10. Maisy
Maisy’s alarm went off far too loudly. She reached out and managed to swipe it off without opening her eyes. Then she let out a soft moan. Her head hurt from the tequila in the margaritas last night — Maisy rarely drank and even a little alcohol hit her hard. Then she moaned again as she remembered her confession to Xander and the conversation they’d had.
It had been a mistake. Maisy had kept her thoughts and feelings to herself for years, even hiding them from Lily. She didn’t want to hurt anyone. But she’d been tipsy enough and upset enough to tell Xander, of all people. And now he knew that she didn’t want to marry Niko. What a mess.
Slowly, Maisy pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. A bright ray of sunshine fell across the end of the bed, and a warm, salty breeze blew in through the open window. It should have been the perfect vacation scene, but she didn’t feel it.
She rolled out of bed and found her suitcase. According to the schedule, today would include snorkeling and a romantic picnic. Great. Just great. She had to spend the whole day with a man she was not only furious with but who also knew her deepest secret — that she’d wanted to call the wedding off too.
Maisy let out another groan and dropped her head into her hands. What had she been thinking last night? Opening up to Xander had been a terrible idea. He knew nothing of responsibility — and he was the one who’d ruined her plans in the first place.
Still, he had been trying hard at dinner yesterday to soothe her feelings. Maisy knew she hadn’t exactly been kind to him, but he’d still cooked her dinner and made conversation with her and even been relatively sympathetic during her big spill of feelings. It wasn’t like Xander could change the past or undo his mistake. Maisy might as well try to enjoy her time on Kanalea. And she should try to avoid Xander as much as she could. Something about his presence made her open up in a way she wasn’t used to or fond of.
Maisy changed from her pajamas — a lacy nightgown she’d packed when she’d thought this would be a honeymoon — into a yellow sundress printed with small flowers. Then she exited the bedroom, ready to slip into the bathroom before Xander could catch her for another awkward encounter.
Yet when Maisy stepped into the living room, she paused. Xander was still sleeping on the couch. He was wearing a frayed T-shirt and boxer shorts and nothing else, leaving his long, muscular legs bare. One hand was thrown over his head, and his chest rose and fell slowly with sleep. His face was smooth, his long eyelashes splayed across his cheeks.
Maisy knew it was creepy to stare at Xander while he slept, so she tore her gaze away quickly. Still, as she hurried into the bathroom to brush her teeth and prepare for the day, the memory of Xander on the couch stayed with her. He’d been, well, sexy. It was an odd thing to think about one’s brother-in-law/husband, but Maisy couldn’t deny the stirrings she’d felt.
Nor could she deny that she’d never felt that way about Niko. Niko and Xander might be identical, but they sure were different — and they sparked very different reactions in Maisy.
The realization was yet another reason she should stay away from Xander. Not only had she spilled her secrets to him; she apparently found him attractive. This mess was going from bad to worse. The best way forward was to ignore him.
Dressed, Maisy exited the bathroom and crossed the living room to the kitchen. She began clattering pots and pans as she prepared to make herself a cup of tea and a piece of toast. It was time for Xander to wake up, and she sure wasn’t going to stand above him, softly calling his name, or shake those broad, muscular shoulders…
“Huh?”
Maisy turned just as Xander sat bolt upright. His hair was sticking up on one side, which made Maisy smile despite herself. As she watched, hands on hips, he scrambled for the sheets that had fallen on the floor.
“Good morning, sunshine!” she trilled. Then she clanged a pot onto the stove in one final crescendo. Xander scowled. He was clearly not a morning person. This was good. As long as Maisy was antagonizing him, her thoughts weren’t wandering anywhere else.
“What time is it?” Xander grumbled.
“Eight thirty. Safa will be here in half an hour for our first excursion.”
“Great.” Xander hardly sounded enthusiastic. His voice was a low growl more than anything else. He dropped the sheets he’d gathered onto the couch and stalked off to the bathroom. Maisy tried not to watch him go and only partially succeeded. Once he was out of the room, she returned to her breakfast-making. At the last moment, more out of pity than anything else, she poured a second cup of tea and made a few more pieces of toast, which she put on a plate on the counter.
