Total pages in book: 12
Estimated words: 11501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 58(@200wpm)___ 46(@250wpm)___ 38(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 11501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 58(@200wpm)___ 46(@250wpm)___ 38(@300wpm)
“So?”
“Look, there’s nothing I can do. It’s the humidity.”
“I think the curls are sexy.”
“They’re not curls as much as they’re inflated frizz.”
“Well, I think they’re hot. You look like a wild woman. They match the new freckles on the bridge of your nose.”
“That’s sunburn.”
“Still sexy.” He stretched out his legs and made himself comfortable as the plane started to move. “Throw you in a tattered rag and we could play Thunderdome.”
“Are you having an apocalyptic fantasy right now?”
“Maybe. Or you could wear a little leopard bikini and play my captive, a native souvenir I found in the jungle to see to my pleasure.”
Obviously, role-playing was in my near future.
We landed in Bora Bora a full day later. This time I planned better by packing plenty of books. It also helped that I started the flight drunk.
We were back in another stunning overwater bungalow surrounded by a crystal-clear sea. So far, Bora Bora was my favorite. Our luxury hut had a small kitchenette and that inspired me to do something nice for Hale.
I arranged for a few groceries to be delivered and planned to make Hale a home-cooked meal. After weeks away, I thought American comfort food might be appreciated, but I hadn’t anticipated how complicated it would be to cook in an under-supplied kitchen.
Breakfast didn’t make it to bed as I planned. Instead, Hale awoke in a panic to the shrill squeal of the fire alarm as smoke billowed from the toaster.
“Shit, shit, shit, shit!” I unplugged the machine, unsure what to do with it as the grease from the bacon spattered off the pan and caught fire. “Fire!”
“Get back!” Hale yelled, pushing me aside to move the pan off the flame.
I was about to throw water on it when he stopped me and smothered the blaze with the metal lid, then shut off the burner.
He caught his breath and looked at me. “You okay?”
I coughed and fanned away the smoke. “I’m fine. Did you burn yourself?”
He glanced at the singed hair on his arm. “It’s fine. You never throw water on a grease fire, baby.”
I knew that, but I’d been in a panic and not thinking. “I just wanted to make you a nice breakfast.” All of my hard work was ruined.
He lifted the lid off the pan and plucked up a singed strip of bacon, biting into the black ash. “Delicious.”
“Liar. You don’t have to eat that.”
I tried to take it from him, but he dodged my hand. “I want to eat it. You made it for me.”
I rolled my eyes and carried the ruined food to the trash.
“Hey.” His arms closed around my shoulders. “Thank you for trying.”
While I appreciated his gratitude, I didn’t feel I deserved it. First the snorkeling and now this. We would have nothing but memories of calamities to take home with us if I kept trying to do nice things.
“I keep messing up our trip.”
“You haven’t messed anything up that can’t be fixed.” He turned me so I was facing him, and then he lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his stare. “You’re the only person in the world who does this sort of thoughtful stuff for me, and it is thoughtful. That’s what counts. So when I say thank you I mean it, understand?”
I nodded.
“How about you get dressed and we go back to that café we passed yesterday? We’ll have a nice breakfast while I arrange to have someone come clean this up, and then we’ll spend the day wasting away on the beach. Then we’ll check on Elara.”
That sounded perfect. And because Hale planned it, it was. No hijinks or hiccups for the rest of the day.
Psst…
Don’t miss the FREE sample of Blind at the end of Calamity Rayne Over the Moon!
But first, Back to Hale & Rayne…
Fifty Shades of Grey fans are falling for
The Surrender Trilogy!
Now, back to your story…
Things Get Hard
After three weeks of sunny seclusion, I was happy to return to a sense of society, even if it was still a far cry from our normal non-vacation life. The upscale clubs, gourmet restaurants, and designer boutiques of St. Barts brought a welcomed change from our long and lazy beach days.
I wasn’t complaining about the lazy days! I could loaf around forever. But Hale was getting antsy.
He was in his glory among all the glamour and sophistication of St. Barts, which allowed him to spoil me when we visited the many affluent boutiques. I didn’t need the gifts, but he loved surprising me.
“I just don’t understand,” I said after he dropped a small fortune on a bag. “Why does anyone need a purse that costs that much? There will be no money left to put in the damn thing.”
Hale just laughed. “You know some women appreciate such luxuries.”
“I do appreciate it. I just don’t get it.”
He kissed my head in that affectionate way that said he got a kick out of my logic.