by Krista Lakes
“My pleasure,” I said softly as he pulled me into a kiss. The tang of saltwater filled my mouth, his body warm against the cool of the ocean. A heat began to fill my core, surprising me with just how ready I was to have him again.
“I have something I need to tell you,” Noah said, pulling away from me. He licked his lips, his blue eyes darkening like deep water. His brows came together, serious and strong. I swallowed hard. He was going to tell me what he did for a living because he was leaving.
“What?” I asked. My heart clenched, not wanting this encounter to be over. I wished I could just stop breathing for a moment and let the ocean swallow me up before he said he had to go. I was far more attached to him than I had planned on becoming. Being attached sucked.
“I'm staying longer on the island.”
Hope blossomed, letting my heart beat again. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” He smiled, knowing that he had panicked me for a moment. His eyes lightened, and I felt the sun shine again. “It does mean that my assistant is coming out to join me, though. I do have to get some work done.”
“Okay,” I replied, happiness lifting my voice. He was staying. “For how long?”
“Indefinitely. My job is pretty mobile,” he answered with a nonchalant shrug, behaving as if moving to a remote Caribbean island was something people did all the time. “Owen has given me run of the villa for as long as I want.”
I squeaked with joy and he laughed. I kissed him and then frowned slightly. “You have an assistant?”
“Yes.” He smiled again. “And I wanted to tell you about her beforehand. She's rather attractive.”
I raised my eyebrows. “And you're telling me this because...”
“Because I didn't want you to get the wrong idea when you see her. We aren't a couple,” he explained.
“Okay...” I wasn't quite sure what was going on. I was glad he was telling me, but at the same time, the idea of a sexy assistant was rather intimidating. Someone who knew him and would be with him all the time. The boss leaving with the secretary was a popular trope for a reason. “So you have no interest in your attractive assistant?”
“No. And really, I should be more worried about her stealing you away. Not her stealing me away from you.” He bobbed gently in the water as I digested his words.
At first, I was more excited about the fact that he had just said I was his. Then the implication of his sentence hit me. His assistant would be interested in me.
“Ohhhh,” I said as I realized. Noah laughed.
“She's honestly the best assistant I've ever had, so no stealing her away. I won't have it,” he said, trying to keep his face serious but failing. I kissed him on the cheek.
“I'll do my best,” I promised. He kissed me again, filling my heart with light. I was his and he was mine. Noah was staying.
“Can I buy you dinner tonight?” He asked once we were back on the boat. I looked up at the sky, seeing that the sun was much lower than I expected. “I'm afraid it won't be much. I have to catch up on some work, but ...”
I looked back at him as he ran a hand through his hair, sending a spray through the air.
“I like having you around,” he said simply, a smile on his lips. “You make me happy.”
A giddy rush went through me. “You make me pretty happy too.”
“So, dinner?” He held his hands open in question.
“I can't,” I said reluctantly, shaking my head. “It's my job to cook tonight. You can come if you want. But know that you will be put through the ringer. The boys should be getting back from the mainland and they're itching for all the dirt.”
Noah gave me a thoughtful look. “Do you want me to come?”
“I would like you to meet them, but tonight's probably not going to be the best night,” I answered honestly. I was surprised that I really did want the boys to meet him. I wanted them to know how wonderful he was and I knew they would approve. However, tonight would be full of discussions about their trip and dissertations, which would leave Noah out of the conversation.
“I'll just catch up on some work, then.” He kissed my forehead. “I don't have to worry about them stealing you away, do I?”
I snorted at the idea. They were like my brothers. “Never.”
“Good. I would hate having to beat up respected scientists.” Noah cupped my cheek and brought his mouth down to mine in a perfect kiss. I loved the way his lips felt against mine, the warmth of his tongue and the gentle caress of his mouth. I kissed him back, pressing my body against his as the boat rocked us gently.
