The Marked Ones (11 page)

Lincoln’s face clouded. ‘Adele can’t decide what she wants long enough for me to sort my
own feelings out.’ He sipped his coffee. ‘We were engaged last year then she broke it off because she has to stay in Sydney until she graduates uni, and I live here. We’re back together now but, I don’t know why, or for how long. She wants me to propose again, and I’m not ready.’

‘That’s understandable.’ Ivyanne said softly. ‘But for what it’s worth, she seems head over heels for you now. Sometimes, people need to lose what they take for granted for awhile, in order to really treasure it.’

‘Then why don’t I feel like treasuring her?’ Lincoln asked softly. ‘Why do I feel like I took her back because I can’t be bothered chasing anyone else?’

‘I’m not the person to ask. As far as relationships go, there are nuns who have more experience than me.’ Ivyanne confessed.

Lincoln glanced at her, and smiled. ‘Well we’re both just hopeless, aren’t we?’ He stared back down at the road, face pensive. His profile was lovely. ‘When I think about the treasuring what was lost thing though, I just don’t think I agree. I didn’t have to lose Ivanna to treasure her. I was thankful for every second we had together. I want that feeling again.’

He was back to Ivanna again! Unbelievable! Ivyanne had never felt so guilty, or so touched.
Stop it! She wanted to beg him. I can’t be with you! Stop trying to make me wish I could again!

‘I’ll bet wherever she is....’ Ivyanne whispered, on the verge of tears, ‘that she wants you to be happy and fall in love again. If Adele isn’t the girl for you, than so be it. But you need to let Ivanna
go Link, and move forward. Any girl would be lucky to have you.’

Lincoln met her gaze once more, raising an eyebrow. ‘
Any girl?’

Ivyanne swallowed at his suggestive tone. He didn’t need to spell it out for her to see that she’d bewitched him again. Her heart soared to an incredible height then plummeted to the ground. It was like she was
destined to hurt him beyond repair. It was a viscous cycle and she needed to break it.

‘I’m sure you could have
almost anyone.’ Ivyanne said in a breezy tone which suggested she was bored with the subject. She took another sip of her coffee and stepped to the side, glancing at the watch on her wrist. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him cringe at her thinly veiled rejection, but she swallowed down the urge to comfort him and invite further intimacy. ‘Look I have to go in for the lunch shift. Can I trust that the things that I’ve told you will stay between us?’

Lincoln’s head snapped around. ‘Of course!’ he flushed with indignation, but that was better than the hurt which had been there prior. ‘I’d never-’

‘Thank you,’ she said quickly. ‘And I really am sorry about Tristan. I hope his little comments didn’t get to you.’

Lincoln smiled. ‘Don’t worry, I’m feeling pretty invincible for the moment. Besides, he’s a guest, so I have to play it cool. ’

Ivyanne smiled. ‘You should go see Aubrielle in the spa, Link. I had a few treatments yesterday and I feel incredible!’ The lie rolled off her tongue easily. ‘That seaweed wrap took five inches off, I swear. And after all of your hard work lately, you deserve a time out.’

‘Took five inches from
where?’ He joked, eyes dropping to her waist, his gaze heated. ‘That is not a body meant to be altered, girl.’ He lifted his dark eyes to hers and smiled brilliantly. ‘Rejoiced, treasured and explored...but not altered.’

Ivyanne’s stomach tightened deliciously and reflexively to his blatant admiration. She blushed and looked down at her toes, remembering the last time he had explored her. Heaven help her! Why was she so responsive to this man?

‘Okay, that was awkward. I shouldn’t talk like that to a staff member.’ Lincoln chuckled self-consciously. It was a lovely sound. ‘So-the spa is really that good? I’ve never tried it.’

‘Well you should.’ Ivyanne said, finding her voice, knowing she’d have to swim until well after midnight that night to smooth out her spiking emotions. ‘I heard her say she’s got no bookings on Monday.’

‘Yeah? Well, I might give her a call then.’

‘Good.’ Ivyanne smiled at him. ‘Well! I have to get back to work. I guess I’ll catch you around! And good luck, with your relationship. Just stay focused on the one with yourself, and I’m sure everything will turn out great.’

Lincoln blinked. ‘Deep advice, for someone with no experience. Are you sure you’re eighteen?’

