I bite my lip. “Go for it.” I’m not opposed to seeing him shirtless all day.
When we get to the marina, we all load up on the boat. From what I’ve read about Aruba, Renaissance Island is a separate small island owned by the resort. It only takes about fifteen minutes to get there. The wind feels amazing as it whips by us and the water is so blue you can see down to the bottom. I can’t wait to jump into it when we get to the island. All I have to decide on is which bathing suit I’m going to wear. The black one is a little skimpier than the pink and purple one I have on so I think I might have to change into that one at some point. Hudson will surely like that.
We dock at the island and once we’re off the boat, there are iguanas everywhere. I’ve seen them at the resort, but the ones on the island are huge. A guy named Sandor shows us around and lets us know when we’re ready for our lunch and dinner we can use the phone in the cabana. There’s actually a lot on the island, even a restaurant. One side is for families, but the other is for adults only. Obviously, that’s where they put us. There are about twelve cabanas in the main area, but we’re led past them down a wooden walkway through the foliage. When it opens up, there’s a single cabana on stilts in the water with the wooden walkway leading right to it. It reminds me of the pictures I’ve seen of the Maldives with all those fancy places on the water.
Hudson leans in close. “Have any of the other couples been here? I haven’t seen it on the show.”
Neither have I. I shake my head. “I think we’re the first ones.”
Sandor flourishes a hand toward the cabana. We have yet to look inside it but I’m super excited. “There’s wine and champagne in your cabana, but if you want something else, call us and we’ll get it for you.”
“Thank you, Sandor,” I say. Hudson shakes his hand and says thank you as well.
Once he’s gone, Hudson and I head straight inside the cabana. It’s private, but of course, Stan and Jean follow us. There’s a small kitchen area with a mini-fridge and a sink. What really catches my attention is the bed in the main room. All the windows and doors are open and the white curtains billow in the wind, giving it a magical feel. It’s very romantic, but it’s hard to enjoy it being on camera. It’s not like Hudson and I can really do anything with Stan and Jean in the room.
Hudson looks down at the bed and I can see the heat in his eyes. Maybe it’s a good thing we aren’t alone. Unfortunately, that just makes me want him more. He peers over at me and gives me that devilish smile of his. “Want to snorkel?”
Outside, sitting on a table on the deck, is our snorkel gear. I smirk back at him and take off my dress. His eyes widen and I love the look on his face. “Sure. I’m ready when you are.”
By the way his body reacts, it’s obvious he’s ready for a whole lot more. Who am I kidding? So am I.
* * *
With another couple of days of sun, the tattoo on Hudson’s back will be long gone. It makes me a little sad because I kind of like it being on him. However, I do think he’s paid the price for breaking my nose back in high school. The day has been one of the best days of my life. We snorkeled. Ate lunch. Listened to music. Snorkeled some more, laid out in the sun, ate an amazing dinner on the cabana deck which included a whole bottle of champagne. However, we still have no idea what the special intimate interview is all about.
Hudson sits down on the deck, letting his legs dangle over the side. It’s already seven o’clock and the sun has started its slow departure behind the clouds. Dinner was great and I’m feeling a little tipsy from the champagne, so I sit beside him and let my legs dangle but only the tips of my toes touch the water.
I gaze out at the clear blue sea. “Today’s been fun. Got to see lots of fish.”
I look over at Hudson and he nods. “Yes, we did. I think today’s been my favorite so far.”
“Definitely,” I agree. I glance over my shoulder to see if Stan and Jean are around, but they’re nowhere to be seen. “I wonder where our camera guys are at.”
Hudson turns and looks too. “Don’t know. I saw them walk off when Sandor came with our dinner.”
“Do you think they’re hiding?” I ask. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were in the foliage somewhere, hoping to catch us doing something scandalous.
Hudson chuckles and grabs my face, pressing his lips firmly to mine. It catches me off guard, and I love it. If Stan and Jean are hiding out, they just got an eye full.
“There,” Hudson says, kissing me again. “I’m sure the guys have been waiting to get that on camera. I know the viewers have been waiting to see it for real.”
Giggling, I lean into him and he holds me close. “Yeah, guess it’s about time, but I’m sure they probably caught us in the water.” Hudson stole a few kisses here and there, but we tried being discreet. I breathe in the salty sea air and smile. “You know what we haven’t done?”
Hudson glances over at me. “What?”
“We never finished our conversation from a few nights ago. You know, the one where we’re supposed to tell each other five things that we think defines us?”
Hudson chuckles. “That’s right. We only got through two. Your first thing was that you can’t live without chocolate, and the other was that you
