“You guys need to get going if you’re gonna stay on schedule.”
River’s fingers make another circuit before he reluctantly breaks away, takes my hand and says, “C’mon.”
I watch River tie up the boat on the tiny dock, enjoying the play of muscles beneath his tanned skin. He just rowed us the length of two football fields and barely cracked a sweat, and he looked good doing it. To distract myself from jumping him right in view of the cameras I know are lurking somewhere in the boat traffic off in the distance, I admire the cute little bungalow on the island. It’s the only structure here, with a thatched roof over a little patio and palm trees throwing the place in a little bit of shade.
The island is bigger than it looked from the house, about the size of a city block, with a luxurious private beach on the back side of the property. That’s where Claudia said we’d be able to get the best shots.
I’m pulled out of my thoughts by River’s warm hand on my back. “Ready?”
Not really. I don’t feel like putting on a show right now. I want to sit down with River and ask him what he wants this to be, if it’s real or if it’s just for the cameras, or some mix that we can’t distinguish because this game we’re playing blurred the lines between the two.
“Yeah,” I’m ready. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get back to the house and maybe have a talk.
River laces his fingers through mine, and we walk the length of the beach, letting the tide sweep across our toes. He surprises me by wrapping his arm around my waist and spinning me until our bodies are pressed close together, my bare stomach on his.
“I love this suit,” he says, his hand lingers low on my back, skimming the top of my bikini bottoms. “I don’t know if I want anyone else seeing you in it. I feel like this should be just for me.”
I drop my head to his collarbone, brushing my lips across his skin. It should be just for him. It’s the kind of thing I’d be wearing if I thought we were alone, just spending some time together on a long weekend in paradise.
That’s what I want, not this sham that we have. Not this fake thing where our private moments are put on display like this. The reminder that we’re being watched makes my skin crawl. It sets this low-level anxiety buzzing through me, making it impossible for me to act natural.
I look up at River, and he’s fully swept up in me. Eyes half-lidded and drunk with lust. Maybe he’s forgotten what we’re here for, but I haven’t. I can’t.
I pull myself out of his grasp, and head for the chairs that are set up a couple of yards away. I make a beeline for them, toss my bag on one and run out into the surf.
“Skye?” River asks, confused. I don’t blame him.
“Don’t you feel like swimming? We don’t have water like this in California.” It’s true, we don’t. It’s crystal clear and sparkling, and the last thing I care about. I just need some space.
River gives it to me for a little while, lets me tread water on my own, like it’s a game. He splashes me, and I laugh despite myself. I splash back, and it becomes a war that he wins by pure physicality. When I go to splash him the last time, he grabs onto my fingers and pulls me over to him. Instinctively I wrap my arms around his shoulders and my legs around his waist.
It’s nice here, like this. I could almost forget where we are and what we’re doing. Almost.
His beautiful, confused eyes search mine. “What’s the matter?” he asks. He brushes a strand of wet hair off my forehead with a tenderness that makes my heart ache. I move in, his whole body is like a magnet to mine. My eyes flutter shut as our noses brush together. We’re just on the edge of a kiss, and it brings me back to the first time, the utter bliss of it before the the camera flashes ruined it all.
I swear I can hear the shutters clicking from all the way over here, and this is yet another private moment I don’t want stolen from me.
I jolt back and swim away.
“Skye?”
He catches up with me on the beach. I grab my bag and pull out a towel, then toss one at him. “We have to go back, I can’t do this.”
“Can’t do what? Skye!”
I run back to the dock, wanting to get far away from the cameras and just…be with him. Alone.
River chases after me, calling my name, but we both shut up when we reach the boat.
The boat which is…halfway under water.
“What the hell?” I yell, desperate. I jump down into it to see what could’ve happened, but River pulls me out and back onto my feet.
“Are you insane?” he asks, looking at me like I’m losing it.
Which I am.
That’s when I notice the note nailed to the dock.
I rip it off and read it.
Yes, we sabotaged your boat. I was the long-distance brains and Casey was the brawn. The bungalow is yours for the night; use it wisely. Figure things out. Someone will be by to get you tomorrow morning. But not too early. ;)
Have fun! Don’t try to swim back, there are sharks and I know you don’t have the endurance.
-Kendall
I let out this roar of utter frustration, crumble up the paper and throw it into the boat, where it just floats on the water that’s filling it halfway up.
“What did it say?”
“Kendall put your sister up to sabotaging the boat.”
He looks like that’s the most absurd thing he’s ever heard, because it is. “What?”
“They want us to talk, so they’ve…they’ve shipwrecked us. Now we’re stuck.”
“Okay, I’ll swim back and get someone to—”
“You
