Chapter Text
It wasn’t often that reality exceeded your wildest, most heartfelt dreams. But, as Juliet sat, resplendent, on the deck of the TR Belle, it was quickly dawning on her that her imagination simply hadn’t done this particular scenario justice.
With the Sun’s radiant beams illuminating the perfectly azure skies, and a warm, gentle breeze kissing her skin, it was as perfect a moment as Hawaii ever offered. That was, until the wonderfully familiar figure of her lover appeared from below decks, with a bottle of champagne and two glasses in his hands, and a smile that was somehow even brighter than the O’ahu sun.
It was a scene quite literally plucked from her most intimate, romantic dreams, and yet her imagination hadn’t managed to conjure the burst of overwhelming love that overcame her as their eyes met. In every way this was so much better than any of her dreams had allowed; not least of all because there would never be that heart-wrenching moment in which she’d wake up alone, silently pining for the life her subconscious had created.
Occasionally, in the quieter moments of the morning, when dawn was teasing the sky and the estate lay in a state of serene silence, Juliet would bask in the feel of strong, loving arms around her and the warmth of his body against hers. She’d smile at the sensation of his breath against her skin, and hope for a lifetime of mornings where she felt so totally at peace; so completely and reverently loved.
Sometimes, she’d think back on Dr. Ogawa’s words of advice, of the prompt that finally made her face up to her fears and take ownership of the feelings she’d dismissed for...she didn’t even know how long. ‘Juliet, what do you want?’ And each time those words replayed in her mind, the answer was always the same. This. She wanted this. She wanted him; in a way that she’d never allowed herself to want, or love, or yearn for another, before.
In the end, it had been the sweetest kind of surrender.
Her lips quirked up into a smile at the sight of him - always annoyingly charming, and far too handsome for his own good. But that was ok, she’d decided. He was hers now, and since that roguish, devilishly handsome smile was only ever bestowed on her these days, she’d just consider it one of the many, many perks of being the object of Thomas’ affections. So if he made her stomach dip in longing, or left a pathetically dreamy sigh drifting from her invariably well-kissed lips, that was just fine by her.
They’d been a couple for ten months now, but as their first anniversary hoved into view, there was little sign of the ‘honeymoon period’ abating. Perhaps it was years of pent up longing, or maybe it was the palpable chemistry that had always existed between them, but whatever the cause, that spark of desire was still positively incendiary. Juliet wasn’t entirely sure that a year was long enough for couples to lose ‘the thrill’ so to speak, but it seemed that convention disagreed with her, and so privacy was becoming increasingly difficult to obtain.
When their friends had first found out about their relationship, certain accommodations had been made. For a while, impromptu visits had become a thing of the past, people knocked before strolling into the guest-house, and locked doors held more weight than they currently seemed to. But she and Thomas still wanted and needed that alone time; they craved it. So a day spent away from the rest of the Ohana, on a yacht anchored in the centre of the ocean, had seemed like a very appealing option.
As they’d already decided some weeks earlier, there really wasn’t a limit to the amount of time they could tolerate in each other’s company – a fact which the Juliet Higgins of the past would no doubt have scoffed at.
But work demanded a degree of professionalism, and spending time together as just Thomas and Juliet instead of Magnum and Higgins was something they both found themselves longing for at the end of a busy week. Especially when that week had involved a missing person, several cheating spouses, and a money laundering charity worker.
Which is why Juliet had jumped at Magnum's suggestion that they spend a blissful 24 hours on the TR Belle, just basking in each other’s company.
Despite the memories of her maiden voyage, Robin’s yacht had become something of a safe space, and so many of Juliet’s romantic daydreams involved that boat, her dark-eyed lover, and scandalously few clothes. Lately, a sparkling ring and a heartfelt proposal had also featured heavily in her dreams, and there was something in Thomas’ demeanour lately that hinted that perhaps that too was about to become reality.
“Well, I guess we know what it stands for now… TR Belle...tr-belle...trouble.” Magnum sounded it out like a preschooler grinning as he poured champagne into two flutes and passed one silently to his girlfriend. “When you think about it, kind of fitting that her maiden voyage went the way it did.”
