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“That was cool.” Maisy reached for her lemonade and took a sip. The champagne was quickly going flat, but there was no way she was risking getting drunk in front of Xander again.
“Here.” Xander handed her the box of fruit salad. “I pushed some mango pieces to the side for you. They’re your favorite, right?”
“Yeah.” Maisy held back a smile as she took the box and speared a cube of mango. “Thanks.”
The rest of the picnic went better. They chatted easily about the snorkeling and about Safa, then moved to discussing the plans for the next few days. When they decided to return to the villa, Maisy suggested that they walk partway, and Xander agreed. The driver dropped them off a mile or so from the villa, and they strolled along a narrow path that climbed the cliffs toward their destination. Maisy enjoyed stretching her legs and taking in some other parts of the island.
It wasn’t at all the honeymoon Maisy had imagined, nor was it with the brother she’d imagined being here with, but she had to admit that it wasn’t bad.
CHAPTER 11
XANDER
Xander woke on the couch with a stretch. Unlike yesterday, he wasn’t awoken by Maisy clattering pots and pans in the kitchen, which seemed like a good sign. He rolled off the couch and stumbled into the bathroom, where he quickly prepared for the day. Back in the living room, he noticed that Maisy’s door was still closed. A quick glance at the clock revealed that it was quite early — a little before seven. Perhaps the jet lag was catching up with him.
He would have liked to hit the gym and work away some of his many thoughts and worries, but he wasn’t allowed to leave the villa without Maisy. Instead, he performed some push-ups, sit-ups, and squats on the balcony, then poked around the kitchen. Last night’s dinner had been a seafood spaghetti that Maisy had whipped up, which had been quite nice. They’d sat on the balcony together to eat and had enjoyed a perfectly innocuous conversation about the view and movies they’d both watched.
Everything was innocuous. It had to be. After all, Xander was on vacation with his brother’s girl — whether Maisy and Niko loved each other or not. Xander wasn’t allowed to notice how sexy Maisy looked in her white bikini or how much she could make him laugh when she wasn’t actively angry with him. He certainly shouldn’t notice how this honeymoon was actually kind of fun.
Xander dropped to the ground and knocked out another set of twenty military push-ups. He needed to remain distant — while also giving Maisy the best vacation of her life to make up for what he’d done. It was a hard line to walk, and Xander was fairly certain he wasn’t doing a good job. Maisy hadn’t seemed to notice that he couldn’t take his eyes off her, but it was only a matter of time before he slipped up. Even though Maisy didn’t have feelings for Niko, it was both romantically unlikely and politically impossible for Maisy to have feelings for Xander instead.
Xander hopped back up to his feet, rolled out his shoulders, and gazed out over the ocean view. It wasn’t that he had feelings for Maisy, not really. He just found her attractive in more ways than one and, with the two of them trapped in such close quarters, it was hard not to notice her.
But he could do it. Xander headed back into the kitchen, where he looked around for something for breakfast. Maisy had made him toast and tea the day before, after all, even though he’d teased her about the color of the toast. It was time he returned the favor.
Breakfast was almost ready when Maisy emerged from the bedroom. She was wearing a lacy nightgown that stopped at her upper thigh and showed off her curves all too well. It must have been something she’d packed for her originally planned honeymoon. Beneath the nightgown, most of her long, athletic legs were on full display, but Xander looked away before he could notice much else.
Maisy hurried past him into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, and Xander turned his focus to the pancake he’d been in the middle of flipping when she’d emerged. Despite his best attempts, he knew he would never be able to get the image of Maisy in that white, lacy, skimpy nightgown out of his mind. She’d looked like a model, even though she’d just rolled out of bed. If only he were marooned on Kanalea with any other woman, this wouldn’t be so difficult.
When Maisy exited the bathroom a few minutes later, she was wearing a pair of high-waisted pink shorts and a white crop top. It wasn’t all that much better than the nightgown — she still looked gorgeous, especially with her hair in a ponytail that brushed her shoulders, and her feet bare.
“Something smells good.” She crossed to the kitchen and perched on one of the barstools. A soft scent of coconut floated to Xander.
“It must be the pancakes with fresh fruit and hash browns on the side.” Xander flipped the last pancake onto a plate, drizzled it with syrup and freshly cut strawberries, and slid it across the table to Maisy.
“Wow. This looks great.” Maisy took a deep breath. “You really can cook.”
“Well, the pancakes are from a mix, and the hash browns were in the freezer. But thanks.”
Maisy assembled a forkful of pancake and popped it into her mouth. She chewed with a blissful smile.
“This is so good. I’ll be honest; what I miss most in Aenicea is American brunch.” Maisy took a bite of hash browns, then her chewing slowed and she frowned at Xander. “You’re trying to buy me off with food, aren’t you?”
“Yep.” Xander assembled his own plate and leaned against the counter across from Maisy. “That’s my strategy in a nutshell.”
Maisy sighed happily. “It’s working.” She took a drink of water. “This isn’t what you usually have in Aenicea though, is it?”
“No. You’ve probably had some of our traditional breakfasts, right? Like the amanden?”
“Um…”
“Big, crunchy bread rings filled with olives and cheese?”
“Oh, yes! I liked those. But I also had a breakfast that was some creamy cheese with watermelon and mint?”
“Right.” Xander nodded. “Kafori. Niko adores kafori.”
“I don’t really get it, to be honest. It was a little… weird?”
