“I love you.”

“Oh baby, I love you too. Let’s frighten the fish.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

It’s our last morning in our tropical paradise, and I purposely wake extra early to make sure I’m up before Luke.

He’s done so much for me this week –hell, this month – and I just have to do something special for him before we go back home to reality. Not that reality is all that bad, it’s just been bliss to have him all to myself this week.

After our Naked Day, as it will forever be known in my head, Luke surprised me with a shark feeding trip, which before this vacation I would have assumed would include me as the menu, but turned out to be one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. I’ll never forget standing in waist-deep warm water with dozens of docile sharks floating around us to take the food from our hands.

Yesterday was spent getting romantic spa treatments for two. I’ve been to the spa more in the past two weeks that I have in the past two years.

I’m not complaining.

But today is our last day. I poke my head back in the bedroom to make sure he’s still sleeping, and then go wait on the steps leading to the water below the bungalow for our breakfast to be delivered by canoe. I set the food and coffee on a tray and go into the bedroom.

After placing the delicious smelling foods on the ottoman at the end of the bed, I climb up Luke’s body and kiss his lips.

“Luke, honey, wake up.” I nibble his lips and kiss over to his neck as he shifts beneath me.

“’Mornin’” he mumbles.

“Good morning, love. Wake up. I have something for you.”

He runs his hand down my back and frowns. “Hard to make love when you’re dressed, baby.”

I laugh as he opens those sexy blue eyes. “That’s not what I have for you.”

I get up off him and walk to the end of the bed as he sits up, the sheet pooling in his lap, and runs his hands over his face and through his hair. His morning stubble is impossibly sexy.

“Breakfast!” I set the tray on the bed between us and pull the silver dome lid off the plate. There are large helpings of pancakes, bacon, eggs and fruit. On the side is a carafe of coffee and two mugs.

“Did you order this?” he asks.

“Yeah, I thought I’d feed you for once.” He smiles and cups my face in his hand.

“Thank you, baby.”

“You’re welcome. I hope you’re hungry.” I hold a strawberry up to his mouth and he takes a bite, then I pop the rest in my own mouth.

“Starving,” he says, his lust-filled eyes on mine.

“Later,” I whisper.

“You’re no fun.” He pouts as he pours himself some coffee and I laugh.

“That’s not what you said last night.”

Thoughts of making love in the bathtub that sits out on the patio flood my mind and I bite my lip.

“No, no complaints last night.”

“What time are we leaving?” I ask.

“Not until this evening. Why?”

“Do we have any special plans today?” I eat a pancake and groan.

“God, that’s good.”

“Damn I love to watch you eat, baby.

No, I thought we’d wing it today. Did you have something in mind?”

I shrug and take another bite of pancake.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, we can do whatever you want.” I shrug, but avoid his gaze, suddenly shy. I don’t want to go anywhere today, I just want to be with him, and I don’t know why I’m suddenly so shy about speaking up and telling him so. It’s silly.

“Natalie.” His voice is stern and I catch his gaze. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking…” I put my fork down and bite my lip. “I just want to stay here, until we have to go to the airport. I want to be alone, for as long as we can, here in our tropical bubble.” The last few words are a whisper and I glance up at him to see his reaction.

He’s smiling sweetly. “Why does that make you shy?”

I shrug again and look down. “I don’t know. I thought you might want to go have some grand adventure before we leave, but I just want you.”

“Baby, look at me.” I do as he asks without hesitating and am so relieved to see his beautiful smile. “Spending the day alone with you in this beautiful tropical paradise sounds perfect to me.”

“Okay,” I smile at him, relieved and continue to dig in to my pancakes.

We finish our breakfast, and while Luke is in the shower, room-service-in-a-canoe comes to take away the dirty dishes and linens. The man is quite large, and is talkative while he gathers the things into a box to put on the canoe.

“Your husband is a very lucky man,”

he smiles at me and I smile, but inside something doesn’t feel right.

What an inappropriate thing to say. I don’t correct his misunderstanding about my marital status and simply say, “Thank you.”

“How long have you been married?”

“Um, not long.” Why is this creeping me out? I learned long ago to trust my instincts, so I cross the room so I’m standing behind a large couch, near the bathroom door.

“Oh, that’s nice.” He wanders over to the couch and picks at some pretend lint on the arm of the orange fabric. My heart speeds up as fear takes hold. He’s trying to move closer to me and now his eyes are predatory. “I’ve noticed you this week. You’re very beautiful.”