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“It’s really golden, isn’t it?” Xander asked. Once again, he’d appeared beside her. This time, he was down on one knee, watching the sand fall from her hands.
“What a good observation.” Maisy hoped she sounded sufficiently snarky.
“They don’t call me Captain Obvious for nothing.” Once again, Xander had just rolled with her sarcastic remark. That easygoing nature made her respect him. Just a little.
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure. You’ve been born into plenty of titles without earning them.” Maisy raised her eyebrows in challenge. Xander chuckled. Then, without replying, he stripped off his shirt and ran for the ocean.
“Where are you going?” Maisy called.
“I need to get some water on that burn!” Xander called back. Despite herself, Maisy began to laugh, but luckily Xander was already diving into the water and probably couldn’t hear her. Maisy followed at a more sedate pace. The speedboat was wading distance from the shore, so she lifted the hem of her skirt and picked her way through the shallows. Once she reached the boat, the captain let down a small ladder, and she clambered up.
Xander swam a small lap around the boat, probably showing off, Maisy thought, then followed her onboard. Instead of taking the ladder, though, he grabbed the edge of the boat and hauled himself over the rim with his upper body strength. His muscles were all too visible in the bright Pacific light.
Definitely showing off.
Safa followed behind Maisy, taking her more sedate path through the shallows and up the ladder. She was hauling a large camera, which she held carefully above the water, then handed to the captain before climbing up.
“Prince Niko, Princess Maisy, let me take a moment to welcome you aboard and say what an honor it is that you’ve chosen my humble company for the day. My name is Tom and I’ll be your captain today.” The captain turned and gestured to the shadow of another, smaller island in the near distance. “Today, we’ll go about halfway between mainland Kanalea and the Atoll of Karmeline, just over there. Some of the best snorkeling is in this area, because you don’t have to go far down to see interesting flora and fauna. It isn’t uncommon to spot turtles, octopuses, and even rays out here.”
“Rays?” Maisy bit her lip. “Aren’t they dangerous?”
“Not at all, if you don’t get in their way.” Tom smiled reassuringly. “Stay close to me and to the boat and you’ll be fine. The only thing you should watch out for is fire coral. It’s red and round and it burns if you touch it with bare skin. But, again, as long as you don’t mess with it, it won’t mess with you.”
Maisy nodded, although she felt a little worried. Captain Tom went over a few safety procedures, then Maisy and Xander sat at the edge of the boat while they motored toward the island. Safa snapped a few candid photos of the two of them.
When they juddered to a stop, Safa stood and snapped a few more photos. Then she gestured for Maisy and Xander to get up.
“Let’s get some shots in the water. Tom here has told me he has an underwater camera.”
Maisy tried not to sigh. Just like everything else, this was going to be all about publicity and not about enjoying the ocean — or keeping an eye out for dangerous creatures. Still, she stripped off her sundress and started applying sunscreen to her face, arms, and legs. She probably should have done it sooner, but blamed her forgetfulness on her mild hangover.
Once she’d gotten all the areas she could reach, Maisy turned to Safa.
“Sorry to bother you, but could you get my back?” She held out the tube of sunscreen. Safa raised her eyebrows.
“Why don’t you ask your husband?”
Maisy blushed. “Right. Of course.” Although maybe it would be better just to burn. Slowly, she turned to Xander and held out the tube again. “Would you?”
“Sure.” Xander took the tube, and Maisy turned her back to him. She heard the tube squirt, then Xander’s hands were on her back. He rubbed the sunscreen in slowly, gently, making sure to get it under the straps of her bikini. The feeling of those broad hands on her skin sent shivers down Maisy’s spine. She needed to get ahold of herself, and fast. It was only sunscreen.
Finally, blissfully, Xander finished. “All done.”
Maisy turned and took the sunscreen back. “Thanks. I burn really easily. Pale skin, you know. I mean, you don’t know. I—” Maisy gave herself a shake. She was rambling. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” Xander winked at her. “Now, will you do me?”
“Um…”
“Put sunscreen on my back, I mean. I just can’t reach.” Xander made a few strained contortions to show that his arms didn’t reach that far.
“Yeah. I understood that’s what you meant. Turn around.”
Xander did, and Maisy was faced with his broad, muscular back. She took a deep breath, squirted some sunscreen onto her hands, and began to rub it into Xander’s skin. His back was warm and a little salty, still slightly wet from his dive into the ocean, so it wasn’t easy going. Still, Maisy did her best to focus on the task at hand, not on how close Xander was — or on the muscles she could feel beneath her palms.
“I think you’re good.”
“Thanks.” Xander took the sunscreen from her, applied some to his face and arms, then handed it back. “Let’s go!”
