Page 25 of Scandalous Lover

I listen to her making polite small talk and worry over her words. She’s saying all the right things, but something about her tone tells me all is not as okay as she’d like us to think.

I’m not sure how to ask any questions of my own, especially not with an audience. Whatever I say will come out sounding stupid—or completely inappropriate.

“Isn't that right, Sam?”

I shake myself back to the present moment as Avery tosses a question my way. “What's that?”

He raises his eyebrows at my out of character inattentiveness. “I was just telling Nay that she’s got a great room at the resort.”

I wouldn’t have phrased it exactly like that, but I answer, “Every room at the Sands is a great room.”

She laughs, loud and long. “Meaning my room sucks?”

I open my mouth to protest but she waves me off. “I’m joking. I know this was last minute. And it’s not like I was expecting the best room in the resort or anything.” She mimics my words from her apartment with her gaze pointedly on me.

I can feel her eyes boring into me, begging me to remember.

I bite my lip to hold back a grin. Naomi does the same.

I’m fucked.

“Oh, hey. There’s Tomás.” