CHAPTER 14 #2
The space is decorated in subtle, brilliant white colours with gold and seashell accents.
The scent of frangipani and sea salt and something decidedly tropical floats through the air.
Large ceiling fans whir lazily above us, coating my moisture-slick skin with warm air, lifting my hair up and away from my sweaty neck.
And then, when I think it can’t get any better, there’s the view.
The lobby is perched up and above the rest of the resort, giving a 180 degree view of the infinity pool beyond us, the white sandy beaches just beyond that and the turquoise stunning ocean just beyond that.
My breath catches as I spin around in a circle.
The entire area has been designed to be an assault on the senses, and I can’t wait to explore it all.
“Your bungalow is through here,” Giselle guides us with a graceful wave of her hand.
My eyes wide like saucers, I follow behind her, aware of Nathan’s hulking presence by my side, but for once not totally consumed by him.
“Here is where you may like to come for breakfast.” Giselle motions to a gorgeous indoor-outdoor restaurant with white linens and wicker chairs.
The outside tables all face the ocean view, and I know I’ll be eating here every morning.
“Or you can choose to eat in your room. Just the two of you.” She winks at us and I blush down to the tips of my coral-painted toes.
“I like the sound of that,” Nathan drawls, his arm back around my shoulders.
“You shush,” I tell him with a playful glare. “Save your flirting for later.”
He pulls me in close to him. “With you, Kitty Kat, I have an endless supply of flirting.”
I wave my hands in front of my face (Oxygen! I need oxygen!) and ignore him, taking in for the first time where we are going.
“Nathan. Why are we walking away from the resort?”
He frowns as his gaze sweeps around us. “I don’t know. My mother sorted out all the details.”
I hum in response, my nerves and my excitement in a race for pole position when I see where Giselle is leading us.
It’s like it’s been taken from my Pinterest page, my vision board and my dreams. A long, wooden pier-like structure with little tentacles jutting off from either side, like arms. And at the end of the arm is a bungalow.
An. Over. The. Water. Bungalow! The most luxurious of all luxurious places to stay.
“Do you like it?” Nathan whispers when I stop to just stare.
My lungs inflate with glee. “Like it? Nathan, this place is magical.”
His answering grin is as warm as it is sexy, like my happiness makes him happy. “Then let’s go check it out.”
We walk together to where Giselle is waiting with an inviting smile. “Welcome to your home away from home.” She waves us through the open door, and I immediately lose my breath and my mind.
This place is everything. And more. Upon entering the bungalow, my eyes dart to the wide-open doors, where the outside space beckons me to ‘come closer.’ In a dream-like state, I all but float outside and gasp.
There is a large deck with two lounge-chairs angled for the perfect viewing pleasure.
Next to this is a small, round, white staccato soaking tub, with an outdoor shower and a wispy white curtain for privacy.
Just beyond this are three steps taking you down to another lounging area, complete with more lounge chairs; these are squishy-looking, like a fancy beanbag chair you want to fall into and never get up.
And then, when it can’t get any better, off to the side of this small deck area is a hammock.
Big enough for two people to lie down comfortably.
At this time of the day, late afternoon, the tide is high enough to submerge parts of the hammock and I can picture myself lying there and reading, while the ocean water cools me from the bottom up.
“This is incredible,” I sigh as I make my way back up to where Nathan is standing, watching me with that soft expression again. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
His gaze is intense as it travels over me. “It’s me who should thank you,” he replies, his hand on my lower back urging me towards the inside of the bungalow. “And don’t thank me just yet. We may have a problem.”
I frown at him. Has he not seen this place? Problems simply cannot exist here. It’s too wonderful for problems.
“What do you mean?”
He nudges me forward, and I follow his lead, peering back inside. Wow, it’s almost as pretty as the outside.
“What?” I question as we step in from the bright sunshine.
It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust, but now that they have, from where I’m standing, it’s all spectacular.
As you enter the room, the hardwood floor is peppered with glass floor panels, so you can see the ocean from the inside!
The ceilings are high and vaulted, with a large ceiling fan bringing in and distributing the cool Caribbean Ocean air.
Off to the side is a large flatscreen TV, and beyond that is a decadent-looking bathroom, complete with a large free-standing bath and a rainfall shower.
My eyes dance over the smaller details, the candles on every surface, the jar of biscuits on the table next to the bed—
The bed. Singular.
Ah. This is the problem. The king-size, large as this island, plush as a marshmallow, bed. The bed. The only one bed.
I turn to face Nathan, whose eyes are glued to me, noting the exact moment the realisation finally hits me. His eyebrows raise as my cheeks catch on fire, my gaze drifting back to the offending piece of furniture right in the middle of the room.
Me, Nathan and the bed. All in the one room. Why hadn’t I thought about this before now? I’m a reader of romance; this is not an unheard-of scenario for me.
“It’ll be fine,” I blurt out into the heavy silence.
He smirks as he stalks towards me. “Are you sure?”
I glance at the bed and back at the man in front of me, the man more beautiful than anything else I’ve seen today.
“Yes, I’m sure,” I lie. “Of course we’re sharing a bed. It’s what couples do.”
His eyes flare while his cheeks tinge with pink, and I take a small step away, backing outside to draw in a deep, cooling breath. This is what we’re here for. To be a couple. Sharing a bed will be fine.
I look back at Nathan, who still hasn’t torn his eyes away from me, and wonder when I got so good at lying. Nothing about this will be fine. I’m going to be sharing a bed with Mr Nathan Jackson.
The Mr Nathan Jackson.
Yikes.