I don't mind being an island. As long as it's an island in the sun.

__________ 

The rest of the flight to Koh Samui was uneventful. Thank goodness.

Nong had forced Calen to wait for me to deplane and see if I wanted a ride to my resort. I lied and told her that I already paid for a cab. Before she could press the issue, I hurried away, pulling my roller as fast as I could. It had been easy enough to find a cab to my resort after that. 

Upon arriving at the resort, I waited until after I had finished checking in and was shown to my bungalow before texting Laurel letting her know I had arrived. She immediately texted back asking me to meet for breakfast at nine o'clock. I was tired but agreed.

My bungalow was incredible. Smooth polished teak floors, tall arched ceilings, and bright with the flood of light coming in from the sliding patio doors.

In fact, the entire resort and Koh Samui was incredible. I left my opened suitcase on the floor and stepped outside onto the small patio. At that moment, I was beyond grateful that I had chosen to pay extra for an oceanfront bungalow.

I breathed in the hot tropical air, feeling the warmth of the sun sinking into my skin down to the very marrow of my bones. I could hear the crashing of the ocean waves. The beach was right there, just a few steps away. Beyond the pale white sand was the ocean; an endless stretch of blue water that blended so seamlessly with the horizon that I couldn't tell where the ocean ended and the sky started.

I couldn't believe I was actually in Thailand. After so many years of wishing I could go with my parents, I was finally here! It was unbelievable. And wonderful.

Laurel had been so right. Coming here was the best decision I could have made. With the shining sun, blue skies, and incredible ocean surrounding me, the unceasing anxiety and pain from my divorce seemed muted. Like recalling an old nightmare the morning after. 

Not wanting to dwell on the disaster of my divorce, I returned inside. After taking a quick shower, I put on a simple cream sundress and sandals. I didn't bother drying my hair but just braided it.

The soft breeze from the ocean was wonderful. I loved the graininess of sand beneath my feet. The sounds of birds cawing, the tall palms, mango trees, and bright profusion of luxurious flowers everywhere. It made my walk to the hotel restaurant seem like an exotic experience.

Everyone seemed to be smiling and cheerful, from the guests to the resort staff. When I returned the staffs' greetings in Thai, they gave me pleased grins and chuckles. I made a mental note to practice my Thai more.

I paused at the entrance to the restaurant. The hostess greeted me with the traditional sawatdee and took me to a private room where a group of people were seated and conversing.

My stomach gave a lurch when I recognized Calen's tall lean frame among them.

"Emma! You're here!" Laurel cried, rising up to rush at me.

She greeted me with a huge hug that I returned. Leaning back, she grinned and indicated the restaurant around us.

"Isn't this place incredible?"

"Yes, it's beautiful here." I said truthfully, smiling back.

"I'm so happy you're here." She gave me another hug, then tugged me toward the table.

Thankfully I was seated next to her and Phil on the other end of the table away from Calen. I greeted a few people that I knew, friends of Laurel and Phil's. There were some unfamiliar faces among the group, but everyone was so friendly and warm that I felt my tension melting away.

It helped that Calen was being monopolized by two women and other than a brief glance when I arrived, he was ignoring me.

After I had ordered some food and a mimosa, I settled back with a sigh of contentment. The sunlight flooding through the large windows next to our table felt wonderful. Though I was still tired from the long trip, the bleak depression that had been my constant companion the last few weeks has dissipated.

Across the table from me, a bronzed golden-haired man grinned at me. I searched my memory for his name and came up blank.

"So, Emma, Laurel tells us that your parents are from Thailand." He said amiably. "Have you been here before?"

"This is my first time in Thailand." I said politely.

His grin widened. "You don't remember my name, do you?"

I flushed slightly and shook my head. "I'm sorry, I'm terrible with names."

"It's all right." He reached across the table to shake my hand. "I'm Quinn."

"Nice to meet you Quinn. I'm Emma." I said automatically, taking his hand in a brief shake.

"I know." His eyes laughed at me, but it was good-natured. "It's wonderful to finally meet you though. Laurel and Phil have spoken about you so much I almost feel like I know you."

"I don't know if that's a good thing." I said awkwardly. I pulled my hand back. "They haven't said anything about you." I winced once the words were spoken out loud, realizing how rude that sounded.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, I work with Phil and what we do is incredibly boring. I'm not surprised he wouldn't want to talk about it."

I relaxed as we made small talk. Quinn's personality was open and sunny, uncomplicated in a way that made having a conversation with him a breeze.  When our food arrived,  he glanced at my empty glass.

"Could I get you another drink?"

I shook my head. "One is good. Alcohol and I don't mix together too well."

"She's a lightweight." Laurel chimed in next to me. She grinned at me, winking.

"She's right." I said apologetically. Already my blood was buzzing. Any more and I'd be on the floor.

