by Anna Durand
We swim around for a while, but I don't try to gauge how much time has passed. It doesn't matter. We're both on vacation, with all our responsibilities and worries left behind. I haven't thought about disease and death at all since I came to the Caribbean and met Richard, except when I told him about my job. I've allowed myself to revel in the freedom of doing whatever I want, whenever I want, without suffering any guilt.
A manatee swims by below us, and I point it out to Rick. He's so excited about the sea life, which he tells me he's never seen in person before.
"Only a few fish," he admits, "that's all I ever saw."
I love being the one to show him this underwater kingdom, and I love his enthusiasm for every living thing we come across during our snorkeling adventure. He seems younger today like he's shed his worries and inhibitions along with his clothes.
We bob out of the water not far from shore, pulling our masks up so we can look at each other.
"Fun, huh?" I say.
"Bloody wonderful." He pulls me close with an arm around my waist. "I'm having the best time of my life, and that's because of you. Thank you, Maddie."
"You're welcome. I'm having a good time too, because you're here with me."
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
Movement catches my eye peripherally, and I glance in that direction.
"Look!" I say, smacking Rick's arm to get his attention. "It's a dolphin!"
He swerves his head toward where I'm pointing just as the dolphin surges out of the water again, only to dive under the surface. "Bloody brilliant! I've never seen a dolphin before."
"Aren't they amazing? So graceful and pretty."
The dolphin pops up again and makes clicking sounds, then it vanishes into the blue water.
I shriek. Seriously, I do. For the first time in my life, I've seen a dolphin—and it's not more than thirty feet away. My pulse races, which seems dumb, but I can't help the giddiness that overtakes me at this moment, here in the crystalline aqua sea surrounded by beautiful, enchanting creatures and accompanied by a gorgeous, sweet, amazing man.
Once the dolphin swims away, we paddle back to shore and dry off with our towels, then we race back to the house while naked—and while carrying all our gear. Our footsteps slap on the bare floors inside the house as we sprint down the hall to the wardrobe room, laughing the whole time. Rick tickles me while I'm trying to get dressed, so I tickle him back. Turns out he's super ticklish on his chest, especially his nipples.
I love learning that about him.
And he learns where I'm the most ticklish—at the base of my spine, right above my buttocks.
For the next week, we have lots and lots of fun. More snorkeling, with and without swimsuits, and even some scuba diving. Dexter teaches us how to do that, and he and Ilsa join us for a magical dive into the deeper water farther from shore, where we see all kinds of mind-boggling creatures. Dex is far more knowledgeable about the sea life than I am, and he explains all of it with far more flair. That's not surprising since he's a writer, but his enthusiasm for all of it does surprise me. When we'd first met, I kind of dismissed Dex as a shameless flirt and a bit of a libertine, but I've come to appreciate his kindness, humor, and intelligence.
Every night before we go to sleep, Rick and I curl up in our big bed so I can read Dexter's book to him. Okay, it's not exactly Nobel Prize material, but I find myself getting interested in the bizarre behavior of the main character. Though I've never read or even heard of carnivalesque erotica before, I have fun reading the salacious text to Richard. He enjoys it too, and his nightly erections prove the sex scenes arouse him, but we haven't done the deed lately. Though I've fully recovered from my soreness, after spending each day exploring the island and the sea, we're too wiped out to do anything but sleep. It's the best kind of exhaustion, though, and I wouldn't trade this time with him for anything.
I've also discovered I love sharing a bed with Rick. We spoon, and I snuggle my backside against him. Often, we talk before we try to go to sleep.
One night, he asks me about my sister and my parents, whether we all get along.
"Sure, we get along great," I say. "Rika and I haven't been best friends, but we're getting closer these days. It's hard to forge strong relationships with anyone when I've been bouncing around the world for years, to places where cell phones don't work and nobody has a landline. Ham radio and satellite phones are the only means of communication."