Juliet screwed her nose up at the memory of the hijacking, a rather bothersome bullet wound, and swimming the tempestuous waters of the Molokai Channel. Taking the glass from him with a grateful smile, she replied wryly, “I thought you’d still be reeling from the discovery that Robin didn’t in fact name his yacht, Turkey Robot.”
Magnum grinned, shrugging affably as he took a seat at her side, pushing his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose before he draped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. The couple took a moment to gently clink their champagne flutes together in a silent toast, each wearing a suitably adoring smile as they took a sip and then placed the glasses down onto the table before them.
Glancing down at the book that was upturned in her lap, Juliet let her head rest against Thomas’ shoulder, closing her eyes at the sensation of his fingertips drifting up and down her bare arm.
“I suppose it is rather like the chicken and the egg…” She mused, contemplating if Robin had decided to name his yacht after the new addition to his White Knight novels, or whether he’d taken inspiration for the character from his prized yacht.
She knew that Robin often planned his novels years in advance, and so for her part, Juliet would have bet good money that the character had served as inspiration for the name of the yacht. But then she also had to grudgingly accept that TR Belle had been based – somewhat loosely – on her, and so consequently, that Bond-girl-esque moniker of TR Belle – or, ‘trouble’ as Thomas had correctly stated, was perhaps also inspired by her.
Given how she and Robin Masters had met, she supposed she couldn’t help but see his point. Albeit grudgingly.
She felt the rumble of Thomas’ voice against her body, and she glanced up to observe him as he replied, “Either way, it worked out pretty well for Robin. That last book sold twice as many copies as his first three novels. You know he's on the New York Times Bestseller's list?!"
“Hmm.” Juliet hummed in agreement. Certainly Robin’s writing career seemed to be reaching stratospheric heights lately, especially if his new, swanky New York apartment was anything to go by. She’d also heard on the grapevine that Netflix were interested in optioning the series.
With his last novel, Robin had rejuvenated the entire book series, and his reading demographic now included far more women than ever before; a fact Juliet was quietly proud of, especially given how well that particular audience seemed to have responded to the inclusion of a strong, kick-ass, female character.
“I suppose people like a bit of romance here and there.” She craned her head, glancing up at his face, and noting – not for the first time – the strong line of his jaw, and his plump, endlessly inviting lips. “It can’t all be halo jumps, espionage, and things exploding willy-nilly.”
“Willy-nilly?” He repeated the phrase with open amusement, earning himself a gentle dig in the ribs.
“Anyway…” Juliet began snootily, “If you ask me, it was high time the White Knight met his match!”
Magnum’s smile hinted that his thoughts had drifted away from the book franchise, and were instead lingering on the beautiful, strong, stubborn, kind-hearted, disarmingly intelligent woman in his arms. He found himself readily agreeing. “Yeah, it was.” He stated softly, bending to press a kiss to her temple and pulling her closer.
Juliet snuggled in to his arms, closing her eyes as she breathed in the scent of his cologne and pressed her face into the side of his neck to brush a gentle kiss to his warm skin. It was a perfect moment, until Thomas, master of lowering the tone, suddenly found himself pondering Rick’s summation of the action series.
“I guess it was kind of a…” He frowned for a moment, trying to recall his friend’s exact words. “What was it Rick called it?” Grinning triumphantly after a few moments of careful recollection, he added enthusiastically, “A sausage fest?!”
Juliet’s eyes blinked open instantly, her face a picture of prim, proper, British middle-class disapproval. And how he loved sparking that reaction from her! For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, Magnum had always enjoyed the extra crisp, precise way she enunciated her displeasure, in a way that made her accent even more appealing to his adoring ear. Although, on second thought, now that he’d heard her calling his name in the throes of passion, perhaps it wasn’t such a mystery after all.
Magnum didn’t even need to look at Juliet to know that she was rolling her eyes at his quip, and he chuckled gleefully at the sigh of resigned exasperation that left her body almost instantly.
Steering the conversation back towards the topic they’d been discussing before he disappeared below deck for refreshments, he took a sip of champagne and nodded down towards the book that still rested on her lap.
