Page 85 of Rum Sips and Salty Lips

“Thanks.” Her palm rests on my chest. I place one hand on it and the other around her waist.

“Why do you have this anyway?” she asks, letting me dance with her and not questioning it.

“Yacht clubs,” I answer.

“You hang out at yacht clubs?”

“Not personally, but professionally. You know the value of networking.”

“Yes,” she says, a little breathless. I twirl her. “What are we doing?”

“Practicing for the wedding.” Her body lands flush against mine.

“We can’t dance like this at the wedding,” she counters.

“Why not?”

“Because then everyone will know we’re sleeping together.”

“Is that so bad?” We’ve agreed to be exclusive. We’ve had the talk about our health and birth control. We might not talk about our feelings for each other, but we’ve been there for each other’s low moments. I don’t know what it will take for her to realize this is a relationship and not the fling she’s making it out to be.

But she doesn’t pull away and I’m thankful for that.

“When you leave…”

“I’m not leaving…”

“When you decide I’m not good enough…” she continues. I growl and pull her closer. “Let’s get through the bachelor and bachelorette parties and then we can discuss it.”

I want to push her now. Her muscles tense under my hands. I won’t get anywhere with her if the destination isn’t somewhere she wants to go. So pushing her today is a mistake. She’ll run. But I can’t be at that wedding and pretend she doesn’t matter to me.

“Are you excited for the bachelorette weekend?” I ask.

She hums, happy I’ve acquiesced for now. “It’s been forever since we’ve gone to Miami. Are you excited about the bachelor trip?”

“I’m not actually going on the trip. I’m working it.”

If it had been anyone else, I would have said no. But Beckett made me hosting the bachelor party a condition for the wedding invitation. And I want to go to the wedding to be there for Carina. Beckett’s parents will pay for everything. Like with Carina and Alex, the Foleys can make or break people on this island. I agreed since it would only be four guys, and I trust Alex and Christian to not be complete fuckheads.

Christian is convinced he was only invited because he’d provide booze.

So I’m treating it as an audition. It’s one step closer to convincing the Foleys to use Lost Craft Charters.

“Anything I should know about dealing with Hamilton?”

She tenses fully and pulls away. “Fuck, I forgot he’s coming. You know I don’t have any feelings for him.”

“Considering how much you complain about him, I’d hope that’s the case. Although I’m sure you complain about me.”

“It’s not the same.”

“I’m not worried.” I’m not. Not about him and her. But I will always be afraid she’ll drift away from me.

“I feel like a failure every time I think about him,” she confesses.

“What?” I hate that he continues to make her feel inadequate.

“I don’t know. Like I should have tried harder with him. We were together for a few years. It should have gone somewhere.”

---