A sharp breath caught in my throat.
His eyes were already there, but I didn’t push him away.
He leaned forward—slow and deliberate.
His mouth closed around my nipple, his tongue flicking against it in a way that made my head tip back before I could stop it.
My lips parted and my fingers tightened against his shoulders.
He didn’t rush it.
Didn’t stop.
Just watched me—felt me—as I gave in.
I breathed slowly, every nerve in my body lighting up as he dragged the moment out, making me feel every second of it.
“Do you feel calmer now?” he whispered.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
He reached behind me and yanked the string free, revealing its culprit—a floorboard.
Then he handed me the top.
“You don’t have to put it back on if you don’t want to.” He laughed and sat up, moving back to the helm.
I quickly tied it back on and made a mental note that maybe—just maybe—us not hanging out whenever we weren’t doing “this” while we were here was a good thing…
Eighteen
PRESENT DAY
KATIE
The following afternoon, I picked up a pair of binoculars and looked across the beach where Michelle and Chris were sharing a coconut drink.
I’d been looking off and on all day, confused about the purpose of today’s “mission.”
I heard footsteps from behind, and then my towel shifted in the sand.
“Good morning, Katie,” Asher said.
“Good morning.” I squinted as Chris pressed a kiss on Michelle’s neck. “What exactly am I supposed to be looking for today, Asher?”
“A reaction.”
“To what?”
“I had a note delivered—handwritten, not typed,” he said. “From her ex. Referencing a trip they took to Santorini and something she supposedly ‘never told Chris.’”
I blinked. “That’s…specific.”
“It needs to be,” he said. “Vague doesn’t trigger anything real.”
“And if it goes terribly?”