‘Almost positive.’ Ivyanne wiggled her fingers at him and hurried off, feeling better now that she had her story straight with him, and had encouraged his relationship with Adele. And if
that hint wasn’t enough to keep him at bay, then she’d simply leave before he fell any harder for her.

Ivyanne swallowed, remembering his grateful smile and the way it had caused a warmth to spread through her.
Or I for him.

Ivyanne shook off her reservations-refusing to give in to the weak train of thought. The sky was blue, her feet were becoming more tolerant of the hard ground, and everything was starting to seem manageable. Now, all she had to do was put some distance between herself and her boss, and both of their healing could begin for real.

But she’d have to stop blushing first.

11.

When Tristan heard the tentative knock on his door on Sunday morning, he knotted the towel around his waist and stepped out of the bathroom and into the main area of his spacious room, mentally preparing himself for the moment.

‘Room service!’ A sweet voice chirped, and knocked again.

Tristan smiled and pulled aside the curtains, trying not to let the way Ivyanne’s polite smile dropped at the sight of him bother him too much. He’d known she would be annoyed. That was exactly why he was doing this-best get her hostility dealt with before he moved in for the kill.

‘Good morning,’ Tristan said in a silken voice, glancing down at the tray in Ivyanne’s arms and then back up to her scowl, his pulse accelerating as he braced himself for a tongue lashing.
My god this girl actually makes me nervous! He thought with wonder as he stepped to the side. ‘Come on in.’

Ivyanne caught her lip between her teeth, shook herself off slightly, and then stepped into the room. ‘Where would you like your breakfast
sir?’ She asked coldly, scanning the room.

‘In bed would have been great.’ Tristan joked. ‘But I’ve been up for an hour so hmm... table?’

‘Sure thing.’ Ivyanne stepped around the foot of his bed and gently put the tray down on the clear surface of his table. He had only his lap top there and a pen. She glanced around again. ‘Has Pintang already been?’

Tristan shut the door behind him. ‘No. Why?’

‘Your room is so tidy.’

‘I’m a tidy guy. I straightened up before I went to the gym.’ He said. ‘Besides, I was expecting company. An incredibly hot lady friend of mine in fact and I wanted to make a good impression.’

Ivyanne whipped around, her eyes wide. ‘Excuse you?! You’re here to see me but still inviting girls back here? For the love of-’

Tristan chuckled and stepped closer to her. ‘
You, kitten. You are the hot lady friend.’

Ivyanne’s eyebrows lifted, but then she blushed and turned away, busying herself with something on the tray. ‘We’re not... friends...’ she muttered softly. ‘Tristan I barely
know you.’

‘Yes but I’m here to
remedy that.’

‘Yeah... well...’ Ivyanne stepped around the table, lifting the silver cover off one of the platters. ‘A warning would have been nice.’

‘No-a warning would have sent you swimming for the Antarctic.’

‘Well that would have been
my prerogative.’ She winced slightly when she stepped, and Tristan smiled knowingly-the withdrawals were clearly killing her feet. That meant that he’d guessed well when choosing his gift for her. ‘Veggie omelet. Fruit salad and toasted muesli.’ She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. ‘You’re a vegetarian?’

Tristan nodded. ‘Since I was a kid.’

‘I can’t quite bring myself to do it. I like bacon too much.’ She smiled softly before resuming her duties. ‘It’s cool though, that you can abstain that way.’

‘From what I hear,
you’re the queen of abstinence.’ He eyed her curves from behind, wetting his lips and stepping so closely behind her that he could feel her body heat. He lightly ran a finger down her side slowly. ‘Which is something else I’m here to remedy.’

Ivyanne was pouring his juice. When he said this, her hand began to shake and she put the jug down after filling half the glass. She turned to look at him, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. ‘Are you going to do this constantly? Have me deliver room service while you’re half-dressed? Flirt with me?’

He curved his lips and smile and stepped into her space more. ‘Which bothers you most?’

Her eyes flickered down to his chest, then back up to meet his gaze. ‘All of it.’

‘Hot and bothered?’ He asked lightly. ‘Or just bothered?’

Ivyanne sighed and rubbed her temples. ‘Tristan come
on...’ she wheedled. ‘I’m not used to this, okay?’ She looked back at him. ‘I don’t know how to-’ her forehead creased as she searched for the words. ‘I’m not used to dealing with men, you know?’