"How about a Thai iced coffee? I just had one yesterday and it was incredible!" Quinn said enthusiastically.

I nodded, thanking him.

Once he left the table, Laurel nudged me. "What do you think of him?" She whispered.

I gave a horrified look. "Tell me you're not thinking what I think you're thinking."

"He's single, good-looking, kind, and has a good job. He's like a unicorn." Laurel countered with a sheepish smile. "He'd be perfect for you!"

"I'm not having this conversation." I said firmly.

"Emma—" Thankfully Quinn returned and she had to stop whatever she was saying.

"Here you go." He slid a tall glass of Thai iced coffee over to me.

"Thank you." I said and took a small sip. It was sweet, cold, and utterly delicious. The boost of caffeine was welcome too.

"So, a few of us are going on a small excursion into town to do some sight-seeing later. Do you want to join?" He asked, catching my eyes.

I shook my head, ignoring Laurel's kick under the table. "No, I'm still jet-lagged. I might just take a nap and maybe do some reading by the pool."

His face fell, then he brightened. "That sounds nice actually. Maybe I'll skip shopping and join you instead."

Not wanting to sound like a jerk, I hesitated. Sensing my discomfort, his face reddened.

"Not the nap—I mean, I could join you at the pool."

"She'd love that!" Laurel jumped in enthusiastically before I could say anything.

Cursing her silently, I nodded and tried to smile. Quinn grinned happily and his eyes sparkled. I noticed vaguely that they were a pretty greenish color. There was no darkness in them. No hint of shadows.

From the golden shade of his hair to his bright eyes, Quinn looked as if he was born in sunlight and never left it. Despite myself, I found myself enjoying the sheer uncomplicated niceness of his company the rest of breakfast.

I promised myself that I would only take a short nap once I returned to my bungalow. However I had misjudged just how exhausted I was. Once my head hit the pillow, I was dead to the world.

When I finally jerked awake and looked at my cell phone, I discovered that nearly three hours had passed. It was almost 2:00pm already. There were also a few messages from Laurel.

Hey, are you at the pool yet? Quinn was asking. Hey, are you okay? Hey, call me when you get this message.

Groaning, I turned and pushed my face against my pillow. My head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. The thought of having to see anyone made me ill. After a few minutes, I signed and forced myself to get out of bed.

After sending a short text to Laurel letting her know that I had been sleeping, I splashed water on my face and put on one of my old navy bikinis. I stuffed a towel, some sunscreen, a bottle of water, and my kindle into my backpack, then headed out.

I found the pool easily enough. There was no sign of Quinn anywhere. Feeling bad but also relieved, I found an empty lounger and  spread my towel out. Plopping a pair of sunglasses on, I laid back with a content sigh.

The sun felt incredible. I could smell the saltiness of the ocean in the lazy breezes that drifted across my body. As the minutes passed, I could feel my headache fade. It was truly paradise here.

I was about an hour into the story on my Kindle when a shadow fell over me.

"Emma?" Calen's musical voice washed over me.

I dropped my Kindle, jerking to sit up. My glasses slid off my nose as I looked up at him.

Gracefully, he sat down on the lounge next to me. Leaning over, he picked up my Kindle and handed it back to me.

"Thank you." I said awkwardly.

His eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark glasses. He tilted his head and contemplated me for a second. A tiny smile quirked the corner of his lips.

"You're burning." He said gently.

I frowned. "What?"

"Did you forget sunscreen?"

I swore, then held out my arms and looked at them. They were bright pink. So were my thighs and belly.

He stood up again. That's when I noticed that he was only wearing a pair of fitted blue swimming trunks. My breath pushed out and suddenly I couldn't breathe.

His skin was sleek and tanned, flexing like satin over his muscles as he leaned over me. His cologne was something light yet intoxicating, like sandalwood and a hint of tobacco. I stared at the hard ridge of his abs, only inches from my face as he drew close.

"Wh-what are you doing?" I managed to gasp.

A second later, I had my answer when a large umbrella unfurled over the loungers providing much needed shade. He sat back down and pulled off his sunglasses.

I was afraid to meet his eyes. I hated the way they made me feel. I hated the emotions inside them. I hated it when there were no emotions. I lowered my eyes and found that my hands had curled into fists on my lap. I forced them to relax.

"You'd better get some aloe on or you're going to be in a lot of pain the rest of this trip." He said.

"I'll be fine." I muttered, still not looking at him.

"Emma." He said softly. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong." I said shortly.

After a brief moment, I heard him sigh. That's when I made the mistake of looking up—only to freeze at the naked emotion in his eyes. They were stormy, dark and flashing with a kind of heated hunger that made my sunburn feel like ice in comparison.

His lashes lowered. "I owe you an explanation for the things I said that morning."

I breathed shakily. "You don't owe me anything."

He stood up and extended a hand down to me. "Will you go for a walk with me?"