I Thought It Was You (Oceanic Dreams #4)

by Kirsty McManus

  I was torn. If I mentioned it to Jamila, she would probably jump at the chance, because she would want to find out more about Wells’ mother—and of course, I would love to spend time with him. But I knew if I did, I would probably do something I regretted. Like make out with him. Or more.

  “I could ask her?” I said vaguely.

  “Great! You do that. I’ll be here for a while longer, so just come back and find me after you’ve spoken to her.”

  “Okay.”

  I left, wondering what I should actually do now. Did I go track down Jamila and ask? Or just pretend I did?

  I knew one thing. I was sick of lying, especially to Wells. The least I could do was find Jamila and give her the option to decide.

  I went over to the spa and discretely asked the woman at the desk if Jamila was going to be long. She looked at me blankly. “I’m sorry, but we haven’t got any treatments in session right now.”

  “None?”

  She looked down at a book in front of her and shook her head. “That’s right. The next one is in half an hour, but it’s for a gentleman.”

  “You’re not just saying this because of confidentiality? Because I’m her nurse. I need to know where she is.”

  “No, ma’am, when I say there are no treatments in session, I mean there are no treatments in session.”

  “Okay, thanks.” I hurried off, wondering what to do now. Maybe Jamila went back to the suite. I headed there and checked inside, but the room was empty.

  I scanned all the restaurants, shops and, as a last resort, bars, but there was no sign of her.

  And then I got to the floor where the casino was located. I couldn’t see Patrick at the roulette table, so I went over and asked the woman if she knew where he was.

  “Oh, he went on a break about twenty minutes ago,” she informed me.

  I didn’t have a great feeling about this.

  “Where do staff take their breaks?” I asked.

  “There’s a staff quarters downstairs, but Patrick has another shift starting soon, so he probably didn’t have time to go down there.”

  “Thanks.”

  I looked around the floor, wondering where Patrick might go if he only had a short break.

  I slowly wandered around the outskirts of the casino, looking for my brother. There was a door nearby, which I assumed was to a stairwell. I figured I would go up to the pool deck and check there.

  But when I opened it, I saw it was a storage cupboard of some sort.

  And inside, was Jamila and Patrick.

  Having sex against the wall.

  Not only that, there was a bottle of scotch beside them.

  “What the actual fuck?” I shrieked.

  Jamila looked over, but she was too far gone to stop. I wasn’t going to hang around to witness anymore, so I slammed the door and ran away.

  Damn Jamila.

  If she wasn’t going to take this seriously, then neither was I.

  I found Wells still in the library. He looked pleased at my return. “Hey.”

  “Change of plan. Jamila is going to stay onboard, but I’m able to leave for a while.”

  He wrinkled his brow. “Are you sure?”

  It would be so easy to quit the accent and the whole charade right now, but then I risked having Wells hate me, and I couldn’t bear that.

  “Yes. It turns out the rehab center had scheduled some down-time for me and I hadn’t realized,” I fibbed. “Someone boarded here at Grand Cayman to take over while I had a break.”

  “Hey, that’s great. It would be nice to have Jamila’s money, huh?”

  “It would. So, I’m all yours,” I said, before realizing how intimate that sounded.

  He raised an eyebrow, his eyes twinkling, but he didn’t say anything. “Let’s go, then.”

  It appeared that the port on this island could not accommodate large vessels right up to the jetty, so we went ashore in a small ferry. I was feeling reckless, so I grabbed Wells’ hand as we cruised across the water. His skin was warm and it felt nice. He squeezed gently, confirming that he was more than fine with me taking the initiative.

  On land, we walked, still holding hands, along the path that ran beside the bay. The surrounding buildings were all painted bright and festive colors. I tried to shut off the logical part of my brain. I knew that I was potentially forfeiting twenty grand right now, but I didn’t care. I was mad at Jamila for not being careful for her sake, but also for explicitly going against my wishes and getting involved with my brother. I would never forgive her if Patrick got fired because of her. And yes, I was aware he was a grown man who was able to take responsibility for his actions, but I also knew if someone like Ryan Reynolds seduced me while I was working on a cruise, there was no way I’d be able to say no.

  “Are you all right?” Wells asked.

  “Yeah, sorry. Just a bit on my mind.”

  “Do you feel guilty for going out and having fun, when you’re in charge of Jamila’s treatment?”

  Aw, he was such a sweetie, thinking the best of me. I was a bad person, lying to him so much. I almost decided right then and there to return to the ship. If he discovered I wasn’t who I’d said I was…

  “No, nothing like that. I was just…thinking about the consequences of the decisions we make.”

  “Ah. Yeah, I wonder about that too sometimes. It’s hard to know exactly how something will turn out, even with the best intentions. But all you can do is use your in-built moral compass and do the best you can for the situation at the time. No one can expect any more than that from you.”

  Okay. That was enough. I had to tell him the truth.

  “You’re right. Wells, there’s something…”

  We were interrupted by a man shoving a color brochure in our faces. “Would you like to go on a tour of the crystal caves?”

  Wells took the brochure and inspected the pictures. “This looks like fun. I haven’t been there before.” He turned to me. “What do you say? You feel like checking out some caves?”

