Page 84 of On The Beach

"Oh, for my own good, huh?" I spat, feeling the heat rise to my face. "And just what am I supposed to do in Reef Harbor, Mick? Lie on a beach sipping coconut water while you play the big tour guide?"

He laughed softly, unfazed by my wrath. "That's exactly the idea. Get you out of that lab for a few days. Maybe help you remember what life outside a petri dish looks like."

I glared at him, my fury simmering just below the surface. "When we land, I'm getting on the first flight back."

He smirked, tilting his head. "Good luck with that."

I clenched my fists, barely able to form words. "You…unbelievable…control-freak manipulator! I can't believe you roped my family into this."

"They love you, and they're worried about you," his voice was low, serious. "You can be angry with me all you want, but you're here, Belle. So, you might as well make the best of it. Now, eat your breakfast and stop behaving like a sullen child."

I didn't even know how to respond to the sullen child remark, so instead, I crossed my arms, seething as I looked out the window. The deep blue of the ocean stretched below us, and despite everything, a tiny part of me softened at the sight, the undeniable allure of warm sand and ocean air trying to chip away at my anger.

But I wasn't going to let Mick see that. Not a chance. I turned back to him, my voice low and threatening. "The second I can leave, Mick, I'm gone."

He grinned, not the least bit deterred. "Then I'll just have to make the island as irresistible as possible, won't I?"

I narrowed my eyes, determined not to let him win. But as the plane continued its descent toward Reef Harbor, I couldn't help the uneasy feeling that I might be in over my head.

CHAPTER 29

bottom's up and outta luck

MICK

"Belle, come on," I said, exasperated, following her up the rocky path toward the Coral Cove. "You're actually staying at the Cove instead of my place? Don't tell me you're too good for the beach hut now."

She shot me a withering look over her shoulder. "Oh, I'll gladly take the Cove over your hut, thank you. At least there, I don't have to deal with hammocks, rusty showers, oryou."

"Hey, I cleaned that place up for you and have a bed. And you like the waterfall." I slid an arm around her, which pissed her off even more. "I made sure Franco busted his back making sure the hut was pristine for your arrival."

She raised an eyebrow, pure sarcasm written across her face. "Pristine? Mick, I had to kick a hermit crab out of the bathroom the last time I was there."

"Come on, those guys are harmless! Practically family." I held back a grin because she was inclined to throw a punch at me. "Besides, you're making me sound like I'm uncivilized, which I'm not."

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as if she was physically restraining herself from throttling me.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Admit it, Belle, you're happy about being here."

She stopped, turning to face me, looking furious and beautiful at once. "For how long am I here?"

I kissed her then. I didn't mind her angry, but I did mind when she was sad. I did mind when I could see the panic on her face. "Belle, the clinical trials are under control. I need you to delegate. Let's start with a week off and then we'll see how it goes. Alright?"

We began to walk toward the Coral Cove.

"A week isn't so bad," she admitted.

Good thing I didn't tell her that I was planning on her staying here for at least a month. The team would start collecting the preliminary clinical trial data soon and crunching it so we could see some results. Belle could do a lot of the work from here where the sun was shining, and she couldn't sleep in her lab.

I leaned in, meeting her gaze with a grin. "Just admit it. You're glad you're back."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "The only thing I'm glad about is that RiRi's letting me stay at the Coral Cove and not forcing me into that hermit crab–infested excuse for a hut."

"You love the hut but fine." I feigned defeat. "Stay at the Cove. But just so you know, it doesn't have my patented, world-famous sunset view."

She paused, looking at me like I'd sprouted a second head. "Did you just call a sunset view patented?"

I shrugged, trying to keep a straight face. "It's all part of the package deal."

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