Chapter 16
Raphael
“Watch your step,” the tour guide calls over his shoulder.
As it turns out, Dario, the flirtatious customs agent, is also the official tour guide of Crystal Whale Island.
Y’see, that’s why I don’t understand the high unemployment rate in our country. Career opportunities abound for true go-getters, even on this lost rock in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. It makes my capitalist heart sing.
Whacking his machete left to right, Dario clears a path as we step onto the muddy unpaved trail. “Don’t be shy to hold onto the railings,” he advises.
Since our aircraft is out-of-service for the foreseeable future, Fenty organized this complimentary private tour to allow us a better look at the island. Eva walks on ahead of me, fawning over the lush vegetation and unique wildlife. She is so completely captivated by the rainforest around us.
And I’m so completely captivated by her.
I watch the excitement in her movements as she asks the man questions about the island, its geography, its history. She snaps pictures of everything.
I can’t help but feel a little more alive when I’m near her. She’s funny, she’s smart, she’s curious. I can’t believe that she doubts herself, that she questions her worth. As much as I love her parents, I’m pissed at them for not making sure that she knows just how wonderful she is. I want to take all her doubts away and make all her wishes come true.
But I’ve got to slow the hell down. Yes, I promised that I’d help her with the next step in her life plan whatever that may be. And I plan on keeping that promise. But I can’t get emotionally invested. I have to keep her at arms’ length. A romantic relationship with her is off-limits.
Once we leave this island, we have to leave our attraction to each other behind. It can’t follow us back home because the consequences would be disastrous. In the grand scheme of things, nothing’s changed. She’s still my friend’s little girl and the only reason we’re even here together right now is because I was trying to save her from a poor life decision. So I’ll allow myself to fully enjoy our time on this island but anything beyond that is out of the question.
“Oh my god! I see it! I see it!” Eva beams at me as she points in the direction of the narrow body of water pouring over a cliff and hitting the rocks below. “Isn’t it beautiful, Raph?”
I smile at her. “It’s breathtaking.”
Dario interjects, sliding his hand onto Eva’s shoulder. “This is one of three known waterfalls on the island.”
I glower at him. I’m two seconds away from breaking his knuckles when his hand slides off of her back.
“It’s so amazing,” Eva says, leaning over the railing to get a better shot with her cellphone’s camera.
“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Be careful!” The tour guide catches her by the hips as she begins to slide in the mud. His hands linger too long on her ass.
Growling, I take a step closer.
The man gives me an innocent smile, backing away with his hands up. “These banisters may not be as strong as they look. If you want to get closer, you’re better off just continuing down the path and getting into the water.”
“We can do that?” Eva asks.
He offers her a subdued smile, careful not to stare at her too long. “Why not? The water is shallow. And warm, too.”
Five more minutes of trekking and we’re standing on the bank near the bottom of the waterfall. Eva is kicking off her flip-flops and peeling her tank top away. I catch the man with his eyes on her and when I clear my throat, he gives me another sheepish grin. Truth be told, I can’t fault him for staring.
Eva’s body is something from out of any red-blooded man’s greatest fantasy.
“Come on, Raph,” Eva giggles as she dips a toe into the water. “Get in.” She’s wearing a pair of barely-there shorts and a sports bra as she waves me over. She looks good enough to eat.
Still, I stand back with my hands in the pockets of my khakis. No intention of getting into that water. “I’ll pass.”
She pouts. “Come on. Don’t be boring.” She folds her arms across her chest and her breasts look spectacular in that hot pink spandex.
“Go on, man!” the tour guide prods. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
Eva nods in agreement. “Once-in-a-lifetime, Raph.”
She’s right. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because once we leave this island, it will be over. I’ll never get to touch her again, to kiss her, to put my hands on her body. I find myself approaching the bank and toeing off my shoes. As I shed my polo shirt, her eyes hood.
She watches me with so much heat it feels illicit. Her eyes scan my face and my chest before settling on my package and then they continue their journey downward. I smirk, feeling like a man, dammit. The way she watches me makes me feel strong and masculine, desired. I want to feel her eyes on me all day.
Without taking her gaze away, she speaks to Dario. “Would you take a picture of us, please?” She stretches her phone out to him.
“Eva, no pictures,” I tell her under my breath.
“It’s just for me, Raph. I won’t show it to anybody. It’s just for me. To remember this time we’re spending together…”
I find myself giving in as I always do when she pouts those perfect lips at me. The man angles the camera at us and takes a few shots. “Gorgeous couple!” he says as he hands the camera back. I should probably correct him but why bother? We’re a couple, at least for today.
Eva gives the photo an approving once over before holding it up for my inspection. I stare down at the picture and an emotion I can't quite identify fills my chest. Eva is stunning, as always, her smile outshining the sun. And when I look at my own image, I see peace, contentedness, happiness. Things I haven’t recognized in myself in years.
There’s a sharp tug in my gut, telling me that I want more moments like this. More sunshine. More laughter. More Eva. But I shove the feeling away because I know it’s irrational.
Eva hops from one rock to the next, scoffing at my warnings to slow down. She steps into the basin and water showers down on her. Leaving the safety of the bank, I follow her into the basin and she pulls me under the steady downpour of water.
Dario offers to climb a nearby coconut tree and get us some fresh coconuts. We gladly accept his offer.
Now, that Eva and I have some privacy, I do what I've wanted to do since the very beginning of this afternoon's excursion. I kiss her. Hard. My tongue slips between her sweet lips. Her fingers climb up my neck and she pulls me closer. The water bearing down on my back isn't enough to squelch the fire burning in my limbs. My hands move up and down her skin, tangle in her hair, slide into the waistband of her shorts.
We pull back for air, so that we don't drown in our lust. She runs her fingertips down my face. Her stare is soft but intense. There's something she wants to say. I trail my thumb across her wet, swollen bottom lip. "What is it?"
She smiles softly. “I’m just so glad we’re here.”