When Kaye opened her eyes the next morning, she thought she heard a car honking outside. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes, thinking about how she was going to survive a romantic paradise with Amir over the next few days. It was getting harder and harder to resist him, and based on his own behavior, she wasn’t exactly alone in that regard.

She wondered if they could write up a new contract.

Her doorbell rang, interrupting that thought, and she walked with bare feet over to the speaker.

“Yes?” she asked.

“It’s me. Pack your bag—I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Her heart fluttered at Amir’s voice, and she smiled into the speaker.

“It better be good.”

“Don’t get your hopes up. Just something to make our lives a little more comfortable.”

“More comfortable than living in a mansion?”

“Are you packing while you talk?”

“No.”

“That’s what I thought. Get a move on, wifey. We’ve got work to do.”

Kaye sighed dramatically.

“Fine,” she said, but as she threw together a suitcase, she couldn’t stop grinning.

When she stepped outside, Amir was there with another sports car, waiting impatiently. She tossed her bag into the narrow back seat as she slid inside, Amir starting the car.

“So, what is this? I thought getting married yesterday was surprise enough.”

“Really? I thought that part was pretty clearly laid out.”

“Well, yeah, but no one told me it would be yesterday.”

“Communication, I tell you,” Amir muttered, staring ahead as he drove out of her neighborhood and onto the freeway.

Before she knew it, Kaye recognized the private airport they had driven to weeks before. When she glanced at Amir, he shrugged.

“We’re going a little ahead of the crew. I’m tired of flying commercial, and I figured you’d make pretty decent company.”

Kaye repressed a grin as he tried to cover up something a little deeper than that. Instead, she followed him obediently up the steps and into his posh private jet, the two of them picking a row and nestling in for a lengthy flight.

She thought about chatting with him, but she decided against it. Instead, she found a book in his plane’s tiny library and pretended to read for the entire trip, stealing glances at him from time to time. Besides Amir offering her a glass of champagne, he also said very little, though every now and again, she caught his eye when she looked up.

It was going to be a very tough honeymoon.

Kaye managed to read little bits and pieces of the book in her hand, but she found herself more often than not staring out the window, wondering what the future held. Beneath them, a dark blue ocean flew by.

Before she knew it, brighter, azure waters appeared below as the plane lowered toward the tropical island of Barbados. She barely felt the wheels touch down as they taxied along the private airstrip, Amir’s phone immediately going haywire as service returned. Glancing down at it, his face grew somber.

“Thought it would take him a little bit longer to have a meltdown,” he mumbled, answering the call. “Merle,” he said, his tone cautious.

Even from the other side of the plane, Kaye could hear the man’s rant.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Amir?”

“Saving you money, last time I checked,” Amir retorted.

“I don’t care what you think you’re doing! There’s a strike at LAX and the entire crew is stranded here with nothing to film! They’re in negotiations now, but we’re wasting time!”

It seemed as though Merle were a broken record personified. It was always about wasting time with him. Or wasting money.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Do let us know when you make it out. We’ll hang tight until then. Goodbye.”

Amir hung up the call, Merle’s voice screaming until the very end. He looked up at Kaye and shrugged, his eyes bright.

“Looks like we’re stranded in paradise.”

“Oh, darn,” Kaye replied, crossing her arms and grinning at him.

The cabin door was opened, and a car was already waiting for them on the tarmac below. Kaye found she also preferred Amir’s style of travel, convenient as it was. They rode side by side in the back of the sleek black town car, approaching a beautiful island resort on the beach. A bellboy moved quickly to take their bags as Amir went to book them a pair of rooms, tossing her a key.

“Looks like we’re side by side,” Amir said as they walked down a hallway, stepping in front of two hotel doors.

“Looks like it,” she said.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” he asked.

Grateful for the chance to spend more time with him, Kaye readily agreed. She had been right to be worried. As the sun sank toward the horizon, all she could think about was being close to Amir. In fact, she had thought of little else since he’d arrived on her doorstep.

“I’d love to. Let me just put my bag down, and I’ll meet you outside.”

Amir nodded as they entered their separate rooms. The hotel suites held a tropical scent, the faint aroma of coconut permeating the air as she stared out at nothing but white sand, palm trees, and crystal-clear blue water. Leaving her suitcase where it was, she headed right back out again, only to find Amir waiting for her.

She smiled at him as they fell into step together, walking slowly along the length of the endless beach. They walked on in silence for some time, listening to the gentle rush of the waves. After a time, the sky began to darken as they turned and headed back in the direction of the hotel.

