From the moment the plane touched down, Kamalina could feel something electric in the air. Maybe it was the tropical heat, or the smell of the sea, or the way Simon looked at her when she strolled out of the island airport in her strappy sundress and floppy hat, all soft, brown skin, pink straw, and yellow silk. Maybe it was all of those things together and something else too—anticipation.
They said little in the car on the way to the resort. Kamalina reached across the cool leather seats and linked her fingers with Simon’s, and in response, he touched his lips to the back of her hand. The car circled a high stucco wall and drove through gates that opened into a long, palm tree– lined road. At the resort’s main entrance, they were greeted with fruity drinks and their luggage was whisked a
