Page 22 of Knot Your Sunshine (Snugverse Romcom #2)

Chapter twenty-one

Mia

The helicopter touches down on a landing pad that's nothing more than a cleared circle on a grassy plateau. My legs wobble slightly as I climb out, twenty minutes of skimming over valleys and coastline will do that to you.

"That waterfall back there," I say, still slightly breathless. "Did the pilot say it has no name?"

"Most of them don't." Keanu helps me down the last step, his hand warm and steady on mine. "Only locals know they exist."

Josh pushes his glasses up, squinting in the bright sun. "And did you see the black sand beaches? The way they contrast with the water?"

"I saw everything." My voice comes out awed. "The lava fields, those emerald valleys... I didn't know Hawaii could look like that."

"Tourist Hawaii usually doesn't." Noa's hand finds my lower back, just a light touch, but heat spreads from that point like ripples on water. "Ready for your surprise?"

"There's more?"

"This way." He nods toward a narrow path I hadn't noticed, carved between flowering bushes.

The walk takes maybe two minutes, the perfect temperature making it feel like the air itself is caressing our skin. Then I see it.

Four massage tables stand under a gauze-walled cabana, the white fabric billowing gently in the breeze. Four women in matching white uniforms wait beside the tables with hands folded, all framed by the majestic outline of Mauna Loa volcano in the distance.

"Are you serious?" I turn to them, mouth open.

"We're always serious about massages. Plus, you deserve this after finding your franchise applicants so quickly," Keanu says solemnly, already pulling his shirt over his head.

My brain short-circuits, and I force myself to look away before I start drooling.

I settle onto a massage table, sinking face-first into luxury. The face cradle smells like lavender and pikake.

A hot stone settles between my shoulder blades. My spine makes a sound I'm pretty sure means 'thank you' in vertebrae, tension melting away in waves.

My therapist finds knots I didn't know existed. Time becomes liquid as I relax to the sound of nature.

The wind picks up, and I can feel it's making our gauze sanctuary dance. The scent of plumeria in the air intensifies, mixing with the coconut oil being worked into my shoulders.

"Oh, by the way," I say, remembering through my massage-induced haze. "When will my applicants be contacted and onboarded by Chadwick's team?"

"He said it'll be done within 24 hours." Noa's voice carries satisfaction. "We forwarded everything over the moment you sent us the applications to expedite the process."

"I'm impressed by how quickly you handled that," I say, pleased.

"We're motivated," Josh says, and I can hear his smile.

The therapist works down my spine like she's playing a piano sonata. Each vertebra gets individual attention. My hip flexors surrender completely. Even my feet get attention, and I make an embarrassing sound that's somewhere between a moan and a whimper.

Three distinct growls rumble from the other tables.

"Sorry," Josh says quickly. "That was—"

"We apologize," Noa adds.

"Involuntary reaction," Keanu finishes.

My face burns so hot I'm grateful it's hidden in the cradle. The growls were pure alpha response, primal and appreciative, and it takes everything in me to silence the purr my omega wants to give back.

"N—No problem," I manage to reply instead, straining to keep my tone neutral.

The therapists continue their work in serene silence for another thirty minutes, systematically turning us into human pudding. When they finally step back, I can barely remember how to stand.

"Thank you," I tell my therapist, who smiles serenely and bows before all four of them glide down the path like they were never there.

We sit up slowly, wrapped in robes that feel like being embraced by clouds.

"Ready for the best part?" Keanu bounces on his toes, energy already returning.

"This wasn't the best part?" I gesture at the cabana, the view, my newly liquified spine.

"The cenote," Josh says, then catches himself. "Well, not technically a cenote. Those are in Mexico. But similar geological formation."

"It might be even better," Keanu says with a teasing smile.

"What are you talking about?" I look between them, confused but intrigued.

Noa's already heading down a different path, this one carved into dense tropical foliage. "Come see."

We follow single file on smooth stones placed just far enough apart to require attention. Birds call overhead, and a gecko darts across the path, disappearing into ferns.

A sound starts as a whisper, like water over stone, then builds with each step.

"How much farther?" I ask, stepping carefully over exposed roots.

"Almost there," Keanu calls back, practically vibrating with excitement.

