In Too Deep(13)

The next morning, before going to Bennet's office, I called Melina's room. "Hello?"

"Hi Melina,” I greeted her, my face breaking open in a smile at hearing her voice. "How are you doing?"

"Better than I thought I would have," she said, relieving me. "How about you?"

"I have to go down to the manager's office in a little bit to sign some forms, just to say I'm not going to sue the hell out of them," I lied, regretting it but not having a choice. "But after that, I was wondering if you'd like to grab that bike ride that you and I kind of talked about yesterday? I really regret how things ended last night, but I don't want to let it get in the way of having fun with you."

“Me either,” she said, her voice still a bit down from the giddy arousal of the night before but still better than what I'd heard when she'd trudged up the stairs barely holding back tears.

“I should be free by ten thirty. How about then?”

“That sounds great. And Cam . . . thank you.”

I sat back, pondering just how I’d try to brighten Melina’s day.





Chapter 9





Melina




I felt conspicuous in my t-shirt and shorts until Cam came around the path from the main resort building in an outfit that couldn't help but make me smile. "Really?"

"What?" Cam asked as he tugged at the bright pink t-shirt with flamingos on it along with the checkered shorts. "I decided to go casual today."

He came up and gave me a kiss on the cheek, smiling at me. "Besides, didn't it get you to smile?"

“You’re too much,” I said. "Come on, let's go. Think you can motivate me to climb the mountain today?"

Cam shrugged. "Well, I can try, but it might be a bit breezy in the between the legs when I do."

I couldn't help it, I laughed out loud, clearing the last of the storm clouds from my mood. "Okay, okay, mission accomplished. Let's go have some fun."

We checked out two bikes and started on our way, taking a lap of the outer rim of the island to warm up. I stopped my bike and shook out my legs. "So, I think I'm ready to try the mountain. Have you done it yet?"

"A few times," Cam replied. "It's not too bad, it looks a lot harder than it is. You set the pace, I'll stay with you."

We started off, and for the first half of the mountain, I thought things were just as he said, easy. I was just about to question why I'd not challenged myself the first time I rode one of the bikes when the incline sharply increased, and within seconds, I was gasping. "Holy shit."

"Just another hundred yards," Cam said behind me. I don't know if he was really as winded as I was, but he at least did a good job of faking it, his words coming in short little bursts. "Come on, next to me."

He pulled up beside me and looked over. “Just a little further. You can do it.”

His encouragement gave me what I needed, and I put my head down, leaning into the handlebars and pumping hard. The time seemed to pass slowly, each second feeling like an hour of pain, but somehow I made it.

I stopped and looked up, my breath screaming in my chest and my heart trip-hammering alongside it to look out over the entire island. In all directions I could see downward paths, and beyond it the whole of the island. "It's beautiful," I gasped, dismounting my bike. "Seriously, it's beautiful."

"It is,” Cam said, his blue eyes looking only at me and not at the scene below. I blushed and lowered my eyes. He put his finger under my chin and lifted it. "Why are you shy about me calling you beautiful?"

“I just haven’t heard it in a while,” I said quietly. "I'm usually just the fun girl or the girl that guys want to watch a football game with. You're the first man in a long time to call me beautiful and actually look like you mean it."

“Of course I do,” he replied, lowering his lips to mine. His kiss was hot, and despite being still winded, I was soon kissing him passionately, pulling him against me as the lust that had filled me the night prior reawakened.

I looked down, and saw the spot I'd ridden by the other day, and knew there was a perfect spot nearby. "Follow me."

We cruised down the hill, not pumping my legs to let my breath return and for my heart to slow at least a little bit. I saw where I wanted to go just a bit up ahead. Pulling to the side of the trail, I stopped my bike and looked back at Cam, trying to get a read on him.

He nodded and held out his hand as if reading my mind.

Taking his hand, I led him to the small clearing I'd seen the other couple in before turning around and looking at him, biting my lip in nervousness. “How’s this?”

Cam looked around, then shook his head. "No. Over there," he said, laying a hand on my lower back and guiding me to another spot about ten yards further behind some trees. “The couple you saw the other day probably wanted to be seen. Voyeuristic thrill and everything."

The clearing was more secluded, with the grass thick and padded as Cam knelt, bringing me down with him. On our knees we kissed, his lips leaving mine to trail hot fire down my neck and around my ears. Gasping, I pulled at his ridiculous-looking shirt until he leaned back and let me pull it over his head. "See, that's why I chose this shirt today," he chuckled as he tossed it to the side of the clearing. "No worries about grass stains on that thing."