Chapter24 Beads of water clung to every line of the man's body , catching the sunlight and glittering like crystal . Serena blinked , her gaze moving from his sculpted frame up to his face , and realized it was the same man who had given her the spare SIM card days ago . Before she could say hello , a cluster of blonde , blue - eyed women waded toward him with practiced smiles . " Hey , handsome , all alone ? Want to grab a drink with us ? " " Yeah , we were about to swim . Care to join ? " Rowan Sterling climbed out of the pool , draped a robe across his shoulders , and in an instant the spectacle was gone . His voice was polite but firm . " Sorry . I'm not alone . " He glanced toward Serena as he said it . " My girlfriend's here . " " Oh , you've got a girlfriend . " The women pouted , deflated , then drifted off . Serena pointed at herself , startled . " Wait ... you mean me ? " " You don't mind , do you ? I just needed a shield . " Serena gave a quick , awkward laugh . " Not at all . " Rowan lowered himself into the chair beside her . He'd noticed she had been perched at the pool's edge for ages , never stepping in . " Not swimming ? " he asked curiously . " I can't , " Serena admitted . Growing up inland , she'd barely spent time around water . Even here , her biggest leap had been a supervised dive lesson . Without an instructor , she didn't dare venture far . " Want to learn ? " Rowan slipped back into the water and held out his hand . " I'll teach you . Her lashes flickered in surprise , but her heart skipped with temptation . " Really ? You'd do that ? " " Why not ? If you want something , you should go for it . " His voice was calm , steady , coaxing . Serena slid her hand into his , letting him guide her down into the pool . The second she felt weightless , panic hit . She flailed helplessly , like someone who had never touched water ! Her arms locked so tight around him he could barely breathe , but he didn't shake her off . Instead his tone stayed patient , reassuring " It's okay . Trust me . Little by little , let go . I won't let you sink . " Something about the warmth in his voice settled her . Slowly , she loosened her grip . Under his patient guidance , she managed to float , then even paddle a few strokes . " Not bad , " he praised . " You've got talent . " When they climbed out , Serena's eyes landed on faint red scratches across his chest . She froze , realizing she'd raked him earlier in her panic . Her cheeks flamed pink . " I'm so sorry , I scratched you . ' Chapter24 88.89 % Rowan's lips quirked . " Then you owe me . Dinner ? " The glint in his eyes made the simple words sound far more dangerous . Serena's stomach growled at the same time , and she laughed . " Deal . " They went off to eat together . Rowan rarely tolerated women's company , most of the time , he kept his distance without a second thought . But with Serena , it was different . From the first look , she hadn't repelled him . And the more time he spent near her , the more he found himself drawn in . By the time Logan Fairchild arrived on the island , night was falling . He checked into a room , intent on " accidentally " running into Serena . Down on the beach , bursts of fireworks lit the sky . Serena's eyes lit up like a child's . She bought a handful of sparklers and pressed them into Rowan's hand . " Come on , try them . " He frowned . A grown man with sparklers ? Ridiculous . But before he could protest , she shoved them at him anyway . The sparks hissed to life . Serena twirled hers , face glowing with joy . " Beautiful ! " she laughed . On the open beach , under a vast sky and the crash of waves , she looked free . Carefree . If only she could stay here forever , she thought , just like this , no worries , no pain . Chapter24