The trees thin. The sound intensifies. Then—

"Oh my God."

We're standing at the edge of what looks like the earth opened its mouth to yawn.

It's a massive cavity in volcanic rock, maybe fifty feet across.

Three veils of water tumble gently from different ledges, sliding down rock walls into a pool so clear I can see smooth, rounded stones scattered across the bottom despite standing twenty feet above it.

"This is impossible," I breathe.

"Highly improbable," Josh corrects, adjusting his glasses. "Volcanic activity, plus centuries of erosion, plus the specific mineral content—"

"Josh." Noa's voice holds gentle amusement. "Let her enjoy the magic."

Keanu's already stripping off his robe. My mouth goes dry watching his back muscles ripple as he tosses it aside. "Even better? Perfect jumping height."

I peer over the edge again. Twenty feet. High enough to make my stomach flip but not terrifying.

"Ladies first?" Keanu grins, standing at the edge in just swim shorts.

"Nice try." I cross my arms. "I want proof of survivability first."

"Fair." He backs up, gets a running start, and launches himself with a whoop that echoes off the cave walls. The splash sends ripples all the way to the edges.

"Show off," Josh mutters affectionately, then unties his robe.

Sweet mother of—Josh is ripped. Lean muscle definition that his usual polos completely hide. He executes a perfect dive that barely disturbs the surface.

Noa turns to me, and his eyes darken as I let my robe fall. I catch him biting his lip, gaze traveling down then snapping back to my face. When he drops his own robe, it's my turn to stare. Every inch of him is perfectly sculpted.

"Together?" His voice is rougher than usual.

My heart does a little skip. "Together."

We jump.

The fall is pure adrenaline, wind rushing past, then impact. The water embraces us, cool but not cold, perfect in this weather. I surface laughing, the sound amplified by the natural acoustics.

"This is insane!" Water streams from my hair. "This whole day is insane!"

"The absolute best kind." Keanu swims over, hair slicked back, grinning.

We float on our backs, looking up at patches of blue sky above while the water veils create constant, gentle music.

After a moment, Josh settles on a ledge with his legs dangling in the water, and Noa starts swimming laps.

Meanwhile, Keanu wrestles with one of the water veils, tilting and shifting as he tries to find the perfect angle where the flow massages his shoulders without drowning him.

"Harder than it looks," he sputters, wiping water from his eyes.

"Like most things you attempt," Noa says dryly, gliding past.

Keanu retaliates with a massive splash. Noa splashes back. Suddenly we're all twelve years old, shrieking and dunking each other. Noa wins by diving deep and yanking people under by their ankles. I get revenge by using him as a launching pad to jump onto Keanu's shoulders.

"Chicken fight!" Keanu yells.

"We need even teams," Josh protests.

"You're tall enough to be your own team," I tell him, then immediately get dumped backwards.

When we finally exhaust ourselves, we sit on a circular rock in the middle of the cenote, breathing hard and grinning like idiots.

"Thank you," I say, moving my feet gently in the water. "For all of this. The massage, the helicopter, this magical place... my franchise project. I know the test alone is costing a fortune."

"It's an investment," Noa says simply, leaning back against the smooth rock surface.

"In the business model?" I watch his face.

"In you," Josh says quietly. "The business is just bonus."

My chest tightens, my heart doing something complicated involving trying to escape through my ribs.

"So," Noa says, voice casual but eyes intense. "We were thinking, if you're interested, we'd like to take you on dates."

I stop moving my feet for a second. "Dates?" The word comes out breathless.

"Individual dates," Josh clarifies, pink spreading across his cheeks. "One-on-one. To get to know each other better."

"If you're interested of course," Keanu adds with a shy smile.

They're all watching me with expressions that make my skin tingle despite the cool water.

"When?" My voice is definitely breathier than intended.

"Starting tomorrow," Noa says. "We'll slip a note under your door tonight with details."

"All still very mysterious."

"We're committed to the theme," he grins.

I turn fully and look at them, these three incredible men who arranged all this magic and look committed to court me properly.

"Yes," I say, unable to stop smiling. "To all of it. To dates and mystery and notes under doors."

They light up simultaneously, like I've just handed them the world, and my stomach flutters with anticipation.

I can't wait.