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During the drive home Carson found tiny ways to touch Julia. A light caress on her knee, brushing hair from her shoulder, slinging his arm against her headrest. He’d left the hotel this morning expecting a field trip into the beautiful Belize landscape.

He was coming back a changed man.

Julia finally showed him who she was in the wild, without deadlines or tasks or demands… She was not a buttoned up taskmistress. No, his Julia was a melting pool of desire, one he wanted to drink from for the rest of his life.

“What’s next on the agenda?” he asked.

“A hot shower,” she said. “For two. Because efficiency.”

He drifted his fingers to her thigh. “Unless we get distracted.”

“I’m never distracted. Everything I do is intentional.”

“Like leading me to Secret Falls so you could ravage me and steal my innocence?”

“Please.” She winked. “You gave away your innocence ages ago.”

“You’ve got me there, but I’ve been judicious since then.”

“Why do I find that difficult to believe?” She cut a gaze his way. “What’s your body count, Mr. Judicious?”

The light up ahead changed to red.

“Including today, seven.”

She hit the brakes hard. “Stop it. You’re twenty-eight. And hot.”

“Why, thank you.”

“So how…why…” Julia scrunched her face.

“Don’t I have a higher number?” He lifted a shoulder. “Hooking up isn’t for me. I prefer buildup and meaning behind physical intimacy. The light’s green.”

“Sorry. Just a little shocked over here.” She eased on the accelerator. “What was all that talk the other night—about relationships being a lot of work?”

“Because they are, but I bet they’re worth it.”

Her knuckles blanched. She’d leave dents in the steering wheel.

“Twelve,” she said.

“Twelve what?”

“Including today, mine’s twelve.”

“Congrats.” He didn’t care about who came before as long as no one came after.

Julia glanced at him. “Do you care that I’ve slept with more people?”

“No,” he answered honestly. “I hope it means you know what you like and will generously share that information so I can make you come a thousand times.”

A blush pinked her cheeks. “Oh.”

Oh indeed.

She parked, and they slipped from the minivan. Inside the hotel, the crisp air felt like a slap after a day in Belize’s heat and humidity.

“After showers and dinner,” she said, “I want to take you on the coolest tour in Belize.”

He shifted his backpack. “Nothing can top Secret Falls.”

“Obviously. Tonight’s the new moon, though, which is perfect for—”

“Julia!” a familiar voice trilled.

Carson had never seen color drain from someone’s face before, but Julia went from sun-kissed gold to white in an instant. She eased away from him as Michelle catapulted herself from the lobby’s lounge chair. Dad followed, and Alex twisted around in her seat.

As Julia hugged her mother, she said, “I didn’t expect you until tomorrow!”

Her voice was as artificially bright as Michelle’s diamond-patterned Golden Girls caftan.

“We boarded an earlier flight after all. When you didn’t answer your phones we decided to come here and surprise you with a dinner invitation.” Her mother gestured to the coffee table laden with frozen fruit–skewered drinks. “And decided to grab a cocktail while we waited.”

Dad, dressed in a pale green company polo and khaki shorts, slung an arm over his shoulder. “Hope you’ve been squeezing in some fun.”

His bulky phone holster pressed into Carson’s hip.

“We have.” He avoided eye contact with Julia. “We toured a cave system this morning and ruins this afternoon.”

“Did I hear you say you went to Secret Falls?” Alex asked.

“Yep.” Julia flopped her hand out. “It’s close to the ruins, so I figured why not?”

Her feigned nonchalance impressed and scared him.

“Where’s Bo?” Julia asked.

“Parking Betty,” Alex said.

She gasped. “You let him drive Betty?”

“Who’s Betty?” he asked.

“Her Jeep.” Julia crossed her arms. “She doesn’t even let me drive Betty.”

“Because you hate driving stick,” Alex said.

“You two go tidy up,” Michelle said. “We’ll go to dinner when you’re ready.”

“Great idea.” Carson tugged Julia’s elbow. “We’ll be back in a few.”

As the elevator doors closed, Julia dropped her face into her hands. “Oh my God, they know.”

“They don’t know.” He rubbed the spot between her shoulder blades.

He’d been startled to see their parents, but this was not worthy of a freak-out.

He wished they’d been kissing as they entered the hotel.

Ripped that bandage right off. But that wasn’t how Julia operated, and she’d snap at him if he tried to find a silver lining.

“Alex knows. There’s one reason anyone takes someone to Secret Falls.”

“To bask in the nature’s glorious splendor?”

“To bone.” Her reddened cheeks were adorable. “I only ever went there to swim, but Alex and most of our friends snuck dates up there for privacy. I can’t believe our parents showed up early. I had our whole night planned. A full-moon beach walk, nudity, and room service.”

“I like those plans.” He kissed her forehead. “We’ll swap out room service for a family dinner, then come back here and pick up where we left off.”

“Okay, but keep your distance,” she said. “Alex can read me like a book.”

The elevator doors opened.

Minute by minute, the carefree Julia who’d taken him to the falls disappeared behind this shuttered version of herself. He’d be patient. The more she could be herself freely with him, the less tempted she’d be to dim her light around everyone else.

Even if that meant being honest and inviting scandal.

At their door, he kissed her soft nape as she held the key to the reader.

“That tickles.” She giggled.

The nearby elevator dinged. Julia sprang away and practically fell into their room.

“Jules?” Alex said.

She swiped her hair from her face. “What’s up?”

Alex dug into her handbag. “Mom forgot to give you this. She wants us to wear matching hair pins to dinner.”

“Ew, why?” She took the pin from her sister.

A nickel-sized starfish, studded with pearls and blue-and-green crystals was fixed to the end of the hair pin. Cute, actually, and a fun nod to their island setting. But the matchy-matchy, we’re all one happy family symbolism felt so forced.

“Continued tattoo jealousy. She doesn’t believe the diamond is for both her and dad.”

Aha. So that was what the gems represented. He’d take a closer look later.

Maybe with his tongue.

Alex surveyed him. Slowly. “So, Carson. How’d you like the falls?”

Tread carefully.

“They were beautiful. Best waterfalls I’ve ever seen.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Any plans to go back?”

“I’d like to. Once wasn’t enough.”

It was killing him not to look at Julia.

“I bet,” Alex said. “Your shirt’s on inside out.”

“You shower first, Carson,” Julia interrupted. To Alex, she said, “We’ll meet you downstairs soon.”

Julia closed the door, then leaned her forehead against it.

He massaged her shoulders.

“She definitely knows,” Julia moaned. “She’s insufferable when she knows something I’m keeping from Mom.”

Her muscles were bunching faster than quick-set concrete.

“We could tell her. Not the details, but tell her we’re—”

“What? No.” She slipped from his touch. “Saying anything is premature by, like, a million years. We need to keep this quiet.”

He, on the other hand, wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

“Especially this week. Let’s not distract from their wedding. Okay?”

The earnestness in her gold-flecked eyes meant there was one possible response.

“Okay,” he said.

Relief relaxed her pinched features. “Good.”