“Yeah, well, I don’t think there’s a better one,” Duke said, “all things considered.”
It was like Zander had suddenly gained access to something he wanted more than anything in his life—a real chance with Kat. And Duke—of all people—had given it to him.
Now he could be himself. Now he could really get to know her. Get close when he wanted, and see if she felt the same.
He shook his head, loving that list of possibilities. “Thanks, man. I mean it.”
His brother performed a loud yawn. “Sure. Just…don’t blow it.” With that, he disconnected the line.
Zander reached back to place the phone on the cradle as well, trying to pull himself out of the shock and awe state. He was free to pursue Kat. Really pursue her. He tossed a triumphant fist into the air as he stood to his feet, wanting to break into a celebration strut across the room.
The water beyond the glass caught his eye then, sparking an urge Zander would not fight. Not now, with all the feels of potential coursing through him like a colossal current. At once, he shrugged out of his tee shirt, stripped down to his boxer shorts, and hurried out the sliding door.
One quick hoist got him onto the railing. Zander balanced on the bar just long enough to hurl himself over the edge and into the crystal ocean. Once the pressure of cool water surrounded him, Zander let out a celebratory shout. “Heck yeah! Wooh!”
He popped out of the water and shook the drops from his hair. A small round of applause gained his attention from the nearby dock. Kat stood up to the railing, shaking her head with a grin that revved a whole new kind of heat in his belly.
“Well done,” she said.
Zander grinned in return, eyeing Marsha and the camera crew who stood waiting. He’d give just about anything to overhear what she was saying. But perhaps now that he didn’t have to hold back, Zander would be able to find out—for himself—just where she stood. That thought brought with it an idea Zander hadn’t considered. What if she didn’t return his feelings? What if—for Kat—the chemistry just wasn’t there?
Zander sank beneath the water as the fear grew louder, hoping to drown out the noise in his head. It was possible she didn’t feel the same way. But at least now, he was ready to find out.
Chapter 14
“So,” Marsha said once Kat was settled back into the hot seat. “Duke’s still opting for the couch, eh?”
The camera light glowed red as Kat nodded in reply. “Yes,” she said. “He’s been a perfect gentleman.”
“Some women might take that as a sign that…that he’s not attracted to them in that way. Is that a fear you have?”
A new sort of heat fanned through her. An unpleasant burn from her head to her throat. He did say he bore his soul during his sessions. Would she look like a fool for all to see? Would viewers watch back to back clips—her confessing her feelings, him regretting that there weren’t any?
“Of course,” she answered, then gulped. “But I’m just going to take it day by day.”’
“You put a lot of faith into this process,” Marsha said next. “It’s one of the reasons our specialists had you at the top of their list. Compared to the morning of the wedding, before you walked down the aisle, how much has that level of faith shifted?”
Just what kind of question was that? Kat could barely process a response as she replayed the woman’s words in her mind. The disturbing part lay in the preface. “You said the specialists had me at the top of their list because of how much faith I had in the process?” She’d been instructed to keep her eyes set on a small, bright feather above the lens during video diaries. But Kat couldn’t stop her gaze from drifting up to the producer.
“I thought the only consideration was the level of compatibility in the matches.”
Marsha gave her a nod. “Oh, it is. But we had about a dozen other couples who matched up nearly as well. We narrowed it down from there based on…other things.”
Kat released a slow breath through pursed lips and tried, very hard, to seem unaffected as the questioning went on. But inwardly, she was stuck wondering just what kind of mess she’d gotten herself into.
Why would the producer assume Kat had lost faith in the process since wedding day? From Kat’s point of view—the lack of intimacy aside—the two were hitting it off. Their footage together should reflect that very thing. So that left only one final assumption: Duke must have said that they weren’t really hitting it off. Not in a romantic way.
“Is that all?” Kat blurted after responding to another handful of prompts.
“One last question,” Marsha said. “You guys have five more days here on the island before you go home and try to figure out life as a new married couple. What do you hope happens before that time, while you’re still in the honeymoon phase, I should say.”
Kat glanced over at the gorgeous ocean view, took in the vastness of the world around her, and reminded herself of how very small she was in the broader scheme of things. The thought helped her defenses drop.
“I hope we can grow closer. Maybe explore the romantic aspect of our relationship a little too.”
“Just a little?” Marsha prodded.
Kat shrugged. “You’ve got to start somewhere.” She stood to her feet then, feeling done with the interview whether Marsha liked it or not.
