“What kind of trouble?” I asked, my mind jumping to all sorts of conclusions based on what I knew about Frasier’s brother and their complicated past.
“He owes someone dangerous a lot of money.”
I grimaced. I could imagine what that meant. I placed my free hand over our clasped ones. “I’m sorry. You hadn’t said anything about him for a while, so I’d hoped he was doing better.”
Frasier shook his head then dropped it to his chest. “He’s a fucking mess. I’ve offered to pay for rehab countless times, but he won’t go. Instead, he keeps causing problems—for himself, my parents, me.”
“That’s hard,” I said, wishing I’d realized how bad things had gotten. Wishing I’d been there more for Frasier.
“It fucking sucks.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “And I promised myself that I wouldn’t let it interfere with the wedding. Yet here we are.”
Had Frasier been juggling this since before the trip? I mean, yes. Obviously. It was an ongoing situation. But I wondered how long he’d been dealing with this latest crisis.
“You know I understand, right?” I asked. “If you need to leave to be with your family. Or you need to make some calls. Or you want to head back to the bungalow and relax.”
He shook his head. “I’ve done everything I can. For now, I just want to enjoy tonight and the time we have left here.” He pulled me onto his lap, and I curled into him. “This trip has been wonderful, and I’m not ready for it to end.”
“Me either,” I whispered.
It was the perfect opening, and it would’ve been a great opportunity to bring up what this was. What it all meant. But Frasier was already dealing with so much, and I got the feeling that what he needed was a distraction.
I stood, holding out my hand. “I have an idea, but we’ll have to be quick.”
He quirked one eyebrow. “What kind of idea?” I bent forward and whispered in his ear. Then he said, “I fucking love this idea,” in a gravelly voice.
I grinned, removing my shoes before taking off down the beach. Frasier chased after me, our laughter floating on the breeze.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Bryn’s dress flowed around her legs, her hair flying behind her as she raced toward the closest beach cabana. I could’ve easily caught her, but I was enjoying the view too much. And based on the scene she’d read aloud from the novel, I had a feeling Bryn was enjoying the chase just as much as I was. I might not be wearing a mask or stalking her through a dark forest, but I was definitely going to catch her, pin her down, and make her beg for it.
The idea of pinning her down made my dick press against the zipper of my dress slacks. Though what I really wanted was to make Bryn mine both in and out of the bedroom. My earlier conversation with Talia came to mind, but I pushed those concerns away. Right now, Bryn and I were alone in paradise. And I wasn’t going to let anything intrude on that—not my concerns for the future, the drama with my brother, or anything else.
Bryn glanced at me over her shoulder, laughing as her feet left little divots in the sand. I was gaining on her. I could’ve ended the chase, but I was taking my time. As we neared the cabana, she met my eyes, taunting me.
During the day, you could rent one for five hundred bucks a pop. But at night, they were unattended and unoccupied. Perfect for our current purposes.
“Got you,” I said in a gravelly voice, snagging her around the waist and pulling her so her back was flush to my front.
She was breathing hard, our chests rising and falling in unison as I walked us inside the hut with my arms still around her. The wood floor was covered with a woven rug that softened the sound of Bryn’s sandals when she dropped them at her side.
Three sides of the cabana were made of wooden slats meant to mimic the look of traditional island louvers, though they remained in a fixed position. It allowed for air to circulate and provided some semblance of privacy but not much. The side facing the ocean was fitted with thick white curtains that were currently tied back.
“Now that you’ve caught me…” she panted, and I knew it wasn’t solely from the exertion of running across the beach. A lot of it was due to the anticipation. “What are you going to do with me?”
“Whatever…” I kissed her neck where it met her shoulder, prompting her to moan. “I…” I used my teeth to grab the strap of her dress and tug it down her arm, and goose bumps bloomed in my wake. “Want.” I licked up her bicep, and she shivered.
I slid one hand up to cup her breast, using the other to unlatch the tie-back and close the curtain. I knew we were short on time if we wanted to avoid getting caught. Plus, the wedding toasts would be starting soon, and it would be noticeable if the sister of the bride were missing.
I gathered her dress in my hand, the fabric flowing over my arm. The material was lightweight, but there was a lot of it. And it was starting to annoy me, despite how hot she’d looked in it. Finally, touching skin, I smoothed my hand down her stomachand beneath her lace underwear. She groaned, swirling her hips, and I had to bite back a groan of my own.
“Shh.” I nipped her ear with my teeth. But that only seemed to drive her even wilder.
She reached behind her back to tease me through my pants, rubbing my already-hard dick until I was positive it was leaking. All the while, I toyed with her clit, spreading her folds and running my fingers over that tight little nub in a way I’d learned would set her off.
“Oh god,” she panted. “Oh fuck.”
I kept one hand on her clit but slowed my efforts. “What did I tell you about being quiet?” I growled against her skin.
