~Tuesday~
He lay on the bed, struggling to keep his eyes open. It had been a long, fun-filled day after their late night in the lobby. She had fled there after announcing she couldn't enter their suite with him. Of course he had followed her, surprised when she planted herself in the middle of the sprawling, brightly lit atrium. His heart had constricted at her obvious misery.
"I can't trust myself in that room with you, Jack. You kiss me and I can't think. I can only feel. And I want to feel more. I don't ever want to stop." She had covered her cheeks with her hands in mortification until she had seen his broad grin. "What are you grinning about? This isn't funny, Jack. I can't get another room, they're all booked. I can't tell Lucy because she'll invite me to stay with her, and she needs her privacy before her wedding. Besides, I don't know that I could stand being locked in a room with her knowing that she knows I'm there because I can't control myself around you. Stop laughing!" she demanded with a swat to his shoulder. And then she had totally confounded him by bursting into tears.
He had held her close while she cried, rocking her within his embrace and whispering words of comfort, knowing she could feel them against her brow and 'hear' them with her heart. Once she had gained her composure he set her away from him and apologized. Then he had explained his smile, confessing that it was one of relief, that he had been feeling the same overwhelming feelings as she. He had taken her aback when he admitted to her that he was as inexperienced as she in the ways of the heart, explaining that his dalliances with other women had been superficial and paled in comparison with the consuming emotions he felt for her. He faltered when he divulged that he could no longer lead them but that they would have to walk side-by-side into the future but he was adamant in his promise that he would respect her convictions and that he would cling to them also, no matter the temptation they faced.
He shifted in the bed, taking a deep breath before twisting his nose in disgust. The current smells assaulting his senses making him cringe. His smile returned, however, when he once again allowed his mind to drift to the previous evening. She had been cuddled in his arms on a lobby sofa, secure in the fact that they wouldn't let themselves get carried away in such a public place. The ocean breeze drifted through the open-air expanse, teasing their senses with a delicious scent. "Plumeria," she had explained without lifting her head from its resting place beneath his chin. "It grows wild here and smells wonderful. I'd love to take bunches of it back and plant around the apartment but I know they wouldn't live indoors.".
He had decided then and there to fill their suite with the fragrant plant, wanting to transfer the dreamy quality of her voice to her expression. He began forming a plan even as he walked her back to their room, kissing her goodnight before opening the door and letting her precede him into their suite. They had agreed that while they were in the room they would keep their distance from each other, leaving their private moments for another location where they would be less inclined to allow themselves to be swept away by their explosive passion.
Tuesday morning had dawned beautifully, with Sue awakening before the alarm. She was dressed and ready for the day by the time he rolled off the couch and shuffled to her door to act as her alarm. She had smiled shyly at him, pecking him on the cheek before hastily moving toward the door with the promise of waiting for him on the large veranda where breakfast was served. They had eaten with Lucy and Daryl before spending an enjoyable morning exploring the island via all-terrain vehicles. Sue had opted to ride with Jack so she could concentrate on enjoying the view. He could remember little about the scenery or the information their guide had imparted on them. His memories leaned more toward the way Sue felt pressed against him and the way her fingers made him tremble each time she brushed her hand down his arm or across his chest to gain his attention to point at something she had spotted.
After a late lunch the group once again rehearsed for the wedding ceremony. Everything was going smoothly when Jack put his plan in action. On the second run through of the ceremony, he had swept Sue into his arms, dipping her deeply when he met her halfway up the aisle. He bent and captured her lips in a lusty kiss that had her readily responding and Lucy squealing. Satisfied that he had secured himself a couple of hours alone, he waved as Lucy abruptly ended the rehearsal and dragged a resigned Sue behind her toward the beach.
The money he had paid the young teenage son of their ATV guide to harvest the plumeria in the wild had been well worth it as he surveyed the numerous plants and blossoms that had been delivered. He had immediately set to work filling every possible empty space with the brightly colored fragrant flower, his anticipation of Sue's reaction growing.
It wasn't until he had everything placed that he noticed the beginnings of a problem. Not knowing what to do, he had called the front desk to ask their advice and before he knew what was happening, he had found himself in his current state, waiting on Sue. She would definitely be surprised, just not the way he had planned.