Page 56 of Away With You
I nod and follow him out, anxious now for a whole other reason. Because, right in front of me, is the Coral Cove Resort. My home for the next week. The place where it’s all going to happen.
“Are you alright?” Nathan’s warm hands rub my arms in a soothing motion. I’d ditched my blazer after arriving in the heat, and now his skin is touching mine. “You’re a little pale.”
I swallow down my rising sense of panic. It’s too late for second thoughts now. Nine hours and fifteen minutes too late.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
He surveys me one last time before turning us both to meet a statuesque, breathtaking woman who introduces herself as Giselle. Our butler for the next seven days.
“Butler?” I breathe as we follow behind her. Rosie is long gone, having been whisked away by a lovely young man by the name of Eban.
“Just go with it,” Nathan whispers into my ear, his breath tickling the sensitive skin from my ear all the way down my neck.
“M-kay,” is all I can reply, my mind swirling with the beauty around us and the feel of this man right next to me. It’s hard to know which is more compelling. The lush scenery of the ocean right there, or Nathan’s hot breath against my even hotter skin.
Oh, who am I kidding? Nathan wins that battle every day.
My head swivels like it’s on a stick as we follow Giselle from the helipad and through the opulent, open-aired lobby of the resort. There, waiting for us, is another beautiful woman with fabulous curly hair and a bright smile, holding a tray of fruity drinks out for us.
“Tropical juice?” Nathan asks. When he gets the nod, he hands me a tall, sweating glass filled with red to yellow juice, like a sunset, topped with an orange umbrella and a triangle-shaped wedge of pineapple along the rim.
“Thanks,” I say, my gaze darting back and forth, back and forth, not knowing where to land.
The space is decorated in subtle, brilliant white colours with gold and seashell accents. The scent of frangipani and sea salt and something decidedly tropical floats through the air. Large ceiling fans whir lazily above us, coating my moisture-slick skin with warm air, lifting my hair up and away from my sweaty neck. And then, when I think it can’t get any better, there’s the view.The lobby is perched up and above the rest of the resort, giving a 180 degree view of the infinity pool beyond us, the white sandy beaches just beyond that and the turquoise stunning ocean just beyond that. My breath catches as I spin around in a circle. The entire area has been designed to be an assault on the senses, and I can’t wait to explore it all.
“Your bungalow is through here,” Giselle guides us with a graceful wave of her hand.
My eyes wide like saucers, I follow behind her, aware of Nathan’s hulking presence by my side, but for once not totally consumed by him.
“Here is where you may like to come for breakfast.” Giselle motions to a gorgeous indoor-outdoor restaurant with white linens and wicker chairs. The outside tables all face the ocean view, and I know I’ll be eating here every morning. “Or you can choose to eat in your room. Just the two of you.” She winks at us and I blush down to the tips of my coral-painted toes.
“I like the sound of that,” Nathan drawls, his arm back around my shoulders.
“You shush,” I tell him with a playful glare. “Save your flirting for later.”
He pulls me in close to him. “With you, Kitty Kat, I have an endless supply of flirting.”
I wave my hands in front of my face (Oxygen! I need oxygen!) and ignore him, taking in for the first time where we are going.
“Nathan. Why are we walking away from the resort?”
He frowns as his gaze sweeps around us. “I don’t know. My mother sorted out all the details.”
I hum in response, my nerves and my excitement in a race for pole position when I see where Giselle is leading us. It’s like it’s been taken from my Pinterest page, my vision board and my dreams. A long, wooden pier-like structure with little tentacles jutting off from either side, like arms. And at the end of thearm is a bungalow. An. Over. The. Water. Bungalow! The most luxurious of all luxurious places to stay.
“Do you like it?” Nathan whispers when I stop to just stare.
My lungs inflate with glee. “Like it? Nathan, this place is magical.”
His answering grin is as warm as it is sexy, like my happiness makes him happy. “Then let’s go check it out.”
We walk together to where Giselle is waiting with an inviting smile. “Welcome to your home away from home.” She waves us through the open door, and I immediately lose my breath and my mind.
This place is everything. And more. Upon entering the bungalow, my eyes dart to the wide-open doors, where the outside space beckons me to ‘come closer.’ In a dream-like state, I all but float outside and gasp. There is a large deck with two lounge-chairs angled for the perfect viewing pleasure. Next to this is a small, round, white staccato soaking tub, with an outdoor shower and a wispy white curtain for privacy. Just beyond this are three steps taking you down to another lounging area, complete with more lounge chairs; these are squishy-looking, like a fancy beanbag chair you want to fall into and never get up. And then, when it can’t get any better, off to the side of this small deck area is a hammock. Big enough for two people to lie down comfortably. At this time of the day, late afternoon, the tide is high enough to submerge parts of the hammock and I can picture myself lying there and reading, while the ocean water cools me from the bottom up.
“This is incredible,” I sigh as I make my way back up to where Nathan is standing, watching me with that soft expression again. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
His gaze is intense as it travels over me. “It’s me who should thank you,” he replies, his hand on my lower back urging metowards the inside of the bungalow. “And don’t thank me just yet. We may have a problem.”
