The Marriage Contest

Chapter 7: Let's explore it all.

"Vanessa," Jonah called for her again.

She groaned before snapping, "I heard you!"

"Alright," he whispered and she instantly hated how hurt he sounded. "I'll be waiting outside."

She frowned and looked longingly at the door. "I'm sorry," she called out to him.

"Are you alright? Can I help with anything?"

Vanessa shook her head and fell to the floor slowly, leaning her back against the bed and wrapping her arms around her legs. She felt her stomach form rolls instantly and she hated how it reminded her of her problem. "There's nothing you can do."

She hadn't meant for him to hear her but he did. Without warning, Jonah pushed their bedroom door open, looking surprised to see her on the floor with a solemn expression and watery eyes.

"What on earth," he mumbled before rushing to her position. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Her lip trembled at the worry in his voice. "No," she answered.

He frowned and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her against him. It was a position they'd never been it before but one she was now wishing to never leave. He made her feel comforted and cared for and it had her pushing her head into his chest. "Tell me what's wrong please? I don't like seeing you like this."

She shook her head, her nose rubbing against his plain black shirt. He pulled away from her, forcing her head to leave his body. He lifted her head so that she could see into his clear green eyes. "Please."

"It's stupid," she mumbled, embarrassment now filling her.

"Hey now, don't do that. If something is bothering you this much then it isn't stupid."

"It's my bathing suit."

"What about it?" He asked.

"I don't want to wear it."

He looked confused for a moment before stretching behind him to see the spoken of bathing suit. He nodded to himself and Vanessa stiffened, afraid to know what he was going to say. She didn't care how much she was starting to enjoy having him around, there was no way he would convince her to wear that thing.

Jonah turned to look at her again and said, "So why don't we just buy you a new one? They have a small convenience store at reception and I remember seeing some bathing suit there. I'm sure we'll find one you'll want to wear."

Vanessa's mouth dropped, "You're sure about it?"

He nodded, "Whatever makes you comfortable." He stood to his feet and reached down to pull a surprised and grateful Vanessa up. "We're running late so I'm going to go down to the beach and hopefully secure our booking. Why don't you take my card and go get something to wear and meet me there?"

She beamed and quickly reached forward to throw her arms around his neck, hugging him to her. "You're amazing. Thank you."

When they pulled away, she noticed a blush cover his neck and face. She grinned. "Yes, well," he cleared his throat. "I'm going to go. I'll see you there."

She nodded and watched him leave. When he was gone, she walked to where she knew he kept his wallet and took the card he offered. Before leaving their resort room, she stood at the door grinning. Thanks to Jonah, she was now able to enjoy an outdoor activity with her new husband while feeling comfortable in her own skin.

How'd she get so lucky to find such a thoughtful guy?

#

Jonah was relieved that he hadn't had to wait too long for Vanessa to join him on the beach. He was able to get to the shoreline in time for their appointment and their instructor was willing to wait for Vanessa. According to him, wives always took long to get dressed for his tours.

He was busy listening to their instructor, Ano tell him about the time the woman of the couple he was with lost her bikini top. The man laughed at the memory, finding it hilarious but Jonah was too distracted to laugh along with him. Instead of listening to Ano, Jonah was rather staring up ahead the beach where a beautiful, dark haired woman was walking towards them. She was stunning in a light blue shirt that hung over her body, hiding that she wore a bathing suit and shorts underneath it.

Once again, his wife took his breath away.

Once Vanessa was in front of him, he could see that she was blushing. "Hi," she greeted from behind her hair.

He blinked, "Hi. You look great. Did you find something you like?"

She nodded, "I hope you don't mind that I also got this tunic and a pair of shorts."

Jonah waved his hands dismissively, "It's no worry, as long as you're comfortable."

She nodded, "I am. Are you ready to snorkel? I've never tried it."

He nodded and then introduced her to Ano. They listened to him explain the safety precautions they needed to know of and then he explained the area they'd be swimming around and how to breathe with the snorkel mask. Once he was sure they were ready, Ano gave them the equipment they needed and directed them to the ocean edge, taking them to the point in the ocean that was too deep for them to stand in but not too deep that they feared for their life.

The Pacific waters around them were clear and warm and it helped in refreshing their heated skin. Vanessa had lost the tunic right before they stepped into the water and once again, she had made Jonah speechless. He had suspected back in their room that Vanessa wasn't comfortable with her bikini but, looking at her curvy body in the full-body bathing suit, he couldn't see what she had to feel uncomfortable about. She was beautiful and he made sure to tell her that.

Their tour was two hours long where Jonah and Vanessa were able to swim under the surface of the ocean water with not just each other but, a variety of sea creatures, including turtles. The first time a large turtle had swam past them; Vanessa had jumped up out of the water, screaming in excitement. Jonah had laughed at her carefree smile, loving how she looked against the high sun and the glow of its rays on the waters' surface.

He had been so stunned by her appearance that he hadn't even noticed Vanessa swimming up to him. She had come so close to him that he could feel her legs brush against his as she kicked gently to stay afloat. She was smiling at him and he kept staring, not even noticing that she had wrapped her arms around his neck again. His hands had instinctively wrapped around her waist. In the back of his mind he knew that in the distance, on a canoe was their cameraman who sat filming their excursion. It wasn't enough to deter his attention though.

"Thank you," Vanessa whispered; her lips so close to his.

"You're welcome. Are you having fun?" He asked.

She nodded, "The best." He smiled. "In fact, I'm having so much fun that there's only one more thing I can think to do to make the day even better."

He smirked, noticing how her voice had taken on a flirty tone. "Yeah, and what's that?"

She leaned in close, brushing her nose against his, her lips opening just a little above his, allowing her breath to coat his lips. He breathed in, stilling in anticipation for the moment when she would close the gap and finally give him the kiss he'd been desperate for since their wedding.

Vanessa looked into his eyes and smirked, "This," she answered him. Just before her lips reached his, he was shoved under water by the weight of Vanessa's hand, her answering laugh sounding muffled under the water. He popped out of the water just in time to see Vanessa giggling wildly to herself, laughing at his surprised expression.

He laughed at his wife and grinned deviously. "Oh it's on."

Her eyes widened before she grinned. "Bring it."

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A/N: Okay... so who thought they'd kiss??? Come on... be honest.

~~ A quick question to all my readers.... what ship name would you give for Vanessa and Jonah? Comment your suggestions. The name I like the best will get a dedication and a follow! ~~