She was doing it intentionally, Zain, lounging with Love, realized as he glared at Em who was frolicking on the shores of the sea with George. It had been foreboded in the smile she'd given him before she and George had ventured off. It'd been filled with a dare.

Still, he couldn't ignore how beautiful she looked as the breeze ruffled her velvety black hair, the sun bouncing off her skin. He however had to cut George from the picture and ignore how his arms wrapped around her and his lips captured hers every five seconds.

"Oh just stop glaring and let them be happy." Love groaned from beside him, then turned as she regarded him more keenly. "Seriously, she looks so in love and happy. Are you sure about..."

"I thought we already talked about this, Love." He mused, still staring at Em. "Em loves me. I can feel it deep in my bones. She's only afraid to let it out because she fears how it'll affect her daughter. What she refuses to see is that I can make her daughter just as happy."

"It's always gonna be different because you're not her real father." Love brushed strands of her black hair away from her face as she pointed it out.

Transferring his glare to the woman some inches away from him, he watched as her chin rose rather defiantly. "Am I supposed to get somebody else to help me with this, Love?"

"That's not necessary, but.."

"But nothing." He said softly, not wanting to irritate her. "We talked and you agreed to help me. Please don't act like you wanna back out."

"Fine." She sulked, crossing her arms on her chest.

Emma and George returned a few minutes later, the man holding their daughter, a big lovesick smile on his lips that Zain wanted to wipe away. "You guys had a good time?" He had to force the words past his teeth.

"With George, it's always a good time." Em was the one who answered as she stared intently at him. He only nodded at her, already knowing her game.

"Hey we were planning on going parasailing as the last adventure of the day." George mentioned.

"So you want us to join you guys?" Love suddenly asked.

"Uhm, I just wanted to inform you guys since it wouldn't be nice to disappear on you, but I guess it'll be great if you come along."

"Yay, I'm in. Won't miss a chance for some adrenaline rush." Love squealed almost exaggeratedly. She'd talked about her likes and dislikes, and Zain had figured she was a fervent thill-seeker and loved to take risks.

"You're excited?" Em stared at Love with mock incredulity. "I'm shivering right now." She chuckled along with Love. "So you've experienced it before? How does it feel? Is it scary when you're up there?"

Before Love could reply, Zain jumped. "That's what I thought when I was about to do it for the first time, but believe me that you're gonna be yearning for more once the first experience is over."

"Oh," Em replied awkwardly. "I see."

Zain wondered whether her response would've been the same had Love been the one who'd explained.

***~***

Luckily, they arrived at the south beach just when there were only three remaining passengers waiting to parasail. Em watched, mouth opened, seemingly in awe as the parachute begun to fly, pulling the people along.

"My goodness." She gushed, her arms wrapping around George as he laughed teasingly at her. That sight made him grit his teeth, wishing those sweet arms were wrapped around him instead.

When finally, the passengers had completed their adventure and returned to the shores, a new barge of 12 including the four of them were ushered on board and given vests. Emma had entrusted Amy into the care of a kind woman from the parasailing company.

Zain heard the giddy giggles and nervous laughs of the passengers who were obviously ignorant to this kind of adventure, and more so when the first two people were ushered into the seats and the winch set the parachute in motion. Apparently, the wheather was suitable enough to allow two people at a time.

Zain looked at Em as she looked at the ascending couple in a silent daze and awe. While she looked nervous with a touch of fear, he felt ready for another bout of the ride. Though he wasn't new to parasailing, the fact that one had experienced it countless times before didn't make the subsequent ones any less thrilling.

When it finally reached George's and Emma's turn after about 6 passengers had gone and come, Emma stood up on slightly quavering legs. The team smiled at her assuredly. "You are gonna be fine." One of them said.

Nodding, Em squeezed George's hand as they took their seats and were fitted into the harness. Zain wished he was the one from whom she sought assurance, the one beside her as they soared through the air. As the winch set off, Em squealed nervously, "God, I can't believe I'm doing this."

And yet she came down after sailing with practically the same reaction as the others. "That was so amazing." Her gaze basked in longing. George looked just as thrilled.

Love asked for her feet to be lowered about ankle-deep in the water on descent, just like he would've asked as they took the seats and were fit into the harness. The feeling of levitating in the air was as wonderful and exciting as Zain remembered it. Up there, about 700 metres from the ground, the picturesque vista from below was breathtaking.

From the large stretch of water to that of most of the beach and the city of Miami far off, nature was the most beautiful thing.

Love couldn't control her squeals of excitement throughout.

***~***

"Seriously, you gonna make her husband suspicious with the way you won't even snatch your eyes from her for a minute." Love mused exasperatedly as she shoved a piece of salmon in her mouth.

It was already evening and they'd ventured into the restaurant in their five star hotel to have dinner. George, Emma and Amy sat two tables from theirs. She smiled and laughed, all because of whatever George kept on saying, and Zain felt jealously dig beneath his skin in ways he was becoming too familiar with in just a day.

He finished his dinner furiously. Luckily, he paid his and Love's bill just as George called a waiter and asked for theirs. "Let's wait for them to get up." He told Love. She only rolled her eyes and groaned.

"You guys leaving as well?" He intentionally asked, coming behind them as they made to leave. "I guess we should walk together since our rooms are... I mean since we're all in the same hotel."

