Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Tristan
As I drifted back into consciousness, I was vaguely aware of the warmth of a body in front of me. I pulled her tighter toward me, filling my lungs with her sweet scent. Was I dreaming? Who was I holding?
Oh yes, that would be my wife.
I opened one eye and realized we were spooning in the middle of the enormous bed. I chuckled to myself. I was pretty sure that was the most chaste first night this suite had ever seen. Parker moved in my arms as she woke.
“Good morning,” I whispered.
She froze and when I tried to pull her closer to relax her, she placed her hands over mine and opened them to free herself, rolled over, and then sat upright. She looked at herself up and down, presumably to see if she was still dressed. “Is it morning?”
“The clock over there says eight fifteen and there’s light coming through the curtains, so I’m going to go with yes, it’s morning.”
She stared at me like I’d just told her we were about to embark on an ascent of Everest.
“What’s the problem?” I asked.
“You were spooning me,” she said.
“Apparently, I like to spoon my wife in my sleep. And given the way your arse was nestled in my crotch, I’m thinking you liked it too. Is that a problem?”
“We need to get some pillows for down the center of the bed,” she said, leaping to her feet. “I’ll call room service. Tonight should be better.” She was a little on edge for my liking. She’d woken up in my arms, not naked with my head between her legs.
I needed a shower. Preferably a cold one.
I groaned and rolled out of bed. “I’m going for a shower. There’s room in there for two if you’re up for it.”
She gave me an eye roll any seventeen-year-old girl would be proud of. I stripped off my t-shirt as I headed into the bathroom.
“You should probably wait to be in private before you change,” she called after me.
“Can’t handle it?” I asked her.
Parker had been stressed before the wedding. I wasn’t sure what was up with her. Sometimes I wondered if she just didn’t like to enjoy herself. But I was determined to enjoy myself this holiday. We were here for ten days. We might as well make the most of it.
I had a long, hot shower, pulled a towel around my waist and went to check out the view. On the way, I picked up a brochure of activities. Parker was on the terrace with a pot of coffee and two mugs, so I slid open the doors and stepped out.
She turned, her sharp black bob slicing the thick, hot air, her eyes covered with large, black sunglasses. “Are you really going to walk around like that all holiday?”
I glanced down at my towel. “What are you talking about?”
“Never mind. I ordered you coffee.” She nodded to the coffee pot.
“What a good wife you are.” She shot me a look that told me if she thought she could take me in a fight, she would. I chuckled to myself, topped up her coffee then poured out a fresh cup for myself.
“So what’s on the agenda today?” I asked. “You seem like you’re in a feisty mood. Maybe a little shark wrestling?”
“Agenda? We have an agenda?” She glanced down at the brochure I’d put on the table.
“Not a formal one. I just wondered what you fancied doing today. Cocktails on the beach? A boat trip? Or maybe you just want to ogle me in a towel for the rest of the day?”
“You wish I wanted to ogle you in a towel for the rest of the day.” I swear I caught a flicker of a grin at the corners of her mouth.
“I was just planning on reading my book here on the terrace. Taking in the views. Maybe having a dip in the plunge pool. But if you want to do something a little more adventurous, don’t let me stop you. ”
I took a sip of my coffee. “Absolutely not.”
“You don’t like the coffee?”
“The coffee’s just fine. The idea of you holing up here on your own with a book is absolutely not okay.”
She lowered her glasses to the end of her nose and stared at me. “I’m not asking you to stay. You go wrestle sharks or whatever other adventurous activity you want to participate in. I’ll stay shark-free, if you don’t mind.”
“Nope. Nope. Nope. This is our honeymoon. I’m sure we can find something we both want to do.”
“If you want to stay here and read, then we found something. Otherwise, we can agree to disagree.”
I watched as she pretended to read. It was obvious she wasn’t actually reading, but something was off with her and I didn’t know what. I’d seen her overwhelmed before. I’d seen her feeling guilty for lying to everyone she loved. But I hadn’t seen her like this.
I sipped my coffee and took in the view. I didn’t want to leave her for the day. Not when she clearly wasn’t happy. I wanted to understand. I wanted to make it better.
“Tell me what’s going on?”
“Nothing,” she replied and my gut churned in frustration. For some reason, I could lie to her family and I could watch her do the same. But I just didn’t like her lying to me. “I just want to read my book.”
