Page 28 of The Bratva's Forced Bride

“I have to get this right,” I say to him.

After two hours, I’m exhausted, but I’ve managed to stay on the board with lots of clumsy arm twirling. I’m exhausted now, though, and I turn to Danil.

“Anything else planned?” I ask.

“Yes, let’s get to the jet skis,” he says as he swims back with his board. I follow suit and am a little nervous. I’ve never ridden on a jet ski before and don’t know how dangerous it is.

We walk in silence to the pier nearby, where jet skis are lined up. There is a couple already out on the water, and I have to admit, it kind of looks like fun.

“It’s really easy. The guide will walk you through it.” Danil touches my lower back to guide me forward. “Two jet skis, please.”

The young, tanned man nods and grabs what looks like two keychains. He leads us to the jet skis and goes over the safety tips and how to operate them. He helps me onto the blue one, and I use the key chain or choker to get the jet ski ready before I turn it on. I move slightly forward and yelp a little before giggling.

I hear Danil chuckle, and he moves so he’s next to me. “Are you ready? Slowly at first until you gain some confidence.”

I slowly navigate away from the pier with him and into the open water. The other couple are further out, so we have some peaceful waves to ourselves.

Danil kicks it up a notch and jets forward, moving against the waves and zooming into the air. Every time a wave comes, I stop, so it bobs me up and down because I’m scared of falling off.

Danil comes back around and smiles. “You can do it. Just ramp one wave. If you fall off, I’ll come save you.”

I can feel the adrenaline coursing in me already, so I nod and open the throttle as a wave approaches. I ramp it, squeal, and feel like I’m going knock myself out when I land. That hurt my ass. I feel like it’s going to be bruised.

Danil comes over. “Stand up so you don’t land so hard.” He goes forward to show me how to do it, and without hesitation, I follow him, standing this time, bending my knees slightly.

This is exhilarating.

After the jet skis, Danil takes me for an early lunch where we eat crab, lobster, and steamed vegetables on a bed of rice with a rich, creamy sauce. I feel like I need a nap afterward, and I’m happy to hear that our next activity is only in two hours, so we can nap in the sun while we wait.

I sit on a lounger and sigh, resting back and letting my body absorb the heat.

“Do you want some sunscreen?” Danil asks.

I look over at him as he lathers some on his arms and chest.

“Maybe on my back? Do you mind?”

I turn over and undo my bikini. I rest on my arms. I hear a sharp intake of breath, and I know I’ve won this move. He’s clearly attracted to me, and I can play on that feeling.

His big, strong hands massage the sunscreen into my back, and I groan a little before I blush.

He smirks, I know he’s smirking. He always smirks if I make a little noise of satisfaction, and then his hands are gone.

I doze off and feel like I haven’t even started to snooze when his hand is on my shoulder. “Asher. It’s time to get up.”

I mumble something. I don’t even know what I’m saying. I’m so lazy from sleep and feel his hands doing my bikini up. My eyes snap open, and once he’s done, I sit up and adjust myself.

“You got a nice tan,” he says.

I shiver slightly, knowing that was an intimate thing to do.

“What’s next?”

“We’re going on some water slides and then dinner.”

“Can we skip right to dinner?” I ask with a yawn. “Do I have to get dressed?”

“Yes, we do have to get dressed, but we can pick something up from one of the stores on our way there.” He stands up and holds his hand out. I swing my legs over and take his hand, standing up. We’re inches apart now, and I look deep into his eyes. They’re like golden orbs.

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