Jessie Slaymaker's Rules of Engagement (The Jessie Slaymaker Series Book 2) (7 page)

Sensing that Jessie had been slightly down in the dumps about how the previous day had panned out, Jack woke up early the next morning, feeling both guilty and determined to make up for his hangover duvet day. Thankfully, he was feeling more human again, and he planned to show Jessie that there was more to Hong Kong than just the skyscrapers and wider metropolitan area.

‘Wakey wakey,’ Jack said cheerfully as he gave Jessie a gentle nudge.

‘What time is it?’ Jessie groaned.

‘Early. It’s five.’

‘What? In the morning?’ Jessie said, grabbing her phone from the nightstand.

‘Yes. You haven’t missed an entire day,’ Jack laughed.

‘More sleeps, then,’ Jessie grunted as she rolled over and pulled the bedcovers tighter around her.

‘No. Let’s go out,’ Jack cajoled, tugging the covers off her.

‘Where?’

‘It’s a surprise,’ Jack replied as he hopped out of bed and headed to the shower.

Jack’s surprise was to take Jessie out for a taxi ride in the countryside, then have the driver drop them off at a seemingly random point on the road, flanked by dense vegetation on either side. The place was all but deserted aside from a few professional-looking cyclists whizzing past.

‘Um, Jack… do you know where we are and where we’re going?’ Jessie asked, looking up and down the empty road.

‘Up,’ Jack replied, gesturing up the hill.

‘I am doing no such thing in flip flops,’ Jessie pointed out, looking down at her feet.

‘Aha. I have come prepared, Miss Slaymaker,’ he replied, smiling as he pulled out water bottles and the comfortable shoes she’d worn on the flight. ‘I know these aren’t exactly hiking boots, but it’s not steep,’ he added, handing them to her.

‘Okay.’ She smiled at his thoughtfulness. ‘Lead the way.’

Jack led her down the road another fifty or so metres until they reached a track which began a slow and gentle hike up the hill. Once they’d reached the summit, the walk was virtually flat across the top, with only occasional undulations, and the incline was never very steep.

‘This is lovely!’ Jessie exclaimed as they paused for a water break. The view across the southern side of Hong Kong was beautiful, bathed in sunshine and accompanied by a cloudless blue sky. ‘Are we still in Hong Kong?’

‘Sure are. People normally associate Hong Kong only with the city, but there’s so much more than that. There’s tons of great hiking here and some good beaches. It’s not all about the shopping and night life.’

‘Beaches?’ Jessie asked, surprised.

‘Yep. This walk is called the Dragon’s Back, and if we keep trekking long enough we’ll eventually get to a little village called Shek O which has a great beach. Or at least, it used to.’

‘Really?’ Jessie asked dubiously, raising an eyebrow at him. ‘Real beaches in Hong Kong?’

‘Would I lie to you, Jessica Slaymaker?’ Jack laughed. ‘Come on, slow coach. Try to keep up, and you can see for yourself,’ he added as he continued off down the path.

Eventually the path started to drop down, and they descended down what seemed to be a never-ending series of steps that led back to the road. As they rejoined the road, as if by magic a taxi pulled up. They decided to cheat just a little and let it take them the rest of the way to the sleepy village of Shek O.

‘I can hear waves,’ Jessie said as she exited the cab.

‘This way,’ Jack smiled, leading her through an unpromising concrete car park area towards the sound of crashing waves.

‘Oh my gosh!’ Jessie exclaimed as she took in the sight. A vista of turquoise water and pristine white sandy beach, complete with lifeguard towers, was laid out before her. ‘I’m half expecting to see David Hasselhoff running out of the surf at any second,’ she joked.

‘Yasmine Bleeth, if you don’t mind,’ Jack replied. ‘Now how about a swim?’ he asked, pulling off his t-shirt. ‘I’m afraid I can’t magic up that tiny white bikini I saw you in the last time you were here, but there’s a beach shop over there. Why don’t you see if you can find something similar?’ Jack suggested suggestively. Jessie blushed, as he knew she would, before she turned and strode confidently over to the shop. That white bikini had led to a rather heated rooftop massage that had gotten them both more than a little hot under the collar.

