It didn’t take long for Indina’s competitive side to take over. The game quickly went from friendly family fun to all-out war against her brother and cousins.
It was also way more erotic than a friendly volleyball game should ever be.
She was hyperaware of every time Griffin’s sweaty skin brushed against hers. They bumped into each other several times as they covered their half of the court, arms tangling, chests colliding. And each time they touched it set off another round of tingling in her belly.
It was silly. It wasn’t as if his body was a mystery to her. She’d had her way with him for the better part of eight months. Yet, something about this felt different. They’d shared more than just their bodies last night. For the first time since they began sleeping together, they’d shared their minds. Learning about Griffin’s work in Ghana, and his dreams of opening his own small engineering firm, had triggered a change in the way she saw him.
How had she not anticipated this happening when she invited him to join her on this cruise? She should have known that introducing him to her family, giving him just this tiny peek into her world outside of work, would change the dynamic of their arrangement.
She still wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She shouldn’t want this, but Indina couldn’t deny how good it felt to lay next to him in bed last night. To feel his warm skin against hers instead of her cold pillow.
But was she ready to face the anguish that would come when things inevitably started to go south? Because it always went south. Despite all the arguments her brain continued to make, her heart knew the truth. If she couldn’t make it work with Timothy—someone she’d given seven years of her life to, someone she thought she’d spend the rest of her life with—how could she ever think a relationship with Griffin would last?
She would enjoy her time with him on this cruise, but once they returned home, Indina knew she would have to draw the line.
Their volleyball game continued to be ultra-competitive, even though both teams insisted that it was all in good fun.
“Hell yeah! Good job,” Griffin yelled after Indina set the ball up for him to spike it one last time. The match ended with their team winning by a landslide, despite having to navigate around Kristy.
Griffin came up to her and settled his hands at her waist. “How are you at bowling? Sykes-Wilcox is part of a league. We can use you.”
“Bowling is boring,” Indina said.
“Boring? That’s only because you’ve never bowled with me.”
“And you know how to make bowling more enjoyable?”
He leaned over and whispered in her ear, “I know how to make everything more enjoyable.”
He trailed his fingers across her ribcage, and it was as if her one-piece bathing suit wasn’t even there. Indina sucked in a swift breath as a million butterflies took flight in her belly.
The overwhelming urge to kiss that smile on his lips sent a jolt of alarm rocketing through her. She took a step back.
“I…uh…I need to…” She pointed toward the beach chairs. “I need to check on Sienna. Make sure she doesn’t need anything.”
She nearly tripped in the sand in her haste to leave the volleyball area.
What in the hell was happening here? Had she almost kissed him?
Girl, get a grip on yourself!
Indina had decided from the very beginning that kissing on the mouth crossed a boundary she was not willing to cross. She didn’t have a problem sharing her body from the neck down, but the neck up?
No. Hell no!
That required a level of intimacy she wasn’t ready to engage in. It mandated that she allow herself to be vulnerable, and she just wasn’t there yet.
Maybe one day she could open herself up to going through all the things that were required to make a real relationship work, but after investing so much of herself into two long relationships that had come up short, Indina wasn’t sure it was worth the hassle.
Why were all these damn feelings pushing their way into her head? Talk about ruining a good thing. She couldn’t just continue to enjoy the great sex. Her stupid ass emotions had to worm their way into the situation.
Indina was spared from further uncomfortable run-ins with Griffin after Toby and Reid convinced him to join them on the Jet Skis they’d rented. The trio didn’t get back until minutes before the shuttles returned to bring them all back to the ship.
Once back onboard, Indina joined the rest of the Holmes women in one of the hot tubs they’d commandeered. She’d taken the coward’s way out; sneaking out of their cabin while Griffin was in the shower. She didn’t care. There were too many mixed up emotions going through her head where he was concerned. She needed some time away from it all.
She couldn’t think of a better escape than soaking in a luxurious hot tub with a frothy beverage in her hand.
Indina took a sip of her piña colada before setting the plastic cup on the deck and resting her arms against the hot tub’s edge. She threw her head back and let the sun beat down upon her face. It felt glorious with the cool breeze coming off the water.
“I can’t believe I wasn’t going to come on this cruise,” she said. “It would have been my biggest regret of the year.”
“Even bigger than those lime green skinny jeans you wore to Alex and Renee’s Fourth of July picnic?” Sienna asked.
Indina stuck her tongue out at her.
“I don’t know why you ever considered not coming on this cruise,” Monica said. “I’ve been looking forward to this ever since Margo came up with the idea.”
“Did someone talk Gerald out of paying for the entire thing?” Sienna asked.
Indina sat up in the hot tub. “Wait, Gerald wanted to pay for everyone? All twenty-five of us?” She knew her aunt Margo’s husband was
