She shrugged, lifting the spoon out of her mug and rinsing it in the sink before setting it down on a plate. “If I get an early start today, I’ll fit in more of the sights I want to see.”
“You do realize that nothing is going to be open at this hour, right? You’re going to have wait until the attractions open before you can actually see them anyway.”
“Some of the things I want to see aren’t the ordinary run-of-the-mill tourists’ attractions. I’m sure I’ll be able to find a taxi and I’ll ask the driver to take me where I want to go. Simple.”
She smiled.
I slammed my back down on the sofa-bed and grabbed a pillow, covering my face with it while I yawned again. “It’s unnatural to be awake this early in the morning when you’re not working, wifey dear. Go back to bed and I’ll get you a taxi myself in a few hours. Just relax a little, would you?”
“Nope. I didn’t come here to relax.”
I frowned and yanked the pillow away, rolling over to face her and propping myself up on my elbow. “What are you talking about? You came here on your honeymoon. What else were you planning on doing?”
Her smile turned into a smirk. “Do you really have to ask?”
“When you decided to come by yourself, I meant.” I cleared my throat and thanked my lucky fucking stars the sheet was still covering me from the hips down. “Didn’t you come here to rest and relax?”
Why is the word come coming up so damn much in this conversation? It was way too early for this shit.
Lindsay’s eyes were trained on mine, like she was also trying to force herself not to look anywhere she shouldn’t be looking—or thought she shouldn’t be looking anyway.
“I chose Fiji because there were so many things I wanted to see and do here. I would still like to see and do it all. Rest and relaxation can happen later.”
Our gazes remained locked. “Are you sure I can’t coax you into staying in bed a little bit longer?”
“I have a schedule and I’m sticking to it. Plus, I’ve already showered. There’s no way I’d be able to fall asleep again now, and if I’m awake anyway, I might as well make productive use of my time.”
It was clear she wasn’t going to cave, so I gave in. “Fine. I’m ready then. Just give me a minute to brush my teeth and grab a clean shirt.”
“I wasn’t trying to get you to come with me. You’re more than welcome to stay in bed.”
“No, you’ve convinced me. Let’s have a proper sightseeing adventure.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’ve got five minutes, and if you’re not ready to go by then, I’m leaving without you.”
I climbed out of bed, stretching again, and nodded. “You got it, boss lady.”
“You’re going to make an excellent husband to some lucky lady someday. So well trained already.”
Wadding up the T-shirt I’d worn last night, I tossed it at her head and walked into the bathroom to the sound of her laughter ringing out as she pulled it off. “What? You know it’s true, husband dearest. Now, chop chop.”
“Is this what people mean when they talk about how much wives nag? Just let me have a shower. I’ll be out in a minute.” I closed the door behind me, but I could still hear her through it.
“First, it was just brushing your teeth. Now it’s a shower. What’s next? Shaving?” She laughed again. “Don’t make me come in there and drag you out.”
“You can come in here anytime, but consider this your only warning. I’m already naked.” I pushed off my sweatpants and grinned when she didn’t reply. “What? Cat got your tongue?”
“Yeah. Nope. I mean—” I chuckled softly as she stammered. “Just hurry up.”
I did what had to be done before I realized I hadn’t brought clean clothes into the bathroom with me. Knotting a towel around my waist, I wondered what her reaction was going to be. Unfortunately, it seemed like she’d decided to wait outside.
After getting dressed and grabbing my stuff, I found her standing at the hedge separating the garden from the beach. She turned around when she heard me shutting the door. She glanced down at her watch when I stepped onto the grass.
“That wasn’t bad timing actually. Ready to go?”
“The sun hasn’t even risen yet.” The sky was awash in navy blue but was no longer the starry, inky black of night.
“That’s part of the point. I want to watch the sun rise from the Tavuni Hill Fort. We don’t have much time to get there, so you’re going to have to move that lazy butt.”
