77. Summer
Chapter Seventy-Seven
Summer
T he concierge leads us through the resort, giving us a tour as we go. “Paradis is, of course, the only piece of land in this realm, and the resort is only in existence due to Queen Morrigan of the Mere and her benevolence.”
I look around. The decor screams minimalist comfort, but I know this place must be extortionate to stay in, just from the furnishings in the lobby.
The concierge continues to talk about the building and the realm as we walk through the corridors.
“The owner of the resort pays handsomely for the land, of course,” she says as we stop in front of a set of grand double doors, and she waves her hand over a scan pad.
A lock clicks, and she pushes the doors open, unveiling a large, luxurious suite.
If I thought the parts of the resort we had already seen were luxurious, they are nothing compared to this.
The room is large and bright. We must be in a corner room, because the two outer walls are all windows.
Sheer curtains billow lazily in a barely there breeze, revealing a breathtaking view of the whole resort.
The furnishings are cream with tasteful gold embellishments, and a massive white rug brings the whole room together.
Alice swans in. “You can go now,” she says to the concierge, obviously in her element among all this luxury.
“Alice,” I warn. I smile at the concierge. “Is the beach near?”
She nods, pointing out the window. “It lies just outside the resort doors and is exclusive to resort guests only.” She bows her head. “There is a formal dinner tonight in the grand ballroom. Our host looks forward to welcoming you. ”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
She nods again and then disappears through the doors, closing them behind her with a soft click.
Rafe and I look around the room in complete awe and a little overwhelmed, but Alice wanders out from her room, already changed. “I’m going to the spa,” she says, reading a leaflet. “I’m craving a seaweed dragon wrap.”
“Want to come to the beach with me?” I ask Rafe.
He shakes his head. “I think I’m going to explore a little,” he says, looking out the windows.
“Okay,” I say, hurrying into the room where my luggage was left, eager to bask in the sun beside that gorgeous sea. At Avalon, autumn has been creeping in, and with it, a bitter cold.
I open my bag, and although I am not actually surprised, I curse Alice a little for unpacking everything I packed and filling the case with new clothes.
Choosing a pink bikini, I slip it on to find it has gold chains with a variety of charms draped prettily over my breasts.
It’s much more bougie than what I would normally wear, but this place deserves it, though I don’t imagine it’s particularly practical.
I wrap the matching cover-up around my hips and fasten it with a clip shaped like a delicate iridescent shell.
I am no less awestruck on my way back downstairs, but the beach outshines even the hotel.
It is just as immaculate as the rest of the resort.
The sand is white and warm beneath my feet, the fine grains tickling as they filter through my toes.
The water looks crystal-clear, and it’s difficult to tell whether the sea or the cloud-free sky is bluer.
It is breathtakingly beautiful, but it makes me feel even farther from -Connor.
I shake my head, pushing that thought away as I weave through the sand-colored beach loungers. Many are already taken, and people of every species lie basking in the intense sun. Some chairs have towels strewn over them as their owners swim in the sea, explore the area, or linger at the bar.
Finding a vacant sun lounger, I look around as I remove my cover-up.
Anticipation entwined with dread has my nerves on edge, and whether I want to admit it to myself or not, I know I have been looking for him since his message last night.
I really need to try to relax. He didn’t even know I was coming here, so perhaps I was wrong, and he was planning to come see me at the house .
Fuck. I really need to stop thinking about him.
I lie down on the lounger and close my eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun seeping into my skin. My mind is still buzzing with what-ifs, but I eventually relax into the in-between, unconsciousness hovering but not taking me.
The sun makes the darkness behind my eyelids glow a warm orange.
I frown as it grows darker, the warmth against my skin interrupted when a shadow falls over me.
I blink my eyes open, using my hand to shield them from the sun, and my gaze is met with a hard, taut body.
My eyes travel up, following flawlessly tanned, hard muscles, rippled abs, prominent pecs, broad shoulders, and a chiseled jaw.
Sensual, full lips are pulled into a smirk, and then my gaze collides and locks with deep blue eyes.
“You took my lounger,” he says, running his large hand through his thick, wet, dark hair. His voice is deep, sending a thrill through me, and the way his paper-white teeth flash when he smiles is nearly mesmerizing.
“I didn’t see your name on it,” I say. Snark fills my voice, but I can’t stop looking at him, at the way his muscles flex with his every movement.
He pulls his gaze from mine, flicking it to the sand and then back to me, one eyebrow lifting. I look down and find a towel now covered in sand.
“Well, it looks like you called that patch of sand.”
He chuckles. It’s a low, filthy sound that makes me want to moan. He leans down to pick up his towel and shakes the sand from it before spreading it on the lounger next to mine.
That voice . . . It can’t be.
I can’t pull my eyes away from him, fascinated by the way his muscles move and ripple as he lies down, stretching out his large body and tucking his arm behind his head.
“See something you like?” he asks, all smug arrogance.
It can’t be.
“No,” I say, forcing myself to look away.
He chuckles again and begins to apply sunscreen. It’s a show that I would love to watch, but instead I roll onto my front. Making a point of looking away from him, I reach back and untie my bikini to avoid a bad tan line.
“Do you need any?” he asks, his voice igniting something inside me once again.
I glance at him. “I have some, thanks,” I say, nodding to my bottle of sunscreen sitting next to my lounger .
“You should reapply,” he says, sitting up on his lounger and picking up the bottle.
I quirk a brow and lift my sunglasses, huffing softly when his face is even more fucking handsome without the rose-colored tint of the lenses. “Do you offer this service to all the guests? Because I think there is a reptilian shifter down the beach who desperately needs some.”