A few days earlier, a draft of Robin’s latest novel had arrived at the Nest, and with it, a note asking for Thomas and Juliet’s honest opinion. Apparently, TR Belle was set to become a regular character within the White Knight universe, and the romance between her and the titular hero was something of a focus in this latest book. As part of that latest plot development, Robin had tried his hand at writing a few overtly ‘spicy’ scenes. Whilst he wasn't exactly channeling EL James, it had been a departure from his usual content, and the scenes in his latest book certainly put the infamous Chapter 9 to shame.
“So? What did you think?”
Magnum had thumbed through the book a couple of days earlier, but a few pressing estate tasks had kept Juliet from finishing the novel until that morning. After the pair had enjoyed a long, luxurious, pleasantly naked morning in bed, Thomas had left to go paddle-boarding with Rick and TC, giving Juliet the opportunity to read the final chapters of the book in the peaceful, relaxing depths of a bubble bath.
Juliet cleared her throat, suddenly sitting up and reaching for her glass. Taking a large sip of the pleasingly cold champagne she shrugged in evident discomfort. “Well, it’s a little...risqué, don’t you think?!”
It wasn’t that Juliet was a prude. In fact, all evidence to the contrary. She had a surprisingly naughty, adventurous, sensual side that Thomas was thoroughly enjoying exploring. But for some reason the sex scenes in the book had made Juliet feel uncomfortable, perhaps because she knew that she and Thomas were the inspiration for these characters, and having their mutual friend write about said characters in very compromising positions was slightly disconcerting.
She also didn’t want their friends to read it and imagine said scenarios unfolding; and by ‘friends’, she meant Jin. His inappropriate behaviour tested her reserve enough as it was, he hardly needed further ammunition to tease them about their sex life.
Magnum laughed out loud, eyeing her with evident disbelief. “Risqué? Really? After what you did to me this morning?!”
Juliet adopted a suitably haughty pose, her back rod-straight as she shot him a disparaging glance that was instantly betrayed by the little smirk of pride that settled on her lips. “Yes, well I seem to recall you being a very active and willing participant.”
Reaching up, Juliet gently removed his sunglasses and set them down on the table, whilst he simply stared at her, absolutely entranced by her and the graze of her hands on his face. Magnum closed his eyes as she cupped his stubbled jaw, her thumb caressing his skin as they leant in closer to share a slow, lingering kiss that set every nerve-ending in his body alight. Just being in Juliet’s presence was enough to arouse him, but the sensation of her touch, the softness of her lips, the taste of her on his tongue; she was utterly intoxicating.
He tugged playfully at her bottom lip, his teeth gently grazing her sensitive flesh, and the moan she released brought back very happy memories of the morning they’d shared. She smiled as he rested his forehead against hers, his gaze torn between the spark of arousal in her eyes, and her kiss-stung lips that practically begged him to kiss her again and again, until their train of thought had been totally derailed.
“You know…” He replied softly, watching his thumb slowly brush across her lips, “that has always been my favourite number!”
67, 68...
Juliet laughed, a gleeful, dirty, throaty laugh that made him instantly want to pull her onto his lap and divest her of the shockingly transparent sundress she’d been tormenting him in all day. “I’m sure it has!” she countered, recalling the mutually pleasurable activity that she’d initiated that morning.
Juliet had barely blinked before he’d drawn her in for another kiss, and the languid, sensual sweep of his tongue against hers left her hand grappling at the fabric of his white shirt – a shirt she now desperately wanted to see tossed haphazardly onto the deck. But as she found herself happily melting into another kiss that made her core flutter in longing, her thoughts suddenly ran to a question she’d pondered that morning whilst immersed in a bubble bath, and Robin’s manuscript.
“Thomas…” Pulling away slowly, she left her arms encircling his neck, happy to find nothing but tenderness in his brown eyes, and perhaps a measure of curiosity. The gentle pressure of his hands on her back was reassuring, and her lips lifted into a smile as he took the opportunity to steal a brief kiss. “Do you think Robin set us up?”
Clearly the question took Magnum by surprise, but he had to admit that it was something he himself had also pondered, especially given how happy Robin had been to hear of the change in their relationship status. Pausing for a moment, he offered her an honest reply. “No.” He was fairly sure Robin hadn’t meant to play matchmaker. Fairly certain, but not positive. “I...I dunno. Maybe?!”