“This lazy butt only wakes up after two cups of coffee,” I grumbled but fell into step beside her. There were very few people around at this time of the morning, but I took Lindsay’s hand anyway as we made our way through the lobby and greeted the few staff members around.
She tensed when I wound my fingers around hers but quickly caught on to what I was doing and wrapped her arm around my waist as she leaned into me. Once we were out of the hotel, there was no need to keep up the charade but neither of us let go.
I flagged down a taxi a few minutes after we walked out of the lobby, and the driver happily agreed to be our guide for the day. Once we were on our way, I turned to the woman nestled into my side on the backseat.
“Have you always been such a planner?” I’d seen her list while we were on our way out, and it was meticulous.
She nodded, pulling back to look up at me. “I’m a big fan of structure. I like knowing what’s going to happen and when.”
“Don’t you ever just let things happen?” I frowned. “Structure is fine and all, but it can also be pretty damn boring.”
“You should meet my friend. Ember keeps telling me exactly that. I’d have thought you’d be better at structure, considering your time in the service.”
I laughed at her comment. “I can do structure perfectly well when I have to. When I’m on my time, I just prefer to do what I want, when I want.”
“That sounds terrifying.” A visible shudder ran through her. “I’d be lost without a plan for the day.”
“It’s not so bad. You should try it sometime.” I peered into her eyes, curious to see how she would react to the suggestion I was about to make. “In fact, let’s do it tomorrow. Today can be your structure day, but tomorrow, you have to do what I want.”
She hesitated before nodding, taking in a deep breath through her nose. “Okay. Fine, but you better move it when we get to the fort. We’re five minutes behind schedule already.”
Chapter 11
LINDSAY
Jaxon stayed true to his word about sticking to my schedule, not even complaining once. We hauled ass up the hill from where the taxi dropped us off, making it to the top just in time to watch the sky lighten and take in the breathtaking views of the sun rising over the ocean, forest, and town below.
He sucked in a breath as we stood in the stillness of the early morning, his hands in his pockets and his gaze glued to the horizon. “I’ve seen a lot of sunrises, but this one rivals all of them.”
“Beautiful, huh?” I bumped his firm bicep with my shoulder. “Worth getting up at five a.m. for if you ask me.”
“It was a good call.” A low chuckle rumbled in his chest, and I couldn’t help noticing how much more relaxed and carefree it made him look—younger even. “Let’s not plan on making it a habit, though. Not while we’re here.”
I shrugged, refraining from giving him an answer because I didn’t know how to agree to sleeping in when we were in this exotic place. I also didn’t feel like having an argument about it, so saying nothing seemed like a better idea.
Confrontation wasn’t something I necessarily steered clear of, but the morning was too peaceful and the view was too beautiful to bother with an argument about wakeup times. We stayed on the hill until the sun had cleared the horizon, taking the pastel shades in the sky with it, before slowly winding our way back down to our driver.
“What’s next, Cruise Director Flinn?” He grinned as he held the door of the taxi open for me.
&nb
sp; I rolled my eyes at the nickname, but I also kind of liked it. “The Kula Wild Adventure Park.”
“Sounds like the sort of place I’ll enjoy.” He lowered himself onto the backseat after I climbed in.
While he wasn’t looking, I took a few seconds to admire the strength in his muscles and the intentional way in which he moved. There was nothing clumsy or floppy in the way he did anything. He was in complete control of his movements at all times.
Thick ropes of muscle rippled beneath his skin even when he did something as simple as leaning over to close the door or lift his arm to hold on to the “oh shit” handle above the window. He smirked when he saw where my eyes had gone.
“I’m not a backseat driver, but I far prefer being the one in control of the vehicle.”
“Says the guy who doesn’t like structure even if it means control,” I said, but there was nothing snide or sharp in my tone. “How does that work? You seem like a natural leader. Taking charge obviously comes easily to you, yet you don’t find comfort in planning or setting things out.”
