Chapter 14
“So,” Marsha said once Kat was settled back into the hot seat. “Duke’s still opting for the couch, eh?”
The camera light glowed red as Kat nodded in reply. “Yes,” she said. “He’s been a perfect gentleman.”
“Some women might take that as a sign that…that he’s not attracted to them in that way. Is that a fear you have?”
A new sort of heat fanned through her. An unpleasant burn from her head to her throat. He did say he bore his soul during his sessions. Would she look like a fool for all to see? Would viewers watch back to back clips—her confessing her feelings, him regretting that there weren’t any?
“Of course,” she answered, then gulped. “But I’m just going to take it day by day.”’
“You put a lot of faith into this process,” Marsha said next. “It’s one of the reasons our specialists had you at the top of their list. Compared to the morning of the wedding, before you walked down the aisle, how much has that level of faith shifted?”
Just what kind of question was that? Kat could barely process a response as she replayed the woman’s words in her mind.
The disturbing part lay in the preface. “You said the specialists had me at the top of their list because of how much faith I had in the process?” She’d been instructed to keep her eyes set on a small, bright feather above the lens during video diaries.
But Kat couldn’t stop her gaze from drifting up to the producer.
“I thought the only consideration was the level of compatibility in the matches.”
Marsha gave her a nod. “Oh, it is. But we had about a dozen other couples who matched up nearly as well. We narrowed it down from there based on…other things.”
Kat released a slow breath through pursed lips and tried, very hard, to seem unaffected as the questioning went on. But inwardly, she was stuck wondering just what kind of mess she’d gotten herself into.
Why would the producer assume Kat had lost faith in the process since wedding day?
From Kat’s point of view—the lack of intimacy aside—the two were hitting it off.
Their footage together should reflect that very thing.
So that left only one final assumption: Duke must have said that they weren’t really hitting it off. Not in a romantic way.
“Is that all?” Kat blurted after responding to another handful of prompts.
“One last question,” Marsha said. “You guys have five more days here on the island before you go home and try to figure out life as a new married couple. What do you hope happens before that time, while you’re still in the honeymoon phase, I should say.”
Kat glanced over at the gorgeous ocean view, took in the vastness of the world around her, and reminded herself of how very small she was in the broader scheme of things. The thought helped her defenses drop.
“I hope we can grow closer. Maybe explore the romantic aspect of our relationship a little too.”
“Just a little?” Marsha prodded.
Kat shrugged. “You’ve got to start somewhere.” She stood to her feet then, feeling done with the interview whether Marsha liked it or not.
“We’re letting you guys have a day to yourselves,” the woman said.
“You are?”
“Yes. We want to give you guys a chance to connect organically. Enjoy your day together. We’ve got a busy day planned tomorrow. So take it easy.”
Hope sprouted from deep within her core. This is just what she’d been longing for. A chance to really connect with the man she’d agreed to marry.
Yet just as that hope took flight, Marsha’s pointed inquiries flooded her mind—words that made her doubt his attraction for her. Questions that caused a whole new level of fear.
She tried to gather the mess of her mind with one final thought. She and Duke would spend the entire day without the cameras that—in Kat’s mind—seemed to keep him at arm’s length. But who knew whether that was the case or not?
At least one thing was clear: Kat might not get the answer she wanted, but she was certain she’d get an answer all the same.
Zander leaned back into the patio chair and looked at Kat over the table. Scraps of bacon, eggs, and hash browns sat in the pan, the remains of their breakfast, while a pitcher of orange juice threatened to obstruct his view.
He reached forward, scooted it a few inches to the side, then leaned back once more.
Kat spooned a generous helping of jam onto the corner of toast in her grip before popping it in her mouth. “Mmm,” she moaned, dabbing her lips with a napkin.
Zander fought back a grin, liking the way she indulged in all things sweet. First at the buffet the other night, then at the gift shop, where she’d purchased a candy bar, a bag of licorice, and the jar of hazelnut spread she’d smeared over her toast this morning beneath the jam.
“What’s so funny?” Kat asked while reaching for her glass.
Zander felt caught. “Nothing. I’m just thinking…are you the type who has bags of candy stashed in her desk at work?”
She grinned. “Maybe.”
He smiled too. “That’s cute.”
“What do you have in your desk?” she countered.
“Cashews,” he said. “And a few protein bars. Some protein powder for shakes. That’s about it.”
“That’s a lot of stuff.”
Zander shrugged. “I work out during lunch quite a bit, so…”
“Hmm…” She traced a slow gaze over his chest, down the length of his arms where they rested at the table.
Heat stirred low in his belly.
“I usually hit the gym before work,” she said. “And then…I probably shouldn’t tell you this.” Her face went pink.
“You have to tell me now,” he said. “What is it?”
“If I tell you, do you promise to share a secret in return?”
At the mere question, a very important secret rushed to his mind. He cleared his throat, knowing he wouldn’t share that one just yet. “Of course.”
“On my way home from the gym most mornings—well, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—I stop and get a raspberry-filled powdered donut on the way home.”
He lifted a brow. “Oh yeah?” She nodded, her eyes fixed on him as if reading his response. “Well, at least you only do it on the off days.”
Kat’s face scrunched. “Actually…on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I get the croissants.” She bit her lip.
“So not only do you make a habit of picking up a treat on your way home from the gym each day, but you have scheduled treats for certain days?”
Kat rested her glass back on the table. “They only make the croissants on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
He chuckled, then nodded to the jam and hazelnut spread. “Is that giving you your fix? I mean, I could probably arrange to have fresh croissants delivered every day we’re here if you’d like.”
“That’s tempting,” she said with a laugh. “So what should we do today? We’ve got the whole day to ourselves.”
Boy, did he like hearing that. “Yes,” he said. “We do. I was going to ask you that same thing. And since I’ve already been to the Maldives, how about you choose.”
Kat sighed, slid her plate to the side, and propped her elbows on the table. A dreamy look came over her pretty face as the wind swept her blonde locks with the breeze. “You know what I’d really like to do, just once?”
Zander held her gaze, mesmerized by the depths of her gorgeous brown eyes. “What?” It came out in a whisper.
“Go to one of those private islands. I’d love to just…be on one. Have it all to ourselves for a while.”
Zander gave that some thought. Today would be the only day to make that possible, with the production crew taking a break. He nodded, feeling like a younger version of himself suddenly. Planning a date for the girl he liked.
“Okay,” he said. “Give me five minutes. Maybe ten. I’ll see what I can do.” Perhaps if things went well, he could tell Kat who he really was.
The very idea sparked a contrast of emotions—terror and relief—to clash within him.
On one hand, Zander felt the need to tell her right away.
The longer he’d gone on fooling her, the worse the betrayal might feel.
And as dumb as it might seem, he wanted her to know it was him—the guy she’d chewed out for rescuing Milton and Brewster.
But the fear outweighed that desire in spades.
At least for now. Because if Zander wasn’t careful, if he didn’t tell her in just the right way at just the right time, he could lose his chances with her forever.
And now…well, now that mattered because he actually did have a chance with her. Duke had given him the green light.
No, for now, he decided while dialing up the front desk at the resort, Zander would have to bide his time. He needed to make sure she actually had feelings for him before taking a risk like that.