Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 46733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
It’s like I add the last part to remind myself….
Because I can see her, Brooke, standing in a circle of women just across the beach, so close I could reach her in a matter of seconds. My body is suddenly covered in a layer of sweat, my jaw clenching as I study her, my woman.
She hasn’t spotted me yet.
She’s smiling, making me think of her looking at our children just like that. Her hair is tied up, highlighting her features. I want to get closer and look at her, but now here, it’s even more difficult to resist.
She’s wearing a long dress, the fabric light and airy, letting me just about see the outline of her white bra beneath it. I want to grab her, massage those full round tits, and at the same time, I want to drag her someplace private and put more clothes on her.
I can’t think about another man admiring her like this. I can’t even imagine it.
It makes me feral.
“Banner?” Gil frowns. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Ah, hell. He thinks I’m mad about paying for the wedding.
“Yeah.” I drag my gaze back to him. “Sorry. All this travel can mess a man’s head up.”
Gil nods. “I get it. You’re welcome to grab some shuteye. We’re having a little ‘Welcome to the island’ party later, but we’ve got nothing scheduled today.”
“Yeah, I just might do that,” I say, nodding.
“Take this first,” Gil reaches into his pocket and hands me a cell phone. “The guide provided one for everybody. You really went above and beyond with this package.”
“Gil,” I say. “Money’s never been an issue between us. It’s never been part of our friendship. I was broken when we met, and you helped me out. And we both know you only let me repay the favor because you want to give Sonya the wedding she deserves.”
“I know,” Gil says softly.
I’m babbling now, voice rising, finding it difficult to contain all this heat.
“So you don’t need to keep thanking me about it,” I say softly.
“Fair enough.” Gesturing to the phone, he says, “You’ll be able to call or text anyone on the island. The numbers are programmed in, and obviously, anyone off the island is reachable too.”
The woman I want is right here, but I won’t tell him that.
“Why did they program in everybody’s number?” I ask, my throat going tight as I think of Brooke, as I try not to look at her.
Gil shrugs. “I guess they wanted to be on the safe side. If anybody gets lost, they’ll have more options to call. And it’s more convenient than personally exchanging numbers, I guess. Why?”
I shake my head, knowing I have to delete Brooke’s number.
I can’t have it on the phone.
“You can block people easily,” Gil says. “If you’re worried about somebody contacting you.”
“No,” I grin tightly, waving a hand. “As I said, I’m tired. Ignore my grumpy ass.”
Gil claps me on the arm. “I’m just happy you’re here.”
Past him, I see Brooke look up.
She spots me.
And then she turns and walks away, striding quickly across the beach.
CHAPTER 3
Brooke
I walk across the beach, hardly aware of what I said to Sonya and the other women. I vaguely recall something like, ‘Sorry, I need to use the bathroom,’ but maybe that was just in my head.
Maybe I simply turned and strode away.
It’s not what I meant to do, but I didn’t know how to respond when I saw him standing in his loose-fitting shirt, the top button undone, showing me a glimpse of his chest.
And his face, the intensity of it, even if I didn’t look long enough to make out all the details.
The sand makes it difficult to walk quickly, but I don’t dare look behind me. I’ve rehearsed this countless times since we almost kissed – since he told me the only reason it happened was that he was drunk – and it’s never been like this.
The poise, the confidence I envisioned, it all drains away. It seeps to nothing before I have a chance to even try.
The second I saw him, I found myself wishing we were here for our wedding. I wanted to run over to him and jump into his arms, let him spin me around and around, affection bursting out of us both…affection which could easily turn to carnal desire.
Pushing my door open, I almost run into the room, my breath coming way too fast.
A moment later, there’s a knock, causing me to turn as hope and dread clash within me, as I imagine Banner striding in here and standing close, staring at me with his eyes filled with fierce jealous intent.
I want him to be jealous, to feel protective over me, and care if any other man tries anything.
“H-hello?” I call, hating the way my voice trembles.
“It’s me,” Mila replies. “Can I come in?”