When Xander stumbled back out of the bathroom, he was completely transformed. The boxers and frayed T-shirt were gone, replaced by a pair of board shorts and a T-shirt printed with pineapples. His hair had been tamed, and he looked refreshed and far more awake.
“Do I smell breakfast?” he asked hopefully.
Maisy nodded to the plate of toast. “Yours is on the counter. There’s tea, too.”
“Thanks.” Xander crossed to the kitchen and swung himself gracefully onto one of the barstools. Then he drew the plate of toast towards himself. “Is there anything to go on this?”
Maisy gave him a look. “The toast wasn’t enough?”
“It was very kind of you.”
“Fine. There’s jam and butter in the fridge.”
“Thanks.” Xander took a long sip of tea as Maisy turned and put her hands on her hips.
“Excuse me — I’m not going to fetch it for you. I’m not your chef.”
“Clearly.” Xander gave a meaningful glance at the toast — which, yes, might have been a little on the burned side. Then he swung back off the stool and entered the kitchen. As he did, Maisy realized that she might have miscalculated just a little. The kitchen was small and, with Xander in it, there was no place for him to stand except for right next to her. He was so close that Maisy could smell his aftershave and feel the heat from his body. She quickly brushed past him, grabbed her plate, and made her way into the living room. There she sat on the couch. Of course, Maisy realized grumpily, this was also Xander’s bed. She just couldn’t escape him.
A few minutes later, Xander entered the living room and sprawled into the wicker chair beside the sofa. With great enthusiasm, he crunched into a piece of toast.
“Delicious.”
“Thank you, Maisy,” Maisy prompted.
“Thank you, Maisy. Oh, how your eyes glow like evergreens in a rainstorm and how your cooking both tickles the senses and warms the belly.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, I don’t expect you to apologize every minute of this trip, but you could at least stop making fun of me.”
Xander tilted his head to the side. His eyes locked on Maisy’s. “I wasn’t making fun of you.”
For a long moment, they both sat there, looking at each other. Maisy felt a strange shiver run down her spine as she looked into Xander’s deep brown eyes. He hadn’t been making fun of her? What did that mean?
The moment stretched. Maisy opened her mouth to say something, though even she wasn’t sure what, but before she could speak, the door of the villa opened loudly. Maisy and Xander broke their eye contact and turned as one to Safa. She was wearing another pantsuit today and held a clipboard.
“Good morning, lovebirds.” Her tone was dry, but Maisy felt her heart race. Perhaps Safa had seen her and Xander looking at each other and misread dislike and contempt for affection. But Safa pushed on, and Maisy relaxed. “We have a busy day ahead. First, snorkeling on the reef. Then, a romantic picnic for the two of you on shore, which will also be a photo opportunity. I need at least twenty good shots of you looking like a married couple. After that, the day is yours.”
“Oh, I forgot to put on my swimsuit.” Maisy jumped to her feet. “Just a minute.”
“Fine.” Safa didn’t look fazed. “Xander, are you ready?”
“Always.”
As Maisy hurried into the bedroom to fetch her swimsuit and beach towel, she heard Xander attempt to initiate a stream of banter with Safa. He might well have been flirting with her. Great. The only thing that would make this trip more awkward would be if her fake husband picked up a real girlfriend in their publicist.
Maisy reappeared a few minutes later with her bikini on under her dress and a beach bag in one hand. She’d added a floppy hat to her ensemble, which hopefully would do the double duty of shielding her face from the sun and from the cameras.
“Ready?” Safa asked.
“Yes. Thank you.” Maisy followed the publicist and Xander out to the car they’d ridden in yesterday. The same driver was already waiting in the front seat. As they settled into the back, he started the engine and they pulled out of the driveway.
“Where are we going snorkeling?” Maisy asked.
“Gold Beach. A boat will take you out to the best reefs and then bring you back when you’re done.”
Despite her headache and her annoyance, Maisy felt her spirits rise at the mention of Gold Beach. She’d seen a few pictures of it on social media and knew that the snorkeling was truly spectacular.
As they drove along the island’s main road toward the beach, Maisy rolled down the window. The smell of fresh, salty air perfumed with hints of coconut made her smile, as did the stunning views of azure water and white sand. They drove through town, where a few tourists and locals caught sight of them and waved. Maisy waved back. They might have recognized her and her husband from the newspapers — or perhaps they were just friendly. The day was beautiful enough that Maisy could almost believe the latter.
Eventually, they began to climb a hill. Near the top, the driver parked the car in an empty lot, and Maisy got out.
“We booked off the beach for the two of you,” Safa explained. “But just because there shouldn’t be many tourists doesn’t mean you two can drop the charade. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Xander gave a salute, and Maisy tried to hide a snort of laughter. Safa really was the kind of person Maisy would call ma’am, if she weren’t too intimidated.
Safa began to lecture them about the protocol for the outing, but Maisy struggled to focus. The parking lot looked out over the ocean far below and it was a wondrous sight. As soon as Safa finished her spiel, Maisy hurried to the edge of the cliff. There she saw the beginning of a set of steep stairs leading down to a beach that really was golden-hued. Just off the coast, a small speedboat had been moored — probably theirs.
“Shall we head down, my bride?” Xander appeared beside Maisy and held out his arm.
“I don’t think we have to go that far. No one’s here.” She stepped away from him and began descending the steep stairs on her own. As they neared the bottom, the steps became increasingly rickety and Maisy wished she’d taken Xander’s arm after all. Not that she would admit anything of the sort.
On the beach, Maisy walked ahead a little and dropped to the ground. Carefully, she scooped a handful of the golden sand and let it sift through her fingers.
“It’s really golden, isn’t it?” Xander asked. Once again, he’d appeared beside her. This time, he was down on one knee, watching the sand fall from her hands.
“What a good observation.” Maisy hoped she sounded sufficiently snarky.
“They don’t call me Captain Obvious for nothing.” Once again, Xander had just rolled with her sarcastic remark. That easygoing nature made her respect him. Just a little.
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure. You’ve been born into plenty of titles without earning them.” Maisy raised her eyebrows in challenge. Xander chuckled. Then, without replying, he stripped off his shirt and ran for the ocean.
“Where are you going?” Maisy called.
“I need to get some water on that burn!” Xander called back. Despite herself, Maisy began to laugh, but luckily Xander was already diving into the water and probably couldn’t hear her. Maisy followed at a more sedate pace. The speedboat was wading distance from the shore, so she lifted the hem of her skirt and picked her way through the shallows. Once she reached the boat, the captain let down a small ladder, and she clambered up.
Xander swam a small lap around the boat, probably showing off, Maisy thought, then followed her onboard. Instead of taking the ladder, though, he grabbed the edge of the boat and hauled himself over the rim with his upper body strength. His muscles were all too visible in the bright Pacific light.
Definitely showing off.
Safa followed behind Maisy, taking her more sedate path through the shallows and up the ladder. She was hauling a large camera, which she held carefully above the water, then handed to the captain before climbing up.
“Prince Niko, Princess Maisy, let me take a moment to welcome you aboard and say what an honor it is that you’ve chosen my humble company for the day. My name is Tom and I’ll be your captain today.” The captain turned and gestured to the shadow of another, smaller island in the near distance. “Today, we’ll go about halfway between mainland Kanalea and the Atoll of Karmeline, just over there. Some of the best snorkeling is in this area, because you don’t have to go far down to see interesting flora and fauna. It isn’t uncommon to spot turtles, octopuses, and even rays out here.”
“Rays?” Maisy bit her lip. “Aren’t they dangerous?”
“Not at all, if you don’t get in their way.” Tom smiled reassuringly. “Stay close to me and to the boat and you’ll be fine. The only thing you should watch out for is fire coral. It’s red and round and it burns if you touch it with bare skin. But, again, as long as you don’t mess with it, it won’t mess with you.”
Maisy nodded, although she felt a little worried. Captain Tom went over a few safety procedures, then Maisy and Xander sat at the edge of the boat while they motored toward the island. Safa snapped a few candid photos of the two of them.
When they juddered to a stop, Safa stood and snapped a few more photos. Then she gestured for Maisy and Xander to get up.
“Let’s get some shots in the water. Tom here has told me he has an underwater camera.”
Maisy tried not to sigh. Just like everything else, this was going to be all about publicity and not about enjoying the ocean — or keeping an eye out for dangerous creatures. Still, she stripped off her sundress and started applying sunscreen to her face, arms, and legs. She probably should have done it sooner, but blamed her forgetfulness on her mild hangover.
Once she’d gotten all the areas she could reach, Maisy turned to Safa.
“Sorry to bother you, but could you get my back?” She held out the tube of sunscreen. Safa raised her eyebrows.
“Why don’t you ask your husband?”
Maisy blushed. “Right. Of course.” Although maybe it would be better just to burn. Slowly, she turned to Xander and held out the tube again. “Would you?”
“Sure.” Xander took the tube, and Maisy turned her back to him. She heard the tube squirt, then Xander’s hands were on her back. He rubbed the sunscreen in slowly, gently, making sure to get it under the straps of her bikini. The feeling of those broad hands on her skin sent shivers down Maisy’s spine. She needed to get ahold of herself, and fast. It was only sunscreen.
Finally, blissfully, Xander finished. “All done.”
Maisy turned and took the sunscreen back. “Thanks. I burn really easily. Pale skin, you know. I mean, you don’t know. I—” Maisy gave herself a shake. She was rambling. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” Xander winked at her. “Now, will you do me?”
“Um…”
“Put sunscreen on my back, I mean. I just can’t reach.” Xander made a few strained contortions to show that his arms didn’t reach that far.
“Yeah. I understood that’s what you meant. Turn around.”
Xander did, and Maisy was faced with his broad, muscular back. She took a deep breath, squirted some sunscreen onto her hands, and began to rub it into Xander’s skin. His back was warm and a little salty, still slightly wet from his dive into the ocean, so it wasn’t easy going. Still, Maisy did her best to focus on the task at hand, not on how close Xander was — or on the muscles she could feel beneath her palms.
“I think you’re good.”
“Thanks.” Xander took the sunscreen from her, applied some to his face and arms, then handed it back. “Let’s go!”
He grabbed one of the new snorkels that sat on the edge of the boat, along with a pair of blue fins, and leaped into the water with a large splash. Maisy rolled her eyes. She took a second mask and snorkel and tried them on. Once she’d adjusted it to fit tightly, she put on a pair of fins, then she perched on the edge of the boat and slipped into the ocean. It was momentarily cold, but then her body adjusted. Maisy aligned herself on the surface with her snorkel above the water. Once she was settled, she looked down at the seascape below and almost caught her breath in wonder.
Perhaps three body lengths below was a coral reef. It wasn’t the bright technicolor of reefs in photographs, but it was intricate and colorful all the same. Tiny fish darted in and out of coral monuments, and seaweed swayed gently in the current. Higher up, schools of silver fish darted and turned in perfectly choreographed unison, their bright scales flashing in the underwater sunbeams. A little to the left, Maisy saw Xander dive down. He kicked down, his muscular legs moving powerfully, and managed to go impossibly deep. She watched as he swam through a school of fish, circled a coral monument, then leisurely kicked back toward the surface beside her.
“There’s a turtle down there!” he called to Maisy once he was above water.
“Really? I don’t see anything.”
“You have to dive down a little.”
Maisy shook her head. “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”
“Come on, it’s really a sight to see. I’ll go with you. If there’s any trouble, I’ll be there to help.”
“Um. Fine.” Maisy took a few slow breaths to calm herself, then sucked in the largest breath she could and kicked down, hard. A glance to her left showed that Xander was beside her, just as he’d promised.
