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“I love you. I love you, and I want you to go to Hawaii with me so that we can drink piña coladas and play in the ocean and make love in a cabana three times a day.”

“Only three?”

“Your call.” He tried to look cool as he leaned back on the mattress, but instead he sort of fell to one side, taking her with him.

A laugh escaped her as she caught herself, one hand resting on his chest. He reached up and swiped away the last of her mascara. “I’m sorry I made you cry.”

“Don’t be. I’m glad you hit him.”

“Yeah, me too.”

She lit him up with a kiss that instantly made him feel better. As her mouth moved on his, he realized he couldn’t have been any luckier than this.

Then she proved him wrong.

She pulled away, touched his cheek with her delicate fingers, and said, “I love you, too, Black.”

“Hell, yes.” He lifted his head to kiss her.

Before his lips touched hers, the front door banged open. They scrambled off the mattress as a gust of wind swept in dead leaves and chilled air.

In a heartbeat, he was on his feet and helping Lily to hers. “Maybe we should do this somewhere else.”

“Yes, great idea.” He swore he heard her laugh as she picked up the lantern and the pillow—at least he hoped that was her. Together, they ran outside.

“My place?” he asked as he helped her into her car.

She glanced down at her cocktail dress. “I have nothing to wear.”

“Perfect.” He pressed a kiss to her mouth. “Meet you there.”

EPILOGUE

There were more umbrellas in Lily’s piña colada than on the semi-private beach. She stood on a blanket of white sand that was framed by a turquoise ocean and palm trees blowing in the warm Hawaiian breeze.

It was, in a word, paradise.

The scent of salty ocean air and her coconut sunscreen mingled in her senses.

“You’re such a tourist,” Marcus quipped from his spot in the shade.

“I’m in Hawaii. I’m drinking what the locals drink.” She slurped her frozen cocktail from the hollowed-out coconut. It had already started to melt.

She set her drink on the small table next to her blanket. He was sprawled out on a hammock, naked save for a pair of jaunty board shorts riding low on his hips. One of his feet was in the sand. One of his arms was thrown over his head. Behind his sunglasses his eyes were shut.

“Since you’re a spoilsport, I brought you a beer.”

“Perfect.” He held out a hand, but she placed the ice-cold bottle on his stomach instead. She watched, delighted, as his abs clenched.

“Jesus, woman.” He snatched the bottle from her. She bent and kissed him, slipping him some tongue just for fun.

“Prima donna,” he growled.

“Asshat,” she whispered.

Their mouths met for another kiss that threatened to buckle her knees. Before she knew what was happening, she was being towed into a hazy, gauzy oasis of lust she’d only experienced with him. If she didn’t put the kibosh on this kiss, she’d haul him back to their cabana for some afternoon delight.

He pulled away from her first. She pushed her bottom lip into a pout. His toothy grin would have better suited a predator with a pointy dorsal fin.