"That must be difficult, being out of touch with your family. I've met Rika, and she talks about you all the time. I met your parents once, but we didn't get to talk much. That was at the engagement party for Dane and Rika."
"I've stayed with Rika and Dane a few times, but only for short visits. I wanted to spend more time with my sister, but work kept getting in the way. The last time I saw those two, they shipped me off to the Caribbean six days after I landed in England."
Rick has his body molded to mine, his chin on my shoulder and his arm draped over my midsection. He swirls his fingertips on my belly in a lazy motion. "Now we both know why Dane and Rika did that. They were playing matchmaker."
"You mean they were interfering in our lives." I lay my hand over his on my belly. "But I'm glad they did that. I love this vacation, especially since I met you."
"I love it too." He kisses my neck. "Meeting you is the best thing that's ever happened to me."
His statement makes my tummy flutter but also triggers an odd anxiety. I'm the best thing that's ever happened to him? I don't want to read too much into that, because maybe he means he loves having company, not that he's claiming to have feelings for me. The mix of anxiety and excitement sparked by his statement suggests I might have feelings for him. Even if that's true, I can't think about it right now. We've known each other for a week. Dr. Solberg whispers in my head that I cannot fall for a man after such a short time, but Maddie wants to dive in and drown in the rush of it all.
Meeting Richard Hunter has changed my life in ways I can't even explain yet. Coming to the Caribbean, and especially to Dexter's private island, has also changed me. In a week, I have to fly back to England and figure out what on earth to do with myself now. Should I accept Naveen's offer to work at the CDC? For the next week, I vow not to worry about any of that. I want to know Rick better and find out if we could have something more than fantastic sex, if we mean something to each other beyond a friend to share new experiences with.
And I know what I need to do to find those answers. I need to interrogate him.
In the morning. Tonight, all I want is to fall asleep in his arms.
Chapter Eighteen
Richard
For the first time since I met Maddie, she's already awake when I rouse from the best night's sleep I've ever had. The more time I spend with her, the more relaxed I feel. So it's no surprise to me that I sleep better too. Having her body tucked against mine while we both drift off plays a large part in that. I even love listening to her snore. It's always soft little snorts, nothing that would keep me awake all night, and it's only the occasional bout of snoring.
I sometimes wake up overnight to see her smiling in her sleep. Is she dreaming about me? I dream about her every night.
This morning, she's lying on her side next to me when I open my eyes and yawn.
Maddie tickles my chest, which I unfortunately let her find out is the only place on my body where I am ticklish. I manage to hold back my laughter—until she tickles my nipple.
She laughs too.
I can't resist fluttering my lips over her belly, which always makes her giggle. Since she's facing me, I can't reach her most ticklish spot, that area in the middle of her back just above her arse.
"Cut that out," she says while still laughing and while I'm still teasing her belly with my lips. "My eyes are starting to water."
"All right. I suppose I have to stop." I've never been the sort who tickles a woman's belly, but with Maddie, I can't resist doing
that. Her laughter is more intoxicating than cognac.
She rolls onto her back and stretches, yawning again. "Do you have any brothers or sisters? We've talked about my family, but you haven't said much about yours."
I rub my jaw and sigh. I don't want to talk about my brother. I love him, but discussing Nick brings up an issue I'd rather not share with Maddie yet. Maybe never. Of course, "never" would mean I can't introduce her to him, and I want her to meet my family. She's gazing at me with curiosity in her eyes, and I know the sexy scientist lying beside me needs the facts. I can leave out one or two of them, though, can't I? Omission isn't exactly lying.
"Uh, yes, I have a brother," I say. "We're very different sorts, but we do have a good relationship. I have to admit, I've never understood his career choice. It's…strange."
"What does he do?"
"Nicholas is a massage therapist."
She tries to stifle a laugh, but only half succeeds. "What's bizarre about that?"
