Page 8 of The Virgin's Chosen Dragon

“You’re in luck; Pierce and Tyrone are both free,” Max said. “I’ll feel better knowing you’re not running around town on your own, and they know Barbados better than anyone working here. You’ll be safe with them.”

“Fine with me,” Barbie said. “I’ll never say no to a couple of good-looking escorts. What about you Eden, do you mind?”

“Oh, no, that’s fine with me,” Eden said, looking anywhere but at him. “It might be nice to have someone with us who knows where they’re going.”

“Good, then it’s settled,” Max said. “The boys will meet you down at the dock in ten minutes.”

Barbie jumped to her feet. “Thanks, Max,” she said. “We’d better get going if we’re going to make it to the dock in ten minutes. I have to run back to my cabin and get a few things.”

Eden got to her feet but didn’t move any farther. “Thank you for coming to my rescue last night, even if I wasn’t really in danger,” she said, still not looking at him, a blush slowly creeping up her cheeks. “The gecko hasn’t moved from the corner of the room, so I think we’re going to get along okay. I named her Chelsea.”

“Chelsea?” he asked. “That’s a strange name for a lizard.”

“Can you think of a better one?” Eden challenged, a spark in her eyes.

He thought about it for a minute. “No, as a matter of fact, I can’t,” he said, then smiled over at her. “Now that I think about it, that is a perfectly acceptable name for a lizard.”

“I’m glad you approve,” she said, rolling her eyes at him, then turned away when Barbie called her name. “I guess I’d better go. Barbie is on a mission to……never mind, I’ll see you later.”

He watched her walk away, his mind stripping away the loose clothes to what he knew lay underneath, and his body came to life. Waves of desire washed over him, but he forced himself to look away, only to find Max grinning at him and shaking his head.

“I don’t see it myself,” he said, then held up his hands. “Don’t get me wrong, she’s cute and all, but……well, she’s just not my type.”

“That’s fine with me, she’s mine,” he said, then snapped his mouth closed, wondering where the words came from. “I did not just say that.”

“Oh, yes, you did,” Max said. “This is getting better and better by the minute.”

He got back to his feet again. “I need to go on a hike, a really long one,” he said. “I’ve got to get control of myself before I do something stupid again.”

“Take the trail up to the waterfall,” Max said, pointingbehind him. “That should wear you out, but I don’t think it’s going to help. You’ve got it bad, pal.”

“Gee, thanks for pointing out the obvious,” he said with a big sigh. “You could be a bit more helpful. I’m trying to do the right thing.”

“Well, good luck with that, I saw the way she was looking at you,” Max said, slapping him on the back. “She’s smitten with you, and even an innocent like that can bring a man to his knees.”

“Then keep us apart, do something,” he pleaded. “Switch her cabin, move her into the main house, I don’t know, just keep her away from me.”

“It’s a small island, Theo,” Max said, shaking his head. “Even if I moved her to a different cabin, which I can’t do, you’re still going to see her. Just look at this as a test of your self-restraint.”

***Eden***

The sun was beginning its slow descent in the crystal blue sky as the boat approached the island, but Eden wasn’t looking at the land growling bigger. Instead, she was focused on a small group of boats heading into another set of docks. Transfixed by the sight, she watched as, one by one, they snugged themselves into their berths, then disgorged their laughing and smiling passengers. Some carried fishing poles, other coolers, and even from a distance, she could see their happy sunburned faces as they made their way onto the shore.

She was just about to ask Pierce about the boats when a man began ringing a big bell she hadn’t noticed before. “Looks like the fishing boats brought in a good haul today,” he said. “We’ll be eating like kings tonight.”

“Max always has a cookout on the beach when there’s agood catch,” Tyrone explained. “We never know for sure what we’ll be eating, but it’s always fresh and always delicious, just another one of the perks we get working for him.”

“Oh, a cookout sounds like fun,” Barbie said. “That will give you a chance to show off some of your new clothes.”

“Don’t wear anything too nice, unless you want to miss out on the clam digging,” Pierce warned. “It’s messy business, but it’s worth it.”

“Then shorts and tank tops it is,” Barbie said, giving her a nudge. “You should wear those new jean shorts and that purple top you love so much.”

When they’d been shopping, she’d felt brave, ready to cast off her old look for something new and fresh, but she was suddenly nervous at the thought of showing off that much skin. She’d spent most of her life draped in layers of fabric, and had it drilled into her head that showing off her body was just asking for trouble, that boys were a waste of time, and the only good man was one who didn’t care what she looked like, only how intelligent she was.

Looking at the packages at her feet, a little smile spread across her face. Her mother wasn’t here. For once, she could enjoy being young and attractive. She knew that she couldn’t be called beautiful, cute was probably the most she could hope for, but that was okay with her. All she wanted was a chance to wear something besides old lady clothes, and Barbie had given it to her. She wasn’t about to waste it being self-conscious.

“That’s a great idea,” she said, grinning over at her friend. “I’m a little nervous about my new look, but I can’t thank you enough for doing this for me.”

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