"Thanks, Eleu. I appreciate it," Katherine said. "It's everything you promised."

"Of course. We aim to please," she said with a smile. "I will leave you now. Please let me know what services I can provide."

Manko stuck his head inside, his arms laden with their bags. "The other women said these were yours."

"Yes. Just put them in the bedroom," Katherine said. She turned to Jay. "Didn't I tell you you'd like it? It's costing a fortune, but just having Eleu available to make travel arrangements is worth it."

"Yes. You were right. I think it'll be very relaxing here," she said, ignoring the comment regarding money. She looked out the front door instead. "And the beach is right there." She tossed a glance back at Katherine. "But I don't anticipate you being down at the beach much."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll stroll the beach some and get my feet wet. The water looks crystal clear. I'm more of a pool person, you know that." She laughed. "I prefer to have a cabana boy at my beck and call."

Then why come to an island if you don't like the ocean? Jay shook her head, knowing she had that and many other questions for Katherine, but still she hesitated. She wanted to confront Katherine, wanted to know what was going on. But a part of her didn't want to know. A part of her wanted to bury her head in the very lovely sand down on the beach and not spoil their vacation.

So no, she didn't ask. She could go with the flow for a couple of weeks. Because deep in her heart, she knew it was over. She knew it the moment she realized that it was Jenna Katherine really wanted to spend her vacation with. No. That's not true. She knew it was over months ago. It just wasn't so blatantly obvious months ago.

"I'm going to change."

Jay nodded, watching Katherine go into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She sighed, leaning her head back with eyes closed. Gonna be a long ten days.

"Hey."

She spun around, a smile lighting her face as Drew stood there. No, it wouldn't be so bad. What was she thinking? She and Drew would have ten days to play.

"You're still dressed."

"So are you."

Jay pointed at the closed door to the bedroom. "Katherine went to change. Apparently I wasn't welcome," she said quietly.

"Funny. I got the same treatment."

Jay tilted her head. "Very strange trip."

"I'd have to agree."

Jay walked closer. "They're going to the pool."

"Yeah. Wanna go to the beach?"

Jay grinned. "Absolutely. Meet you out front?"

Drew nodded, her eyes moving over Jay's body. "Bikini?"

"No way."

"Pity."

She disappeared as quickly as she'd come in and Jay's smile faltered once she was alone again. Drew wanted to see her in a bikini. Katherine didn't want to see her at all. Yeah... very strange trip.

Jay stopped up short, nearly stumbling in the sand. Drew was waiting, her back to her, staring out toward the ocean, her light brown hair blowing in the breeze. She was wearing next to nothing. And there didn't seem to be even an inch of her that was not tanned a golden brown.

Dear God in heaven.

As if sensing her presence, Drew turned, their eyes meeting for a second before Drew's slid lower. Jay saw the smile form and couldn't prevent one of her own. She hadn't worn a bikini, but her suit left little to the imagination. And thankfully, the time spent in the pool last month had paid off. Her tan was nearly as pronounced as Drew's.

"Beautiful," Drew said, her voice low.

Jay smiled, letting the word sink in. Yes, Drew made her feel that way. Beautiful. Special. Like she was somebody, not nobody. She flicked her gaze over Drew, her eyes lingering on her small breasts, barely covered by the red top. "That should be illegal."

Drew grinned. "I don't like being in the water with anything on. This was the smallest I could find and still be considered wearing something."

Jay moved closer, surprised at her impulse to touch Drew— her arms, her waist, her shoulder—anywhere to feel flesh. But she controlled her desire, twisting her hands behind her back and looking away. "This is so not fair," she said.

"Sweetheart, if you think your swimsuit is fair, you're mistaken. And I lied. I have undressed you with my eyes."

With that, she turned, jogging easily to the water's edge, leaving Jay staring after her.

We're going to get into so much trouble.


CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

"So, we'll meet back here and decide on dinner? That's good with everyone?" Katherine asked early the next morning as the four of them sat by the pool nibbling on fruit and sipping champagne. The table was littered with brochures, and Katherine and Jenna had decided a trip back to Oahu was in order. They just had to hit the museums today.

Whatever.

