“Five!”
I press my lips against hers ever so softly at first, and when her mouth parts, her bottom lip fitting perfectly in between mine, that’s all it fucking takes. We crash together, urgent and desperate, like we know that this moment we have together won’t last forever. I hold her to me, one hand tangled in her hair, the other firm on her hip like I’m afraid she’ll disappear. She melts into me, moving with me, breathing me in like I’m everything she needs, and when her tongue brushes against mine, it sends a rush straight through my veins. She's like a goddamn drug I knew would be dangerous to touch, but craved all the same, and now I’m fucking addicted.
One mistake.
One reckless mistake that came out of nowhere has been playing like a damn movie in my mind for days now, despite every bone in my body telling me nothing about reliving what happened between us was right. Jovi was someone I was supposed to shrug off and move on from for a hundred fucking reasons. One of them being that she belongs to Theo. Instead, she’s in my arms, our tongues dancing together in a feverish, breathless kiss, our bodies taking control while our brains take a back seat. Because in this moment, I don't give a fuck. I don'tcare about the consequences. I don't care that the only reason I'm tasting her right now, drinking in her strawberry flavored lips, is because we were roped into a weird fucking game show and we're chasing prize money.
Game show.
Just as my thoughts drag me back to the present, the roaring sound of the crowd slams into me. Jovi pulls away, her lips swollen from our kiss, her eyes still glassy as if she’s still captive to the same trance that captured me. We both turn, dazed and blinking as the stage light almost fucking blinds us. The audience is out of their seats, clapping so hard it sounds almost thunderous, shaking the stage. The other couple stands frozen, their mouths hanging wide open, fury written across their faces.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Daniel says through a shocked chuckle. “I think it's safe to say we have our sinners. I mean… winners! Give it up for Daddy and our flirty vixen! One hundred thousand dollars and an exclusive, private island upgrade are yours!”
The words wash over me. Because I'm still stuck on her. On the way her lips felt. On the way my heart is still racing as we just stand there staring at each other, fully aware of the fragile space between us, and the weight of what we just did.
“Happy Valentine's Day, you two!” Daniel cheers, wrapping his arms around both Jovi and me as a camera flashes in our faces.God fucking dammit!There has to be something in the water here, because I can't think straight. Maybe it's the ocean. The way the stage tilts with the roughness of the waves. It's subtle. If you weren't paying attention, you probably wouldn't notice. But I do. And it has my head all over the fucking place.
Maybe it's her.
I've got to get off this fucking boat.
CHAPTER 9
JOVI
THIS WAS NOT ON MY ITINERARY!
“Here we are,” my chauffeur says cheerfully, as if we haven’t just spent the last ten minutes slowly roasting in a taxi with no air-conditioning. It's hot as hell, and I’m sweating in places you don't really want to know about. I'm from the snowy mountains and as much as I like the idea of summer, fruity dresses, cocktails, and the beach, I amnotclimatized for this. The cruise ship docked on an island earlier today and I was met with a man holding a large sign with my name on it. He guided me onto a small motorboat where I spent the entire boat ride drenched in salty sea spray, gripping the sides for dear life and distracting myself however I could to avoid letting the man in on what I’d eaten for breakfast this morning.
Once we made it to the dock, I learned that the house I’d be staying in was on the other side of the island for privacy. From there, we climbed into a taxi that was definitely built in the nineties because this thing has zero suspension. I can feel every damn bump in the road, and it only makes the worst caseof nausea I think I've ever had even worse. Let's just say, by the time we pull up, I'm utterly exhausted.
“Thank you so much,” I mumble, my eyes glued to the most breathtaking, luxurious house I’ve ever seen. Floor to ceiling windows stretch across the front and overlook the clear, crystal-blue water that blends into various shades of aquamarine. Wooden slats cover parts of the exterior, adding warmth and texture to the otherwise modern structure, and I could really see myself living here. Dutchess would have a field day. It truly is magnificent, but I hope to God it has air-conditioning.
The driver gets out and opens the passenger door for me, and I step out onto a cobblestone pathway that leads up to the front porch of the house. I sway a little and he reaches a hand out to steady me.
“Whoa! Easy, miss!”
“I'm fine. Thanks. Just a little car sick.”
“Your luggage will arrive momentarily. If you need anything, the staff live in a villa about two hundred meters through those trees. They're contactable and everything you need to reach out to them is written on a card by the telephone inside. Here is your key, miss.” He hands me a card. “The refrigerators are stocked. Enjoy your stay. Congratulations on your win.” With a wave, he drives off. I wave back, taking it all in. I could get used to this. Silence, nobody bothering me, no stress.
I reach into my handbag for my phone to call Shiloh. To update her on… well, everything, but there's barely enough reception to send a text message. Instead, I snap some photos of the gorgeous view and that's when I see it. I freeze.
“What the fuck!”
Dozens of iguanas, each the size of small dogs, are closing in on me. My heart nearly stops fucking beating. I scream, at least I think I do, as I back up a couple of steps.
“Go the fuck away, you land vultures! Go on!Ahhh!Oh my fucking God!” I'm shooing them at this point, but they couldn't care less as they proceed to surround me.I'm going to die.
The door to the house swings open and out of the corner of my eye, I see tall, massive figures rushing toward me. I risk a quick glance in their direction and see three shirtless, tattooed men, their muscles gleaming in the sun, but I don't let my eyes linger because I’m about to be iguana food.
“Please! Oh my God! Get a stick. Something! They’re fucking everywhere!”
There's silence. Then uncontrollable laughter erupts around me. I spin, panicked, and shoot them a death glare because how dare they think this is funny, then my heart flies from my chest, straight to my throat.West. Of course, because this vacation couldn’t get any worse.
“Guys, it’s not funny. Those things are terrifying,” a familiar deep voice says and I turn, doing a double take when I see Beau Baker standing beside West and…Haze Lawson.What the hell? Why are they here?I don't have time for this. I’m being held hostage by dog lizards.
“They're harmless,” Haze breathes out, his voice filled with laughter, which really doesn't suit the level of terror I’m currently experiencing. Read the damn room.
