Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
“Okay,” I interrupt, pulling away. “I get it.”
His mouth quirks into a sexy grin. “Come for a swim with me.”
A heatwave spreads over my skin at the gruffness of his voice. I could blame the sinking fireball in the sky, but the sun isn’t the culprit. “I’m good right here.”
“You’re flushed.”
Flushed in more ways than one. Gathering my knees to my chest, I hug myself. “You go ahead.”
“What are you scared of?”
Besides the tempting cock staring me in the face? “I’m not dressed for it.”
“Then leave your undergarments on.” Before I can object, he hauls me to my feet and grabs the hem of my sundress.
“Liam, don’t.” I fight off his insistent hands.
With a tilt of his head, he takes me in from head to toe. “What are you hiding under that dress, my sweet girl?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
“Now I’m intrigued.”
He steps forward.
I step back.
Unlike chess, this is a game we play on even ground. But even as I fend him off, I know I’ve already lost. The realization barely has time to materialize before he strikes, and my dress is gone from my body in seconds.
“Don’t look so triumphant,” I say, glaring at him as he drops my stolen dress on the pile of discarded clothing. “You know you’re stronger than me.”
His attention lowers to the rosy hue of my nipples, much too noticeable in the sheer white lace cups he picked out for me. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’m weak as hell right now.”
I don’t like that look in his eyes—it only grows more pronounced each day we spend in all-consuming isolation. Eventually, I’ll stop running from that look, and he’ll jump on me like the sex-starved man he is.
But not today. Before he touches me again, I run toward the shoreline, my heels digging into the sand, and crash into the waves.
7
Dodging the advances of Liam Castle is an exhausting way to live. He’s relentless, taking every opportunity he can to touch, tease, and tantalize.
From walking in on me in the shower to melting my heart with the way he takes care of me—like cooking dinner every night while I enjoy a glass of wine—he whittles away my will.
But never my conscience, and never my memories of another man.
“A storm’s coming,” he says, his attention veering over my shoulder.
I turn in time to spot a streak of lightning in the distance through the window. Ominous clouds hug the horizon, growing more sinister by the second.
I hate storms. Not because they scare me, or even for the destruction they cause, but I’ve always felt at odds when thunder rumbles under the soles of my feet. It’s the type of disruption felt deep in the marrow—an unnerving sensation that brings my vulnerabilities to the forefront.
The wind picks up as the booming grows louder, coming closer with each flash of light in the sky.
I pick at my chicken salad, appetite gone now that the air has changed. There’s an endless charge between us that has nothing to do with the approaching storm. No, the tension spiraling out of control has everything to do with the days passing by on the calendar.
The uncertainty is killing me.
“Will you take me back next week?”
He sets his fork down. “You want to go back that badly?”
“I don’t like being in limbo,” I hedge.
“Then don’t be in limbo.” He crosses his arms. “Let your guard down and give us both what we want.”
“Liam,” I say thickly, pressing my thighs together. “Giving in isn’t going to change how I feel. It’ll only cause more pain.” Being with him would be an unforgivable betrayal—one I’d despise myself for.
Thunder sounds overhead, making me jump.
“I’ve been more than patient.” He pushes his plate away and taps his fingers on the table. “I could have forced you at any point during these last several weeks, but I didn’t. Not on the ship, not in the lagoon.” His eyes pierce me from across the table. “Not while sleeping in bed next to you every night, an arm’s length away.”
I bite my lip. “I know it hasn’t been easy for you.”
“It hasn’t been easy for you either. You want us both, but the guilt is chewing you raw.” He frowns. “If I were a better man, I wouldn’t push you.”
“You are a good man.”
He arches a brow. “I told you I’m not, but you refuse to believe me.”
“You’re better than you think. You have a selfless streak in you, Liam.”
“What if I’m tired of being good? Maybe I want to be selfish.” With a thick swallow, he pauses a beat. “I want to strip away your clothing and your fucking inhibitions. If I were less of a man, I’d bend you over this table and fuck you until you forget his name.”
I grip the table’s edge, my heart thudding in my chest. “You can’t say things like that to me.”