Since we were too late to join my parents for breakfast, we decided to just skip it, and planned something else. As we discussed what to do, I remembered Selene telling me that there was a beautiful waterfall about a few miles from Pembroke. When I mentioned it to Luke, he said that we should go and explore it.
Afterward, I went to take a shower again because his scent was all over me! However, instead of taking a quick shower, I opted for a bubble bath since I had no appointments for the day except visiting the waterfall with Luke.
I was in a large bathtub, eyes closed as I soaked in warm water when the door was suddenly opened and he entered. Without asking for permission, he joined me in the tub. It was big enough for two people.

"Luke! What are you doing here?" I was shocked to feel his presence beside me.
"What else! I want to be in the tub with you. Isn't this what you want? Don't deny it, Isabella,” he said as if he was more aware of my needs.
I suddenly found myself speechless. Everything Luke said was true, but I wasn't ready for this. What would he do? But before I could answer my own question, Luke had already joined me in the tub. The water overflowed onto the floor as he sat close to me.
I could feel my face burning with shame. I'd fantasized about Luke's body several times, but now? I looked away.
"You can touch if you want," Luke teased, making my cheeks flush even more.
He enjoyed watching me squirm uncomfortably. He couldn't just let me carry on with whatever intention I had. My cheeks burned with embarrassment as Luke laughed at my reaction.

"I thought this is what you wanted when you swayed those sexy asses in front of my eyes!"
“Yes, but it’s too soon to do it again,” I protested.
“Why? Are you afraid?” Luke taunted me. He thought he had succeeded in dissuading me from repeating my seduction attempt. He'd do anything to control his own desires.
“Me? Why should I be afraid? I am just saying that we already did it several times since last night!”