‘I know. I can tell,
believe me.’ He didn’t add that the way her eyes kept darting down to his lower stomach was beyond encouraging. ‘You’ve been sheltered, and for good reason. But it’s not always going to be this way.’ He stepped closer to her. ‘You are going to have to learn to deal with men. So to start, you could try looking me in the eye for five seconds.’

Ivyanne smirked and lifted her gaze to his. ‘If you want to be looked in the eye, I’d suggest covering up, Loveridge.’

Aha! He thought, his victorious smile stretching his face. She likes what she sees!

‘Oh you can look anywhere you want to.’ He responded without missing a beat. ‘I’m just trying to give you some friendly advice to make my company less... vexing.’

Ivyanne rolled her eyes and turned back to the tray, producing a long receipt and a pen. ‘Sign this please. I really need to get back to work. We have a band again tonight and I’m going to need a long swim this afternoon if I’m going to survive them.’

Tristan grimaced as he signed his name without looking at the room service tab. ‘Same band as last night?’

‘Yep.’

‘Then I’ll be making myself scarce. They sounded woeful.’

‘I thought so too.’ She glanced at his signature and smiled slightly.

‘What?’ he asked.

‘You have pretty writing.’ She said quickly. ‘You know, for a guy. Ardhi can barely print out the alphabet legibly.’

‘Well my schooling took place pre-laptop.’ He said. ‘Penmanship was as important as the words on the page.’

‘That’s right you’re...’

‘A bit older than you.’ He said softly. Age was rarely a barrier with mermaids, but it bothered him that Ardhi and Bane were much younger than he.

‘Right. I keep forgetting.’ Ivyanne nodded and tucked the pen into her short red apron. ‘Anyway, I’ve got to get back.’

‘Wait.’ Tristan said quickly, taking her hand. ‘I have something for you. Go sit on the bed.’

She raised her eyebrows. ‘Um... hell no?’

He laughed. ‘A
gift. I went to town yesterday after we spoke... I wanted to get you something to prove that I’m here to make your life easier, not harder. Sit.’

Ivyanne sighed, but she sat on the edge of his bed, her hands resting primly on her knees. ‘Okay but
quickly. My boss is as cranky as hell this morning.’

‘Lincoln?’ He asked as he retreated.

‘No, his girlfriend Adele.’

Tristan made a face. ‘Must be the name. I’ve met a few Adele’s, and they’re almost always stuck-up blondes.’

Ivyanne laughed. ‘Got it in one. But she can be okay. Just not the morning after death metal, I guess.’

Tristan went to the little bureau next to his bed and pulled out the cardboard shoe box and then came back to the bed, kneeling carefully before her, conscious of her eyes following him suspiciously. He opened the lid and held up the bright, mint-green sneaker with pale lavender piping, smiling when her eyes widened. ‘I noticed that you’ve been limping. These are about as comfortable as shoes get.’

Ivyanne reached out for it, her expression incredulous. ‘They’re so bright!’ she exclaimed, then grinned. ‘I love them! Wow!’

‘Well they’re cute, but comfort is key here.’ He lifted one of her feet, pulling off her cheap sand shoes. ‘Wait until you feel them
on.’

Her eyes lifted to his and she blushed. ‘Tristan.. this is sweet, really. But I can’t accept them.’

‘It’s a Sketcher sweetie, not a diamond.’ Tristan smiled and gently ran his knuckle along the arch of her foot, almost laughing out loud at the way her head tilted back at his touch. ‘You need to look after these perfect, royal feet after all. Especially if you have a big weekend planned. Shall I put them on?’

‘Mm...’ Ivyanne closed her eyes and her foot relaxed in his grip. ‘Okay. Thank you.’

Tristan smiled and slipped the first shoe on over her sock, holding her delicate smooth ankle in his hand to steer it in. Then he did the other, smiling when she groaned as he eased her other shoe off. It was a rush to be this close to her. ‘Are they aching?’

Ivyanne nodded wordlessly.

‘Well if you ever want a foot rub...’ he leaned down and brushed his lips across the front of her ankle as he tied the laces. When he glanced up at her face, he couldn’t help but have his attention diverted by a shadowy white triangle of her panties between her knees. He looked away quickly, not wanting to be caught, but his heart was pounding in his chest. ‘You know where to find me.’

