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He leans his elbows on the counter, clasping his hands in front of him. “Nothing new. You?”
He knows what I’ve been up to, so I don’t mention Ryker. “The Ritz increased their order by three hundred cookies a day, so I’m excited about that.”
“That’s cool.”
I huff in irritation and pivot to the sink to wash my hands. Why did he come here if he’s going to sulk? “He’ll break your heart.”
There it is. The real reason he’s here.
I stop short of drying my hands, putting the hand towel on the counter and cross my arms. “I don’t have any grand illusion that this is something more than a couple weeks of enjoying someone’s company, Dante. It’s no different from when you guys do it. Yet, no one bats an eye when that happens, but god forbid a woman allows herself to have fun with a foreigner.” The buzzer goes off behind me. Putting the mitt back on, I pull out a sheet of cookies and drop the hot metal on the stove. The metal clink echoes in my compact place, against the hushed morning. I pinch my eyes closed, the irritation growing that it’s none of his business what I do. “And it’s my heart. If it breaks, then no one has to deal with it other than me.”
Palms slap down against the counter and he stands up tall. “That’s where you’re wrong, Manu.” Slapping his chest with his fist, he continues, “I feel it, too.”
The air stills as he storms out the front door mumbling a string of curse words. I watch him out my kitchen window as his boat speeds away.
I smack my hand down, his words squeezing my already fragile heart. Why is he so mad? Hurting my best friend was never part of the plan. I don’t understand why he’s acting different with Ryker than the other foreigners I had affairs with. He didn’t like it, but he didn’t take it personally.
Ryker’s different.
I hang my head. That’s the problem. My heart won’t hurt from being left on the island, it’ll hurt from him leaving. But it’s not Dante’s problem.
It’s mine.
“Whiskey, what’s on your mind.” After my morning with Dante, I’ve been in a sour mood. I almost didn’t come. Almost. I open my eyes from the shaded lounger to find Ryker staring at me from the pool. “You’ve been quiet today.”
It’s alarming that he knows me so well already. A man has never been this attentive with me. “Dante came to visit me earlier today.” There’s no need to lie. “He’s worried about me.”
Ryker pushes up, his muscles contract, and in one jump, he’s out of the pool. Water gushes down his body and I can’t stop staring at him as he walks over to his towel on the lounger beside me.
He faces me when he sits down, leaning his elbows on his knees. “Will you be okay?” Does he mean now or when he leaves? As if reading my mind, he adds, “In a couple days.”
I bite back the emotion wanting to surface. I will not cry in front of him. “We both went into this knowing what it was. It is what it is.”
He gives a sharp nod, swinging his legs around to lie flat. “That we did.” His somber tone only buries the pain a little deeper.
“What does Manu mean?” he asks out of the blue. I loll my head his direction with furrowed brows. “Isn’t that what he calls you?”
I chuckle once in understanding. “Yes. It’s a childhood name he gave me. It means bird. Since I’m not a native, he said the birds brought me.”
He lets out a noncommittal hum. “That’s interesting.”
“Why?” I would think it’s more silly than interesting.
He moves off his lounger and straddles me with his panty-dropping smile. Or at least, my panties drop. His finger scrapes circles around my belly button, and I tense at the tingling sensation. “Seems I am an Ornithologist.”
“Wow.” I snort, remembering when I asked him if that was his occupation. “That’s an astute conclusion.”
He shrugs a shoulder while keeping his attention on his finger, dragging it up my chest. “It’s true. I’m a bird watcher. I’m very intrigued by one that has whiskey-colored eyes and has a love for water and adventure. In fact, it’s so rare that one must travel to the most remote islands of the Pacific. Watching it has been the highlight of my trip.”
“And now that you’ve seen one?” My voice cracks, emotions I tried keeping at bay make their way out.
“You never forget your first time seeing one.” He leans down and presses his lips to mine. “The rush you get,” he says against my lips, “it takes your breath away.” His words vibrate to my core. “I’m afraid nothing will compare.” He continues moving down my neck, goose bumps pebble my skin. I run the tips of my fingers up his back and his muscles twitch under them. “But do you know what I like the best?” He lifts his head, his gaze seeks mine.
I swallow. “What?”
“That she’s not a mockingbird pretending to be a blue jay.”
There must be a lot of fake people in his world because he’s brought it up before. It makes me sad that people can’t be themselves.