  What I needed to say was, “Actually, Wells, before we go any further, I have to tell you that I really am an Aussie called Liv, and Jamila is paying me an obscene amount of money to pretend to be her nurse so she can skip out on proper rehab that I’m starting to wonder might actually be for a reason.”

  But instead, I said, “Sure. Let’s do it.” I would tell him the truth later.

  Wells gestured to the guide. “Lead the way, my man.”

  “Great. Just wait over there with those other people and we’ll leave soon.”

  I had stashed the first thousand dollars Jamila gave me in my suitcase in my suite, but I’d had the forethought to put a few fifties in my purse, so at least I had some spending money for today. I didn’t want to have to rely on Wells to pay for everything.

  We lined up with a bunch of other tourists and boarded a jeep that took us almost to the other side of the island to a small center. Our driver, who told us his name was Leroy, parked out the front and led us inside to finalize our booking.

  “A tour will be starting in fifteen minutes,” he informed us. “I will be your guide.”

  I waited with Wells. It could have been awkward, doing a holiday activity with someone I’d just met, but somehow, he seemed like a person I would have known in my real life back home, minus the American accent. He felt right. Which made it all the more frustrating that I was in a situation where he couldn’t get to know the real me.

  I wondered what Jamila was up to. Hopefully not still having sex with my brother. I shuddered. It was possible Patrick would be out of a job tomorrow and flying home from Cozumel.

  And then I realized something. Wells would be leaving for good tomorrow as well. This was the last day I’d probably ever see him. The thought made me a lot sadder than I would have expected.

  I reached out and grabbed his hand again. He smiled happily.

  Leroy reappeared. “Okay, welcome, everyone. We’ll be starting the tour in a moment. The caves are re
ached via a scenic walk through the forest. Keep an eye out for strangler figs and air plants. Oh, and watch for bats.”

  “Have you seen Ace Ventura 2?” Wells whispered to me.

  “Why? Were you thinking of making a set of bowls from guano?”

  Wells laughed, surprised. Everyone turned to look at us and I quickly put on a serious expression. Wells laughed even harder. The group set off, but we hung back a little.

  “Oh my God. You are officially my dream girl,” he said in awe.

  I blushed. I knew he was probably exaggerating. And even if he did actually believe that, he was using the false assumption that I was a nurse from Shreveport. Not a boring old communications assistant at a bank in Australia.

  We took our time wandering through the forest. I was interested in the history of the area, but my companion was just that tiny bit more appealing to listen to.

  The electricity between us seemed to build, the further along the path we went. By the time we reached the mouth of the cave, you could practically see the sparks shooting between us.

  A wooden staircase took us down under the forest floor, revealing a set of caves full of stalagmites and stalactites. It was beautiful. One of the caves was filled with water, and everything glowed ice blue. The rest of the group had stopped in front of it.

  “Pirates used to use these caves to hide their treasure,” Leroy told us.

  I shivered. I felt like I was in The Goonies. Or more aptly, Pirates of the Caribbean.

  “Are you cold?” Wells asked.

  “I’m fine,” I said, smiling at him. “Were you going to offer me your jacket?” He was only wearing a t-shirt like me, and definitely did not have a jacket with him.

  “No, but I could do this.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me close to his chest. I involuntarily sighed with happiness. I could just have fun with this man for another few hours, and he wouldn’t have to know who I really was. I didn’t want to spoil the day for either of us. Besides, the only thing I really lied about was where I was born…and my occupation…okay, it wasn’t ideal, but I’d make do.

  “What time are you leaving tomorrow?” I asked.

  “9am.” He looked down at me regretfully. “And you know what? That’s just made me realize how little time I have left with you.” He turned me to face him properly and rested his hands on either side of my face. He looked into my eyes for a second and leaned forward, brushing his lips against mine.

  I wrapped my own hands around the back of his neck, keeping him close to me as I deepened the kiss. His mouth was warm and sweet and tasted faintly of mint. He was so damn perfect.

  The rest of the group moved on, but we continued to kiss beside the blue water of the crystal cave, the voices from our tour slowly drifting away.

  “I know this might sound crazy, but I’d love to visit you in Shreveport after the cruise is over,” Wells said.

  My heart leapt into my throat. “Uh…”

  He chuckled. “Sorry, that was a bit much, wasn’t it? Forget I said anything.”

  “No, no, it’s not that.” I wish I could tell him that I would say yes in a heartbeat, only he’d have to come to Brisbane instead. “I don’t live in Shreveport.”

  He slapped his forehead. “Of course you don’t. You work at a rehab center near wherever Jamila Castro lives. I should have thought that through. Are you in LA?”

  “That’s right,” I said woodenly. Why hadn’t I thought through a fake address in LA? Obviously, I didn’t live with Jamila. And I had no idea where any of the rehab centers were.

  He whipped out his phone. “Where are you exactly? I’ll look it up.”

  I started to panic. What was I going to say? That I lived in Hollywood?

  “I live near Disneyland,” I said lamely.

  “Out at Anaheim?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Yes.” Jeez. This was getting messy.

