Still, my skin feels too aware.
Luca is easy to read now that I’m closer. And bigger somehow, all shoulders and lazy confidence, with that rough-edged humor sitting permanently at the corner of his mouth with that almost grin. North is quieter, but not distant, which tells me he’s a deep thinker. And Ace…
Ace is the problem.
I don’t even have to touch him to feel as if he’s there.
I steal one glance back toward the beach, just to be sure, and there’s no sign of the strangers.
Thank God.
I should be focused on the relief of it and the fact that I might’ve imagined the whole thing into something bigger than it was.
Instead, I’m walking out of the surf with three Alphas who are somehow just as distracting in completely different ways, and all I can think is that running into Ace once on a plane was possibly fate.
Finding him again here could be the universe taking a personal interest in my life, and I still can’t stop staring at the other two, trying to figure them out.
Yet, one thing is for certain: Ace is already under my skin again.
Which is, frankly, the last thing I need.
7
LUCA
Idon’t know what I did to deserve this morning, but I’m not about to question it.
Adelaide is ahead of us, board tucked under her arm, hair still damp and tangled from the surf, little pink bikini doing absolutely nothing to help the situation. Long, toned legs, wet skin shining in the sun, and those bottoms barely covering her curvy ass at all. Every step is a problem.
Sand sticks to the backs of her calves. Sun catches in the gold and copper strands of her hair. Every now and then, she glances over her shoulder like she knows full damn well that three men are behind her and at least two of us are having impure thoughts.
Maybe all three.
I look at North, who’s staring at her ass. He sees me watching him and doesn’t even flinch.
“Don’t start,” Ace says instead.
Neither of us says a word.
Ace cuts us a look anyway. “I can hear both of you being idiots.”
“That’s impressive,” I tell him. “Considering nobody said anything.”
North shifts his board under his arm. “You’re tense. It’s making the air weird.”
Ace keeps walking, getting closer to Adelaide, jaw a little tight. “I’m fine.”
“Sure you are.”
He gives me a flat look. “Luca.”
“What?” I grin. “You’re the one who found Plane Girl on a beach in Oahu after she ghosted you. That’s not nothing.”
Up ahead, Adelaide glances back. “You know I can hear you, right?”
“Good,” I say.
She snorts, then stares forward again.
