Somewhere above the Indian Ocean Julia challenged them all to a game of poker.

That might’ve been the toughest part of the plane ride to get through as they gathered around the table, laughing, telling jokes, and raising the stakes as Julia dealt. During the game, he met Casey’s eyes several times—countless times, actually—and she often smiled in those moments. But he couldn’t read her. All he knew was that she seemed like the Casey she’d always been—outgoing, upbeat, quick with a joke. She fit in seamlessly. Not that he expected anything else. But he longed for an hour—heck, even thirty minutes would do—to steal her away to the back row of the plane, and talk.

But the rhythms of all the passengers didn’t align, so he never found himself with a quiet moment to do anything more than make amiable chit chat.

At least there was that.

When they landed in the city of Malé in the late afternoon, they were shuttled onto a speedboat. Casey slid in next to Nate. Her leg was wedged against his, and the slightest touch tripped his heart rate into overdrive, not to mention sent other parts of his body into an upright position.

Damn, he hoped the ride to the hotel was a fast one.

The boat ferried them twenty-five minutes across the sun-kissed, crystal-blue waters of the Indian Ocean as the sun cast its perfect cloudless rays. The motor slowed as they neared The Luxe’s property on a secluded, tranquil outpost among the islands, the dust-white sand of the serene beach coming into view.

Once inside the hotel, they found Michelle and Jack waiting in the open-air lobby, looking windswept and relaxed as overhead fans turned lazily, stirring up the faint scent of coconut through the tropical air. Michelle’s hair was pinned up on her head and she wore a sundress, while Jack was in shorts.

“Never seen you in shorts before except on a basketball court,” Nate said with a laugh as he shook hands with his friend.

“We’re thinking of moving here next. The island lifestyle suits me as a man of leisure,” Jack joked.

Jack’s gaze snapped away from Nate and went to Casey, who had launched herself into his arms. Jack roped his arms around his sister, and hugged her tight. “So good to see you,” he said, and Nate turned away, leaving them to their private sibling moment.

He gave Michelle a kiss on the cheek, then was extraordinarily grateful when his property manager pulled him aside and said she wanted to share some good news about the increase in bookings during the last few weeks. He was grateful to sit down with Nicole, and chat business. It helped him clear his head of Casey.

Casey let out the longest breath when she reached her villa.

God, that had been hard. That had been the most difficult plane ride of her life. She laughed out loud, alone in her spacious villa, the sound echoing across the walls, because, a flight on a luxury jet should never feel difficult.