I finally pulled away and started the boat. He sat and watched me with a smile on his face as I steered the boat to the dock at Owen's mansion. The engine and the wind made it difficult to talk, but I was content with my thoughts.
If he was staying, then it meant he cared about me. I could feel the ropes I had tied around my heart to keep it from falling in love starting to loosen. If he was staying, then it wouldn't hurt to let myself have a little more of him. I could easily fall in love with Noah...as long as he wasn't going to leave.
Chapter 13
I shut the screen door to the kitchen, leaning on the frame and closing my eyes. I couldn't have imagined a better day if I’d tried. Noah was amazing. My entire being felt light as air and filled with sunshine.
“Have fun?”
I opened my eyes to see Devon standing at the kitchen counter smirking. He was half way through making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I had completely missed him when I walked in; my mind had been elsewhere with Noah.
“You're home!” I yelled with a grin, running over to give him a hug. He had taken it upon himself to be my older brother, and I missed him like family when he was away. Devon set down his knife full of peanut butter and wrapped his arms around me. He smelled like sunscreen.
“Hey, kid,” he said with a laugh. He was tall and lean with a swimmer's body. The man loved to swim and usually did several miles out in the open ocean every morning. The only downside to his love of being out in the water was that he was of pure Irish descent: pale skin, freckles, red hair, and green eyes. Since moving to the Caribbean, he usually went through a bottle of sunscreen a week and still managed to burn.
“I'm making dinner tonight. Don't ruin your appetite, okay?” I asked, giving his sandwich a pointed look. “I'm making fish tacos.”
“Fish tacos! Can Mimi have some too?” he asked, putting the finishing touches on his sandwich. I wasn't worried about him ruining his dinner. The man was always hungry, and if he did somehow manage not to eat his body weight in food tonight, Mimi, his fiancée, would whip something up for him.
“You know I love her. I'd make tacos just to have her come over. You eat your sandwich, I'll hang out with her,” I teased. Devon took a big bite of his sandwich and chuckled.
“Lucas is gonna love you for making those tonight.” He swallowed and took another bite. “He ate some tacos at a food cart in Miami and then would not shut up for the rest of the trip about how much better yours were. I think he would marry you for those.”
I made a face at the thought of marrying Lucas. He too had taken on the role of older brother and protector. I loved him, but I would probably end up killing him on our wedding night out of exasperation.
“Now you're just flattering me,” I said, bumping him with my hip so I could get to the sink. “Did you guys have a good trip? How'd the dissertations go?”
Devon leaned against the counter and finished the last of his sandwich. It was a good thing he swam as much as he did, because he ate like a starving man. “Great, actually. Doc had us super prepared. I'm still a bundle of nerves, though.” He held out his hands toward me, making them shake.
“Yeah right, Mr. Confidence,” I said, sticking my tongue out at him and starting the water to wash my hands.
“Did I hear my little Izzy come in?” Lucas's voice entered the kitchen before he did. He was slightly shorter than Devon, but just as muscular. His particular vice
was running rather than swimming. His face was strong and angular with warm brown eyes and unruly dark hair that matched his personality. Lucas was a troublemaker, and he had a knack for practical jokes and being the life of a party.
“Maybe,” I replied, pulling ingredients from the fridge.
“Onions, mangoes, peppers, avocados, a bag of marinating fish...” Lucas narrated as I set things on the counter, his voice overflowing with excitement as each one was set down. “You’re making fish tacos!”
“Ouch.” I glared at him, my ears ringing from his enthusiastic yelling. “I would like to be able to hear tomorrow morning. And yes, I'm making fish tacos.”
He wrapped me up in a big bear hug, rubbing his knuckles across the top of my head when he finished. Yup. If I had to marry that man, I would probably shoot him walking down the aisle.
“Let me go,” I said after squeezing him back. “Now I have to wash my hands again!”
“Did you hear our little Izzy was out on a date?” Devon asked Lucas, his voice far too innocent. I rolled my eyes. This is why I stopped bringing my dates home.
