Taco swivels his head to look at me, squawking. Jonah looks up.
His eyes seem to eat me up as I walk into the room. A faint twitch of his lips and crinkling at his eyes are the only sign he’s glad to see me.
“Hey,” I say.
He just nods, then looks at Taco. “Your parrot is stubborn.”
This cracks me up because…really? “Oh, it’s the parrot who’s stubborn?”
Taco flaps his wings, fluttering from the perch down to the workbench and then waddling its length to meet me.
Tilting his head, he grumbles. “Maní.”
Yellow-headed parrots are prized as pets for their wide vocabulary. It’s one of the reasons they’re endangered in the wild. But this silly rescued bird only says a single word.
I pat down my pockets, but I don’t have any treats for him. However, Jonah walks over and holds something out to me.
“Looks like your bird wants a peanut, Peanut.”
I look from Jonah to the bird and then back again. “What?”
This time, he smiles for real. A broad grin that makes my heart clutch. “Did you not know that’s what he calls you?”
“He’s asking for treats.”
Jonah slings an arm around my shoulder and pulls my back against his chest. “Nah. I’ve been feeding him treats all morning. He only talks when he sees you. And he calls you Maní. Which is Spanish for—”
“Peanut,” I finish for him. Giving my forehead a slap. I twist to look behind me. “Is that why you’ve been calling me Peanut?”
Jonah drops his lips to my shoulder, nuzzling my neck, almost like…he’s embarrassed or something. “I told you I watched all those videos you post.”
I elbow him in the stomach playfully, then turn in his arms, rising up to meet his lips.
A moment later, I pull away and ask, “Do the turtles need anything that can’t wait?”
Cupping my shoulders, Jonah steps back and gives me a hot look filled with need and frustration. “No. But you need more time. Your body needs to recover.”
“Okay. I get it. But hear me out…” I nod seriously, seeming to consider his words. While I bite down on my lower lip and twirl one braid around my fingers. “Maybe we can find some other way to fill the time until you think I’m ready for round two.”
His gaze darkens as he looks from my mouth to my braid and back again.
That look in his gaze drenches my panties, making me hope I can wear him down sooner rather than later because I get the feeling sucking on that gorgeous dick of his is just going to leave me wanting more.
He grins again, shaking his head. “Peanut, you just might kill me.”
epilogue
Clara
One year later
Normally, when I do Reels for the resort’s Instagram page, I just use a selfie-stick, film whatever looks enticing that day, and edit it later. When you split your time between two gorgeous private islands in the Caribbean, there’s a lot of appealing scenery to work with.
Don’t get me wrong, running a resort—even a small one—is a lot of work. It is my job to make it look like it’s not. To make it look fun and enticing.
Since today’s video is a live stream, I’ve recruited Eli to film it.
He gestures that he’s starting the recording.
