy in my chest.
“Um, yeah, sure. I’ll be there. Are you going?” His expression immediately changes from playful and happy to doubtful.
“Yes, I wouldn’t miss it. The last one was a lot of fun. I can’t wait to see all the costumes at the party tonight. The club is so much fun. You already know I love to dance, and that DJ plays the best music. It’ll be a long night, but it’ll be worth it.”
“Maybe I’ll see you up there then. Just so you know, I’m not going to the formal dining room, but I’ll find you in the club later. What are you wearing?” He folds his arms across his body and doesn’t smile.
Complete change in his demeanor. He went from red hot to ice cold in less than a second.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be a genie tonight.” I turn and watch him step out of the elevator, waiting for him to confirm his costume.
“Okay, I’ll see you later then.” The doors close and he’s gone. He’s not even walking me to my room this time. He always makes sure I get there safely and no one is hiding inside.
At first, I’m hurt and insulted by his sudden personality change, but then it dawns on me. I lean back against the wall and smile to myself. He doesn’t realize I know, and have known the entire time, that he is Captain America. He was fine until I mentioned the costumes, then he became sullen. He thinks I’m going up there to meet some other guy, and he doesn’t like it.
I can’t simply sit on this information.
This is too good not to use against him in every way imaginable.
He hasn’t been Mr. Forthcoming himself, hiding behind his mask and pretending to be someone else while he danced with me and kissed my cheek. Tonight, I’ll push that fact as far as I can before he snaps and rips that helmet off his head. Then I’ll smile to let him know I have played the player. I’m amused that he thought I wouldn’t recognize him by sight or sensation. There’s no way I could mistake him. My heart does that little pitter-patter only when he’s around.
He asked for a first impression do over, but I refused to allow it. His overt attempts to talk to me as someone else were endearing. For whatever reason, he cared enough to want to change my perception of his character, and I couldn’t resist his earnest attempt. I questioned if he was channeling the persona for the first few minutes, but I quickly realized his true mask was the one he wore every day. The helmet that covered part of his face allowed him to be his genuine self, without fear of judgment or rejection.
I played along, giving him the space he clearly needed. But tonight, we’re not playing games in the dark. We’ll see where we stand in the light when I call him out on the truth.
The elevator door opens on my floor and I stroll to my room, taking my time and letting daydreams about night things flow through my mind. When I open the door, the phone in my room is ringing. I snatch the handset off the cradle just in time before it rolls over to voicemail.
“Hello?”
“I’m so sorry, Daisy. I wasn’t thinking straight. Now that you’ve made it into your room, can you check all the hiding places while I’m on the line so I know you’re safe?” He sounds tortured. He’s beating himself up over nothing.
I suppress a pleased chuckle because this is important to him. “Yes, I can do that. Hold on a minute.”
With the handset lying on the table, I move around the room, call out where I am at each stop, and relay there’s no one there except me. “Everything’s okay. I’m here all alone. No monsters hiding in the closets or behind the doors.”
“That’s a relief. I was about to call the hotel’s security officers to meet you at your door.”
“I think that would’ve scared me more than helped me, Rod. I’m perfectly safe. No need to worry. I’m already aware of my surroundings at all times, even without you here as my private security detail.”
“It just helps me to know for sure. I’m jumping in the shower now, but I’ll see you soon.”
We dis
connect, and I nab the shower for myself while Tracy is still out with Kevin. The water raining down on my head reminds me of our time on the island. Then his words replay in my mind. I wonder what happened in the past that won’t let him rest without confirming my safety today. I can’t imagine I’m the only person he does this with, and that has me thinking up ways I can get Kevin alone to grill him.
“Chill, Daisy, don’t get ahead of yourself. After a few more days, you’ll probably never see Rod again. Don’t try to fix him.”
Tracy still isn’t back when I’ve finished dressing, so I take a stroll around the grounds, lose a little money in the casino slot machines, and have dinner on my own before changing for the late-night party. Time alone enjoying drinks in the open air of the patio bar helps clear the cobwebs from my mind.
Tracy was right in saying I needed to loosen up and have fun. Flirting with Rod and nearly losing any semblance of my self-control with him has been invigorating. Feeling desired and desiring him in return has been life altering for me and my frame of mind. Maybe he’s not Mr. Forever, but he’s a good Mr. Right Now, and maybe that’s all I need.
I don’t have to be afraid anymore.
Walking into the nightclub alone dressed as a sexy, barely dressed genie is more intimidating that I thought it would be. Saying it’s a genie costume may be a little generous. It’s actually more of a sexy Egyptian outfit with a faux leather bikini top, a decorative waistband, and strips of flowing see-through chiffon on the front, back, and each hip that touch the ground. Though I try to convince myself I’m overreacting, being stared at by all the men unnerves me to the point I have to fight against the urge to fly out of here.
I continue walking toward the bar with my spine straight, unwilling to allow their ogling and leering deprive me of meeting my date. My senses tingle, warning me someone unwanted has stepped too close to me. Before I turn to face him, a firm hand wraps around my elbow and halts my forward movement. The sudden jolt causes me to stumble, and he uses my imbalance to his advantage, pulling my body backward against his.
All of Me: Rod & Daisy Duet Box Set Page 10