Chapter 9
Ciara tried to taperher excitement as she checked her snorkeling equipment before waiting for the attendant. She hadn’t been happy when Maddox had coaxed her out of bed before sunrise. Even more so when he’d revealed that he had a surprise and it would require her to get out of her cozy bed and leave the room.
Just as they’d finished getting dressed, room service had knocked on the door with another surprise from Maddox. A light breakfast to get their day started. With each gesture, she’d grown more curious.
Once they’d finished eating, he’d given her an envelope, revealing the major surprise. They were going to spend the day discovering the archipelago of Nosy Be.
It had taken her a moment to understand what he’d done. Once she had, the grumpiness she’d felt dissipated. As sad as it was to say, she’d never ventured away from the Blue Paradise resort in the five years that she’d been to the Nosy Be. There had never been any reason for her to.
Now, she realized just how much she’d missed out on by staying in her comfort zone. The symbolism wasn’t lost on her. Maddox was pushing her to do things that she usually didn’t. Not just with him but in general.
Because of that, she’d spent time in Nosy Komba, where lemurs, chameleons, wood sculptors, and artisanal markets were abundant. It had taken everything in her to make minimal purchases.
They were now at Nosy Tanikely, donning gear for a snorkeling excursion through the underwater garden.
Afterward, they were going to head to the beach of Madirokely to have lunch before a final stop at Nosy Sakatia, where they would swim with giant sea turtles if time permitted.
There was no doubt in her mind that this would be one of the most memorable days of this vacation. Maddox was going to make sure of it.
Seeing this side of him left her feeling conflicted. It was apparent that he was a good guy. He’d gone out of his way to prove that to her just by being himself. But she had a secret. One that stood to turn everything on its head.
As much as she wanted to blurt it out, she knew it would change everything. He might have said nothing would change between them if things didn’t work out this week, but she knew better. There was no going back for her and Maddox. This was it. She had a feeling he knew that as well.
Her attention was pulled back to the present when the excursion attendant stopped in front of her. Once he was satisfied that she was safe, he went to the person next to her.
She turned to look at Maddox, who looked adorable in his snorkel mask. He made a goofy face, only emphasized by the plastic and rubber protecting his face causing her to crack up.
It took her several minutes to compose herself, but once she did, she reached out and took his hand in hers, giving it a light squeeze.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He brought her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips to it. “You’re welcome. I’m just glad you’re enjoying yourself.”
“I am. A lot. This is something that I would have never thought to do.”
“That can be said about many things,” he retorted.
She smiled. “I know, and I get where you’re going. I’m keeping an open mind about it all.”
“Good. That’s all I want.”
Several minutes later, all thoughts of what could be between them faded to the background as she slid into the water. They didn’t have to go far before being surrounded by fish and corral. The beautiful site before her was almost too much to take in. She moved idly through the water, taking her time to explore everything with Maddox by her side.
On occasion, he would touch her arm to point out something. By the time the expedition was over, she didn’t want to leave. It was similar to the feeling she had whenever her time with Maddox came to an end.
That thought stayed in her mind during the rest of their excursion. She snuggled closer to him on the way back to the resort.
“I hope you had a good time today.”
“I did,” she replied. “Thank you for this wonderful surprise.”
“You’re welcome. It won’t be the last,” he promised.
“I look forward to it,” she admitted.
And she did.
“Do we have dinner reservations tonight?” she asked.
“No. I thought we’d catch dinner at the open-air beachside restaurant before we go to the theatre and take in a show.”
“Sounds good to me,” she murmured.
“Good. Bring a change of clothes. If you want, we can leave them in my room so that you don’t have to carry a large tote tonight.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you at your room. We can leave for dinner from there.”
He walked her to her room before handing her the bag of purchases she’d made today. She pressed her lips before taking a step back.
“See you in a few,” she murmured before stepping inside her room.
Once the door closed, she leaned against it and chuckled. She hadn’t felt this carefree in a long time. After a few seconds ticked by, she pushed away from the door and began getting ready.
Unfortunately, she had to wash her hair because of the water expeditions today, but it was worth it. Instead of trying to do something fancy, she added her detangle serum and leave-in conditioner, then parted her hair and braided it down to her scalp in two French braids. Once she was finished, her arms felt like gelatin, but she knew the alternative would be worse.
Several minutes later, she was ready. Knowing that it would be another late night, she reached for her phone and fired off a few texts to her family to check-in, letting them know she was okay. She reassured them that she was fine before grabbing her tote back and small purse. Then she headed for Maddox’s room.
The sound of her knock barely died off before the door swung open. Her heart rate kicked up a notch at the sight of him. The man was gorgeous as sin, but he wasn’t arrogant about it. That made him even sexier.
“Long time, no see,” she teased as she entered his room.
He laughed as he closed the door. “So long that I’d almost forgotten what you look like. By the way, you’re gorgeous. I like your hair like that.”
“Thank you,” she murmured as she instinctively patted it. “I did it out of desperation because I didn’t want my hair to tangle. There was no way I’d be able to do the full hair maintenance required after a day in the water, but this will do until I can do the full routine tomorrow.”
Concern flickered across his expression. “Sorry, I didn’t think about that when I planned the surprise for today. You should have said something.”
She reached out and squeezed his forearm. “It’s not a big deal. Ocean water is fine. Pool water is a different story. I really enjoyed today. However, you may be on hair assistant duty tomorrow, so get ready.”
One of his eyebrows arched upward. “Are you sure you want to make me a part of that process?”
“Yes. Your arms are much stronger than mine. I have no doubt that all those muscles will come in handy.”
She ran her fingertips over his bicep and was rewarded with a heated look.
“Come on before you start something that makes up miss dinner,” he grumbled before stepping away.
She laughed as she turned to walk over to the sofa and placed her bag on it. “I’ll be sure to save room for dessert,” she teased as she turned back toward him.
“Come on here,” he replied with a playful swat to her butt.
She didn’t hide her moan as she opened the door, and he groaned in response before reaching for her hand. As he tugged her down the hallway, she chuckled. It felt good to know that she tempted him that much. It was almost as much as he tempted her.