Chapter 35

35

I wake up slowly, my senses coming alive one by one. My legs are tangled with Theo’s. The contrast of his coarse hair on my freshly shaved legs is absolutely sinful. His chest rises and falls steadily under my cheek, a fluffy comforter cocooning us in downy warmth. I take a deep breath, drowning myself in his scent, wishing we could stay like this forever.

"Morning, Sunflower." His voice is smoke and sandpaper. Goosebumps race over my body, making me shiver. I crack open my eyes, blinking several times before lifting my chin to look at him.

"Good morning, handsome," I murmur, his sleep-mussed hair and stubble stoking the embers still burning low in my belly from last night. "Did you put me to bed?" I ask, realizing I don't remember falling asleep.

"You passed out ten minutes after we put the movie on.”

I wince. "But I promised you dessert."

"Isla, I lost count of how many 'courses' we had last night. We can have dessert another time."

"Another time meaning now?" I ask, biting my lip and looking at him with doe eyes .

He looks at the clock on the nightstand. "We can have dessert now or breakfast. They stop serving in forty-five minutes."

I give him a quick peck on the lips before jumping out of the bed and pulling on clothes. "I love you, but I'm starving."

He chuckles, his gaze worshipping my body. I could get used to this. I toss him a pair of boxers as I head toward the bathroom to brush my hair. Theo wraps his arms around me from behind, kissing my temple before resting his chin on the top of my head. Our eyes lock in the mirror.

"How are you so beautiful when you just woke up?" he asks, tracing my jawline with the back of his fingers.

"Were you expecting a zombie?" I stick out my arms and roll my eyes back. "I want to eat your brainsss,” I groan, jerking in his arms.

"Jesus, Isla. Have you been practicing that your entire life?"

"No, but I was a zombie for Halloween when I was fifteen and spent months watching zombie movies to perfect my technique. I guess it stuck with me."

"I see that," he laughs, spinning me around and pulling me to his bare chest. I sigh happily. This is where I belong. I finally release him when I think he maybe won't ever let go and give him a light smack on his ass. "Go get dressed before I get hangry."

"That would be even scarier than the zombie, wouldn't it?" He tips my chin up, kissing me hard before heading back into the bedroom.

My hangry is something nobody should ever have to see. I don't even recognize myself when I get like that. It's like those Snickers commercials. Scary as fuck.

We eat breakfast out on the deck, large umbrellas shading us from the rare summer sun. I could not have asked for a more relaxing couple of days before the stress of Charlie's baby shower. It's like Theo stepped into my head and knew exactly what I needed.

"To our last first dates," Theo says, raising his mimosa, the wind ruffling his hair.

"This really is my last first date with the three of you, isn't it?" I muse .

"This better be your last first date ever, Isla. We're playing for keeps."

I bite my lip to keep in my smile, heat creeping up my cheeks. I love how protective he is. It calls to primitive deep inside me. "To my last first date," I whisper, clinking my glass against his and taking a sip.

"What do you want out of life, Isla?" Theo asks after they lay an incredible number of dishes on our table for a family-style breakfast. I help myself to the fruit salad and French toast, taking time to think about his question before I answer it.

"In the end it all boils down to one thing. I want to feel accomplished in all areas of my life. Love. Family. Business."

"What does accomplishment mean to you?" he presses, taking a bite of scrambled eggs.

"It means I'm happy. That the people I surround myself with are happy. I feel fulfilled, but not at the expense of their wants and needs. And this goes for the three of you as well as Charlie, Jack, Cam, and Lach. And the rest of my family, for that matter." I take another bite, and something suddenly occurs to me. "Have you met Lorna yet?"

"Your sister, right?" he asks. “No, we haven’t met.”

I cover my face with my hands. I've been so wrapped up in being miserable that I didn't even realize that they haven’t met one of the most important people in my life. "She’s coming for the baby shower, maybe she’ll have time to stop over. Pen will be there, too."

"Who's Pen?"

"Lach's sister."

"We could cook something for dinner over at the Manor House. They could come after the shower,” Theo suggests.

"Perfect!" I'm excited to introduce them, but I'm even more excited to catch up with both women. It's been ages since I've had a real face-to-face conversation with them.

"We're not going to get a group date with you this weekend, are we?" Theo asks.

"Probably not, but if you guys want to help me set up, we can still spend time together. "

"Of course, we'll help, Sunflower.”

I hide my grin by taking a sip of my drink. Just having people in my corner feels so fucking good. It's been lonely since Charlie started dating my brother, Lach, and Cam. Not that I ever told them that. I didn't want their pity, and I sure as hell didn't want to be a fifth wheel on their dates. Ew.

"We should go back to the room and start packing. We only have three hours until we dock,” Theo says, setting his napkin on the table.

"I don't think I need three hours to pack my one tiny bag, Theo."

"Maybe not, but I'm going to need three hours to do all of the things I didn't get to do last night."

Fuck. Me.

"Are you two ready for your spa treatment?"

I look up in confusion at the woman standing at the end of our table. "Our what?"

"The person that solves the murder mystery gets exclusive use of the spa utilities on board for two hours," she explains, smiling.

"I completely forgot about that," Theo says, looking over at me apologetically.

"It's not a full-service spa, but we have hydro massage machines, a sauna, and a sensory pool."

"That sounds amazing," I groan, my muscles sore from the workout they got last night.

"If you'll follow me, I'll take you there now." She waits for us to finish our drinks and stand, then leads us inside the ship to the lower level. "I'm the only one with the key, and I promise you I will not barge in unannounced. You have two hours starting now," she says, glancing at her watch.

Theo pulls out his phone and sets a two-hour timer. "Got it."

"Lock the door behind you," she says, grinning over her shoulder at me like she knows exactly what's about to happen.

"What's a sensory pool?" I ask once we're locked inside the spa area. It's a small room with three doors–one at each end and one directly in front of us.

"I have no idea, but we're about to find out." Theo opens the door on the left to reveal two hydromassage machines. The next door we try is the sauna. "Here we go," he says, winking at me as he opens the final door. My first impression is... I'm not impressed. The walls are stark white, the ceiling a deep shadowy black. A small dark pool is sunk into the floor–more like a hot tub. There’s room for maybe six people.

"Sensory, how?" I ask, scanning the room for a clue.

"This must be the control panel," Theo murmurs, studying a screen on the wall to our left. He presses a couple of buttons, and sound roars from hidden speakers. I cover my ears, my heart racing. He presses another, and projectors turn on, turning the walls into a jungle. One more button and rain is falling from the ceiling. My hands drop along with my chin as I stand there in awe. It's like we’ve been transported to a private jungle pool in the middle of a thunderstorm.

"Do you want me to try out the other settings?" Theo asks, scrolling through the control panel's options.

"No, this is amazing," I breathe, shedding my clothes and stepping into the water. The temperature is perfect. I wish I could bring this home with me–I would never leave. I watch Theo undress as raindrops fall around me, water sliding down the planes of his body as he steps into the water.

"I wish I could say I planned this," he chuckles, pushing through the water.

"Maybe the gods planned this." What other explanation is there? It's too goddamned perfect.

Theo pulls me into his arms, and I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling myself up his body so I can press my lips against his. He sits, taking my spot, his pupils blowing wide as I sink onto his lap, my throaty moan drowned out by a clap of thunder.