A few feet down, Xander touched her arm and pointed to a tuft of seagrass. Maisy swam closer and made out the blurry outline of a shell. As she watched, the turtle emerged from the seagrass and lazily paddled towards a rocky outcropping populated with tiny fish. His flippers moved slowly, magically, like he was a strange bird flying through his underwater kingdom. His small head turned from side to side as he swam. Maisy wanted to see more, but her lungs were already burning. She kicked back toward the surface.
“Wasn’t it beautiful?” Xander asked as they treaded water side by side.
“Yeah.” Maisy grinned. “It really was.”
They spent another hour or so in the water. Maisy grew more and more confident with her dives until she was able to almost reach the coral reef below. She managed to stay there for at least a few seconds, taking in the swarms of colorful fish and, once, following the turtle towards the surface. Being in the water, surrounded by such a breathtaking array of natural life, made Maisy feel weightless. It was as though all her worries on land were melting away. Her future didn’t seem to matter as much when she was swimming with a school of silvery fish or spotting an octopus hidden among shells and rocks on the ocean floor.
Xander seemed to feel the same way. He was able to dive and circle with such grace and endurance that Maisy found herself repeatedly impressed. She rested between dives by snorkeling along the surface, taking in the seascape below, but Xander was able to perform dive after dive with little pause in between.
Towards the end, Tom finally managed to track them down, and he took a few shots of Xander and Maisy holding hands and floating on the surface. Maisy was getting used to the feel of Xander’s hand in hers. That was a problem, but she was too relaxed to worry about it much.
When they hauled themselves out of the water, Maisy promptly wrapped herself in a towel and took a seat at the back of the boat. While they’d been in the water, she hadn’t felt self-conscious, but now she realized that her bikini was very revealing.
Xander had no such qualms. He grabbed a towel, then sprawled beside her with it flung over his shoulder. His bare chest, glistening with droplets of ocean water, was on full display. Maisy turned her attention to the waves on the other side of the boat.
“How was your snorkel?” Tom asked as he piloted the boat back towards shore.
“Amazing,” Maisy said. She quickly finished drying off and slipped her sundress back on.
“Definitely. A-Maise-ing.”
Maisy snorted. “That pun was terrible. And believe me, I’ve heard all the terrible puns about my name before.”
“I’ll see if I can think of any new ones.” Xander winked.
When they arrived back at the beach, a picnic had been set up on the sand. It looked like it had been cut out of a travel magazine. The picnic blanket was red-and-white-checked, and atop it sat a small wicker basket and a small metal container filled with ice and a bottle of champagne. When the boat came to a stop, Xander hopped off first, then held his hand out for Maisy.
“My lady.”
She took his hand and let him help her out of the boat. It was only safe. They waded through knee-high water to the sand, Maisy holding her skirt out of the water with her free hand. There, Maisy sat gracefully on the blanket, her knees to one side as she’d learned. Xander sprawled beside her, not seeming to care about how he looked but appearing effortlessly attractive even so.
Maisy took a deep breath. This was no time to notice how attractive Xander was. She reached for the picnic hamper and drew out two sandwiches, a fruit salad, a pair of lemonades in glass bottles, and a large package of fancy chips.
“Great. Let’s get a few shots of you two opening the champagne and toasting your marriage,” Safa prompted. Maisy was a little startled to see the publicist. She’d been so caught up in thoughts of how to behave around Xander that she hadn’t noticed much else.
“Right.” Xander reached for the bottle of champagne. He opened it effortlessly and poured a glass each for him and Maisy. Then they brought their glasses together in a posed clink, which they repeated several times until Safa was satisfied.
“Now let’s get a few shots of you chatting and enjoying each other’s company,” Safa instructed.
“Um.” Maisy raised a hand. “I just want to point out that my hair is all wet and stringy and I’m not wearing makeup anymore. Are we sure these are the shots you want?”
“We’ll make you look nicer in the post,” Safa said dismissively. “We just need some candid shots to work with.”
“Maisy, you look lovely,” Xander said firmly. “Wet hair or no.”
Maisy felt warmth spread through her limbs. Even though Xander was probably just teasing her as usual, it was nice to be complimented.
“Yes, yes, very lovely. Now, smile and hold up your sandwiches.”
