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“Okay… but why?”
“We’re going surfing.”
Clara’s head pokes around the corner through my doorway in a millisecond. “I’m sorry—what?”
“You heard me.” I finish tying my boardshorts and flash her a casual smile.
Her jaw drops. “But… but… Willow’s too young?—”
“I hired a nanny to watch her, plus Fetuani is here and agreed to keep an eye on her while we’re out.”
Clara doesn’t seem to know what to say. She just ducks back into her room, hopefully to change into the new bikini I had Ani go into town for when I decided this was what we’re doing today.
Not that I don’t love that sexy, black string bikini she had on yesterday. I just don’t love the thought of a wave hitting her and knocking the strings off.
She’s mine to enjoy—no one else’s.
Sure enough, only a few moments later Clara returns wearing the new swim gear. It’s more solid and secure, with no strings to be snapped apart by waves—or by me—and it does tamper down her curves enough to not be quite so distracting.
To others.
Me, though? I’m never not distracted by her.
“I don’t—I mean, I’m not…” Clara breathes in a bit shivery, her fingertips picking at the edge of her bikini bottoms. “Are you sure Willow will be okay?”
I cross the room to pull her into my arms. Tucking a finger under her chin, I make her look up at me. “When is the last time you’ve done something just for yourself? Not to get something done, not to take care of Willow, and not to make someone else happy.You. Just you.”
She opens her mouth to say something, then closes it again. “I… I don’t know.” She lets out a soft, self-conscious laugh. “I don’t know if I ever have.”
I press a warm kiss to those sweet, flustered lips. “Now, you will.”
“But I’ve never been surfing before.” Her gaze lingers on my mouth and I’m half-tempted to forget about surfing and do other things just for her. But when her words register in my ears, I grin.
“Perfect. I’ll teach you.”
We’re standing at the water’s edge, with boards tucked under our arms. “Are you sure?—”
“Ani’s got everything handled, and you saw how Willow instantly loved Leila. They’ll be fine.”
A few more minutes of anxious silence from Clara passes, then she glances back again. “But what about?—”
“Mako is on sight with security on full alert. And even though we’re technically alone, we still have people surrounding us just in case of an emergency.”
The sand is hot and speckled with seashells, sparkling almost as much as the water in the late morning sun. But Clara’s too busy chewing her lip and glancing back toward the villa which is now just out of sight.
I give her hand a little tug to pull her attention back to me. “Are you worried about Martin?”
Clara immediately scoffs and shakes her head. “Oh, no. He’s the least of my worries.”
“Then what is it?”
“I… um…” She looks out at the ocean. And then at me. “I’m… I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
She blushes. “The ocean,” she mumbles.
I try not to laugh. “What?”
