Chapter 2
Maddox reached forCiara’s hand as they made their way out of the main dining area. He hadn’t been feeding her a line earlier when he’d told her that it was nice to see her again. Until he’d walked in and saw her sitting at a table by herself, he hadn’t been sure if things would change or not this would be the year.
He still couldn’t get over the way he’d initially met her. It hadn’t been ideal in the beginning because of his unpleasant break-up with his ex-girlfriend. But the chemistry between him and Ciara had been too strong to deny.
Still, no one had been more surprised than him when she’d agreed to his proposition. One that had lasted for five years. Even if it was only for one week out of the year. It was seven days he’d come to really look forward to.
He glanced at her as they stepped out into the bright sun. Her face was perfectly oval, and he couldn’t wait to touch her creamy hazelnut-colored skin. Her curly hair was twisted up into one of the unique styles she liked to wear. It highlighted her delicate feminine features.
She was several inches shorter than his own six feet and two inches, but with the right pair of heels, her legs appeared to go on for miles in a way that enhanced her curvy figure. Then there were her expressive hazel-colored eyes and infectious laugh.
He definitely looked forward to the next seven days.
His life back home consisted of a demanding job and a raucous extended family. For the past five years, this week of bliss had been a slice of paradise for him.
“It’s amazing how the beauty never seems to fade here,” Ciara stated as they walked along the paved path.
“The same could be said about you,” he replied.
Her steps faltered slightly before resuming their easy gait. “Thank you,” she murmured.
It wasn’t the first compliment he’d given her, but this one seemed to affect her in a way he hadn’t noticed before. Then again, something was different about her. He’d felt it the moment he’d seen her sitting at the table in the main dining area.
What it was, he didn’t know. He wasn’t confident that seven days would be long enough to figure it out. Not that he was supposed to. That went beyond the boundaries they’d set.
He turned his attention back to the scenery before him. That was a safer territory. Blue Paradise hadn’t changed much over the past year. The all-inclusive resort was a tropical escape. It offered all of the entertainment and amenities one could want. From several restaurants to an outdoor theatre to clean beaches. There was something for everyone without you having to step off the property.
They walked until she yawned for the third time. With a squeeze of her hand, he turned and led them back toward the central part of the resort. Once they reached the entrance, he looked over at her.
“You’re tired. Go take a nap, finish getting settled, then we can meet for dinner in a few hours.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” she replied. “I’m in room eighteen.”
“Twenty-three,” he countered with a grin. “Not too far apart.”
He walked her the rest of the way to her room before pressing his lips briefly to hers. Exercising every bit of self-restraint he had, he pulled away.
“Is six o’clock okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “Perfect. I’ll see you then.”
Maddox waited until she was safely inside her room before heading to his own room. He wasn’t tired, so he grabbed a water bottle from the mini-fridge and then stepped out onto the patio. A few minutes later, he settled into a lounge chair and stared out at the water.
He was excited to be back in Nosy Be. While he usually took two or three vacations a year, this was the one he’d come to look forward to the most. Mainly because this was the one that he took for him. The other one or two was usually a boy’s trip with his high school or college friends.
This vacation was a guilty pleasure, just for him.
Well, he and Ciara.
There was something about her that was addictive. It had been from the moment he’d met her. He could kick back and enjoy himself carefree for a week. It was a part of the reason he returned year after year.
As an application developer for a finance company, he was responsible for the coding, designing, application management, troubleshooting, monitoring updates, possible security threats, and end-user support.
His job paid him well, and the benefits couldn’t be beaten, so he couldn’t complain that much. Even so, that didn’t make his job any less stressful.
Reaching for the water bottle, he opened it and drank half of it before placing it back on the table.
Priorities in life had started to shift for him. He began to think about things that he hadn’t at thirty-seven. The idea of commitment didn’t make him break out in hives the way it used to. The irony was the only person in his life that was a prospect was the woman he had a one-week arrangement with.
Their chemistry was off the charts during their time together, but he didn’t know if it could be more than that. He did know that his thoughts had started to drift to her more often when they weren’t together over the past two years. He found himself wanting to learn more about her. A lot more than they’d agreed to.
A part of him wanted to confess his thoughts to Ciara, but a larger part didn’t want to mess up what they had. For a week, he was carefree and laughed in a way that he usually didn’t when not in Nosy Be.
It was a residual feeling that generally lasted for a few weeks when he returned home. Even his youngest sister, Hanna, had picked up on it. Usually, he brushed her off, but last year he’d ended up confessing when she hadn’t let the subject drop. Then he’d made her swear to secrecy.
Fortunately, it was Hanna, so he didn’t doubt that she’d keep the information to herself. On the other hand, if it had been his brother, Jake, he’d probably have his entire family hiding out in his room, trying to catch a glimpse of Ciara.
The image of that made him chuckle. His family could be a lot for the average person to handle. They were boisterous, and usually, one had to shout to be heard when everyone piled into their parent’s home. He actually kept a pair of earplugs in his pocket for the monthly Sunday dinners at their place.
Life had definitely been interesting for him growing up. A lot had been required of him, being the oldest child. That experience helped shape him into the person he’d become and was partly responsible for his involvement with Ciara. That was the only thing she knew about his family, but he didn’t know anything about hers. That was a part of their agreement.
While he’d help to create the rules between him and Ciara, he was starting to realize that they may need to be revamped. It was a conversation he planned to have a little later with her. He needed to know how she felt because things were definitely changing for him.