Page 55 of Awakened Light

I shook my head.

“Everyone on your island looks very similar, but out here, the world is full of people of every shape, size, and color you can imagine.”

I couldn’t stop staring at the way his bright white smile contrasted with his skin.

“Like the rainbow,” I said as I smiled. “People out here are like the rainbow.”

Thorne laughed and nodded. “Exactly. And there’s no need to be alarmed when you see people of different skin tone, size, or shape. You’ll see it all here.”

Excited to see what other kinds of people lived in this world, I followed Thorne to the backseat of the car.

“Aloha!” the driver said as he opened the back door. “I’m Mika. I’ll be your driver for your stay. Anywhere you want to go, just say the word, and I’ll be ready.”

“Nice to meet you, Mika.” Thorne grasped his hand and shook it. “I’m Thorne and this is Catrain. We’ve got a few days here, and we want to see it all.”

“Then I’m just the man to drive you.” His smile widened as we slid past him onto the black leather seats.

“Do you have the address for our resort?” Thorne asked when Mika climbed into the front seat.

“I do. You have the private villa, correct?”

“That’s correct,” Thorne answered as he slid his arm over my shoulder.

“Enjoy the ride and we’ll be there soon.”

The car pulled out, and I stared out the window in awe at the sights moving by.

“Look how blue the ocean is!” Thorne pointed out the window. “I’ve never seen it in the sun. Isn’t it incredible?”

The aqua blue water rolled in waves up onto the sand, and several men on long boards glided across the top of them.

“Those are surfers,” Thorne said when he noticed my eyes tracking them. “We may have to try that. Something else I’ve never done.”

“Yes. I want to try everything. It’s amazing.” Tears burned behind my eyes from the emotions engulfing me on the inside. In all of my life, I’d never imagined how incredible the world could be. How diverse and magnificent the sights, sounds, and the people. After a lifetime of seeing the same faces and places, the beautiful scenery stretching out in every direction overwhelmed every one of my senses.

“Do you like it?” Thorne asked as I craned my neck up at the strange trees lining the road we drove on.

“I love it.” I turned to him, swallowing down the lump in my throat. “Thank you. Thank you for making me come with you.”

“Thank you for trusting me. I just want you to be happy, Catrain. Always.”

He wiped a tear from my eye and slid his hand under my chin, lifting my lips to his for a soft kiss. If only he knew how happy he made me... and how devastated I was that after this week with him, I’d never know happiness like this again.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Thorne

THE WARM SUN DRENCHED my skin while I lay on top of my surfboard, waiting to catch the next wave. Catrain floated next to me, and the way her toned, tattooed body shimmered in the sun had me struggling not to climb on her board and take her right there. Sex on a surfboard may prove difficult, but I was seconds away from trying to figure it out.

“Here comes another wave!” she called, and like it had every minute since we’d arrived, her smile lit up brighter than the sun.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she chanted, and the wave grew taller as it hurtled towards us, gaining speed as it approached. Catrain wanted everything bigger and faster, so she’d learned how to control the water and create even larger waves with her magic. With the wave the size and speed she wanted it, she grinned then paddled faster to get in position when it arrived.

I exhaled a pained sigh as she drifted farther away, then with one powerful push, I propelled my board to her side. We hopped up onto our feet in unison and laughed as the wave rose under us and sent our boards careening toward the shore. Considering we’d only had two lessons yesterday, it was amazing how quickly she’d picked it up. My vamp skills made most physical tasks easy for me, but Catrain’s years of training as a warrior made her a natural athlete, surprising even our instructor with her quick study.

“Shit!” Catrain called as she lost her balance. I saw her control the wave beneath her with magic as she tried to salvage her ride, but she’d already tipped too far. With flailing arms, she struggled to stay upright, so I veered my board toward her and snagged her around the waist just before she fell.

I held her body against mine as we rode the last of the wave together, her laugher echoing around us until we lost momentum and toppled into the water together.