Page 26 of Rum Sips and Salty Lips

“We’ll see,” she says.

I see the gritted teeth, but no one else comes to her rescue.

ten

CARINA

I hatethat Beckett brought up Hamilton in front of Orion. We don’t owe each other anything, and he’s not the type to be jealous, which I don’t want him to be. But it’s that I have this big relationship in my past that I couldn’t make work.

Nothing makes me feel like more of a failure than Hamilton Kane.

It doesn’t help that my father made Hamilton his protégé and now they both get to tell me how to run my business. He and I weren’t big on feelings with each other, so it’s not that I miss him. It was more than a business relationship, but at times it didn’t feel like much more. All the same, I should have found a way to care more or to make it work.

At least Christian and Orion hit it off. While I’m discouraging Beckett from his attempts to be a wingman, Christian asks Orion about his favorite rums.

My stomach turns at the thought of Hamilton using the wedding as a chance to get back with me. The part that scares me is I might have let him in. I might have agreed to hook upbecause he’s there and I do eventually want a family. Hamilton and I have history. He’s not a risk. We’d talked about marriage before. So maybe I could make it work with him. But even when we lived in the same place, we didn’t have the connection I wanted. On paper he was the type of match my father wanted for me, someone who elevates my status. I wasn’t unhappy with him.

But he never lit my body on fire with a single glance.

I rope Haley into the wedding discussion when Alex waves over a pretty brunette who walked in from the street side. He introduces her as Kim.

“Oh, your date for the wedding,” Haley recalls, having the guest list committed to memory.

“Yes, I’m excited. It should be a lot of fun,” Kim replies. They clearly recently started dating. I’m surprised Alex invited her. “And congratulations, Beckett. I’m sure it’ll be beautiful.”

“It’s a bummer you aren’t coming,” Alex says to Orion.

I look up. Do I want Orion at the wedding? A vision flashes in my head of him in a suit, looking at me with lust in his eyes. It’d be perfectly tailored if I have any voice in the matter. I’d spend the whole night running my hands over the fabric to feel it and the way his muscles move under my touch. He’d lose the jacket at some point and roll up his sleeves. He’d look at me like he’s imagining my clothes disappearing.

He shrugs. “I’m sure you’ll have fun without me.”

“Why don’t you go as Carina’s date? She has a plus-one she’s not using,” Alex suggests.

My heart freezes, but I keep my face passive. Alex can’t know the thoughts I have about Orion. But he’s right—I could take Orion to the wedding. We’re friends, and over the next few months he’ll get closer to everyone else at the table. By then, it’ll be weird if he’s not there.

I could make my fantasy real.

He places a hand on my knee where no one can see, warming my skin. I want it to stay there. “It’s fine. I’m sure I’ll hear about it,” he says.

“Alex is right,” I tell Orion when he moves his hand away. “I wasn’t planning on taking anyone. So you can come with me if you want. It’ll be a good networking opportunity anyway.” The wedding will be a who’s who of everyone on the island and the surrounding area.

Orion holds my gaze like he’s trying to see what I’m really thinking. And fuck him, because I think he might be able to. “Nothing more than a professional event?” He’s asking if it would be completely business between us, or if there might be something more then.

Before I can answer—and it’s for the best, because I wouldn’t be able to keep desire out of my voice—Beckett speaks up. “You should come. I’ll introduce you to my parents. We control the tourist market in the area. They need to like you for you to get your feet off the ground. And we’ll do my bachelor party on your boat.”

He should decline. Beckett is great to Sienna, but when he and Hamilton get together, they revert to their college frat bro days.

“Sure, it’ll be great,” Orion answers.

“That settles it,” Alex says, his voice flat like something went wrong in whatever plan he was working on.

I should be annoyed with him. He’s being as manipulative as Beckett. But if I tell him to back off, he will. I trust Alex.

“I was just stopping by,” Kim says, aware she stepped into something she probably doesn’t want to be involved with. “I’ll see you around.”

“I have to head out too,” Beckett says. “Alex, you got my tab?”

They head over to the bar. When they leave, it’s Christian, Haley, Orion, and me.

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