“Like I said, I can adhere to structure perfectly when I want to. There are certain aspects of my life I exercise strict control in at all times, but I can also deal with day-to-day shit without feeling the need to know what’s going to happen next. In that respect, I enjoy the unknown.”
I was deeply curious to know all about those aspects that he exercised strict control in, but I didn’t ask. I was pretty sure he only meant work anyway, not the darker, dirtier places my mind had flung itself into.
What is it about him that activates that part of my brain? I’d never met anyone that made me think about sex as often as he did. It was like he was drenched in pheromones and I was chemically incapable of resisting.
Strangely enough, I didn’t think I would resist even if I could. It was nice to know that my libido was still intact after everything that had happened, but it was even better to know there was this hidden part of myself I could still discover.
Ember had been right when she’d said this gave me the chance to be someone else, but it turned out there was this whole other part of myself left unexplored. I could simply let out that part of me for a bit.
Leaning back against the sun-warmed leather seat, I shifted so I could look at him. The bare skin of our knees brushed when I moved, and tingles raced from the point of contact and settled firmly between my legs.
Jaxon glanced down at our legs when I didn’t immediately remove mine from being pressed to his. Then he brought his eyes up to mine. “If you want to touch me, go ahead. I don’t mind.”
My cheeks heated under the intensity of his gaze. It didn’t leave mine for a second, but he still seemed to take in my flush and the way my nipples peaked beneath the thin fabric of my top.
“I didn’t do it on purpose.” I scooted back an inch to separate from him before crossing my arms over my breasts. “And was that an attempt at flirting?”
He shrugged but an amused lightness crept into his eyes. “Yes. It’s been a while since I’ve tried it, so I’m probably a little rusty. How am I doing?”
“You’re very direct.” I liked it, though. “Want to know more about the adventure park?”
If we didn’t change the topic, I was going to end up squirming in my seat just from the way he was looking at me and how charged the air in the cab suddenly felt between us. This guy definitely had a magnetism to him.
“Sure.” There was a knowing gleam in his eyes, but again, he didn’t call me on it. “What’s this park all about and how do you feel about rides?”
“It’s not really that kind of park. There are a few rides, but it’s more about getting to experience the wild side of Fiji in a safe and comfortable environment. Walk-through enclosures allow tourists to see the habitat of different kinds of species from the inside. There are marine displays too, so we can get a glimpse of what it’s like under the ocean around here.”
“Sounds pretty cool. Not the safe and comfortable part of it so much, but I suppose we’d get to see creatures we wouldn’t necessarily see if we just went for a walk.”
“Exactly. Plus, there are wooden walkways and bridges leading through the valleys the property is set on. It’s supposed to be a pretty unique experience. I wanted to get there early so we can get ahead of the crowds.”
“Good idea. Those places are usually packed as far as I know.”
I nodded. “If you want to be able to go on the Rollercoaster Zip Rail or the Jungle Water slide, which are the rides there are, it wouldn’t help to get there too late.”
“I’m definitely down for those.” He cracked his neck, grinning as he took me in. “Am I going to be on them alone?”
“Just because I like to plan things doesn’t mean I’m opposed to fun.” I raised my chin, holding his gaze firmly. “Depending on how wet we get on the water slide, I might need to borrow a shirt from you later. My suitcase is supposed to be arriving today, but I don’t know what time it’ll be there.”
He scratched his jaw. “I guess I could loan you one when we get back, or we could buy matching ones from the souvenir shop. They should have one of those at a place like that, and it seems like a quintessential honeymooney thing to do.”
“You’d wear matching T-shirts?” I nearly gaped at him.
A light brown brow arched at me, but I didn’t miss the laughter in his eyes. “Of course, I would. If my dearest wife wanted me to, I’d do just about anything.”
“Wait. Don’t tell me you’re a romantic at heart?”
