“I only have one bag because we’re going to a clothing-optional resort,” Emma joked. “Don’t worry. It’s a big bag, and I have everything I need. Come on, the taxi’s waiting.”
Pete picked up both their bags and headed outside. It was still dark, the sun not ready to rise for a good hour or more. They got into the cab after the luggage was loaded. They were about thirty minutes from the airport. Pete rested his hand on Emma’s thigh. He was ready for a vacation and looking forward to this break.
After that explosive night in the basement, he and Emma had had a good few days together. Things seemed more relaxed between them, and Pete was happy. “Are you excited?” he asked her. “I’m looking forward to seeing what this place is all about.”
“Absolutely,” Emma replied. “I can’t wait to walk on the white sand and soak up some sunshine.”
Pete leaned over. “I can’t wait to see your ass in the sun. That is going to be a beautiful thing.”
Emma snorted. “It won’t be in the sun long. Have you seen my complexion? I’ve brought plenty of sunscreen, but I’m not going to make it a point to sit out. That would be a bad sunburn waiting to happen.”
His wife had beautiful skin. Paired with her red hair, she was one of those breathtaking women who looked like she was made of porcelain. Pete had been smitten from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her. “That ass in the shade will be just as amazing, and we have our own dip pool on a deck facing the ocean.”
“It’s so weird we’re heading to a place we’ve never really seen before. It does make it exciting, however, like a grand adventure. I love that.”
“The Butlers have raved about this place for years. When I called Jim to get the info, he reassured me that we would be absolutely blown away.”
“I hope he’s right. For the amount of money we’re spending, I’m expecting nothing less than a perfect paradise.”
“I think that’s why they call it Paradise.”
The cab ride went smoothly, and so did the check-in for their flight. They were there the full two hours early. Once they arrived at the gate, Emma took out a book to read and Pete tried to get some sleep.
Pete woke up some time later to the sound of Emma’s laughter, a sound he loved. “So are you guys going to the Bahamas, too?” she asked.
“Yep,” a man’s voice answered in a low baritone. “We love it there.”
Pete opened his eyes and glanced over to see a young couple sitting on the other side of his wife. The guy was good-looking and had dark hair and light brown skin. The girl was fit and attractive, with long wavy brown hair and a nice smile.
Emma asked, “Where are you staying?”
Pete watched the girl bite her lip as the guy answered, “Oh, it’s just this tiny resort on a small outer island.” Then he bent over and took a business magazine out of his bag and flipped open the pages.
Emma nodded. As always, his wife was her pleasant self. “We’re going to a small island, too. We’ve been told it’s an absolute paradise. We’re taking a small plane the resort arranged. It’s all kind of crazy, but we’re looking forward to it!”
The guy glanced up from his magazine. He wore an expensive watch and nice shoes. “We might be heading to the same place. You never know.” He grinned, flashing straight white teeth and a killer smile. “By the way, my name is Antonio, and this is Charlotte.” He reached his hand out to Emma.
“I’m Emma,” she said politely, shaking his hand. She turned to Pete. “This is my husband, Pete.”
Pete gave them a small salute and rearranged himself in his uncomfortable seat. “Nice to meet you both,” he said, leaning forward around his wife to shake Antonio’s proffered hand. “I hope we’re getting on this plane soon. It feels like we’ve been here for a long time.”
Emma nodded. “They announced it a few minutes ago. We’re boarding soon.”
Charlotte stood up first, and Antonio followed, each of them grabbing their respective bags. “We’re going to head to the bathroom before we board.” Antonio waved as he walked away. “It was nice meeting you both. Hope to see you again.” He winked. “Maybe on the island.”
“I hope we see you guys, too!” Emma called to him, affection in her tone. The guy must’ve made an impression on her in a short amount of time. After they left, she turned to Pete and said, “Wouldn’t that be funny if we were really going to the same place together?”
Normally, Pete would’ve agreed.
But he’d seen the way Antonio had looked at his wife. He’d been enamored of her. Pete knew those kinds of looks, and that wink had been suggestive.
For the first time in a very long time, Pete felt a little spark of jealousy flare in his chest. Emma had seemed so happy to talk to them. Her tone had been free and unguarded, making him realize she hadn’t sounded like that with him for a while.
“I actually wouldn’t be that surprised if we see them there,” Pete commented. “They were both confident and had that vibe.” Over the years, he and Emma had gotten very good at spotting couples who were in the lifestyle. That’s how they’d found Michael and Piper. They had seen the Collinses interacting at a party and picked up on their body language.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Emma commented. “We’re not wrong about a lot of people. My bet is we’re going to the same place.”
The attendant called for their boarding group.
Emma and Pete took their spots in line and boarded the plane. They weren’t in first class. Neither traveled very much, and shelling out a ton of money for sitting up front seemed wasteful. But as Pete tried to fit his long legs into the space in front of the seat without spilling into the aisle, he was second-guessing his choice. “Maybe we should’ve paid for first class. I don’t fit in regular seats anymore. They pack them in so tightly now, they’re not made for anyone over six feet tall.”
“Maybe we can try to upgrade on the way home,” Emma suggested.
“Hey, there’s Antonio and Charlotte,” Pete said as he readjusted his legs for the fourth time. “They’re in first class. I wouldn’t have pegged them for that. They look too young to have a lot of extra cash. But if they’re going to the same paradise we are, they must have it.”
Emma craned her head from the middle seat to glance up the aisle. Their seats weren’t too far back from first class. Antonio caught their gazes and gave them a little wave.
Pete watched his wife’s face light up.
“They seem super nice,” Emma said, sitting back in her seat and pulling a fashion magazine out of her bag. “He’s totally cute, too.”
Pete couldn’t reply, because at that moment the person assigned to the window seat next to Emma walked up.
“So sorry, but I have to get in there.” The older woman was maybe in her sixties. Pete got up and helped her stow her bag overhead.
“Thank you,” she said sweetly as she made her way to her seat.
Emma and she immediately began to exchange niceties. Pete closed his eyes. It was six thirty in the morning. He wanted to sleep as much as he could before they got there, because once they landed, the fun would begin.
* * *
The scenery was stunningly beautiful, the blue of the Caribbean being the clearest Emma had ever seen. She was in awe. The second flight flew directly over the aqua-blue waters, and the sight was absolutely breathtaking.
They’d landed from the States and made the connection to the small plane with no complications. But Antonio and Charlotte hadn’t joined them.
Emma tried not to be too disappointed. They would’ve been an interesting couple to hang out with, but it wasn’t meant to be.
The second plane landed on the small island after a very short flight. A car was waiting for them. They’d been the only ones on the six-seater airplane. The driver welcomed them, but wasn’t overly talkative.
In the backseat, Pete leaned toward Emma. “I can’t believe how small this island really is. It looked tiny from the air, and I only saw one resort. I hope we like this place, because it doesn’t look like there’s anywhere else to go.”