Page 56 of Awakened Light

We popped up in the surf, laughing and wiping the saltwater from our eyes.

“I almost had it to the end!” She laughed as she slapped the water in frustration.

“So damn close, baby.” I reached out and pulled her up against me. Her body pressed against mine, and she softened in my embrace.

“Hi,” she said as she smiled against my lips.

“Hi,” I whispered back between kisses. “Are you having fun?”

Her arms tightened around my neck as she nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. I love it here. I love the beach, the trees, the flowers, the people, the food. Oh, the food! You are really missing out. You’d love it too if you could.”

Maybe I would love the food if I could eat it, but there was one thing I knew I loved with every fiber of my being, and it was right here in my arms. It took every ounce of my considerable strength to keep from spitting it out each time I opened my mouth, but knowing our time together had an expiration date, I decided not to complicate things even more. So instead, I just kissed her each time I wanted to say, “I love you.”

The number of kisses I’d given her the past two days since we’d arrived had left her lips red and swollen.

And I kissed her again.

“Want to go another round?” she asked as she broke apart our kiss. “I can make an even bigger wave then race you to the beach.”

I arched an eyebrow. “You do realize I’m a vampire, and I could run around this island several times, come back out with my surfboard and still beat you to the beach, right?”

She laughed loudly, and it warmed me in the core of my soul.

“Good point. Well, then let’s just go again for fun.”

“Actually, we have an appointment this afternoon.”

“An appointment? For what?” She furrowed her brow.

“It’s a surprise. And you’re gonna love it.”

The lines in her furrowed brow deepened as she pursed her lips together.

“Seriously. You. Will. Love. It,” I said, punctuating each word with a kiss. “Trust me. I haven’t let you down yet, have I?”

Her lip twisted tighter, but then she shook her head. “No. You haven’t.”

“Then come on.”

I tugged her toward the beach, and we paddled in side by side. After we arrived on the shore, I texted Mika to pick us up. With towels tied around our waists, I put a surfboard under each arm, and we strolled up the beach to the parking lot.

When we got there, Mika had already arrived and leaned against the limo wearing a hot pink floral Hawaiian shirt. After he’d dropped us off at our villa the day we’d arrived, I’d told him there was no need for formal suits as long as he was our driver, and he’d been wearing nothing but Hawaiian shirts ever since.

A trend I’d jumped on myself and now owned six of them after Catrain and I went shopping yesterday.

“Have fun?” he asked while he opened the door.

Catrain’s face lit up as she climbed into the back. “We had the best time!”

“You know where we’re going?” I paused before I followed her, and he nodded.

Mika shut the door behind me, and I climbed in beside Catrain and pulled her into my arms. He followed the roads away from the beach and onto the highway, taking us to the north end of the island.

When we arrived, he parked the car and let us out.

“See you in a few hours,” I said as I took Catrain’s hand in mine.

“I’ll be here catching up on my reading.” Mika lifted up a novel and smiled. He settled back into the car and put on his reading glasses as we walked away.