“No. Just you,” he says, kneeling next to me. He opens the sunscreen and squirts some onto his palms.
I watch him over my shoulder, barely breathing as he glides his strong hands over my skin. They are so big that they almost completely span the width of my back.
“And why do I?.?.?.” I swallow, trying to clear the obvious pleasure in my voice as he massages the lotion into my skin. “Get the privilege?” I manage to choke out the rest of the question, but I can hear the obvious raspiness in my voice.
Summer, what are you doing?
He doesn’t answer me. He just moves his hands up and down my back, and when he applies a little more pressure, I moan softly. I move my hair over my shoulder, and his touch slides higher, massaging my neck firmly.
If this is who I think it is, I should stop this. If this isn’t who I think it is, I should still stop this.
So familiar.
But I tilt my head as he moves his fingers over my neck. He works the muscles along my spine, and with every rub, my ability to make him stop diminishes. Even when he rubs along the curve of my ass where it meets my thighs, I don’t pull away.
“Are you a masseur?” I ask instead, trying to justify this to myself in any way I can.
He chuckles. “No. I massage only one person.”
I tense and reach back to retie my bikini before turning over to face him. I look over his face, the slight stubble that shadows his jaw, the curve of his lips.
“I feel like I know you,” I say, the butterflies that seem to have taken up residence in my stomach fluttering harder than ever.
“Oh?” he asks, tilting his head as his gaze holds mine steadily.
I take the sunscreen and start applying it to my front, but he moves in closer and gently pushes my hands away, claiming the task for himself .
“You don’t think I’m able to do this part?”
“I enjoy it,” he says with a shrug, gliding his palms over my thighs.
His touch just feels too good, so I give in and lie back as he starts to apply the sunscreen to my stomach.
My skin tingles everywhere he touches, and I wonder if he can feel the way my stomach muscles tighten beneath his hands.
He obviously can because when he looks up at me, his eyes appear to have darkened.
“What is it?” he asks.
I study him, and after a long moment of silence, I find the courage to ask, “What’s your name?”
“You know the name I go by,” he says, watching me. His hands are resting on my thighs, but they’re not moving.
“Stranger,” I whisper, my breath hitching on the word. I knew it from the second I felt his eyes on me, but?.?.?. fuck.
He focuses back on applying my sunscreen, and I just stare at him. What do I say to him?
We are silent as he rubs the lotion into my skin, and then he looks up at me, smiling softly. “Done.”
I open my mouth to say something, to say anything, but there are no words. None.
He watches me for a long moment before moving back to his own lounger. He continues to apply the cream to his own body, and still I have no idea what to say, no fucking idea.
I pull my sunglasses back over my eyes and turn my attention ahead, staring at the relentless motion of the water, but every few moments I glance at him.
After a while, he finally breaks the silence. “What is it, princess?” he asks, opening his book and propping his free hand behind his head.
I turn to look at him fully, and I’m almost completely undone by the sight of him shirtless, oiled up, and holding a book while sitting like he’s sitting. Summer, focus.
“Why are you here? How are you here?”
“Would you like to go cliff diving?” he asks, closing his book.
“I?.?.?. What?” I blink, my brows drawn in confusion.
He stands from his lounger in a symphony of beautiful muscles and holds out his hand. “Would you like to go cliff diving? ”
I blink again, looking at his hand. I consider telling him no, demanding answers, and begging him to forgive me for the awful things I said to him.
But he’s giving me a reprieve, and honestly, I’ve missed him.
I don’t want to do anything that might drive him away.
So I reach out and take his hand. He smiles and pulls me to my feet before bringing my hand to his lips to press a soft kiss to my knuckles.
He leads me across the beach to the trees, and while the heat of the sun no longer beats down on us, the air closes in, humid and wet.
This is a forest, but the trees and bushes surrounding us are very different from those in Avalon.
The flora here is lush and tropical, with vibrant flowers scattered throughout.
Usually I would be fascinated and eager to explore, but I cannot enjoy this new environment because of my whirling thoughts.
I follow him along the path, trying to assess his mood just by staring at his back. He seems relaxed, but apart from that, I am not getting anything from him. Is this what he looks like? Is this him ?
Suddenly, he stops walking and wraps his hands around my waist to lift me over a thick root in our path before setting me down again. His gaze lingers on my lips for a moment before he takes my hand again. He turns to continue down the path, but I dig my heels in.
“Stranger.”
He stops and turns to look at me, his head tilted. “Yes?”
I swallow, feeling sick with nerves, but I need to get this out. He deserves to hear the words. “About what I said last time we spoke?.?.?.”
He watches me, waiting patiently. My throat works as I struggle to find words to express my remorse. When tears fill my eyes, he steps closer, placing his hands on my waist again. This time, he doesn’t lift me. He just brushes his thumbs along my skin, making me shiver.
“We’re almost at the cliff,” he says softly, brushing his lips against my forehead.
“But . . .”
He reaches behind me and plucks a bright pink flower from a bush. “Come on,” he says, tucking it behind my ear.
I nod. Clearly he doesn’t want to talk about this, and I guess I should respect that.
He keeps his hand in mine as we hike up the steep, seemingly endless hill.
I am panting when we finally reach the peak, but the view is absolutely jaw-dropping.
The crystal-clear water stretches to the horizon, blending with the sky.
My eyes catch the flash of colors beneath the surface, and I step closer to the edge to try to get a better look.
Suddenly, I am swung off my feet, and the stranger’s arms wrap tightly around me. With no warning, he launches us off the cliff, and we’re plunging into the abyss.