He watched Juliet digest his answer, wondering what her feelings were on the subject. For his own part, even if Robin had set them up, Magnum had never been happier in his life, so it was an intervention he’d gratefully accept. “Does that bother you?”
Juliet frowned. She’d been uncertain about it earlier, but now, in his arms, she suddenly had a better understanding of her feelings on the subject. “No.”
She shook her head, her fingertips stroking the nape of his neck as she explained, “No. I mean, you can throw two people together, but an attraction is either there or it’s not. Right?! You can’t create chemistry!” She held his gaze for a moment, her eyes blazing with affection. “And, you can’t make people fall in love.”
Magnum nodded, tilting his head as he regarded her pretty face, and once again he found himself thanking each and every deity in existence that somehow, their paths had crossed. It was unimaginable now, to think of a life or a future without Juliet beside him.
“Why, would it bother you?” Juliet countered, feeling certain that his lovestruck expression was answer enough to her question.
Shaking his head, Thomas stared down at her with ill-concealed longing, recalling all the trials and tribulations, and all the hurdles they’d encountered on their path to each other. He’d happily go through each and every one a hundred times over if it meant he got to be there in that moment with her. He wanted to share every moment of the rest of his life with her, and if she said ‘yes’ next month, that’s exactly what he planned on doing. He didn’t care how they’d gotten there, all that mattered to Magnum was that they’d travel the rest of the journey together.
“Look, whatever brought you and I together, whether that was Robin, or...or some higher power...I don’t care!” He smiled to emphasise his point, suddenly taking a breath, and looking down at her as if she were his entire world. From her answering smile it was clear that she knew she was.
“I think you and I were always meant to be together, and… and I think on some level, we knew that the first time we met.” He watched her expression suddenly falter, and he intercepted her retort with a gentle finger against her lips. Adopting his most enigmatic smile, he continued, “Now, I know what you’re gonna say… you hated me, and I respect that, but…”
Pushing his finger away from her mouth, Juliet peered up at him with unchecked adoration, arching a blonde eyebrow as she argued, “That’s not what I was going to say.”
Magnum’s smile illuminated his entire face, and he watched the path of his hand glide across impossibly soft skin, mapping the curves of her neck and chest, until his palm rested over her heart. “Huh. It’s not?” He played along, always delighted to hear any and all romantic declarations from the woman in his arms.
“No. It’s not.” She shook her head, using the hand at the nape of his neck to guide him down for a kiss that she hoped more than adequately explained her feelings for her lover and best friend. The couple sank into each other, lips, tongues, and hands exploring, as they gave into the intense desire that coursed through their veins - a desire so easily aroused, but happily never sated.
Juliet’s lips curved into a smile as she felt his fingertip daw a heart against her skin, the pad of his finger tracing over her breast, above the place her own heart beat furiously for him. Her body burned with the ghost of his touch, as if an electric current had surged through her entire being. He whispered a reverent, “I love you” against her ear, and she shivered in his embrace, eager to seek out his brown eyes before she replied in kind.
“I love you, too. I think I always have, and… I always will.”
Magnum mirrored her smile, whispering a promise of ‘ditto’ against her skin, as he kissed down her cheek and then wrapped her in an embrace that left Juliet sighing in perfect contentment.
Because, as Thomas himself had once told her, loving someone wasn’t something you decided to do, or not to do. Love, in its purest form, was something that just was.
Despite any good-natured meddling from their friends, or attempts at match-making from their venerable employer, her relationship with Thomas couldn’t be attributed to anything but love; love in its purest and deepest form. It was an enduring, forever kind of love, the kind that left Juliet in no doubt that, should she choose to believe in such things, Thomas was her soulmate.
So, if millions of readers wanted to invest in a love story – a real love story, with all the highs and lows of rooting for a couple who were clearly destined for each other, then who was she to stop them?!
Especially when the White Knight’s happy ending was right around the corner.
The couple broke apart as the gentle thud of the manuscript hitting the deck interrupted their kisses, and Magnum instantly regretted not putting a certain velvet box into his pocket before they left the house. Still, he was certain that other perfect moments with Juliet were most definitely in his future, and next time, he was hoping to create a memory that neither of them would ever forget.