“Okay, I will see you later,” he said before leaving me alone.
I got out of the tub and switched to the shower. Next time, I would just soak in the tub, as I had to hurry to catch up with Luke. It was lunchtime, and he wanted to eat with me.
When I arrived at the dining area, I was surprised to see a familiar face – my ex-fiance, Aric Stormheart. When did he arrive?
“What are you doing here, Aric?” I asked but with my parents nearby, I couldn’t shout at him, or be indifferent to him. I calmed down and smiled at Aric. He rarely visited, but we used to get along very well. Aric had a great sense of humor, and I used to like him a lot.
"Don't you have any plans later, Isabella? Perhaps I can invite you to dine out with me,” Aric suggested.
“I’m sorry but I don’t know yet. I still have to check my schedule, and this afternoon, Luke and I had to go somewhere.”
“Can I tag along?” Aric asked.
“It would be uncomfortable for both of us,” I told him.
“I’m sorry for imposing, but I just miss the times that we are together, Isabella. I miss you a lot,” he said, and as I listened to him, I was worried about Luke’s reaction, but when I glanced at him, his expression was blank. “Luke, may I speak with Isabella in private?”
I wanted to say no but Luke quickly agreed to Aric’s demand and before I could stop him from leaving, Aric held my hand. I was cornered! I wanted to hit Aric for ruining the mood between me and Luke, but he probably had no idea that I was in love with his friend.
“What is it this time, Aric? What do you want to talk about?”
“I still love you, Isabella, and I would do everything in my power to have you back in my life!” he declared bravely.
“I don’t want to be in love anymore, Aric. It makes me stupid to be in love. As I already told you, I want to focus on myself this time,” I lied.
“Focus on yourself, or focusing on Luke? I know you, Isabella. The way you look at him was the way you looked at me when you loved me,” he mumbled.
“I’m sorry, but things happened, and we just have to deal with it, Aric,” I told him.
“I love you, isn’t that enough reason for you to take me back?”
“Aric, stop it. I know you are hurting or probably hurting from the breakup but can you just let me be happy with someone else?”
“Do you think your Dad will accept him as your husband, Isabella? Luke’s origin is still unknown!”
“Do you think his opinion matters when it comes to my heart? You don’t know him too well, Aric. Now, if you have nothing else to say, can you just leave? Look, I don’t want to be mean to you because you used to be so precious to me, but please accept the fact that we are over!”
“I will be back soon,” he said as he stood up.
I watched him leave and I felt bad for him, but I shouldn’t think about him when the other one was hurting. Instead of eating, I went to search for Luke and I found him in the terrace. "I thought you quit smoking," I remarked as I approached him.
"Just one. Where's Aric? Why did you leave him? Are you two done flirting?" Luke questioned.
"Flirting? And when did I flirt with him?" I retorted, not remembering any such interaction.
"Earlier," Luke insisted.
I sighed in frustration. "That's not true. By the way, Luke. I think we have to visit the waterfall some other time. How about going on a dinner date tonight? Like a true couple? I mean, we can’t be ourselves when we are here.”
“Okay, let’s go somewhere nice tonight.”
“Thanks, Luke.”
“Anything for you, baby.”
At five o'clock in the afternoon, I dressed for dinner with Luke. I chose the lace sheath dress, softly pleated with cap sleeves and an alluring back cut-out. Its neckline was square, giving me a modest look.
I left my long hair loose to cover the cut-out. Paired with black pumps and a little makeup, I hoped I wouldn't look too shabby next to him. But even though he was more conventionally handsome, I wasn’t that bad either. As I carried the silver pouch downstairs, I smiled at him.
"You look splendid, Isabella," Luke complimented, intentionally raising his voice so Luke could hear.
"I'm making an effort because I don't want to look drab when I'm with you,” I said.
He looked around to check if someone was nearby, and when he realized that it was just the two of us, he took my hand and kissed it like a lover would do.
He was dressed casually in a white t-shirt, topped with a cotton jacket and low-rise slim fit jeans. "Let's go," he urged.
"Okay, let's go," I agreed, clinging to his arm as we left the house.
The restaurant had lush green surroundings and overlooked the beaches and several small islands in the distance. The view was breathtaking. As we entered, we were led to the table reserved by Luke.
The setup inside was grand, and the staff was super friendly. Once seated, we perused the menu and the chef's recommendations for the day.
After a few minutes, he asked if I had made any selections. I nodded, and we called the waiter to place our orders: Chef’s Salad with sautéed chicken strips, tomato cream soup, grilled beef fillet steak with bacon and baked potatoes, grilled salmon, beef tenderloin, apple pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert, and green tea and coke for him.
"We've ordered quite a lot, can we finish them all?" I asked him once the waiter had left to prepare our food.
"Of course, we'll manage. And don't worry about your figure, we won't be going home right away. There's a bar and disco here, and even a spa if you want," he reassured me.
"Hmm, that sounds nice," I mused. I'd never been to a disco bar, and the idea excited me.
"Great. After we eat, let's head to the bar. There's also a spa here if you'd prefer," he suggested.
I stared at him for a moment, amazed. "Let's eat, I'm starving."
"Okay," he replied, equally hungry.
As he and I indulged in the delicious food, we forgot about Aric for a while.
"We should do this more often," he suggested between bites.
“I agree.”
"Isabella, you're still young. Are you sure you want me be to your husband? You might end up getting hurt," he warned me.
"Yes, you are the only one I want," I insisted.
He dropped his cutlery, surprised by my stubbornness. "What if I can't love you the way you deserved to be loved?" he asked.
I bit my lip, pondering his question. There was a chance that he couldn't love me as a woman, but I couldn't give up hope.
“You already know how to make happy and that’s all that matters,” I told him.
"What if he wanted someone else?" he pressed.
“You do?”
“No, it was just a hypothetical question,” he said. “What if you will just end up hurting him in the process?”
“It will never happen,” I assured him.
"Can you promise me you won't hurt me?”
"Why would I hurt you? I love you, don't I?”
"Let's go," he said suddenly, standing up. "Not here, though. Somewhere else."
I trusted him and followed him as we quickly made our way to a crowded bar. Many cars were parked outside, even on a Wednesday.
As we entered, I was stunned to see Aric flirting with another woman.
"Is that Aric?" I asked Luke my anger rising.
"Where?" he asked, scanning the patrons.
I pointed in the direction of Aric.
"It looks like him," he confirmed.
My nostrils flared with anger as I watched Aric’s behavior. "I'll be back in a minute," I told him before approaching Aric.
Luke followed me, secretly thrilled to see Aric’s reaction.
"Hello, Aric," I greeted Luke, pointedly ignoring the woman beside him. I looked at him, but he couldn't meet my eyes.
"Why are you here?” Aric asked in disbelief when I caught him red-handed with another woman.
Although I was speechless in his presence, my brain was still functioning. I grabbed Luke’s arm and pulled him away from ARic, heading to the dance floor.
While Aric was stunned to see me shaking my body on the dance floor, he forced himself to calm down. He knew it was wrong to suspect me and Luke, but the thought of us together was eating him alive.
“You are making him jealous, right Isabella?” Luke asked.
“No, why should I do that? I am just showing him that I belong to someone else now. I belong to you.”