~ 21 ~
PEYTON
Our strangest day in paradise began with coffee and sexual innuendo, but ended with spiny lobster, coconut prawns, and bread pudding. It was as decadent a meal as we’d had so far. Whoever they’d arranged to feed and care for us was doing an incredible job, while maintaining our secrecy and safety. It made me wonder what kinds of favors the boys were owed, and what they’d done out of reciprocity to deserve them.
Ripley and Theo went night fishing an hour or so after dinner, just as they had most evenings. I watched them wander down to the beach together, talking quietly as they disappeared into the darkness. For the first time, I had a pretty good idea of what the topic of conversation might be.
I found Colson at the end of the dock, alone with his thoughts. He was sitting down for once; staring out over the water and cradling a large glass of whiskey. None of this was like him, at all. It went against his constant need for vigilance and control.
For a minute or two I just watched him, his hard,handsome face illuminated by the silvery moonlight. Then, moving quietly, I padded over.
“You know you can’t sneak up on me,” he said without turning.
My bare feet had hardly made a sound. Yet somehow he knew.
“I wasn’t trying to.”
One corner of his mouth curled upward. “That’s even worse.”
I lowered myself beside him using his shoulder, and sat with our legs touching. The warmth of his skin felt amazing in contrast with the cool ocean breeze.
A silence stretched out between us, getting more awkward by the second. I decided not to let it.
“The way you were kissing my neck last night…” I began. “That was some real panty-dropping shit. You know that, right?”
Colson said nothing. I elbowed him, playfully.
“I mean, if I were wearing panties, of course.”
An internal conflict followed. A silent war, raging beneath expressionless stoicism.
“Last night was reckless,” he finally muttered. “I lost control.”
“Oh, please,” I countered. “We all lost control. Besides, last night was sorely needed.”
“Needed?”
“Yeah,” I stood my ground. “We got hunted down, shot at, almost killed. We fled the fucking continent; chased intoparadise by a literal, evil billionaire. Then you guys started strutting around shirtless… and me, in a bikini. The sexual tension was so thick you could spread it on toast. Something had to give.”
He couldn’t argue with my logic. He didn’t even try.
“What happened last night was an inevitability,” I breathed out, with a grin. “I’m just glad no feelings got hurt.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Because nobody got left out,” I winked.
Colson’s expression softened. He swirled the amber liquid in his glass thoughtfully for a moment, then swung those slate gray eyes my way.
“See that freckle on your neck?” he pointed gently. “I used to watch it dance around your throat, every time you laughed.”
“I haven’t laughed much, lately.”
“I know. But I’ve always dreamed of kissing you there.”
His admission came as a complete surprise. It sent a slow ripple of heat through my stomach.
“You have?”
