Warm breezes, soft white sand, colorful cocktails, and dramatic sunsets … It sounded like the perfect place to enjoy their growing relationship. He couldn’t imagine a better way for them to get lost in each other, away from the distractions of their daily lives.
The only trouble is Dennis’s disappearance.
He frowned, rolling over as he thought seriously about getting out of bed. This thing could turn bad incredibly fast. It was isolated and controlled by Griffin down to the finest detail. If something went wrong, they would be at his mercy.
Rux wanted Dana as far away from the place as possible. He would do anything to keep her out of danger. His heart began to pound, and sweat broke out on his brow as the fear hit him again.
I can’t lose her!
He took a deep breath and held it, trying to talk himself down.
Is Griffin really capable of murder? I don’t think so. It doesn’t make any sense.
A rich, powerful man like Griffin more than likely wouldn’t risk his reputation by actually killing someone. Rux was almost certain of that, but it was that tiny sliver of a gray area that held his attention.
He sighed, taking care to draw the breath into the bottom of his lungs, and let it out fully as he swept his feet to the floor. He gave himself a few moments before getting up, focusing on clearing his mind.
Griffin is not a killer.
There was one small part of him that did not believe it, a tiny speck of doubt that held out against all the reasonable arguments. He couldn’t shake it.
He looked back at Dana once more. She was curled up, her hands at her chest as she murmured in her sleep. A smile leapt across his face.
I just want to get back under those covers, snuggle up against her and never move again for the rest of my life.
Turning away, he grabbed his phone and headed out to the lounge. Even though that stubborn point of doubt remained, he reasoned with himself that Griffin had to be innocent.
Small planes went down all the time; it wasn’t unusual. There was a high probability that Dennis had suffered a perfectly explainable … though tragic … mishap.
Surely, Griffin wouldn’t invite us out there if he had a hotbed of crime onsite?
Rux opened his phone and started making arrangements for getting out to the island. His instincts might be rattling around, making him uneasy, but there was so much fear and doubt in him that was to be expected.
Once you’ve suffered a great loss, you see it everywhere. A moment can feel like an eternity when you’re reminded of the one who isn’t with you anymore…the one you couldn’t save.
Grief twisted in his chest like a blade. This was why he couldn’t trust his own judgment. No harm would come to them while they were on the island with Griffin. His instincts were all screwed up, set on edge by irrational fear.
Irrational. That’s what it is. Seeing danger everywhere that isn’t really there. I need to get a grip.
He clicked determinedly across his phone screen, arranging a flight to the Bahamas where they would meet Griffin to ferry to the island.
I can show her how I feel by treating her like a queen. I want her to feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.
He grinned to himself as he added stipulations to his booking. The best first-class seats. The most expensive champagne. Full service. They would be spoiled with luxury all the way there.
He knew the island was an absolute paradise. It was so private that there would be no disturbances like tourists or unruly families. They could lie on the beach and rub suntan oil on each other, kissing until the sun went down.
Dana stirred in the next room, and he hurried to make her a coffee. He wanted to be by her side when she awoke, so he could see her beautiful big eyes blinking open to welcome the day.
He wanted to see her face light up when she saw him and Rux wanted to be the first thing she saw.
The doubt continued to nag at him. There were questions over Dennis’s disappearance that still had not been answered. Dana was so determined to help Jennifer that he didn’t want to negate her feelings.
Rux tried to put his fears aside as he hurried back to the bedroom. His joy at finding his mate and finally being with her was so strong that everything paled against it.
He and Dana would use this time to build the connection between them, and ultimately, he would claim her, and they would be together forever.
He sat gently on the edge of the bed, smiling as Dana rolled over and began to wake. Nothing could be more perfect than this … seeing the woman he loved so deeply waking gently under his watchful eye.