About twenty minutes later, Safa appeared satisfied with the shots.
“I’ll leave the two of you here.” Safa stood, still looking at her camera. “The driver will take me to my hotel and be back to wait for you in about half an hour. You can return to the villa when you are ready. Just remember, when you’re outside the villa, you’re Niko and Maisy, married couple.”
Maisy nodded. Part of her wanted to ask Safa to take them back to the villa now so she wouldn’t have to sit awkwardly with Xander for at least half an hour, but it felt so good to be out of the villa that she didn’t say anything. The fresh air and change of scenery were worth a little awkwardness. Anyway, Safa wasn’t waiting for feedback. She was already making her way back up the stairs toward the car.
Maisy reached for a sandwich. It was cheese and tomato, which she enjoyed, but she couldn’t help feeling that there must be more local food somewhere. For a few minutes, they ate in rather tense silence. When they were doing something, Maisy could forget what a strange situation they were in and how Xander made her feel. But in moments like this, it was all too easy to remember.
“I’ve been thinking,” Xander said slowly.
“Hmm?” Maisy turned to him.
“You should just punch me in the face.”
“What?” Maisy shook her head. “I’m not going to punch you in the face, Xander.”
“No, you should. It would make us both feel better.” Xander presented his face. “Just give me a good whack.”
It dawned on Maisy that he was joking, but Xander didn’t know she knew that.
“Okay. Close your eyes, then.”
“Wait—”
“You offered. I’m taking you up on it. Close your eyes.”
To Maisy’s surprise, Xander actually did close his eyes. She reached into the picnic basket and withdrew a napkin. This she carefully perched on his head.
“Okay.”
“Maisy, I don’t think you know the meaning of hitting.” Xander opened his eyes and removed the napkin. “So, even?”
“Well, you ruined my life — and I put a napkin on your head, so…” Maisy shrugged. “I guess we can call it even. More or less.”
And it was true. For all that Maisy still found Xander extremely irritating, her fury must have boiled out of her blood and disappeared in the warm island air. She hadn’t forgiven him, but the edge was gone.
“Thanks.” Xander straightened up from his sprawled position and gave Maisy a serious look. “I haven’t been able to stop wondering what Niko was thinking.”
“What do you mean?” Maisy picked her sandwich up again and took a small bite.
“How could he stand you up like that? When he talked to you, did he tell you why he was having cold feet?”
“He just told me that he’d realized his duty meant more than doing what was right for his country, that he also had a duty to himself and to the people he loved. Which I suppose didn’t mean me.” Maisy set the sandwich back down. “But honestly, I don’t want to talk about Niko right now.”
“Oh. All right.”
They sat in silence for a long moment. Maisy wrestled with how to explain her feelings. As strange as it was, the mention of the man who was supposed to be her husband had cast a shadow over the day. Probably because it was a stark reminder of the life she’d be returning to as soon as their parents came up with a solution.
“Another topic.” Xander sprawled back into his earlier position. “Which was your favorite of the sea creatures we saw?”
“The turtle,” Maisy answered instantly. “It was just so cute.”
Xander chuckled. “It was. But I loved the octopus best. Did you see how he moved across the ground? It was so cool. He looked like an alien.”
“That was cool.” Maisy reached for her lemonade and took a sip. The champagne was quickly going flat, but there was no way she was risking getting drunk in front of Xander again.
“Here.” Xander handed her the box of fruit salad. “I pushed some mango pieces to the side for you. They’re your favorite, right?”
“Yeah.” Maisy held back a smile as she took the box and speared a cube of mango. “Thanks.”
The rest of the picnic went better. They chatted easily about the snorkeling and about Safa, then moved to discussing the plans for the next few days. When they decided to return to the villa, Maisy suggested that they walk partway, and Xander agreed. The driver dropped them off a mile or so from the villa, and they strolled along a narrow path that climbed the cliffs toward their destination. Maisy enjoyed stretching her legs and taking in some other parts of the island.
It wasn’t at all the honeymoon Maisy had imagined, nor was it with the brother she’d imagined being here with, but she had to admit that it wasn’t bad.