Because Jay decided she wasn't going to worry about it. Yesterday had been a lazy, relaxing day. She and Drew had played in the water, had soaked up the sun, had walked the beach, and finally had joined Katherine and Jenna at die pool. There, they'd spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know Carlos, the very friendly bartender who was spending his first summer there after years of work in his native Cancun. He made a killer margarita. For dinner, Eleu had ordered them an assortment of platters from the nearby Polynesian restaurant. They'd eaten out in the common area near the gardens, meeting some of the other guests staying there. Jay had finally crashed, the five-hour gain finally catching up with her. She had no idea when Katherine had come to bed.

"Sure, whatever," Drew said. She picked up a flyer and held it up for Jay. "Feel like snorkeling?"

"Yes. Anything in the water. I'm game."

Drew raised an eyebrow teasingly and Jay shot a glance at Katherine, but her eyes were on Jenna. She looked back to Drew, wondering if Drew was at all concerned that Jenna, her date, was planning on hanging out with Katherine the whole trip.

"Well, we're off then. Manko is driving us to the airstrip. We'll leave the rental car for you."

"Manko? Is he even old enough to drive?"

"Who cares?" Jenna asked with a laugh, standing. "Come on, Katherine, we don't want to be late."

Katherine shoved her chair back, bending to place a light kiss on Jay's cheek. "You girls have fun. See you this evening."

The smile Jay had forced faded as soon as they were out of sight. She turned to Drew, her brow furrowed.

"You're not really dating Jenna, are you?"

"Not so much, no." Drew stabbed a piece of pineapple. "But she invited me, and well ... I wanted, well, I thought it'd be good, you know to ... I mean you and I—hell, I was being selfish."

Jay reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "Thank you. I'm glad you're here." She cleared her throat. "Because I think they're having an affair."

Drew's eyebrows shot up but she kept quiet.

"You think the same thing, don't you?"

Drew nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry."

"No need." Jay stood, moving to the edge of the pool. She took a deep breath, plunging both hands into her hair. She spun around. "Do you mind if we skip snorkeling today?"

"Whatever you want, Jay."

"Yeah? Well, I'd really like to take a very long walk on the beach. I feel like talking." She met her gaze. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all. But is this one of those talks you normally reserve for Audrey?"

Smiling, Jay returned to the table, bending down eye-level with Drew. "It's really you I want to talk to. Not Audrey."

Drew nodded. "I'm all yours then."

The words were spoken casually, lightly, but their double meaning wasn't lost on either of them. As those beautiful green eyes held hers, Jay felt herself being pulled to Drew. And it would be so easy to fall, to let herself go, to trust Drew to keep her safe.

But no. That would only add to the mess her life had become.

"I know I led you to believe that my relationship with Katherine was all roses," Jay said later as they walked side by side along the surf.

Their feet were bare, their swimsuits covered by shorts and tank tops. Drew wore a baseball cap, her hair bound and pulled through the back. Her sunglasses were perched on the brim of the cap and she held a water bottle loosely between her fingers. Jay reached for it, pulling it from her grasp and taking a drink.

"I knew it wasn't roses, Jay. I'm not blind."

"Frankly, the last year's been awful," Jay said, handing Drew the water bottle.

"Why have you stayed?"

"Do you leave someone just because they've turned into a workaholic?" Jay shook her head. "She had career goals for herself. I can't begrudge her that. Hell, I have them too."

"But?"

"We've drifted apart." Jay laughed. "God, that's such a copout, isn't it? Drifted apart. But the last year, she's stayed at work longer and longer, we see less and less of each other. And this trip," she said, waving her arms toward the water. "She hates the ocean. I should have known something was up."

"Has she said anything to you?"

"No. We don't see each other enough to have those kinds of talks, you know. But her actions speak louder, I suppose."

Drew struggled with her thoughts, trying to figure out what to say, how much to say, trying to figure out how to get out of the proverbial tangled web she seemed to find herself in. She should just tell Jay the truth. No, actually she should have told Jay the truth weeks ago. But men they wouldn't be here, standing on the white sand, watching the clear blue water crash on shore, feeling die ocean breeze against their faces.