Page 10 of The Game
For the next few hours, he latched on to whatever distraction he could—eating the chicken and salad roll Alyssa had made, the sounds of the family group playing a game of beach cricket nearby, the heat of the sun beating down on his feet where they stuck out from under the shade of the umbrella. Eventually, he couldn’t stand dealing with the traitorous thoughts clamouring in his head any longer, so he suggested they take the board for another spin. The physical exertion of being out on the water was just the distraction he needed. It was impossible not to have fun, and whenever he was up on the board and out of arms reach of Alyssa, it was a little easier to imagine he could keep his wits about him.
The hours ticked by, and before they knew it, the sun was setting. They were both resting on the board, Alyssa on top while he floated beside her, his arms hooked over the front and his head resting on his forearms. Neither of them felt the need to talk as the sky transformed into a magnificent blaze of orange and gold.
When Alyssa poked his shoulder, he lifted his head to look at her. She had her arms wrapped around her knees. ‘Come sit with me.’
Knowing it was a bad idea but unable to deny her, he left his post at the front of the board. She scooted forward, and he heaved himself on behind her. They wobbled about for a bit and almost lost the paddle, but soon settled into a comfortable position. Alyssa shuffled back to sit between his legs and leaned against him. For a moment, he was at a loss as to what to do with his arms, but then she reached for them and wrapped them around her middle—then he was lost toher. He was sure she must feel his heart pounding against her back, and he wondered whether her chest was rising and falling a touch faster than it had been.
‘Dean?’
His heart skipped a beat. ‘Mmm?’
‘When are we going skydiving?’
It took a moment for her words to sink in—he was too preoccupied with the feel of her in his arms, her warmth—but when he finally managed to make sense of her question, he groaned.
‘I’d hoped you’d forgotten about that insanity. Or that you were at least joking.’ But as he held her, he knew—he’d willingly jump out of a plane for her.
‘I really, really want to see this beach from the sky.’ Her words were whispered and full of emotion, so he pulled her closer.
‘I’ll make a few calls tomorrow.’
‘Thanks.’
She kept her face trained towards the horizon, the skin on her arms and legs glowing golden, then pink, as the sun sank lower in the sky. And when her complexion changed to a soft violet, it was the only indication Dean had that the sun had finally disappeared and dusk had arrived.
Chapter 5
Alyssa glanced sideways once more, and her stomach jolted. Dean was now about five shades paler than normal, and she felt responsible. His pallor had gradually been worsening during the ride out to the airfield on the skydive company’s bus, and although she’d been trying to draw him into conversation with the crew members and other jumpers, she’d so far been unsuccessful.
Nearly two weeks had passed since they’d first run into each other, and they’d caught up a few times since—for coffee, breakfast, a bike ride and even a scuba diving lesson. He’d given her the details of their skydive, and though she’d known he wasn’t completely keen on the idea, he hadn’t once let on he’d bethisterrified.
‘Hey.’ She reached out and touched his arm, concerned that his skin now had a greyish tinge. ‘Are you okay?’
He threw her a glance but closed his eyes and leaned against the headrest. ‘Yeah, just quietly shitting myself.’
‘Dean, you don’t have to do this. You look like you’re going to throw up.’
‘I’ll be right. Let’s just get there, hey?’
His insistence that he’d be fine did nothing to ease her worry.
Racked with guilt, she turned to stare out the window. The time she’d spent with Dean over the last two weeks had been just what she’d needed—the perfect distraction, the normalcy she craved. It was refreshing to have someone in her life who had no knowledge of her diagnosis. Her parents had been trying to wrap her in cotton wool, urging her to take things easy, not to push herself beyond her limits. It had been beyond stifling, and she’d sought Dean out a few times in an attempt just to breathe easier. Thoughts of her illness and treatment vanished whenever he looked at her, as if he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to make her laugh or moan. It sparked a hope for something more, something beyond the uncertainty she faced. And she couldn’t get enough.
In spite of their chemistry, though, nothing yet had happened between them. Nothing beyond harmless flirting. Despite her warning and stipulation of the rules, effectively giving Dean the green light to ravish her, no strings attached, he hadn’t made a move to do so much as kiss her. But each time they touched—a stroke of his finger here, or the brush of his hand there—she could see how much he wanted her, only something was holding him back. And even though she desperately wanted his touch to grow bolder, more demanding, she couldn’t help feeling relieved. The more time she spent with him, the less certain she became that they could keep things casual. And she couldn’t go there. She couldn’t drag him into the maelstrom of her life. He didn’t deserve that.
Nor did he deserve to be going up in a plane when it was the last thing he wanted to do. He was doing this for her, and she felt terrible he was suffering because of it. She owed him so much, but she’d put her need above all else. And now he was paying the price.
The bus slowed, turned onto a dusty driveway and pulled up beside a hangar. A light plane was parked in the field beyond.
Everyone stepped off the bus—two other jumpers would be on their flight—but Dean had to take a moment. He rested his head, cushioned by his forearms, on the side of the bus, and Alyssa rubbed his shoulder. The others gave her sympathetic smiles, then headed for the hangar.
When Dean straightened, she stepped close and put a reassuring hand on his chest.
‘Dean, please, don’t do this. Not for me. I never should have pushed you into it. I’ll reimburse the money you spent, and we can ask if they’ll drive you to the landing zone.’
Shaking his head, he put his hands on her shoulders, as if hewere the one trying to convince her. ‘I made a promise and I’ll see it through. Mind over matter, Martin. That’s what facing your fears is all about. Admittedly, I’m not doing a very good job at the moment.’
He offered a shaky smile, but she still felt lousy, and her expression must have said as much.
