“If I knew that’s what it took to get you all excited, I would’ve bought you jewelry long ago,” he jokes and I stick my tongue out at him, but I can’t help the silly grin on my face.
“Come on now, baby,” he says, the dark grin back on his face. “I have more plans for us … You’re allowed to wear the necklace, and nothing else.”
I giggle as he pulls me back into our suite and straight towards the enormous bed.
Chapter 2
The next morning, I wake up bright and early as per usual. I’ve always been an early riser, even when on holiday. What is strange though is the fact that I actually got some sleep.
Ever since … everything that went down, I’ve been an insomniac. It takes me hours to fall asleep, and instead of the deep slumber I’ve come to expect, I’m plunged into a world of terrible nightmares, waking up in tears and screaming bloody murder more often than not.
Somehow, tonight was the first night I haven’t had a nightmare in … years, really. I woke up perfectly rested and feeling refreshed for the first time in a long while.
Thrilled by the improvement, I press a kiss against Blane’s lips before quickly getting dressed for the beach. I put a sarong over my bikini and add a big sunhat and some designer sunglasses Blane insisted on treating me with.
Shutting the door lightly behind me, I head for the beach.
It’s a beautiful day as I imagine every single one is in these parts. The sun is shining down but not beating me with its rays, the temperature tolerable and pleasant. I decide to go for a long walk on the beach.
As I walk along the sandy shore, I instantly wish I had brought my camera, or at least a phone, with me. There are so many beautiful sights around here I would just love to capture forever.
Before I know it, hours pass and suddenly the sun is up high in the sky and beating down against my skin. I foolishly realize I had neglected to apply sun block, and groan inwardly when I think of how sun burnt my pale skin will be in a couple of hours.
The trek back is long as I’ve made it a long way along the shore during my walk, enveloped in my own private thoughts. But none of it seems to matter, because I feel better and happier than I have in weeks.
A huge smile is plastered across my face when I finally make it back to the hotel grounds. But then, I freeze on the spot when I see the scene in front of me.
There’s Blane, the man I love. And that scene alone would put a grin on my face, but … There seems to be a woman with him.
I’m standing too far away to see who she is, but she is slim and pert, and has long blonde hair just like me. If I wasn’t well aware that I was standing so far away, I might even think it was us - me and Blane, like it should be.
But he’s laughing at something the blonde woman is saying, and then he wraps a hand around her bikini clad body, and before I know it, it reaches downward, squeezing her pert ass.
A gasp escapes my lips as I stare at the scene in front of me, and then anger starts boiling in my blood. While a voice keeps telling me my Blane would never, ever do what I just saw, I have to face the hard facts, which are right in front of me.
Finally, I’ve had enough of looking at them and I storm back to our room to change.
Dressing in my prettiest and sexiest outfit, I head downstairs for lunch. And only a few minutes after me, Blane comes through the door and joins me at our table with a kiss and that cheeky grin.
I furrow my brow when he sits down, noticing he’s managed to change and dry his salty hair since the last time I saw him. I have no idea how he did that, since I was just in our room, but I swallow my pride and deny the fact that something is wrong.
We go through our meals, my moves robotic, my heart pounding. Finally, I can’t take it anymore.
“I saw you at the beach today,” I say coldly, staring him right in the eyes. But all Blane does is return a completely blank look, devoid of all emotion.
“With that blonde woman,” I clarify, making it perfectly clear what I did and didn’t see.
“Doll, I have no idea what you’re saying,” he says with a confused grin. “I was in the reception area talking to them about the internet service. It’s utter shit here.”
I can see his brows knitting together in worry, no doubt already thinking about work. But I know what I saw, and I know where his hands were. I also know Blane wouldn’t lie to me, unless he wanted to protect me … or would he?
Doubt settles in and though I don’t say anything else about the subject, I’m twitchy and nervous for the rest of the day.
There’s this nagging feeling in the back of my head, like someone is watching. I feel like a pair of eyes is glued to my head and every time I turn around swiftly, I’m just a split second too late to catch them. And it’s seriously starting to bug me out.
The feeling doesn’t dissipate, but only grows stronger and stronger as the day goes on. Blane sees something is wrong, but doesn’t push me to tell him what it is, which I both appreciate and resent at the same time.
Finally, he announces he’ll go check some e-mails in the lobby which is apparently the only place where he can get good reception. I accept that with a grunt, and as soon as he’s gone, I change into my nightgown and start getting ready for bed.
But I can’t resist stepping out on the balcony again, and when I see the sparkling water in the moonlight, I can’t help it - it’s like the sea is calling me home.
Choosing not to care what anyone might think, I sneak my way downstairs until I’m on the beach. It’s completely empty, and I enjoy the moment of solitude, though the annoying feeling just doesn’t seem to fade.
As I’m admiring the reflection of the moon on the crystal water, a pair of arms wraps itself around me and my heart jumps up to my throat.
Turning around swiftly, I find myself in Blane’s arms and I laugh nervously. Despite my confusion at what happened on the beach, I’m more than thankful to see him.
“Don’t do that,” I scold him. “You scared me …”
He looks me deep in the eyes the moon playing tricks with his irises, making them almost completely black. He looks like a devilishly handsome demon … and I don’t mind at all.
“Scared you, did I?” he whispers softly, the words like a caress on my skin. He murmurs something else under his breath that I can’t hear, then leans in closer for a kiss.
And even though I’ve kissed Blane a thousand times before, this time it feels different.
As romantic as the picture might seem, there’s something in his kiss … Something dark and sinister.
Shivering, I let him kiss me passionately and deeply, claiming him with his tongue and pressing his body so close to mine I can feel the length of his thick cock against my thigh.
“Blane,” I whisper softly, and he moves away at the sound of his name.
He gives me one last grin, but this one seems more ominous than the cheeky smile I’m used to from my love. I feel utterly confused as he salutes me goodbye, then disappears into the darkness.
My heart pounding with fear and confusion, I wrap my hands around my body to keep myself warm and head back into our suite.
Chapter 3
At first, I thought this vacation would be a breeze - a welcome distraction from our busy everyday life. But with each day that passes, my anxiety grows. I’m having trouble breathing, and the nightmares have returned after that one night of blissful, uninterrupted sleep.
Blane can tell something isn’t right, but I’m still sulking about what I saw on the beach that day - something he still refuses to acknowledge.
Today is a terrible day and I’ve been in a foul mood since I woke up at 5 a.m., my scar throbbing and unnerving me with its mere presence. Blane has been gone for most of the day, surely dealing with another work emergency.
When we left for Hawaii, he promised me he wouldn’t deal with work while we’re here, but I’ve barely even seen him since our arrival. Left to my own devices, I’ve been walking around the beach aimlessly and r
eading more than I do at home.
But everywhere I go, I feel a pair of eyes on my back, gone as soon as I look over my shoulder. The feeling is so overwhelming, I’ve chosen to stay in our suite most of the time, too afraid to venture outside for fear of that gaze on my back.
I’m reading a book in the window seat when I hear Blane walk in our suite. He walks over to me, setting his laptop on the coffee table and giving me a sweet grin. Even though I don’t want it to, it manages to melt all of my insides into mush, making me remember just how much I love this man … my stepbrother, my once-tormentor, now-lover.