Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

"This was a bloody brilliant idea," Quinn said as he sat beside Callum on a deck chair, squinting into the orange glare of the sun. "Well done. I don't think I've seen Elle so happy the entire time we've been here."

The catamaran trolled in the water, the sea calm as they glided through it, party music streaming from the speakers. Callum sipped his beer, noticing the tingle of a sunburn on his cheeks. "It was all Liddy's idea. I can't claim any credit."

"Yes, well, she claims you're the one who deserves the praise, so one of you is lying or you're both humble—which I know isn't true of you." Quinn smirked, clearly somewhat drunk.

Ha. Quinn wasn't the first to accuse him of arrogance today. It seemed to be a theme.

Quinn nodded toward his parents, who stood on the deck, arm in arm, admiring the sunrise. "Even my parents seem to be enthralled."

"Costa Rica has a way of doing that, if you let it," Callum said noncommittally. He knew the charm, of course. He understood why tourists fell in love with the "Pura Vida" lifestyle and the different beat of life. It beckoned to the tired masses who spent their days toiling in cubicles, to those who had never experienced a soda café on the beach or the sand between your toes.

Life as it should be.

Unless you'd been here too much, like Callum had, and then you knew the other side. The side where families still experienced disharmony, where crime still marred perfection, where you accepted that days of football weren't a career. Where dreams ended and bills still needed to be paid.

"We should move here," Quinn announced, unsurprisingly.

How many times have I heard people say that same thing? Callum pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose. "You think so?"

"If I can run Sperare from Nashville, there's no reason I can't run it from here," Quinn mused. The nonprofit organization he ran for disabled children had flourished in the past couple of years despite his move from London to be with Elle. "Though, I suppose Elle would miss her children at Heartbeats."

"This does have the right pace of life for a couple of do-gooders." Callum cracked a smile.

"Could you imagine? Sitting in a hammock every morning, drinking the best coffee in the world? Delicious, fresh food. A beach just footsteps away. It's heaven on earth, I tell you. The sizable ex-pat community here proves how wonderful it is."

Maybe it was an opportunity to bring up the whole wedding issue that Liddy was so concerned about.

"If that's the case, why are you moving the wedding to The Four Seasons? Why not stay here in Samara, where Elle wants to be?"

He didn't have to tiptoe delicately around the subject. Quinn was one of his oldest friends.

Quinn gave him a blank look. "What do you mean? Is that what Elle said?"

"No, but now that Kat has arrived, it seemed to Liddy that what Elle wanted was being . . . overlooked."

Quinn frowned. "Elle seemed thrilled when my mum offered to fly Kat in here and take some of the stress of the wedding off her. Things weren't coming along as smoothly here as we hoped."

Oh.

Could Liddy have gotten it all wrong?

Quinn stood quickly. "Let me talk to Elle. I don't want?—"

"No, no." Callum put out a hand to stop him. "I don't think that's necessary. Liddy was just worried. You know—sisterly instinct and all. She wants to make certain everything is perfect for you both."

Fuck it all. This was why it was better not to intrude on things like this. He was here to stand at the end of a row of groomsmen, drink, and nothing more.

Quinn continued to appear torn.

"Really, mate, there's nothing to worry about. You know how women can be," Callum babbled, trying to think of a way to change the topic. "I don't pretend to be an expert in knowing how to keep one happy, let alone a bride trying to manage a wedding. I'm amazed you tried to do things at my mum's place to begin with."

"I remembered how much you always loved it when we were boys. I have to admit, I may have been insanely jealous at the thought of your holidays here. And it's exactly as you described, you know. No wonder your mum wanted this."

That's something I don't want to think about.

Fortunately, he was spared from having to answer Quinn as the song switched to one of Elle's most well-known country hits. The group on the boat gave a wild cheer. Quinn left Callum's side to wrap his arm around Elle's waist, then pulled her in for a kiss.

The moment turned into an impromptu dance for the happy couple, with everyone watching around them, and Callum dropped to the back of the group. He was happy for Quinn. He truly was. Quinn and Elle were a perfect match, and their love was so obvious to everyone who knew them. They deserved this sunset-draped, romantic celebration.

