Chapter 15
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
Josie
Next morning, I woke up with a headache, as if I was hungover. No surprise, since I’d only gotten a few hours of sleep.
I’d expected Hunter to already be up and about, but a quick peek in his room showed that he was still fast asleep. Then again, he’d already finished packing before the wedding. As usual, I’d left some details until the very last minute.
I still had to sort out my cosmetics. As I stuffed all my creams and scrubs in the toiletries bag, I caught a glimpse of my wedding ring, and it dawned on me that I was a married woman.
Holy shit. I was legally bound to the six feet of sexiness currently sleeping in the guest room.
I was married to Hunter Caldwell, my best friend, and teenage crush.
A mix of panic and euphoria overwhelmed me, and I had to lean against the wall of the bathroom and press the heel of my palm on my collarbone to calm down.
Then I headed to the foyer, where Hunter had already brought our bags.
I wondered if he had a reservation confirmation from the hotel somewhere.
He hadn’t wanted to tell me the name of the hotel, insisting he wanted an element of surprise.
I had a sneaking suspicion he actually hadn’t wanted me to research the price, but eh… he was asleep now. How would he know I snooped around?
I hunched over to find the zipper to his bag.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
I startled so badly that I nearly plowed headfirst into the door.
My heart was beating so fast, I felt I was going to be sick as I straightened up and whirled around to Hunter.
He was wearing pajama pants and nothing else.
The pants hung low enough on his hips that I had a prime view of the V-lines pointing downward. Don’t stare. Don’t stare.
I forced my gaze up. Right, at the first opportunity I got, I was buying him some decent pajamas.
“I just wanted to put my toiletries in the bag,” I said with as much innocence as I could muster. Hunter narrowed his eyes, stepping closer.
“My bag?”
“I don’t have enough space in mine.” It was true, but I was sure my cheeks were pink.
“There’s something else too. You wanted to look at what hotel we’re going to.”
“Not at all.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. In a fraction of a second, he wrapped one arm around me, pinning me against the entrance door. His hips were pressing against mine, keeping me immobile.
“Tell me what you were up to.”
“Or what?”
“I can think about a few torture methods to lure the truth out of you.”
His bare chest was almost touching my torso, and then there would be nothing separating us except my very thin cotton dress.
My senses were completely assaulted by this man and it wasn’t even nine o’clock in the morning.
Two full weeks in a romantic resort in the Maldives, where I’d be seeing enough of him shirtless to tempt me on an hourly basis? Things were not looking good for me.
“Fine, I admit it. I admit it. I wanted to know the name of the hotel.”
“See? That wasn’t so hard.”
Was I imagining it, or was he looking at my lips? His skin felt so impossibly hot against me.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
“How soon?” I grinned. I couldn’t help it.
“Patience.” He motioned to my toiletries bag. “That’s all you need me to stuff in my luggage?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Go get ready, and I’ll pack it up.”
“You don’t trust me, do you?” I rolled my eyes. “I wouldn’t peek.”
“Think I’m going to believe you after catching you red-handed?”
He had a point, so I turned on my heels, heading to my room to change into my travel attire—jeans and a polo shirt.
Half an hour later, we were in the back of a cab, heading to the airport.
Hunter was silent, looking out the window.
From time to time he touched his wedding band—we wore identical platinum rings.
I wondered if he felt the same panic and euphoria I did.
The same attraction . I couldn’t think like that. It was silly.
At the airport, the driver wheeled the carriage with our bags right inside the building.
“I wish you all the best on your honeymoon,” he said.
Hunter took over, pushing the baggage cart toward the business class check-in area.
“Good morning, sir,” the check-in lady said, taking the passports Hunter handed her.
She scanned them while a man took care of our luggage.
“Would you like me to print out the tickets, or do you have them on your phone?”
“Print them, please,” Hunter said. After we received them, we headed to the TSA checkpoint.
“Still not going to tell me the name of the hotel? I want to do my research about the activities they offer.”
“You’ll have plenty of time once we arrive.”
The line advanced, and I moved with it, startling a little when Hunter wrapped an arm around me from behind, bringing his lips to my ear.
“Told you I’d make these years the best, Josie. Just trust me on that.”
I did trust him. The problem was, I didn’t know how I’d manage to go back to how things were once we divorced.
“If you want me to trust you, that means you actually have to tell me things,” I teased.
“We’ll get to that. Baby steps.”