He reached to pick up the draft of Robin’s book and placed it down onto the table in front of Juliet, suddenly filled with renewed anticipation. Before they’d become caught up in more carnal desires, they’d agreed on a slightly less intimate activity. Although, thinking about it, listening to Juliet read aloud more saucy excerpts from Robin’s new novel was likely to cause ‘tension’s to arise. But, he’d cross that horny bridge when he came to it.
The couple each took a sip of their champagne, and Thomas placed the glass down onto the table, his eyes alight with mirth. Turning his back to her, he went to deftly recline on the padded bench, his head almost about to rest in her lap.
“Alright, I’m ready for my story…and don’t skip the good stuff!” He directed, surprised to find himself suddenly pushed gently, yet firmly, back into a sitting position.
“Hang on, wait a minute.” Juliet directed, standing up and suddenly pulling her sundress over her head to reveal a black, string bikini.
As if on cue, Magnum’s mouth fell open, and he watched in awed silence as she strolled over towards the area of the deck where she’d laid out a host of fluffy towels and pillows, all under the shade of the nearby parasol. He had assumed she'd intended that little area for a spot of sunbathing, perhaps a nap after dinner, or late night star-gazing. But it appeared that ruthless seduction was her intended plan for the afternoon; and it was a plan he was all too happy to go along with.
She stared at him with growing impatience, as if anticipating him to follow her, but Thomas remained stock still, happily drinking in the sight of her tanned skin and appreciating each curve of her body with a wolfish, yet still slightly stunned expression.
She turned around, concealing a knowing smile as she felt Thomas’ eyes burn into her, no doubt roaming the bare skin of her shapely rear that her bikini bottoms didn’t even try to conceal. Smirking to herself, Juliet toyed with the strings on her bikini top, realising he must be close to combusting. Laying down on her front on the towels, she placed the manuscript on the pillow in front of her, and turned to face her lover, her head propped in her hand.
Reaching out to grab the bottle she’d placed on the towels in preparation, she tossed the sunscreen in his direction, and he let out a puff of breath as it landed against his stomach.
Clutching the bottle in his hand, he watched, entranced, as she suddenly leant up and untied her bikini top and rolled back onto her side, clearly enjoying the spell she’d suddenly cast over him. Greedy eyes drank in the sight of her naked body, and she watched him absently lick his lips as he no doubt envisioned the path his mouth would like to take over her full, rosy peaked breasts.
Her bikini top landed at his feet in that instant, and he groaned out loud, absolutely certain that he was the happiest man on the entire island; and that his loving girlfriend was definitely trying to kill him.
“Aww, Higgy, come on…” He lamented, realising she was planning on torturing him by reading sexy excerpts of the novel, half naked. The Taliban had had nothing quite so evil in their arsenal.
Gesturing to the bottle in his hand, she rolled back over onto her stomach, her breasts now cruelly hidden from view, and so he consoled himself by staring at her other, ample charms.
“Make yourself useful, Magnum. Spit, spot!” She directed, her tone brisk and no-nonsense, in a manner he barely remembered any more, but appreciated none the less. “Oh, and lose the shirt!”
Dutifully tugging his shirt over his head, he tossed it carelessly behind him onto the deck, strolling over to her with sudden purpose, as Juliet giggled with delight. Keeping Magnum on his toes was not something she planned on abandoning now that they were a couple, not when the opportunity for a lifetime of teasing lay ahead of them.
“Risqué, my ass!” He muttered, his hands practically burning with the need to touch her. Juliet felt him settle behind her, and she tossed a beguiling, if not provocative smile over her shoulder, and settled her chin on her hands. Clearing her throat to assure his attention, she began to read aloud from the book, adding in a casual moan of approval as his hands travelled over her body.
It didn’t shock Magnum in the slightest that Robin would base the White Knight’s formidable, sexy, quick-witted love interest on Juliet. If she’d been destined for him, as he was certain she had been, then his literary namesake couldn’t have settled for anyone less. And, as far as Magnum was concerned, Juliet Higgins was the best kind of ‘trouble’ he’d ever gotten himself in to.