“A date?” Lucas grinned and batted his eyelashes at me. “When do we get to meet him? Is he coming for dinner?”
“No and no,” I told him, pulling out the chopping board. “Hand me the cooking oil so I can start the fish.”
“Come on, Izzy,” Devon said pulling out the frying pan without being asked. “We're just looking out for you.”
“I know.” I turned and looked at the two of them. The three of us couldn't have looked more physically different, but I loved them both as if they were my own flesh and blood. “And I appreciate the two of you being SO concerned, but as much as I love having you both involved in my love life... no.”
Devon laughed and elbowed Lucas in the ribs. “She thinks we're trouble,” he whispered loud enough for the next island to hear.
“On a different topic,” I changed the subject, glaring at both of them, “have you guys heard anything about the Grove? I haven't seen Doc yet today.”
Both of them shook their heads.
“Nothing so far. There's some sort of new snafu he's having to navigate,” Lucas said with a shrug. “Doc's going to be glad you're making tacos. It might actually cheer him up after dealing with lawyers all day.”
I frowned and tested the oil before putting the fish in. The fish sputtered in the oil, giving the room the delicious scent of cooking herbs and spices. Both boys' mouths were visibly watering. It was a good thing I had a lot of fish to cook.
“Do I smell someone making tacos?” Brooke asked, joining the three of us in the small kitchen. With two people, the kitchen was cozy. With three, it was slightly crowded. With four, it was claustrophobic.
“Yup. A batch big enough for eighteen,” I answered. Brooke stood between Lucas and Devon, playing with a tendril of hair from her ponytail. I did a double-take. She was wearing makeup. Not much, but just a little mascara and eye shadow. I wondered when she had put that on, especially since she had probably been out on a boat all day.
I went to get the big kitchen knife, but Devon was standing directly in front of the butcher’s block. I cleared my throat and he blushed slightly, and shuffled to the side. Unfortunately, since everyone had decided to cram into the kitchen, he bumped into Brooke, knocking her off balance.
Brooke stumbled and would have fallen, but Lucas caught her, his hands wrapping around her shoulders to keep her upright. She giggled, and he didn't release her right away. Instead, Lucas got a stupid-happy smile on his face while Brooke fluttered her eyelashes and apologized.
I looked over at Devon and raised my eyebrows, asking him a silent “What's going on here?” He rolled his eyes and shook his head, telling me he didn't have a clue, but saw it too. Something was going on between Lucas and Brooke.
I put the onion on the chopping board and then turned to face the three non-helping adults in the kitchen. It was far too crowded for four people, especially when two were so busy flirting they wouldn't have noticed if their shirts caught fire. “All right. Either you help me chop, or you get out of the kitchen.” I held up the knife in my hand.
“I think I hear the sharks whining,” Devon said quickly, heading to the back door. “I'd better go feed them.”
“Right. Be sure to tell them to clean their rooms while you're at it,” I said sarcastically. I knew he was really off to see his soon-to-be wife. “Tell Mimi dinner will be ready in thirty minutes.”
“Will do,” he called back, slamming the screen door behind him. I turned to face the remaining non-helpers.
“I gotta go finish... uh... unpacking. Yeah, unpacking,” Lucas stammered, backing away slowly and eyeing my knife. I stuck my tongue out at him as he ducked into the living room.
Brooke went to the sink and washed her hands before going to the chopping board to peel the onion I had set there. I let her have that knife as I pulled out another and started on dissecting the mango.
“So, what's up with you and Lucas?” I asked innocently.
Brooke fumbled with the onion, nearly dropping it on the floor. She recovered it at the last second and set it down. She then flipped her hair over her shoulder like nothing had happened. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, come on, Brooke,” I said. I set my knife down and put my hands together under my chin and did an imitation of her high-pitched giggle. “Help me, Lucas, I fell!”
“I do not sound like that!” She squeaked with indignation and smacked me gently on the shoulder with the back of her hand. I gave her a pointed look and she rolled her eyes and shrugged.
