Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“Mr. Silas,” the older attendant looked at me with abject apology in his brown eyes. “It’s the only room we have. I’m so very sorry.”
“Not your fault.” I palmed him another bill and saw them to the door. “Please don’t think about it again.” It wasn’t their fault, it was my jackass of a best friend’s fault.
The guy was never going to grow up.
Once they were gone, I turned back to Daisy, ready to offer that I sleep in the lobby, or anywhere else if she wanted her space.
But she was asleep.
8
DAISY
“You got me hiking boots?” I asked, eyes wide as Asher held the pair of boots in front of me.
“Well, you can’t really hike properly without them,” he teased as I took them from him.
“And you got me hiking pants and a shirt,” I clarified, eying the clothes he’d put on the freshly made bed. A bed I’d absolutely passed out in so hard I hadn’t even noticed Asher sleeping next to me. I could blame the jet lag exhausting me to the point of delusion, but it could’ve also been what Asher did to me on the plane yesterday.
“Yes, essentials,” he said.
I smiled up at him, my heart racing.
The way his fingers had felt against my skin.
How he’d slipped them inside me with such confidence, as if he’d been playing with my body for months.
The way he’d kissed me as he stroked me, the combination so intense I’d felt my orgasm throughout every inch of my body.
My cheeks flushed just remembering it, and now…now I didn’t have a clue what to say to him. I mean, I’d been the one to hop on his lap and beg for it—thanks for the courage mimosas. But what could I say to him now? Thanks for the amazing orgasm. Sorry I passed out right after? God, how incredibly embarrassing.
But he was acting totally normal, aside from the fact that he wasn’t in his traditional suit. He stood before me in a pair of gray hiking pants, black boots, and a thin long-sleeve shirt that was made of thin UV material that protected from the sun’s rays.
“What?” he asked after I’d stared at him a little too long. “Do you not like them? You don’t have to come with us if you don’t want to. Brynn isn’t. You could stay—”
“No, I love it all,” I said. “I was just thinking how good you look like that.” I motioned to him, then grabbed the clothes and hurried into the bathroom, running away from my comment like a real adult.
After I changed, I found Asher in the resort’s restaurant, a breakfast feast spread out before him and his friends. I took the empty seat next to him after saying hi to Weston and Brynn, Crossland, and Ethan, who all were already digging into their breakfast.
Asher passed me a plate he’d already filled with my favorites before pouring steaming hot coffee into my mug, and I swear my heart flipped at the gesture. I forced myself to keep a calm mask on my face and thanked him before glancing at Crossland.
“You don’t look like you’re dressed for a hike up a volcano,” I said before digging into my food.
Crossland shook his head. “Hell no. I draw the line at volcanos.”
Weston laughed. “This is the second time you’ve opted out when I’ve been hosting,” he said. “I’m beginning to think it’s a pattern.”
“Screw that,” Crossland said. “I jumped out of a plane for you.”
“So what’s one little instance of volcano boarding?” Weston asked.
“One little active volcano,” Crossland fired back. “Not happening. Brynn will keep me company, won’t you?”
“Of course,” she said, smiling at him. “I’m dying to check out the natural reserve. You in?”
Crossland smirked at Weston, whose mood had quickly shifted from playful barbing to downright growly. “I’m in,” Crossland answered Brynn.
Weston flashed him a warning look, but Crossland just laughed.
Oh, now what Asher said about Weston not settling down makes sense.
“You know this means I get to write your first chip of the night,” Weston said, his tone this side of sharp.
“I know,” Crossland said, shrugging. “Better than being melted by an erupting volcano or crashing a board and breaking my neck.”
My eyes widened, and I glanced at Asher, who shook his head. He slid his hand over mine under the table, leaning over to whisper in my ear. “I’ve got you, Daisy,” he said. “I wouldn’t let anything like that happen.”
Warm shivers danced along my skin, the sensation stealing all my words, so I merely nodded.
Two hours and a seriously intense hike later, I stood on top of an active volcano with four billionaires and a local guide who was passing out goggles and boards while explaining how exactly to ride them down the mountain.
But it was hard to listen while staring out at the impeccable view that stole my breath. Black, volcanic ash covered the dunes and slopes that stretched out across a vibrant green landscape, meeting a horizon with the clearest blue sky I’d ever seen.