His mind raced with questions for Shelley, but his gut told him not to confront her now.Better to wait until I have backup.He needed witnesses, someone to prevent any chance of her twisting the conversation.
Once he felt calm enough, he stepped out of the bathroom, ready to collapse into bed, but stopped dead in his tracks.
"What.The.Hell."His voice came out as more of a shriek than he intended."Where are your clothes?"
Shelley was standing in the middle of the room, grinning.
"Gray Whittal, you are such a hoot.What do you think I'm wearing?"she said, spinning in place, wearing her cutest and tiniest pajamas.
Gray slapped a hand over his eyes."Put..put..."He stammered, too flustered to think straight."Something...over..."
She just laughed, clearly enjoying his discomfort, but Gray was done.Without another word, he marched to his bed, climbed in, and pulled the covers over his head.He would not dignify her antics with another response.
Shelley blinked, her confidence wavering.No one had ever turned her down, especially not when she looked this good.How could Gray look at her and not want to share his bed?
Her mind drifted to Riley, and her lips pressed into a thin line.That woman had to be the reason for his resistance.Narrowing her eyes at Gray's back, she promised herself she'd figure out how to change his mind.
She glanced at the couch and grimaced.She would not get any sleep there.Instead, she'd spend the night stewing and plotting her next move.
Chapter 71
Tiny island
Rileywokeupthenext morning feeling completely refreshed, but with a paw over her face.
"Bear!"she giggled, trying to push the gangly limb off her.Instead, Bear stretched all four legs out, pushing her right off the sleeping pad.
"Seriously, dog, you need to learn to share!"Bear lazily lifted his head and blinked at her, his lip curled under his canine giving him a comical look.She smiled, grateful that he loved to sleep in as much as she did.
"Come on, let's eat and go find some eagle rays."Today was going to be great.One thing she loved most about living on the island was that adventure was always just around the corner.When she had first moved here, a dive instructor had spotted her lingering around the harbour.
"Whatcha doing there, Riley?"Malcolm asked as he packed his snorkel, mask, and camera gear onto his boat.She didn't know him well, but she knew he was a local.
"Not sure," she replied, hopping off the harbour wall and walking over to him."I was thinking about what to do today, so I came down to the docks to see what was going on.Where are you headed?"
"Well, I'm going to the most magical place on the island.Ever been out west?"he asked, a gleam in his eye.
"I haven't!No car yet, and without wheels, it's tough to get around outside of our little bubble here."She gestured to the harbour and surrounding town.
"Let's fix that today then.You got any snorkel gear?"Malcolm continued packing his bags onto the boat.
"I do!"she said, practically bouncing with excitement.She had wanted to explore the west end but didn't know anyone well enough yet who had a vehicle or boat.The stories she'd heard about the marine life out there were incredible.Few tourists made it that far, and even the locals didn't go out west often.
"Great!Grab your gear and a wetsuit; it's chilly today," Malcolm said, grinning.
Riley laughed.Islanders had a different definition of cold.Even so, she'd take his advice.
"Give me a minute.My gear is over at staff housing; I'll be back in a flash!"
"No rush, we've got all day!"Malcolm leaned against a dock pole in no hurry.
She gathered her snorkel gear, wetsuit, water, and plenty of snacks.She was always ravenous after a swim.When she returned to the harbour, Malcolm chuckled as he saw her haul of goodies.
"Are those snacks?"he asked with amusement.
She blushed."You can never have too many!And I'm happy to share.Thanks for letting me tag along."
"I'm happy with the company!Now, have you swum with eagle rays yet?"His grin turned mischievous.
