Chapter 18
Zander had heard of the honeymoon phase a million times, and he figured he had a pretty good idea of how great that time must be. But after last night, he realized he’d had no clue. And the funny thing was, all he’d done was hold her in his arms throughout the night.
Still, it was nothing short of heaven. Of course, he’d found himself waking periodically to inhale her tropical scent, kiss the gentle bend of her neck, and drift back to sleep feeling more content that he’d been in years. He loved her, and the knowledge thrilled and petrified him all at once.
Sunlight poured into the beach house as Zander sliced up vegetables for a breakfast skillet. Fresh zucchini, baby red potatoes, and shitake mushrooms. In a couple of hours, their ride would be there, and he and Kat would say goodbye to their private island. For now, anyway; if Zander had it his way, he’d bring Kat back to their special place in the Maldives often.
He’d gotten used to the pattern they’d established since their arrival. Kat sleeping in while Zander got up, worked out on the beach, and prepared breakfast.
The thought reminded him of a conversation he and Kat needed to have. It was the are-we-going-to-live-at-my-place-or-yours talk. During his last video diary, Marsha had told Zander they’d need to make a decision before they returned.
Zander wanted to invite Kat to come stay at his place, but his place meant, well, exactly that—his place, not Duke’s. Which pointed to the more pressing conversation he needed to have with her. One that informed her he wasn’t the brother she thought he was.
Panic threatened to consume him at the idea, but he was quick to squelch it.
She’ll be fine with it. She has to be. Sure, she’d said the biggest upset she had over her ex was that he’d lied about who he was. But that lie was centered around who he was as a person. She’d said it herself—the man she’d fallen in love with didn’t even exist.
But Zander did. And he lived the exact life he’d told her he lived. No secret wife and kids on the side. No dark past he was keeping from her. So who cared if she got one twin over the other? She didn’t know Duke from Adam.
Similar thoughts accompanied Zander as he fired up the skillet and grilled the veggies. If he timed it just right, he’d be ready to fry the eggs once Kat was dressed and ready for the day.
Yet as he spun around to grab the pepper grinder, the familiar sound of a motorboat got his attention. If Jamal had come early, Zander would have to remind him of the pickup time; they still had a few hours of precious alone time left, and he wasn’t willing to give that up.
He twisted the tall grinder over the skillet before setting it back in place and glanced out the window once more. Jamal was docking the small boat.
Zander wiped his hands on a dishtowel and headed outside to meet him. As bright as the inside of the beach house was, surrounded by walls of glass, it was even brighter without the shield of the structure’s roof. Warm wind wafted over his skin as he met the man on the dock, squinting against the sun.
“Good morning,” he hollered, hefting a large basket from the boat. “The producer of your television show told me to give this to you. She asked if we could extend your visit an extra night. I said yes.”
Zander took the offered basket. “Thank you. We’re staying another night?” he confirmed.
“Yes,” the man said.
“Without the others?” Zander asked next.
Another nod. “Yes, sir. If you’d like, I can take you and the Mrs. to the local market for any grocery items you’d like. Say in, an hour?”
They had another whole day alone. Uninterrupted. The news was a high of its own. “That would be great. Thank you.”
As Zander headed back to the beach house, he eyed the basket in his arms. A small handheld camera rested inside, along with a folded note addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Benton.
Zander wasted no time snatching up the note once he set the basket onto the table.
Hello newlyweds,
Hope you’re enjoying your time on your own private island. Sadly, our camera crew Stan and Trish have fallen ill this morning. No point in having you return when we can’t film.
Please enjoy an extra night there, but use the camera provided to film footage of your time for our editing crew to work with. Also, each of you record a ten-minute private video diary about your thoughts and feelings thus far.
Happy honeymooning,
Marsha
A wide grin spread over Zander’s face. Happy honeymooning, indeed. He strode into the bedroom with the card in hand. “Oh, honey,” he called out in a singsong voice. He caught sight of Kat through the open doorway, standing up to the bathroom vanity.
She scrunched her nose while circling a makeup brush over her face. “Yeah?”
“We got a special delivery.” Zander ran his gaze up her slender form, admiring the way her pale blue sundress accented the warm tones of her tan skin. There went that scent of her as he approached, sweet and tempting like an icy piña colada on a hot day.
