Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

***THEO***

T heo stumbled back a couple of steps and watched Max put his arm around Eden to guide her off the dock, surprised by the rush of jealousy that filled him when he saw them together. Before he could get it under control, Eden pulled out of Max's arms and ran back to him, stretched up on her tiptoes, and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Thank you for saving me, Theo," she said, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "You are my knight in shining armor."

She turned and ran back to Max before he could say a word, leaving him standing there with his lips tingling, his body suddenly awakened in a way it never had been before. Ignoring the urge that spread through him to follow them, he waited until they started up to the village before walking off the dock and down to the shore. After kicking off his shoes and rolling up his pant legs, he started down the beach, enjoying the feel of the water as it lapped at his feet and legs.

When the sun became too hot, he found some shade under a palm tree on the shore and sat down in the sand, watching the waves break on the sandy beach. It wasn't long before his thoughts turned to his life, and he let out a long sigh, wishing he could banish the feelings of frustration and boredom he'd been fighting for months. He had a life that most people would kill to have, every luxury at his fingertips, staff to take care of his every need, and more than enough money to pay for all of it, plus more. He should have been grateful, but over the last few months he'd found himself feeling more and more unfulfilled.

He'd tried to ignore the feeling for a long time, but it had only grown, and now he had to accept the fact that he didn't want the life he had, he wanted something different. The problem was that he had no idea what that was or how he would figure it out, but looking out at the view around him, he realized that Max may have given him the time he needed to start figuring it out. Two weeks of peaceful island living would give him the solitude he craved. The island was about as isolated as he could get. Here he could separate himself from his family's expectations, take the time to look inside himself for something to bring a little passion back into his life.

As beautiful as the view was, he knew he had to get back to the village, he'd been gone longer than he'd meant to be, so he reluctantly got to his feet. Max would be looking for him, and his bags were still sitting under the table in the village, but he had two weeks to enjoy the beauty around him, so he headed back toward the village.

Max was waiting for him where he'd left his shoes and socks, leaning up against a tree, enjoying the view of the ocean. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he said. "I got wrapped up in the view and lost track of time."

Max shrugged his shoulders. "That's okay; we're on island time around here," he said. "I haven't been waiting that long. Are you ready for the tour? "

"I'd love to change out of these clothes first," he said. "There's a pair of shorts and a tank top just waiting for me in my luggage."

"Hope you brought some swimming trunks, too," Max said, walking over to him. "Unless you're planning on spending all your time on the nude beach."

"Now you've got my attention," he said, grinning at his friend. "Tell me more about this beach."

Max laughed, "I knew you hadn't changed that much," he said, slapping him on the back. "It's on the other side of the island, far enough away that no one accidentally stumbles on it. We can include it on the tour if you want."

"Like there's any question," he said. "After all, I wouldn't want to accidentally stumble upon it; the shock wouldn't be good for my system."

"No, we wouldn't want that," Max said, still grinning. "Tell you what, I'll show you to your cabin, give you some time to unpack, then we can meet back in the village in a few hours. We'll take a tour of the island and then have some dinner. That should give us some time to catch up."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," he said. "I might try to sneak in a quick swim before we meet back up. That water is calling to me."

His cabin was a short walk from the village and a marvel of modern minimalist construction, but the bed was comfortable. There was indoor plumbing, a little kitchen, and a porch that sat suspended in the trees. After Max disappeared down the ladder to the ground, he walked around the little space, then out onto the porch and sat down in the rocking chair. Birds flitted around his head, and the rich smell of the forest filled the fresh air. He took several deep breaths before closing his eyes with a sigh.

Unbidden, an image of Eden popped into his head, her shy smile, the blush on her cheeks when she'd kissed him, the sway of her hips as she walked away from him. Desire welled up inside him, making his body tingle and tighten, but he pushed it away. As attractive as the woman was, he wasn't here for a vacation romance. He'd come to the island to support his friend and hopefully get his life in order. Complicating things with a woman was a bad idea.

Getting back to his feet, he returned inside and unpacked his clothes and toiletries, deciding as he worked that it was nice to do things for himself. When he was finished, he changed into his swimming trunks, grabbed a towel out of the bathroom, climbed back down the ladder, and headed for the beach. He emerged from the water an hour later, refreshed from the exercise, then headed back to the cabin and got ready for his dinner with Max, beginning to understand why his friend was so in love with the island.