‘I might just take you up on that,’ she said dreamily.

Tristan grinned. How did this young woman thrill him so? How could he make her heart race the same way? ‘I’m serious,’ he said, dropping her foot and tying the left lace. ‘Go on a date with me Ivyanne.’

Ivyanne sat up, eyes opening. A small line appeared between her brows. ‘A date?’

‘Yes well, I would like to have a chance to get to know you better-outside of a guest/ employee scope. Plus, I need to save face after the embarrassing incident at the coffee shop yesterday morning.’

‘You
so do.’ Ivyanne smiled briefly, but her expression became sombre instantly. ‘But Tristan I don’t know...  a date seems like a really bad idea.’

Tristan laughed. ‘If you can find
one girl who’s ever gone on a date with me and thought it was a bad idea in hindsight, I’d be surprised.’

He expected Ivyanne to scowl at him, but she smiled. ‘Yes well I must say, I’m intrigued to see what it is
you do on a date that gets everyone so worked up. And I guess you’ve travelled this far.....’ She stood up. ‘Tomorrow is my day off. We can hang for a while, if you’d like. And if that goes okay, we have a cook-out on the beach that night. It’s for the staff, but Remi’s bringing Michael...’ she offered her hand and pulled him to his feet. ‘If you haven’t driven me around the bend by then, you can come with me.’

Tristan grinned. ‘Really?’

She held a finger up to his face warningly. ‘If you haven’t driven me around the bend.’ She eyed him. ‘And if you can keep your hands to yourself.’

‘Yes m’am.’ He saluted her and then grinned. ‘I swear my shirt will be on and my hands in my pockets.’

‘Wait-where did this fully-clothed rule come from?’ she teased, darting her eyes back to his stomach before winking sassily.

Tristan’s entire face went hot and he was at a loss for a snappy comeback. But he didn’t need one. Ivyanne grinned at him and headed for the door.

‘Thanks for the kicks, Loveridge. And I’ll see you Monday.’

She shut the door behind her. Tristan flopped back onto the bed and grinned, allowing the butterflies in his stomach to flutter uncontrollably. Damn...he needed a swim.

⁓

By Sunday afternoon, Lincoln was so tired that he decided to take Ivyanne’s advice and book into the spa for the following day before the staff party.

He’d been nervous, checking in for the appointment, but the moment Aubrielle had him on his stomach, rubbing oil into his aching muscles, Lincoln checked out into a beautiful, near coma state. He was in there for what felt like hours. He lost count of the treatments she put him through, deciding to sleep through most of it- a feat made easy by the way Aubrielle melodically hummed under her breath.

At one point, he awoke, wrapped in seaweed, his face burning. But before he could grow too alarmed, Aubrielle was there, wiping it off and smiling at him happily.

‘Perfect,’ she said happily, stroking his hot cheek. ‘Just enough.’

‘Do I look like Brad Pitt yet?’ he joked.

She laughed. ‘You’ll be red and puffy for awhile. Go back to your room and have a sleep, okay? When you wake up, you’ll feel like a new man.’

Lincoln doubted that. But he had enjoyed the experience thoroughly. He thanked Aubrielle and went back to his room, surprised to see Adele reading a magazine on the hammock on his porch, waiting for him.

‘Hey babe,’ he said as he approached, hearing the sleepy slur in his voice. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. ‘Whatcha reading?’

Adele recoiled. ‘Lord, don’t ever let me go down there, okay?’

Lincoln frowned. Not the reaction he’d been hoping for. ‘Problem?’

‘I thought you went down there to get pretty. But it looks like she tortured your head. And you smell like mud and....
Macadamia?’

‘Sounds about right.’ Lincoln joked, resisting the inclination to be offended. Besides, Aubrielle’s attentions had left him feeling frisky. He was about to suggest she come into the room and help put him to sleep, when Adele suddenly bolted upright in her chair, gaping at something behind him.

‘No way!’ she exclaimed.

Lincoln, still bent over her, followed her gaze to the hilt of the hill, and noticed Tristan and Ivyanne, walking side by side in front of the restaurant, talking. They didn’t look like two people in love, but the awkwardness which had been present between them a few days before had apparently dissipated. Lincoln felt a tug of jealousy in his chest as he watched Ivyanne laugh at something Tristan had said, and forced himself to look away.