Queen's POV
"Guys, let's dive on the water now! Rie, keep my phone for me please?" Lorraine said when she finally got tired of taking photos.
She was about to jump from the rock that she is standing on when Rie reminded us to get our life vests and helmets. Lorraine giggled as we walked back to our table. She was looking at Kate who is blushing with a man sitting opposite her.
The man looked a year older than her. He did not even spare us a glance when we arrived.
"What happened to your face, Kate?" Candace asked her innocently.
"It's the sun." I heard Kate mumbled and then Lorraine giggled again louder than usual.
"We were not burned by the sun out there Kate! You are here, staying inside the shade of this tent." Lorraine stated as if hinting her that her alibi is so lame.
"She has sensitive skin." Candace playfully said in an attempt to save her twin.
"Of course! Kate's skin is very sensitive." I added and stifled a laugh.
"We will dive in the pool and go water rafting! Are you not joining us?" Lorraine casually asked while choosing a life vest.
Kate was about to give her response when the man beat her first.
"We will join." the man said and Kate's eyes widened. Disbelief was written in her face.
"And who might you be?" Candace asked looking straightly at the man. She placed her hands on her hips as if her posture will intimidate this man who is leisurely sitting in front of us.
"I am her tour guide." I heard the man replied.
"What?!" Lorraine snapped and slowly pulled Kate out from her seat. Then she dragged us away from the man.
"Oh my gosh, Kate! You booked a personal tour guide and have us guided by a kid? What is happening?" Lorraine hissed while Kate rolled her eyes and hit her gently in the head.
"He is the eldest brother of Rie..." Kate told us and before she could continue her explanation, I saw the man stood up and placed his hands on Kate's waist.
"You girls put on your life vests and helmets. Rie, assist them, we'll get changed first!" the man ordered and completely grabbed Kate away from us. I looked at their backs as he guided her towards the shower room.
"That's your brother, Rie?" Candace suddenly asked the boy who is standing a few feet away from us.
"Yes, ma'am. My brother is a good guy ma'am. Don't worry." the boy said calmly.
"Oh, I don't mean it like that, Rie. My sister knows how to fight. I just want to know if the man is your brother. You don't have a resemblance." Candace explained and started wearing her life vest.
"We are stepbrothers, ma'am..." Rie said quietly and Candace nods her head but did not ask the boy anymore.
"Queen, hurry... slap me! I think I am dreaming! Did you guys saw that? Someone had the guts to boss around Kate!" Lorraine dramatically speaks with full of disbelief.
"I will punch you, Raine! Heeeee Yaaaa!" Candace said and throw her punch in a slow-motion on Lorraine's face.
"Ohh my cheeks! Ace is so cruel." Lorraine said acting as if she was hurt.
"Hahahaha" the three of us laughed together while our tour guide gave us a weird look.
Meanwhile...
Kate's POV
"What are you doing?" I glared at Rie's brother as he pushed me towards the shower room.
"Hmmm... Go and changed. I will guard the door here." I heard him said and handed me my bag.
When I looked at him, I saw his serious face again. He suddenly bent down his head and whispered on my ears, "Baby, don't give me that look. I want to kiss that blush on your face badly. Now, go inside before I lose control."
"You're impossible!" I whispered back at him before my feet carry on walking inside.
I stared at my red face in the mirror for a long time before I finally changed into my bikini. This is so out of my character! I have never tolerated someone who orders me around before. I felt my brain protested inwardly.
I checked my reflection in the mirror once again and hesitated to open the door. After a while, I finally muster the courage to grab the door handle.
"It's black." He smiled gently while he was leaning on the wall and stared at me intently. His gaze was focused on my left collarbone where an ink of a tiny four-leaf clover is placed. A tattoo I made once, as a reminder of a near-death experience during my cruising trip.
His lips then slowly formed an upward curved before he enters the room. I heard the click sound of the door lock but for some strange reason, his eyes held me on the spot as if paralyzing my entire body.
