“I didn’t forget.” He puts his arm around me and kisses the top of my head.
“One for me, too.” Jett casually leans against the bar beside us, arms folded, eyes bright, the color almost a perfect match to the turquoise water.
“Three Mai Tais,” Kayne orders as I steal glimpses of the two hottest men I have ever met.
Jett cocks his eyebrow at me, acknowledging how perfectly content I am with Kayne’s protective arm around me. I pull down my sunglasses and exaggerate an eye roll at him.
He chuckles, his nipple ring glinting in the sun.
“What’s so funny?” Kayne asks Jett over my head.
“The image of you holding a girlie drink with a pink umbrella.”
“I’m channeling my inner bitch just for you.”
I glance up at Kayne.
“Sorry. Was that offensive?”
I smile. “Maybe if I was anyone else. But my sense of humor is pretty liberal.”
“Perfect, you’ll fit right in with the perverts,” Jett jokes.
“Speak for yourself.” Kayne scoffs.
“Hmmm, I don’t think Jett is too far out of line. Birds of a feather . . .” I point out. I know firsthand just how perverted Kayne can be.
“I love her,” Jett laughs.
Kayne leers at me, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth. His eyes just barely visible behind the brown lenses.
“Ellie, why don’t you go grab us a seat. I need to talk to Jett for a minute,” he says, running his hand down my back and over my behind. “I’ll bring your drink when it’s ready.”
“Okay,” I frown. “Sure.” Why does it feel like I’m suddenly being dismissed?
Kayne drops a kiss on my lips and spanks my ass lightly, sending me on my way.
Fine, then.
I saunter down to where the sand meets the water. It’s a glorious day. The beach itself is quiet, but there are people snorkeling several yards away and jet skiing in the distance.
I discard my cover-up, and then glance behind me. Jett and Kayne look like they’re talking casually, but I can feel both of their heated stares searing into my skin.
I WATCH ELLIE SHIMMY AWAYwearing nothing more than an R-rated bikini and a sorry excuse for a cover-up. It took everything I had to let her walk out of the bungalow like that without leaving handprints on her ass. I have to keep reminding myself our dynamic has changed. She is no longer my slave, and I am no longer her Master, which really fucking sucks sometimes. Like now. I have a feeling she is going to test me at every turn.
“You got laid.” Jett shifts his eyes to me.
“How could you possibly know that?” I respond flatly.
“Because, for the first time in almost twelve months, your energy isn’t hostile and Ellie is the perfect shade of post-coital peach.”
“You need to lay off the Zen. And yes, we had sex.”
“So you two are working things out?”
“Looks like it. She’s still here. Although she is hell-bent on making sure I understand she is independent and won’t take any shit from me.”
Jett grins, and then immediately frowns. “Is that bathing suit part of her independence?” he asks as Ellie disrobes, catching every single eye on the beach. Including ours.