He met Emma's wary gaze and smiled at her just as they set out together. The night was beautiful and chilly in a good way. As luck would have it, George stumbled into a friend on their way.

Except luck had nothing to do with the coincidental encounter.

"I can't believe I'm seeing you after so long, George." The man, Alex, orchestrated the work so perfectly Zain was pleased.

Alex, Love's brother, had come along with them to the beach to have a good time, but his gaze had lingered on George who was still having fun with Emma at the shore. When Zain enquired his reason, he explained that he and George were in college together and they were kinda friends. That was when Zain had decided to recruit his help so that he and Emma could have some alone time.

"Me too. You look all big now." George mused as he hugged the other man. He turned to Emma who had a sleepy Amy in her arms, then turned to Alex. "Hey, meet my wife, Emma. And Amy, my daughter. Ah, well she seems a little sleepy."

Alex gazed at Emma quite too longingly than his role here required. "You don't have bad taste at all, George." He took Emma's hand and planted a kiss at the back of it. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise." Emma replied with a small smile.

"Hey, don't you think we have quite some things to catch up on?" Alex turned to George.

"Of course. Let's meet up tomorrow."

"That won't be possible. I'll be leaving first thing tomorrow on a trip."

"Uhm, Coconut. You talk about whatever you have to. I'll take Amy up to put her to bed." Emma replied, ever so considerably.

Loking at Love while she rolled her eyes, Zain smiled at how easy she was making his job. He'd missed her, needed to spend some alone time with her. Besides, they still had things to discuss.

"Are you sure, sugar?" George asked uncertainly.

Zain could've punched him.

Emma smiled assuredly before kissing him on the lips, and Zain had to look away. George and Alex set off while he, Emma and Love continued on their way to the hotel. But for Love who engaged her in a conversation, Zain was sure Emma would've sped away already.

At the reception, when Zain requested for his keys, Emma's eyes widened as she seemingly realized that it was the room oppositely situated two rooms from theirs. Which meant they'd had to use the same hallway. It was amusing watching her squirm and trying to avoid looking at him all way through the elevator ride, until she practically sped off two rooms from her own.

Hurrying his own steps, he placed his hand on her door when she entered and attempted to close it, then forced his way in. "What the hell do you want?" She demanded as she stepped back and made to place her daughter on the bed.

"You don't think it's time to talk after such a long while?" He asked calmly as he leaned against the wall, facing her when she returned.

"We have nothing to talk about." She stated as she made for the door, and Zain could feel her fear and anger as it burned through her.

Grabbing her by the arm before she could yank open the door, he pulled her to him, warranting a gasp as he stared intensely into her eyes. "Oh, we don't? I give you enough time to tell George everything, to ask him for a divorce so we can be together, and the next chance you get, you run away with him?"

She yanked her arms fiercely from his hold as she glared at him with equal intensity. "I didn't run away with George. I have no reason to. Besides, I never gave you a single assurance on what my plans were."

"You sure as hell did. I felt that promise in your lips and responses of your body to my kisses."

"That is your problem. You're never up for finding out from the person who's feelings you're always busily analyzing, and always choose to draw your own conclusions." Then her chin rose tauntingly. "Why is that Zain? Because you fear what you observed might not be?"

"Why would I want to ascertain from someone who would only lie to me about her feelings? I trust what my heart tells me, thank you very much."

"What the hell are you up to?" She suddenly bit out. "Because believe me, I didn't believe a single word you said about visiting family friends and being forced into this vacation."

"Of course I'm not gonna deny it, but you know I had to give George a reason and I couldn't tell him the true reason why I came here, which is you."

He could see her breathing pick up as she took two steps back, and he closed their proximity by taking three steps towards her. "You don't know how much I've missed you. And you don't know how much it hurts going to bed every night knowing you're in his arms. That he gets to caress you... And that's why I've decided; I'm going to make sure you know you can't live without me before this vacation ends, without my touch."

"Just how do you plan on doing that?" She asked, fear swimming in the pools of her eyes as she continued taking steps back, gasping when her back hit the wall.

Placing his hands at either side of her, trapping her, he gazed into her eyes. "You're mine, Emma, mine. And you're going to have to accept that sooner or later." Her eyes widened at his tone.

Hell, he hadn't meant to come off so possessive or use a tone of that nature, and yet he was staring at his own emotions right in his eyes; anger, fear, uncertainty.

"Zain, just let go of me. George can come any minute."

"Then let him." He couldn't care any less. He'd seen Emma's reluctance about opening up to George about her true feelings, and that's why he was here; to do the job or at least push her to do it sooner rather than later.

Then her next words made every fibre in his body freeze. "I hate you."

Grabbing her by the cheek immediately, he tried to delve into her eyes with his to ascertain all she truly felt. There he saw all that he wanted to see; the love, the fear of accepting him, the fear for her daughter's happiness, and decided that until he found the absence of the first emotion, he was never going to give up on her.

As relief slammed through him, he captured her lips in a kiss she tried to resist until she begun relinquishing to the wonderful sensations it evoked. Almost immediately after he'd pulled back and stepped away from her, the door opened.

Both he and Emma whipped their head simultaneously to the direction, and standing there was George, staring at them with what Zain would call a carefully controlled shock.

"Is something the matter?"