Hell, knowing them, there were probably dolphins nearby, ready to spring out of the water and make it a fairy-tale moment.

Then from the corner of his eye, he saw Liddy wipe a tear from her cheek. She was smiling, watching her sister and Quinn, but her gaze lifted and met Callum's.

A thunderclap sounded through his heart.

She broke eye contact, turned, and strode away from the group, going around the side deck away from them.

Callum hesitated.

What good can come from following her?

Their argument in the jungle had eaten him alive all afternoon.

Yet he couldn't stay away.

He found her standing there, facing the sunset, the wind gently fanning the locks of hair that cascaded around her shoulders.

She's so beautiful.

Instead of speaking, he came to her side and set his hands on the handrail, leaning his forearms on it. The water sparkled below, like gemstones giving one last show in the fading light. "Arguments with me aside, was it a good day?"

She sighed. "Arguments with you aside . . . it was . . . so much fun." A smile hinted at her lips, but her eyes were still sad. "I've been meaning to tell you all afternoon . . . but thank you, Callum, for making it all happen. And paying for it. I don't know why it completely skipped my brain that we'd need to pay for this all up front, but I'm going to pay you back."

He gave her a quizzical look. "How did you find out?"

"Sophia gave Taryn the receipts—and your credit card—to give to me." Her eyes bored into his. "You didn't have to do that, you know. It's a lot of money."

He shrugged. "I live alone and never go on holiday—as you so correctly pointed out. I can spare it. You don't have to pay me back."

She stared at him without speaking for a moment. "Yeah, but it was my idea."

"Quinn and Elle are my friends, too, you know. We'll just call it a wedding present."

"Oh my gosh, no one gives such expensive wedding presents."

"Well, the Camdens do."

Liddy laughed lightly. "I guess you have me there." She drew in a deep breath, then sighed. "I'm just happy to see Elle happy. She went through a lot before Quinn. Had to kiss the proverbial frogs...and then she found her prince."

Was that what she was tearful about?

Something told him that Liddy had only ever kissed frogs before.

Including me.

"Liddy . . ." He set his hand on top of hers, but she forcefully pulled hers away.

"No. No, you don't. You don't get to kiss me and tell me lies. That you think I'm beautiful, and all that bullshit you spewed in the hot springs, and then tell me it's all meaningless the next day. Even if I believe what you said about Miranda, that's not how this works, Callum. We were never friends. And we're sure as hell not going to be after this."

Her words caught him by the throat. He'd pushed her away and pushed hard.

But she believed him?

That was surprising.

And he shouldn't care that she was pushing back.

But I do.

He reached for her again, but this time, he turned her by the shoulders to face him. She deserved something honest from him, especially after the way they'd sparred today. Her tears told him she wasn't as unaffected by him as she'd tried to claim after their last argument. She'd put on a show of bravado because he'd hurt her pride.

I'm such an arse.

His hands cupped her chin, and he searched her watery gaze. "You're right, we can't be friends. I do like you. But trust me when I tell you, you don't want to get mixed up with me either. Because the side of me you dislike so much? That's a part of me, too, Liddy. And you won't be safe with me, no matter how much I like you. I'll just end up hurting you in the long run."

"Oh, so what? Am I supposed to just thank you?" Her gaze was hard. "Well, thank you , Callum. For saving me from you. Because—what—I'm so damaged I need you to look out for me? I'm so grateful."

She tried to pull away, but something in her words stung. Callum's jaw hardened, and he edged her closer to the wall of the cockpit. Pressing her back against it, he dropped one hand to her waist, skimming the soft skin that showed in a sexy cutout on her dress. His thumb and forefinger held onto her chin, and he pushed his hips closer to hers.

"You think I haven't thought about stripping you down before, Liddy? You're fucking gorgeous. You need a man to tell you that you spent your whole life pretending to be the ugly duckling when you're the fucking swan princess? Fine." His fingertips brushed her jawline before digging into the hair at the nape of her neck as his lips dropped to her ear.

His heart pounded as he felt her breath grow shallower, heard the soft catch in her throat as the hardness of his length pressed against her.