“Yes, you do,” I teased gently. “Talk to me.”
“Honestly, I don't know,” she said with a sigh. “You know I haven't had any luck with guys lately. He's been helping me with my hammerhead stuff, and... Iz, I missed him while he was gone.”
“And...” I coaxed, finishing my first mango and putting it in a big glass bowl.
“I don't know... you know me and guys. They so much as smile at me and I'm in love.” Brooke sliced the onion in half and stared at the two pieces for a moment. “Do you think he likes me?”
“Uh-oh, Brooke,” I answered, dropping my voice as low as I could and trying to sound like Lucas. “You fell down. Let me hold you in my big strong arms for ten seconds longer than necessary!”
Brooke giggled. “Fine. Enough about me. What about your date?”
“Heaven. With a touch of Perfect.” The fish was coming along nicely, and I started dicing up a second mango, a satisfied grin creeping onto my face.
“Oh, you totally did him!” Brooke exclaimed, jumping up and down a little in a happy dance. Her eyes widened, and she set down her knife so she could put both hands on my shoulders. She searched my face, hazel eyes taking in every detail of my expression. “You have totally fallen for him, haven't you?”
“No!” I told her, shrugging her hands off my shoulders. She raised her eyebrows at me and blinked. “I mean... maybe?”
“Izzy!” she raised her hands like she was going to shake or strangle me, finally deciding on just shaking my shoulders. “I told you, just have fun! He's a tourist! He's gonna leave and I'm going to have to deal with mopey Izzy again. I don't like mopey Izzy. She's no fun.”
“But he's not leaving,” I justified. There was a thrill in my stomach at saying the words out loud. “He's not leaving.”
Confusion twisted Brooke's pretty features. “What? But he's a tourist.”
“He's staying longer on the island.” I couldn't keep the grin off my face. “He's extending his trip.”
“Iz,” she said softly. Her shoulders sagged slightly. Her mouth slanted, and I could see her brain trying to come up with a gentle way to bring me back to reality. “It's still just a trip. He's going to have to leave eventually. I mean, that's awesome that he's staying for you, but...” She shrugged.
“I like him, Brooke,” I answered quietly. I knew she was only trying to keep me from getting hurt. “I really tried not to. I
really, really did. But he's different.”
“If I had a dollar for every guy who was 'different,'” Brooke said, grabbing an avocado to slice, “Well, I'd have that Prada bag I want.”
“I'm serious, Brooke. He makes me happy.” I shrugged and flipped the fish in the frying pan. The room smelled delicious. Brooke silently finished her avocado and put it in a bowl. She set her knife down and wiped her hands on a kitchen towel.
“If he makes you happy, then that's what matters,” she said finally, wrapping her arms around my shoulders giving me a good hug. “You know I'll be here for you if you need me. I'll buy the ice cream when he has to leave. Just don't tell the whole island your going with him this time.”
A wry chuckle found its way out of my mouth. “Don't worry. I learned that one the hard way.” I turned to face her. “Thanks, Brooke.”
“For what?” she asked, washing her hands in the sink again. She had a smear of avocado on her cheek.
“For telling me I'm an idiot in the nicest way possible,” I explained, “and being my friend.”
Her hazel eyes misted for a moment as she smiled. “Well, if I don't tell you you're being an idiot, those meanie-head boys will. Only they'll be...” She thought for a second and shrugged. “They'll be meanie-heads about it.”
“Meanie-heads?” I asked. She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at me.
“Shut up.”
I laughed and checked the fish. The first batch was done. I set the next batch to go and mixed the mango salsa ingredients Brooke and I had been chopping. All I had to do now was finish the fish and get the tortillas ready.
I turned to see Lucas standing in the doorway. “Um... Brooke?”
Brooke startled and dropped the red pepper in her hands. It landed on the floor, but she scooped it up and quickly went to the sink to rinse it off. I giggled at the two of them trying so hard to pretend to be normal.