Chapter 8 #2
“We’re fine,” Lucas said. He dragged himself out of the water, using arm strength instead of the ladder, and stood, dripping, on the dock.
Kendra’s mouth almost fell open. While she probably looked like a wet rat, Lucas somehow looked like he was in an advertisement for the resort.
His T-shirt clung to his defined chest and biceps, and when he ran a hand through his hair, it somehow fell perfectly back into place.
“Would you like to give kayaking another try?” Susie asked. “You still have an hour left.”
Kendra and Lucas exchanged a glance and shook their heads. “No, thank you.”
Susie looked between them, the line between her brows deepening. “Is everything okay with you guys?”
“We’re fine,” Kendra said. Her voice was a little too sharp.
“Yes, very much in love.” Lucas spoke sharply, too, and Susie looked even more worried.
“Don’t worry; I’ll set up a nice dinner for you.” For once, her tone wasn’t filled with enthusiasm. “We really want you to have a wonderful time here.”
With that, she hurried off toward the main resort building. Kendra and Lucas exchanged a look.
“We have a little while until dinner,” Kendra said finally. “I’m going to go wash the seawater off.”
“Enjoy.” Lucas’s voice was cold. “I’ll walk around.”
They walked together down the dock. When Kendra turned toward the hotel building at the end of the dock, Lucas turned the opposite way.
Finally alone, Kendra wound her way past the sunbathing beach, an infinity pool that overlooked the water, and the resort’s ice-cream stand.
Pausing, she doubled back to the ice-cream stand.
“Hi, could I get a scoop of mint chip in a cone, please?” she asked. The man working at the stand dished her up a scoop, and Kendra scanned her card, which luckily still worked despite the dip in the ocean.
“Here you are.” He handed over the cone, then looked over Kendra’s shoulder. “Are you here alone?”
“Of course not.” Kendra forced a smile. “My husband went up to the room.”
“I see.” But the man still looked concerned.
Apparently, it was very unusual to even walk around the resort without being part of a couple.
As Kendra licked her ice cream, savoring the cold minty flavor, she scanned the resort.
Sure enough, everyone was in twos. A young couple swam circles around each other in the pool, smiling big goofy smiles.
An older couple relaxed side by side on lounge chairs, enjoying scoops of ice cream.
Another couple passed hand in hand, giving Kendra strange looks.
So much for her plan of sneaking away from Lucas and enjoying time to herself. She stuck out like a sore thumb, and it was drawing a lot of attention that she didn’t want.
Kendra headed back to the room, finishing the last of her ice cream as she went.
The cold soothed her aching throat, and she felt a little better.
In the room, she took a shower, washing the salt out of her hair and putting on lotion.
Stepping out, she wrapped a towel around herself and went to find some clothes.
When she opened the bathroom door, though, she almost ran into Lucas.
“What are you doing here?” She pulled the towel tighter around herself, suddenly very aware that she was wearing nothing underneath. “I thought you were walking around.”
His gaze drifted over her, from her bare feet to her wet hair, and Kendra felt strangely warm. She hugged the towel tighter as her cheeks heated.
“I was, but apparently, being alone at this resort is like being a leper. Everyone kept asking where my partner was.”
“I had the same experience.” Kendra edged past him and went to her suitcase, where she found a sundress, a bra, and underwear.
“I think we should both wear clothes around the suite from now on,” Lucas added as she straightened up.
“I would have, but I thought you were going to be out.” Kendra edged back toward the bathroom. “This is your fault.”
“Right, because everything is my fault.” He rolled his eyes as she slipped into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her.
She slumped against the wall, her heart beating a little too fast. It took her a moment to calm down before she changed into her sundress and did her hair.
When she exited the bathroom again, she kept her chin up and her gaze steady as if she hadn’t almost flashed this stranger.
“Nice dress,” Lucas said, hardly looking up from his phone. He was sitting on the loveseat in the sitting area again.
“So, it looks like we’re stuck with each other for a bit.” Kendra found her own phone. Her eyes widened at the number of messages, and she put the phone on her bedside table without reading any of them. “Should we go to dinner early? I’m starving.”
“I suppose.” Lucas stood and brushed past her. He paused in the bathroom doorway. “I am going to shower first, though. And in case you’re wondering, I will be wearing clothes when I come out.”
Kendra blushed again, looking away. “I wasn’t wondering.”
“Good.” He closed the door, finally leaving her in blissful peace.
At least for a few minutes. She sank onto the side of the bed.
This day was a nightmare, and it wasn’t even over yet.
They still had dinner to sit through, and if the rest of the resort was any indication, it was going to be both intimate and romantic.
Both words were the opposite of how she wanted to feel with Lucas.
They were the opposite of how she wanted to feel at all.