"Most of his clients are women, which makes the whole thing bizarre, at least to me. Touching strange, naked women all day long?" I shake my head. "Can't imagine doing that for a living. Once word got round that Nick Hunter opened a massage business, they started flocking to him."
"Wait. Your names are Rick and Nick? Like you're twins or something?" She taps her finger on my lips. "Let me guess. He's as hot as you are."
"I suppose so." Do I sound uneasy when I say that? Probably. Time to steer the subject away from Nick. "As for my parents, I have a very good relationship with them."
"That's nice. I always feel bad for people who don't get along with their families. My parents and my sister are wonderful, and we all support each other however we can."
"It's the same with my family. The Dixons are like that too."
"Have you met Alex Thorne?"
"Yes, I know him. He's the strangest man I've ever met."
"He's unusual, for sure." She drums her fingers on her belly while she gets that serious-thoughts look on her face. "Why do the Dixons call him their cousin? They realized not long after they met him that he's not a blood relative. Alex's half-brother is their cousin."
"Blood isn't everything. When Alex was a boy, a sweet couple adopted him and raised him as their son. He calls them Mum and Dad, but they're not biologically related."
"That's true. Guess I need to broaden my idea of family beyond the scientific definition." She blows out a sigh. "Anyway, Alex is quite a character. It's weird how all you Brits have the same smooth voices. Must be something in the water over there."
"Maybe American water is laced with hallucinogens."
"Oh please. This is factual, not the result of an acid trip. You sound surprisingly like your British pals."
"What about Dexter?" I ask. "He's British too. I hope you're not suggesting I sound like him."
"He's older and wickeder, but yeah. Your voices are kind of similar."
"What are you implying? It's not like we all sound identical, as if our voices are being narrated by one bloke."
She gives my chest a halfhearted shove. "Ha-ha, go ahead and make fun of me. If I can handle interviewing drug runners just so I can pinpoint the source of a disease outbreak, I can handle your scorn."
"It's not scorn. I love the barmy things you say. But for the record, I do not sound like Dexter or Alex Thorne."
"Shouldn't a publisher have a thicker skin? I mean, you must reject people all the time."
"Let's not talk about work or other men's voices while we're naked in bed together." I kiss a trail up her throat and nuzzle her ear. "I'd much rather talk about you, Maddie. You're an extraordinary woman. You confront criminals, memorize an entire catalog of fish species, handle a randy old goat with ease, and have a deep passion for everything you do."
"If you don't stop paying me compliments, I might start to blush."
"Then I won't stop. I love seeing you blush." I still have my face against her cheek and ear, so I slip my tongue out to tease her lobe. "I love everything about you."
"I like you lots too," she murmurs, turning her face toward me, her lips grazing mine. "I know we agreed to wait to have sex, but the timeline was vague. 'A few days,' you said. Seems like it's been more than that."
"Are you still sore?"
"Nope."
"Then let's do it."
She grins. "Seriously?"
"Yes." I skim a hand up and down her arm. "I will make love to you, Maddie, but after breakfast. Dexter invited us to join him in the dining room this morning, remember? Besides, I need to bite that bullet and talk to Dex about his book."
"Sure, I can wait a couple more hours." She catches my bottom lip between her teeth, flicks her tongue across it, and lets it go. "You're not fooling me. You don't hate Dex's book. I know because you get a hard-on every time I read it to you."
"That's because you are reading it. Your voice does that to me. I should hire you to narrate audiobooks for my company."
"No, it's you and your friends who should do that."
"Me?" I laugh. "I'd be awful at it."
She sits up, stretching and smiling. "Wouldn't it be weird if we did have narrators performing every word we say, like we're puppets? I think I saw a movie like that once. Whatever an author wrote, some guy heard it in his head like an audiobook."
"That's rubbish," I say, shaking my head while I struggle not to laugh. "You're having me on, aren't you? I sound nothing like Alex Thorne or the Dixons. And I certainly don't have an author in my head writing every word I say."