He laughed out loud this time. “No one has ever accused me of that before, but yeah, I guess I am if you consider that kind of thing to be romantic.”
The gift shop was located near the entrance of the park, and after he paid for our tickets—which he insisted on doing despite my protests—he dragged me into it first. Picking out two pink T-shirts with brightly colored parrots and a collage of other animals on them, he carried them to the cashier and paid for those too.
Five minutes later, we both emerged from the bathrooms wearing our newly acquired tourist gear. The color accentuated how tanned his skin was and managed to bring out the brightness in his eyes at the same time.
Despite it being a decidedly girly color, he pulled it off really well. Opening his arms when he saw me walking toward him, he turned in a slow circle. “Well? What do you think?”
“Gorgeous.” A smile played at the corners of my lips. “I think we should get you a whole collection before we leave.”
“Done,” he said cheerfully before bowing and offering me his arm with a goofy grin on his face. “Shall we, wifey dear? So many ziplines to take, so little time before this place is swarmed with fellow sightseers.”
I linked my elbow with his, again feeling tingles running through me at having his skin against mine. Putting the obvious chemistry between us aside for the moment, I turned my attention to our surroundings.
The humidity was higher in the forest, but the dense greenery and the earthy smell more than made up for it. Even though we were barely through the gates, I could already see multicolored parrots sitting on thick branches in the nearest enclosure and a house of reptiles on our left.
Jaxon eyed the signpost for interactions with a Boa Constrictor and turned to me. “We’re doing that. Come on.”
He dragged me off before I could answer, but while I wasn’t the largest fan of snakes, I also wasn’t afraid of them. After greeting the woman in charge of the encounter, he lifted the heavy constrictor and carefully draped it over my shoulders.
“You okay?” he asked, watching my expression before stepping away, still balancing some of the weight on his palms.
“Perfect.” I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and held it up to him. “The passcode is 67890. Take a picture for me, will you?”
“Trusting me with your passcode already, huh? That was fast.” He waggled his eyebrows as he tapped in the code. “Smile, darling. The family is going to be so proud of you for not running away fro
m that thing screaming.”
I smiled. “It’s okay, honey. They’ll all understand why you made me go first. It’s such a large, scary animal. No one will blame you if you’d prefer to run away screaming.”
Humor lit his eyes as he held up my phone to snap the photograph. “I won’t. You’re here to protect me. I can do anything with you by my side, even wrestle a magnificent, powerful snake into submission. Trust me. I’ve been doing it since the minute I first laid eyes on you.”
He winked and my jaw nearly dropped. Again.
Blood rushed to my cheeks as I widened my eyes at him. “Jaxon!”
Shrugging at the snake-trainer lady, he fought a grin when he looked into my eyes. “What? It’s true.”
Even the snake lady turned a shade darker than she had been when we’d gotten to her. Shaking my head at my roommate, I motioned to the constrictor and turned my gaze to her.
“What’s his name?” I asked.
“Fred.”
Jaxon laughed and came to stand in front of me again. “Hand Fred over, baby. Remember to take a picture of me not running away screaming because I’m used to handling things his size.”
“Really? You’re going to keep that going?” Sliding my hands beneath Fred’s scaly belly, I began the process of gently lifting him off me and transferring him over. “Also, what’s with all the nicknames?”
“It’s our honeymoon. Aren’t we supposed to use goofy nicknames and stare lovingly at each other all the time?”
“I think you’ve been misinformed about what honeymoons are all about.” Once he had the snake safely in his hands, I took a few steps away to put some distance between us. Being so close to him was definitely not good for my oxygen supply or my heart rate.
He smirked when he caught my eye. “I’m not the one who keeps blushing when any reference is made to what honeymoons are all about. Plus, what happens outside the bedroom is important too. Don’t you think?”
He aimed his question at the snake lady, who’d turned her back and who—I was pretty sure she was pretending—was talking on her phone.
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