Page 25 of Knot Your Sunshine (Snugverse Romcom #2)

Chapter twenty-four

Mia

The wind brushes warm across my skin as I sink deeper into the daybed on my balcony, watching the moon paint its silver path on the ocean below.

I close my eyes and replay today in my head. Josh's groans, how we both came with our clothes on...

My body flushes at the memory, and it has nothing to do with the half-empty wine bottle on the side table.

And just as I'm about to indulge in imagining an encore, my phone buzzes.

Noa: Test goes live at 9:00 AM eastern. Got a good feeling…

Oh. My. God. It's finally happening.

Me: Alriiight, let's do this!

Another buzz just as I set the phone down, still riding the high of anticipation.

Elena: OMG we just finished a day-long hike. Mom + Julian = adorable.

My already excellent mood soars even higher.

Me: Niiice!

Me: You free to call?

The phone rings instantly. I swipe to answer.

"Hi, best friend!" Elena's voice explodes through the speaker.

"Hi, other best friend!" I match her energy, already laughing.

"How's paradise treating you?" Elena asks. "We haven't properly talked since I left with Mom!"

"You go first," I giggle, tucking the phone between shoulder and ear as I readjust on the daybed. "What have you been up to since you got to Maui?"

"Oh my God, where do I even start?" Elena takes a breath. "Yesterday we went kayaking in this lagoon. The water was so clear I could see turtles swimming underneath us. One actually surfaced right next to Mom's kayak and she screamed so loud she scared it away."

I laugh, pulling my knees up. "Poor turtle."

"Then we snorkeled at this reef where the fish literally swim up to your face. Cole kept trying to touch them until a local yelled at him." She pauses to catch her breath. "And today's hike! Julian said it was 'moderate.' But his version of moderate meant scrambling over wet rocks."

"Ooh, sounds intense." I reach for my wine, taking a small sip.

"The guys took turns basically carrying me over the hard parts." She laughs. "Thank God for alpha strength."

"What about Julian? Could he keep up?"

"Actually, yes. He's still surprisingly fit for an alpha with silver hair. He literally picked Mom up and carried her over a mile. She giggled, Mia. Giggled."

I set my glass down, grinning at the image. "I'm so happy she's having such a great time."

"Me too." Elena's voice softens. "It's weird seeing her like this after being alone for so many years, but she's finally getting treated right."

"Good karma always comes back to you."

"Yeah, look at her now, getting princess-carried…" She laughs. "But enough about our adventures. Tell me about YOUR paradise experience."

"Well," I start, pulling a throw pillow into my lap. "Remember that dinner you couldn't make? It was on this private sandbar with torches everywhere. When we arrived, it was already dark, so the whole place glowed like something out of a fairy tale."

"Wow!"

"The food was incredible too. Three courses of pure art. The fish literally melted on my tongue. And the chocolate dessert made me actually moan out loud."

"That must’ve left quite an impression on your alphas," she teases, her voice carrying the same sparkle as a wink. "And speaking of, how were they?"

"It definitely did," I admit, my cheeks heating at the memory. "And the alphas were… charming. Funny. They've been making sure I have everything I need and more."

I continue describing the massage in nature, the magical cenote, my voice getting more animated with each detail.

"And then Josh's date today." My voice drops. "Elena, he took me to his coffee plantation."

"His whaat?"

"He owns a coffee plantation in the mountains. Taught me to drive stick, pick cherries, showed me the whole roasting process. He was so passionate... And then..." Heat creeps up my neck. "We kissed. And things got... intense."

"How intense?"

"'Clothes mostly stayed on but barely matters' intense."

"MIAAA!" Elena shrieks. "Yes!"

"It was..." I touch my lips, remembering the feeling. "Amazing. Totally, ridiculously, nerve-ending-on-fire amazing."

"This is AWESOME. The pampering, the dates, the support for your business project… you deserve all of it."

"I'm shocked at myself," I admit. "I thought the franchise test would consume all my focus, but I'm actually loving every minute with them. I'm literally counting down to the moment I see them next."

"You're happy," Elena says simply. "I can hear it in your voice. You sound lighter than you have in years."

"I think you're right. I am stupidly, ridiculously happy."

"GOOD. You've spent forever taking care of everyone else. Let them spoil you. Let yourself have the business success AND the romance. You're about to have everything you've ever dreamed of."

Something warm unfurls in my chest at her words. "Thanks, El."

"Always, babe." I hear rustling on her end. "Okay, I should go now. Julian’s taking us to a late-night dinner."

"Enjoyy. Love you."

"Love you too." I can hear her smile through the phone.

After hanging up, I sit there for a few more minutes, breathing in the plumeria-scented air. The conversation with Elena has somehow made everything feel even more real, more possible. I'm really doing this. All of it.

Finally, I stand and stretch, ready for bed. As I pad inside, something white catches my eye on the floor. Looks like… a folded paper that's been slipped under my door.

My pulse quickens as I pick it up.

Tomorrow, 5:30 AM. Resort entrance. The ocean is calling and waits for no one. Wear something you can swim in. - K

I bring the paper closer, inhaling. Through my half-dose of scent blockers, the faintest trace of salt and citrus clings to the note. Pure, delicious Keanu.

I fold the note carefully and hold it against my chest for a moment, grinning in the dim light.

5:30 AM. I haven't been up that early since I arrived, but for him? I bite my lip, already feeling the anticipation building.

Tomorrow can't come fast enough.