There was so much to say, so much that couldn’t be said. Still, Kaye couldn’t help herself any longer.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you over these past few weeks, Amir.”

They reached their rooms, standing just outside as he faced her.

“Getting to know you has been one of the greatest experiences of my life,” he said.

“It’s such a shame we’re forbidden to show affection for one another off set. If we were allowed…”

She let the statement dangle, wondering what he would do with it.

“If we were, perhaps I might be able to do this,” he said, cupping her chin in his palm and capturing her lips with his own.

After months of forcing her emotions down, Kaye finally allowed herself to give in to her passions. Amir deepened the kiss, pulling her closer as he pressed her to him, their bodies molding like puzzle pieces in a perfect fit.

Lifting her into his arms, he opened his hotel room door and closed it behind them, lowering her gently onto his bed. Finally, after dreaming of him for so long, Kaye gave up all the rules, and together, they made love until the moon rose far above them, falling asleep in the early morning hours.

Kaye was nestled against Amir when his cellphone went off, startling them both awake. Reaching for the phone, Amir took one look at the screen and groaned. He pressed the answer key.

“What, Merle?”

“Don’t you ‘What, Merle’ me! The strike ended last night—you’ll be happy to know that we’ve landed and can get back on schedule. Call Kaye and get to the main lobby. I want to start filming immediately!”

With that, Merle ended the call. Kaye glanced up at Amir, lifting an eyebrow.

“Another day, another dollar, huh?”

He grinned down at her, but made no other move to touch her as he stood and dressed. Taking his cue, she did the same, grabbing her key from her back pocket.

“I’ll see you out there?” she asked.

She hated how vulnerable she felt. They had finally spent a night together, but with that call, reality had crashed right into their world of no consequences. She hoped he wasn’t having regrets.

She certainly wasn’t.

“Sounds good,” he said.

When he didn’t say anything else, Kaye made a hasty exit, not wanting to be awkward. Her stomach roiled as she wondered if what happened between them was just a regrettable blip, something that Amir would do his best to forget about as they moved on with production. Her heart sank at the thought.

She made quick work of dressing, hoping her acting skills would serve her well as they moved to film with the crew. When she entered the lobby, Jesse was there, waiting with a red-faced Merle.

“About time,” Merle grumbled, but Jesse ignored him.

“Good to see you, Kaye. Let’s get some images of you doing some contemplative thinking on the beach, then we’ll do some one-on-ones.”

“Okay,” she said, casting a glance over to where Amir was.

He was being pulled in another direction, likely for his own personal interview. Kaye tried not to feel disappointed as they went their separate ways. She did her duty, playing the giddy bride as she spoke to the cameras, and the morning whiled away. They headed back to the lobby, where Amir was chatting with a few of the other crew members.

When they walked in, his eyes burned into hers. He excused himself, making his way over to her.

“Hey! Can I show you something over here real fast?”

Kaye nodded, confused as he pulled her into a side hallway. Pressing her back against the wall, he pressed his forehead against hers.

“I can’t go another minute without kissing you,” he breathed.

Kaye grinned, thrilled.

“Be careful—we might get caught.”

“I don’t care,” he murmured, lowering his head and pressing his lips to hers.

Kaye melted into him, but as she opened her eyes, she went stock still. Sensing her unease, Amir pulled back, and, seeing the direction of her gaze, turned to see Merle staring daggers at them both.

“I thought this show meant something to you, Al-Asfour. Thought this was supposed to be your big break, and a cash cow for me. All you had to do was keep it in your pants, and you couldn’t even do that.”

His voice was low and threatening. Kaye knew what he was saying was true. They had blown everything!

She looked up to see what Amir would do. He had every right to end things with her then and there, to continue with the project and move on as though nothing had happened. Instead, he reached for her hand.

“No offense, Merle, but screw the show. I’ve found something better.”

He gazed down at Kaye before kissing her again, deeply. When he broke off the exchange, he held tight to her hand, leading them past Merle.

“Air whatever you want, but I’m writing up a new contract for Kaye, and you’ll be signing it. I’ll be in touch soon.”

“You’re an idiot, Amir.”

“I know. Isn’t that the best?”

He waved sarcastically at Merle, and Kaye laughed as he pulled her back into his room before kissing her silly once again.

“Let’s go home,” he said.

“What, already?”

“Yeah. I want to try out this whole relationship thing, for real. What do you say? Want to give us a go?”

Kaye wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, her heart singing.

“I’d be delighted,” she replied.

Together, they packed their bags and made quick work of getting back to Amir’s jet, where they snuggled together the rest of the way home.

It was a reality far better than they ever could have imagined.