  He looked down at his phone. “There isn’t any reception down here. You’ll have to show me later.”

  I internally sighed with relief. “We should probably catch up with the rest of the group.”

  He chuckled. “I guess we should.”

  I couldn’t help myself and went back for one more kiss. If it was all going to go to hell once we got back aboveground, I needed one last memory to sustain me.

  Why did my life have to be so complicated?

  Chapter Thirteen

  I managed to distract Wells enough so that he didn’t think to ask for my address again. The scenery was gorgeous, and we headed back to the cave information center in a bubble of bliss.

  It was still early, so Wells offered to show me somewhere he’d visited on a previous trip. He wouldn’t give me any clues until we actually arrived at a marina, where he pointed to a boat. My fantasy of heading to a deserted tropical island with him resurfaced.

  “Stay here,” he instructed. “I’m just going to get our tickets.”

  “For what?” I asked.

  “You’ll see,” he said, obviously enjoying himself.

  “Let me give you some money!” I said, trying to hand him a fifty.

  “You can pay me back later,” he said, already hurrying off. I stood near the water’s edge and waited.

  I was still torn about telling Wells who I really was, but with only half a day left to see him, I didn’t want to ruin the fun we’d had. And if I was lucky, I might sneak in one last kiss before we parted ways.

  He returned a few minutes later. “They’ve got room to fit us on the next tour. Let’s go!”

  “Can you tell me what we’re doing yet?”

  “Only once we’re on the boat and you can’t escape.”

  I suddenly felt nervous. “We’re not swimming with sharks, are we?”

  “Nope.”

  I vaguely remembered an old documentary I’d seen. “Oh! Are we going to that beach with the cute little pigs?”

  He laughed. “No. They’re on the other side of Cuba in The Bahamas.”

  “So what are we doing?”

  “Don’t be so impatient!”

  “Okay, okay. As long as it’s safe.”

  “Trust me. It’s perfectly safe.”

  Once we boarded the boat, and with Wells covering my ears so I couldn’t overhear any of our fellow tourists, we headed out to sea.

  “All right. I can’t escape now. Tell me what we’re doing.”

  “We’re swimming with stingrays!” he said excitedly.

  “I thought you said it was safe!” I protested. “Can’t stingrays stab you with their barbs?” I shuddered, vividly remembering what happened to Steve Irwin.

  “Only if you’re aggressive or you surprise them. They’re actually quite friendly. The most harm that will come to you is a little hickey if they suck on your skin too long.”

  I squealed. “I’m not getting close enough for one to suck me!”

  “Just wait and see. They’re not dangerous.”

  “I’m not sure I believe you.”

  He looked into my eyes earnestly. “I promise no harm will come to you.”

  The way he said it made me feel like he would risk his life for me. A swoopy sensation filled my stomach.

  I nestled my head against his shoulder. The water was flat, allowing the boat a smooth passage to the sandbar where the stingrays congregated.

  When we arrived, I noted several other boats already moored nearby, with dozens of people half-submerged in the water, playing with the rays that were gliding about.

  Wells jumped straight in the water and turned to help me in too.

  With so many people around, it was impossible to be scared. And admittedly, the creatures looked super cute, sidling up to people who were holding small pieces of squid for them to eat.

  Wells took some food that our guide offered and held it out. A baby ray swam over and nibbled it straight out of his hand.

  “You want a turn?” he asked me.

  “No, thank you. I’m happy to just watch.”

  We
heard a loud cheer nearby. I turned to see where the commotion was coming from and saw a couple kissing, while a tour guide took their photo. They looked so obviously in love, it made me jealous. I bet they didn’t have to worry about silly things like faking who they were.

  Wells glanced in the same direction.

  “Aw, cute, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I think we could do better, though.” He stepped forward and dipped me backwards, pressing his mouth to mine in an elaborate show. I started laughing and pulled away, falling backwards into the water.

  Wells quickly helped me back to my feet and grinned. “Sorry. I guess I got a bit carried away.” He tried again, this time taking it slow, kissing my neck and earlobes, before coming back to my lips.

  I soon forgot all about the stingrays.

  When we finally got back to the ship a couple of hours later, Wells walked me to my suite. I didn’t want our time to end, and held his hand, reluctant to let go.

  I rummaged around in my handbag, looking for my key. It had to be in there somewhere…

  “Damn it.”

  “What?”

  “I must have left my room key in the suite when I was trying to find Jamila this morning.”

  “So, knock.”

  I looked at him. “Gee, why didn’t I think of that?”

  I knocked. I was still mad at Jamila, and the anger I had pushed aside earlier arose again. We were going to be having words.

  But there was no answer. Which made me even more frustrated, because it meant she was probably still with my brother, creating an even bigger risk for them to be found out.

  I turned to Wells. “I can’t get in.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I guess you could come and hang out in my room for a bit, and you could use my phone to call your suite?”

  Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. “Or we could go and hang out in the library? Or a bar?” I teased.

  His face flushed a little. “That too. Sorry. I didn’t mean…”

  “I know. You’ve been a perfect gentleman. Actually, I would like to go and hang out in your room if that’s okay. I don’t want to run into certain people.”