Only slightly disappointed that she hadn’t managed to find something white and indecently tiny, Jack nodded with approval when Jessie returned in a black and pink tropical set, complete with a smile as wide as the Pearl River Delta. Jack felt relieved that her mood had definitely lifted and she genuinely seemed to be having fun. Not like the day before, when she’d put a brave face on things while sitting through movie after movie with him, camped out on the sofa and nursing him through his hangover.

They spent the rest of the day laughing and mucking around in the sea and on the sand. Lunch was at a seaside Thai restaurant and helped to complete the holiday theme of the outing.

‘It feels like we’re on honeymoon or something,’ Jessie said as she collapsed on her towel after another dip in the clear ocean. ‘Not that I know what it’s like to be on honeymoon, of course,’ she quickly qualified. ‘It’s just what I’d imagine it to be like, though. On a beach in Thailand or some other tropical paradise.’

‘I know what you mean,’ Jack replied, grabbing her hand.

‘It’s beautiful here. And you’re beautiful here too, Jessie,’ Jack said, looking her squarely in the eye. She smiled back at him, those luscious lips of hers poised to say something. But she didn’t say anything. In fact, she seemed to think better of it, and simply squeezed his hand and returned her gaze to the incessant pounding of the waves that journeyed their way up the beach.

Why couldn’t either of them say what had been hanging there midair between them? Those three little words.

It was the perfect setting. The perfect timing. Jack couldn’t speak for Jessie, but he knew he wanted to tell her he loved her. Yet there was a nagging voice in the back of his mind, telling him not to.
It’s too soon
, the voice said.
You’re not ready to say it, and she’s not ready to hear it
, the annoying voice wittered on.

When it was time to go home, they both looked sunnified and happy. It had been a glorious day. Full of fun, flirtation, loving kisses, and constant handholding. Jessie had described it as a honeymoon, and Jack couldn’t help thinking that if that’s what a honeymoon with Jessie felt like, then maybe he wanted to go on one for real.

‘What would you like to do today?’ Jack asked Jessie as she came out of the shower, a towel wrapped around her. They’d both been affected by jetlag and had woken early. Too early, considering they were supposed to be on holiday.

‘I wouldn’t mind another beach day. Unless of course you’d rather do something else?’ Jessie said, drying her hair with a smaller towel. ‘Yesterday was just so relaxing.’

‘No, I wouldn’t mind that at all. I don’t mean to sound like a pervert, but another day of watching you cavort around in next to no clothes would suit me just fine,’ he replied with an impish smile.

‘With comments like that, you have to admit you
are
a bit of a pervert,’ she said, throwing the towel at his head. ‘And I don’t “cavort around” anywhere,’ she added with mock offence, which she couldn’t keep from turning quickly into a smile.

‘I can think of a place where you definitely cavort around,’ Jack said, looking her up and down. He seemed to fixate on her towel, willing it to come loose and unravel around her.

‘Is it the kitchen?’

‘No.’

‘The living room?’

‘No.’

‘The bathroom.’

‘On occasion you have been known to cavort in the bathroom, but no, that wasn’t where I was thinking of specifically.’

‘The bedroom?’ she asked finally, edging slowly over to where he was still lying in bed.

‘Bingo. I think we can both safely say that you cavort around the bedroom,’ Jack said, licking his lips. He gently tugged at the hem of the towel that wrapped her torso and admired her as it finally did what he’d been willing it to do: fell to the floor.

‘I thought you wanted to go to the beach,’ Jessie protested.

‘Later,’ Jack growled as he pulled her into the bed with him and devoured Jessie’s smooth, freshly showered body.

Jessie had enjoyed the past few days with Jack in Hong Kong immensely. The hike and beach day in Shek O had been exactly what she’d needed, and for the first time in a long time she’d felt truly relaxed and at ease. She’d felt so dreamy that she’d even described it as a honeymoon, a comment she’d regretted immediately after it left her lips. She didn’t want Jack to think that she was anxious to push things along between them in that direction. Because she wasn’t. She was perfectly content with how things were panning out. After a few initial wobbles, things seemed to be back on an even keel with Jack, and he was proving himself to be a perfect holiday partner.

For their second day of beach fun, Jack had suggested they go to a different island altogether. He recommended they at least try and do something cultural by visiting the old fishing village of Tai O on Lantau Island before they soaked up some more sunshine at the beach. Jessie was more than happy to be led by him.