I looked at his hands as his fingers were gently caressing my tattoo. With our proximity, I managed to notice his scent. Then, it hits me! This man is not a stranger! There was a vow placed somewhere in the depth of my memories together with him.
'If you saw me next time and I don't have a ring on this finger, I'll be your girl.'
He must have read the recognition on my face as his smile grows wilder.
"Good, you haven't forgotten. It saves us both time." He said and then he slowly pulled me closer to his body. He then planted a quick kiss on the four-leaf clover ink of my skin before inhaling my neck.
"Small world." I managed to whisper and gulped a few times. How could I forget? No wonder, he had effortlessly made me follow his orders.
"Go back and changed." I heard him mumbled against my neck.
"What do you mean by telling me to get changed? It's the only outfit that I brought, babe!" I replied.
"Mmmmm... 'kay, baby..." he answered then casually pulled off his shirt and put it on me.
We then went out of the shower room but instead of walking back to our reserved table, we turn left and he guided me inside a small store where there are swimwears and souvenirs available.
"How resourceful." I joked as his eyes started to look around on the display clothing.
I saw him picked a plain black one-piece swimsuit that could cover my entire legs. I laughed at his choice. He just smirked at me before we went back to the shower area.
"It's okay to show your body to others but, mine is not? Where is the fairness in this situation?" I teased him as I stared at his shirtless body. h
"No two-piece." I heard him say as he shrugged then he gently pushed me inside the shower room and the door was closed tightly.
When I went out of the shower room wearing the new suit he picked, he grinned in satisfaction. I scoffed at him.
"Look at you smirking at me. Just wait until I dry up your bank account and well see if you can still wear that smirk." I smugly said to him.
"Impossible!" he replied.
"Ah, I didn't know you have siblings, Nate!" I told him while we were slowly walking.
"Yeah, they are my mother's stepchildren. I am their guardian now. I checked on them from time to time." he stated.
"Oh... You didn't hack my phone and booked my reservation here, do you?" I suspiciously looked at him in the eye.
"Hahaha gracious, Kate! You chose to come to this place, not me!" he defended.
"Fair enough. How did you recognize me, Nate?" I asked him using his second name.
"The car race, Kate." He rhymed in a quick reply.
"Right." I pondered for a while and stopped walking then looked at him.
"What?" He consciously asked.
"Is there a chance we can revoke our agreement?" I playfully inquired.
"You have a man in your heart?" he responded.
"How could you not know that?" I asked.
"How could I not know that I am the man inside your heart?" he retorted and I giggled.
"Well?" I stared at him.
"In your dreams, baby!" he whispered before placing his arms around my shoulders as we continue to saunter towards our table.
"Kate, how can you bring such kind of swimsuit? Where did you even buy that?" Lorraine said frowning at me as she inspected my new outfit.
"It's nice and comfortable Raine." I answered and laughed.
"You two are also too close to be just a tour guide." Lorraine pointed out once again.
"We are in a relationship." I heard the man beside me announced and the three girls immediately dropped their jaw.
"You do?" Queen asked excitedly.
"How can you go on a shower room single and come back as a couple? Lorraine inquired.
"They know each other!" Candace stated.
"Oh... cool! Hahaha" Lorraine laughed awkwardly.
"Let's go!" I said and we all went towards the group of people holding a bamboo raft and rope.
We only spend less than 10 mins in bamboo rafting as Lorraine started to complain that she wants to go and rest. Queen and Candace went for a swim while I stayed in the shallow area with Nate. After a while, we decided to eat and before I know it, the time had already fly fast.
"You're staying overnight, baby?" Nate quietly asked from behind.
"We'll go back to the city..." I trailed and told him about our address.
"I'll visit you next week!" he smiled and stated.
"Just tell me the date of your visit. I may be working when you come." I looked at him and saw him nod his head.
"We should probably head back?" Queen shouted from the distance while checking her phone.
"Yeah. Girls, go pack your things and change your outfits." I called them.