“But you’re not reading your book. You’re just staring at the page. Parker, we might not be really husband and wife, but you should have realized by now that I’m a really good friend. Tell me what’s going on?”
She slid her book onto the table and pushed up her sunglasses. “If I tell you, will you leave me alone?”
I winced. “Not promising anything.”
She laughed. “At least you’re honest.” She smiled a long, lazy smile.
“I’m straight-up exhausted. I thought the wedding was the end of it—you know, the push and pull with my mum and Lauren, worrying about the questions I was going to get asked, having to choose my dress, flowers, venues.
I thought that after we were married, I’d finally be allowed to relax, but then I had to run around and organize work so I could come to Mexico and we had to race to the airport and—I’m just sick of having everyone’s eyes on me.
If we go down to the pool or we go on a boat trip or whatever, we’re going to be the honeymoon couple in the honeymoon suite and I’m just .
. . sick of people looking at me. I’m sick of people talking to me.
I’m sick of talking. I just want to hole up and not speak to another living soul for the entire time I’m here. ”
It made sense. She wanted to hibernate. No doubt she’d be happier if she was at home in her messy little nest of a flat, behind a locked door with nothing but a book and Uber Eats for company. But we could do a little better than that. We were in Mexico, after all.
“Well, given I’m your husband and I’m in charge of making you happy—especially on your honeymoon—I’m going to make that happen. With one exception.”
She groaned.
“I’m sorry,” I continued, “but you’re going to have to look at my face. I promise I won’t talk to you and you don’t have to talk to me. I’m just not leaving you on your own. Not during our honeymoon. It doesn’t seem right.”
“Okay,” she said. “You’re going mute for this entire holiday, are you?”
I shrugged.
The silence had started.
“Tristan, don’t be an idiot. You can talk.
I just might not talk back. For a few days at least. But I don’t mind if you want to go out and explore—do water sports, get drunk at the bar, go eat sushi— Scratch that, don’t eat sushi if you want to share a bed.
At this point, any hint of sushi breath will guarantee you a lap full of vomit. ”
I shook my head and pointed to the ground, indicating I was staying put. I wasn’t going anywhere without her.
She shrugged and went back to her book. I went inside, slid on some shorts and grabbed my laptop.
I started going through my emails. After about an hour, I moved to one of the sun loungers just along from where Parker was sitting.
About forty minutes later, Parker joined me on the lounger next to mine.
It felt like a kind of victory, but maybe I was reading too much into it.
Just before eleven, she pulled off the white dress she’d been wearing, revealing a red bikini that showed off all her curves.
She pulled on an oversized sun hat and wandered to the plunge pool.
My mouth dropped open like a lovesick, cartoon puppy.
The parts she kept hidden were just as mesmerizing as everything on display.
She was gorgeous.
We spent the rest of the day not exchanging a word.
At around one, I asked our butler to create a small buffet.
When it arrived, I made her a plate and put it on the table next to the lounger.
Our butler mixed up some drinks and left them in the fridge, so I made sure both our glasses were kept topped up.
At just before three, she tried to apply sunscreen to her back, so I took the bottle from her and slowly rubbed in the lotion to every exposed part of her back. She thanked me with a smile.
By seven, long after the sun had set, Parker closed her book, picked up the array of glasses and plates we’d gotten through and took them inside, then headed to the bathroom.
I took a quick shower after her and at eight thirty, handed her a glass of champagne. In my head, I wished her a happy honeymoon. After dinner, she put on her pig pajamas and slid under the bedsheet. I got in the other side and faced her.
She reached over and stroked her palm down my face. “Thank you for today.” My heart thundered in my chest at the sound of her voice. It was like I hadn’t heard her speak for weeks. “It’s the nicest gift anyone ever gave me.”
I was more than happy she was happy, but I wasn’t quite sure what I’d done.
“It means so much that you listened to me and gave me a chance to recharge. And I’m also pleased you didn’t listen to me and leave me on my own.”
I trailed my fingers up her arm. “There’s no one I’d rather say nothing to than you.” It was true. Today had been the most comfortable I’d ever been in silence. Most comfortable I’d ever been with any woman.
She blushed at the compliment. “You sleepy?” she asked.
My hand slipped down her back and began to trace the outline of her spine. “No. You?”
She slid her leg between mine and shook her head.