After security, we headed straight to the business lounge. “So, this is how you travel all the time?” I asked him, sitting cross-legged on a leather armchair big enough for two of me. “I could get used to it.”
We were served champagne and canapes right before boarding began. I already had a happy buzz going on and was a bit mad at myself for that, because I wanted to experience everything .
When we were shown to our seats, I immediately began poking every button and trying every single position for the seat.
I only stopped when I caught Hunter staring at me with a strange expression.
“What?”
“I forgot how much you enjoy new things.”
Unfazed, I checked every item on the menu, accepting yet another glass of champagne. Then I glanced at my ring, touched it. “Does it feel weird?”
He gave me a small smile. “I honestly never thought I’d wear one. How about you?”
“I freaked a little this morning,” I admitted in a small voice.
“So did I. But I think it’s normal. It’s not a small thing, and the implications are…
well… we both know them.” He frowned, then half turned, leaning in closer.
For a fraction of a second, I thought he was going to kiss me, leave no doubt for everyone that we were in love, but instead he said, “If you regret it…”
“Too late, I already signed on the dotted line.”
“We can get an annulment.”
The mere word made me sad. What was up with that?
I tried to sound playful as I said, “And miss out on the Maldives?”
“After we get back. It’s easier to get a marriage annulled during the first fourteen days,” he said in a low voice, barely a whisper.
“It’s generally not easy to get an annulment.”
“It’s doable. So if you change your mind after we’re back, you can still get out of this.”
“But that wouldn’t help you at all,” I protested.
“I’ll deal with the fallout. I just….” He shook his head, as if he couldn’t find his words, which was so unlike Hunter. “I’m just afraid that this is going to change things between us, all the pressure, the expectations. You’re my best friend, Josie. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t. Who’s overthinking things now?” I tried to sound playful again. Yesterday, I’d felt so connected to him. His kisses had felt so real. And last night… he’d probably had a little too much to drink. That was all. I’d been projecting my own feelings onto him.
I spent the rest of the journey watching movies.
Midway through the flight, Hunter turned his chair into a bed and slept like a rock.
He was used to flying. I, on the other hand, grew restless after only a couple of hours and didn’t sleep a wink.
When we landed in Dubai, I was already done for, and we had yet another long flight ahead of us.
“If you lie down, you might fall asleep eventually,” Hunter suggested.
But lying down made me even more restless. Eventually, the exhaustion won.
I woke up when the stewardess leaned in to say, “The plane is starting the descent. Please put your chairs in an upright position.”
I rubbed my eyes, then scrambled into a sitting position, glancing out the window.
“We’re over the ocean,” I told Hunter, who was still lying down, rubbing his eyes. “The water is dark blue. I suppose it’s because it’s still deep here. I wonder if it’s really as turquoise as it always is in pictures. With all the filters and effects these days, you never know.”
Hunter was grinning.
“What?” I asked.
“Your enthusiasm is adorable.”
“Why aren’t you enthusiastic? You’ve never been either.”
“I am enthusiastic. But clearly, there’s normal enthusiasm and Josie-level.”
“Don’t make me poke you this early in the morning.”
“You’re welcome to try. I think I know how to win this argument.”
He looked at my lips. I blushed, returning my attention to the window. I tried to remember all the activities one could do on the Maldives.
“I can’t wait to take scuba diving courses. Do you think our hotel offers them? You bad man. I would’ve researched if you had told me beforehand.”
“The hotel staff will fill us in. Already told them you’re eager to try everything.”
I turned around to face him. “ We are going to try everything.”
“No, thanks. I’m good at the beach.”
“What if I take off with the instructor?”
His eyes flashed, and he leaned in a tad. Just enough that I could feel every exhale on my lips.
“I’ll have to sharpen my seduction skills, won’t I, wife ?”
I swallowed, looking away. “What kind of husband are you, leaving your wife to go off on her own?”
“One who thinks she can take care of herself even though she is crazy enough to go underwater with an air tube strapped to her back. Do you know how much can go wrong? And it’s all out of your control.”
It suddenly clicked in my brain why he was so against it.
“You know what I think?” I asked.
“What?”
“You need to learn how to give up being in control a bit. It’ll be good for you.”
“No chance.”
“I’m going to change your mind.”
“You haven’t managed that in fifteen years.”
I grinned saucily. “No, but… I’m your wife now. I can use so many more tricks, just wait and see.”