She kisses me. "Okay, no more teasing you about your voice. You're kind of sensitive about that, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not." I slide off the bed, and the cold wood floor chills my feet. "Think I'll have a shower before breakfast."
"Do we have time for that?"
"Ilsa stopped by last night while you were snoring to let us know breakfast will be served at eight o'clock. It's only half seven."
"Think I'll call my sister while you're getting clean. Rika's been texting me for days, but I ignored her." She sweeps her gaze over my entire body. "Maybe you shouldn't take a shower. I love it when you're dirty."
"Sweat-encrusted isn't sexy."
"You might have a point there." She pinches her nostrils between her thumb and forefinger while waving the other hand as if she's trying to eradicate a bad smell. "Whew, do you stink."
I latch an arm around her waist and drag her closer, then I crouch so I can plant my mouth on her belly and blow, making my lips vibrate on her skin. She giggles. I keep doing that, moving my mouth around until I find a spot that makes her shriek with laughter. Only when I notice her eyes are watering do I stop.
"Now, let's try that again," I say. "How do I smell?"
She wipes her eyes with her fingers. "That was a dirty trick."
"But you like me dirty. You just said so."
"Yep, I did."
"And the correct answer to my question is…"
She grins again. "You smell wonderful."
I slap her arse and head for the bathroom.
Maddie claims I sound like my mates, which is bollocks. But it makes me wonder, or maybe this is worry I'm feeling. What will she think when she meets Nick?
Chapter Nineteen
Maddie
I get dressed, then I sprawl on the bed and call Rika. She's in the UK, so the time difference means it's afternoon over there. I know I shouldn't have ignored all her texts, but I had other things on my mind. Well, one other thing. Richard Hunter has taken my mind off everything else for more than a week, and though it's been bliss, I can't avoid real life forever.
"What have you been doing?" Rika asks as soon as she picks up, not even waiting for me to say hello. "Please tell me you've ignored my calls and texts because you're having a steamy fling with a guy you met at the resort."
"Like you don't already know the answer to that. You and Dane conspired to commit felony matchmaking. I should have y
ou both arrested."
"Did you hook up with Richard Hunter? Dane didn't believe our plan would work, but I told him to have faith in the power of destiny."
"What a load of bullshit. Destiny? You and your husband maneuvered me into a Caribbean vacation because you knew Richard would be here."
"Sure, we did that. But we couldn't make you fall for him."
I make a rude noise. "Who says I'm falling for him? I met Rick last week."
"Rick?" My sister now sounds way too pleased with herself. "He only lets people call him that if he really likes them. We might've steered you two into each other's orbits, but we couldn't manufacture chemistry."
"I like Richard. That's all."
"Have you slept with him?"
"None of your business, Rika."
"Oh, you must have it bad." She pauses, then adds in a sneaky tone, "Should I start planning the wedding?"
"You are so annoying. Do I ask if you're sleeping with Dane?"
My sister laughs. "I'm married to him. Of course we have sex. But you and Richard Hunter…"
"Are not soul mates or whatever unscientific hooey you're thinking of. We're getting to know each other, period. Do not start planning the wedding."
"If it was love at first sight, you'd deny it. For once, please don't get all scientific. Let yourself be free."
"No more talking about Richard. Okay? Tell me what you've been up to."
Rika tells me more about the Dixon boys and their cousin Grey, not to mention Grey's brother Alex, and then she recounts their recent adventures. I've met all those guys, but Rika knows the details I've missed out on. Chance, Dane, and Reese have known their cousin Grey all their lives, but Alex Thorne is new to the family—though like I told Rick, Alex isn't technically their family. They've decided he's their cousin anyway, despite the fact he's not a blood relation. After my brief discussion with Rick about that issue, I realize he's right that blood isn't everything. Feelings can't be quantified or explained by the scientific method. I've learned that lesson since I met Richard Hunter. Sometimes you have to do what feels right, even if it makes no sense. The heart has its own logic.