After a forty-five minute winding bus ride from the train station, Jessie found herself transported back in time. She found herself face to face with ancient Hong Kongers cooking over wood fires and selling all manner of seafood out of little more than corrugated shacks. There were no cars here, just the hustle and bustle of a community going about its business in probably the same manner it had done for generations, including the occasional ring of a bicycle bell signalling for someone to get out of the way. The fishing village itself was built on elevated walkways, and the houses were on stilts to keep them dry from the changing tides.

‘What a contrast!’ Jessie exclaimed, gulping back the urge to gag on the ever-present and at times overpowering smell of shrimp paste. It was something of a local delicacy, according to Jack.

‘That’s Hong Kong for you,’ Jack explained. ‘There’s the bright lights, glitz and money of the city, and then there’s this bygone era of people living very cheaply, some through choice, but most because they
have
no choice.’

‘I had no idea,’ Jessie said as she smiled kindly at a man who looked to be over a hundred years old, judging by his weather-beaten face and lack of any visible teeth.

‘The income disparity is getting ever wider. The rich are getting richer, pushing up prices for everyone, and the net result is that the poor are worse off.’

‘That could be said about a lot of countries, but it’s so visible here. I guess because the territory is compact and you can see all walks of life in such a short space of time.’

‘Enough doom and gloom. How about some lunch?’ Jack said more brightly. ‘I know a great place at one of the beaches down the road.’

‘That sounds nice. But I think we should have something here,’ Jessie said. She warily eyed a fish tank outside a restaurant that had lunch swimming about in it. Although the fishing village had become a tourist hotspot, Jessie felt compelled to put some of her own money into the community, after what Jack had told her.

‘Alright. There’s a good oyster place around here somewhere,’ Jack suggested.

‘Sounds good to me,’ Jessie replied, feeling slightly relieved she wouldn’t have to select and kill a fish for her lunch. Oysters she could definitely do.

After a lunch of some of the freshest seafood and shellfish Jessie had ever tasted, they got back on a bus and spent the afternoon at another glorious white sandy beach—this one was practically empty—not far from the fishing village of Tai O. As she lay sunbathing, soothed by the rhythm of the waves, Jessie felt humbled. She had so much, and complicated her life with needless worries that the people in Tai O would probably have laughed at. She suddenly felt guilty and ashamed for having felt downbeat about the size of her serviced apartment and the fact it didn’t have a view. She knew that in the grand scheme of things that she was extraordinarily lucky, but she hadn’t really thought about just how extremely lucky she was to be in the position she was in. She had a good education, a good job, savings, and a few investments to fall back on. Really, she had no right to complain at her lot in life. Especially not about the square footage of her living space or the fact that she couldn’t see the sea from her window.

‘You’re quiet,’ Jack observed as they lay side by side under a shady tree. The sun was beginning to set behind a nearby mountain and the light was gradually growing dimmer. ‘Everything alright?’

‘Oh yes,’ Jessie said as she stretched out like a sleepy cat. ‘I’m just counting my blessings and thinking how lucky I am to come from where I do, and have money and a job. And you,’ she added, smiling at him. ‘I know I’m lucky to have you.’

‘Yes you are.’ Jack beamed.

‘You’re so modest,’ Jessie retorted sarcastically. ‘This is the bit where you’re supposed to say something nice to me, you know.’

‘Oh in that case, then I suppose I’m a lucky guy too,’ he replied with a sigh.

‘Just so long as you realise it, then we’ll have no problems,’ she said good-naturedly.

There it was again. Another perfect moment when they could have just been open and honest and told each other how they really felt. But neither of them had felt brave enough to step up to the plate. It was ridiculous, Jessie thought to herself. They weren’t kids. They were grown adults in their thirties who
should
be emotionally mature enough to express themselves properly.

‘I do,’ Jack said as he shuffled closer and nuzzled her neck, whilst simultaneously playing with the string on her bikini bottoms.

‘Oh no you don’t,’ Jessie said, laying a hand on Jack’s bare chest. ‘We are not having sex on a public beach,’ she added more forcefully as she sat up and shook sand out of her hair.

‘But it’s getting dark,’ Jack protested childishly.

‘No way,’ Jessie snapped. ‘I do not want to end up in some British tabloid for getting arrested for gross indecency, thank you very much.’