What the hell am I doing?

I want her so fucking much.

"Any sane man would give his left nut to be with you because you're a goddess. You're smart and sexy, with a sass and wit that drives me wild. But you deserve more than just any man. And more than a madman. And maybe that's why I kissed you. Because you drive me insane."

I have to stop this.

Her soft lips caught the edge of his jaw, melting his resolve.

She thinks I can be reformed. That there's something good about me. And she needs to know there isn't.

"You deserve everything . And I can't give you that." He turned his face toward hers and descended on her lips with force in a raw, punishing roughness that was nothing like their kisses the day before.

But she seemed to match him, breath for breath, each hard stroke of his tongue met with equal force. Her hands wove around his neck, fingertips digging into his hair and pulling. Her teeth sank softly against his lower lip, then harder still, and he groaned.

Blood seemed to rush through his ears, his head light as he deepened the kiss, his hand moving up from the safety of her hip toward her breasts, his hand palming her soft curves. He wanted to find someplace below deck and strip her down, watch those blue eyes widen with pleasure as he took her?—

A crack of thunder startled their mouths apart.

Liddy drew a deep breath, still panting. "Was that thunder?"

Even though his body screamed at him to continue, Callum stepped closer to the railing and looked toward the shore. Instead of the relatively cloudless vista of sunset and water, threatening clouds bloomed over the shoreline. He looked toward the deck.

He hadn't realized how visible he and Liddy had been to anyone watching their kiss, but that wasn't something he could worry about now.

The music on the catamaran had stopped, and the crew, who had been handing out ceviche and cocktails, were now handing out life vests.

"Looks like a storm is coming this way." Callum took Liddy's hand and tugged her forward. "Let's go."

"Why would they keep us out here if a storm was coming?" Liddy asked with a hint of fear in her voice.

"It's Costa Rica during the rainy season. There's always a storm coming."

The festive and relaxed mood had changed as they reached the deck. A light sprinkling of rain had already begun, the wind picking up. A crew member handed them life vests immediately as Callum scanned the deck for Quinn's mother.

She was among many of the guests who were attempting to squeeze into the cabin area, which wouldn't fit them all.

She doesn't look happy now.

Fuck.

He finished pulling on his vest, then checked Liddy. Her face was anxious as she held onto a nearby rail.

A bright burst of lightning followed another crack of thunder, and the sky opened up. Rain battered them, and Callum pulled Liddy away from the rail, bringing her closer to the center of the deck. He wrapped his hand around a handrail, bolted into a seating area, then tucked her into his arm.

Regardless of that kiss, she didn't hesitate to sink against him, shielding her face from the rain and salty waves as the catamaran headed back toward the shore.

Liddy lifted her face slightly as another couple sat beside them—Quinn and Elle.

"Wow, that came in fast," Elle said in a loud voice, then reached over and squeezed her sister's knee. "You doing okay, Lid?"

"Yeah, I'm just worried about you." Liddy set her hand on Elle's. "This is not what we wanted for you guys."

"It's the weather. You can't control the weather." Elle shook her head, swiping rain from her eyes. "Honestly, it wouldn't be that bad if it weren't for the fact that so many older people are on this boat. Your mom is going to be livid," she said to Quinn, gripping his hand.

Funny how I had that thought, too.

Quinn's gaze darted to Callum's face, then he looked back at Elle. "Don't worry about my mum. It's our wedding. She can be out of her comfort zone for a few days."

"Yeah, that's easy enough to say. She adores you. I'm just the daughter-in-law, and she'll blame me." Elle shook her head. "Maybe Kat's right about doing the wedding inside rather than tempting fate and doing it on the beach. The weather is too unpredictable this time of year." The ship yawed to the left, and Elle held onto Quinn, who held her close.

Liddy lifted her head from Callum's chest and exchanged a look with him.

She didn't have to say anything. He knew what she was thinking from the troubled look in her eyes. This might have been a fun idea, but they hadn't considered the risk—that it would only put further doubts into Elle's mind about her wedding plans.

In which case, Liddy is going to feel like we failed.