***Eden***

Eden watched the last rays of sunlight fade on the horizon, the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows of the sunset slowly fading into full darkness, then let out a long sigh of happiness. It had been one of the best days of her life, if a bit scary, and she wasn't ready for it to end. She wanted to squeeze every moment out of it before she climbed into bed that night.

Getting to her feet, a smile on her face, she dusted off the sand that clung to her skin, then slipped on her sandals, switched on the flashlight she'd found in the cabin, and with one last look at the ocean, walked away from the shore. Her stomach growling loudly reminded her that she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, and she started walking faster, remembering all the wonderful food in the village. When she came to the turn in the path that would lead to her cabin, she hesitated, then headed straight for the village, too hungry to bother with changing her clothes.

It was an island, after all. There was nothing wrong with going to dinner in her swimming suit and cover-up. Most of her body was hidden beneath the ridiculous thing anyway. Looking down at the coverup, she winced and almost changed her mind, but the smell of food drew her forward. It wasn't like she was trying to impress anyone. It didn't matter if she looked like she was wearing a tent; she wanted food, and she wasn't going to let her vanity get in the way.

She burst out of the trees into the little clearing and stood getting her bearings before heading to one of the huts and the enticing smell of grilling meat. A few minutes later, she was sinking into a chair at one of the tables scattered around the center of the village, a steaming plate of food in front of her, a tall sweating glass of tea next to it.

Digging into her beach bag, she pulled out the romance she'd started on the beach earlier that afternoon and was soon lost in a world of sex and intrigue. "I've read that one," a young woman said, plopping down in the chair across from her. "Do you want me to tell you how it ends?"

"No, not really," she said, setting the book down. "Even if they all usually end the same way, it's still fun getting there."

"Just like sex," the woman said, then laughed. "I'm Barbie, by the way. Sorry to just drop in on you like this, but you looked like you could use some company."

"Oh, I like being alone……well, I think I do. This is the first time I've had the chance in……well, a long time," she said. "But you're welcome to join me. This is nice, too. I'm Eden."

Barbie studied her for a second. "You just got here, didn't you?" she finally asked. "I haven't seen you before, and I think I would remember you."

"I got here this afternoon," she said. "I'm staying for the whole summer."

"Me too, I got here yesterday," Barbie said, then leaned over. "What is that thing you're wearing? Did they lose your luggage or something?"

She felt the stain of embarrassment on her cheeks and wished she'd changed. "This is my mother's idea of fashion; she picks out all my clothes. She says I don't have time to worry about things like that," she blurted out, then slapped her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry, you didn't need to hear that, just pretend I didn't say it."

"It's okay, Eden, you've got one of those mothers, I understand," she said. "I shouldn't have said anything anyway. I have a way of doing that, asking questions I shouldn't, if you know what I mean."

She looked over at Barbie and saw a sadness in her eyes that tugged at her heart. "The truth is, my mother controls every aspect of my life," she admitted. "My clothes, my friends, what I eat, what I watch on television. I'm twenty-two years old, and this is the first time I've ever been alone. I've never had someone not watching me."

"That makes us quite the pair then. My parents barely even know I'm alive," Barbie said. "They started shipping me off to boarding school as soon as I was old enough. I see them a couple times a year, and even that seems like a burden to them. I graduated from college last year. They didn't come, didn't even call, just sent some flowers and a card, and then tried to buy me off with this trip when I got upset."

"Oh, Barbie, I'm sorry," she said. "At least I know my parents love me even if they do drive me crazy and don't see that I'm a person with my own feelings and dreams. "

"It's okay," Barbie said, forcing a smile. "I'm used to it. There's no sense in crying over what I can't change. I'm going to enjoy my summer and start a new life next fall, one that doesn't include them."

"I wish I could do that, but I don't think that I'm brave enough," she admitted. "I don't know anything about the real world, there's always been someone around to take care of me, even when I didn't want them to. I wouldn't know what to do."

"Well, then, I say it's about time you learned," Barbie said, brightening up. "And I'm going to make that my mission this summer. I'm going to teach you how to be an independent adult."

"I like the sound of that," she said, smiling at her new friend. "When do we start?"

"First thing tomorrow morning," Barbie said. "If the rest of your wardrobe looks anything like that, we've got our work cut out for us."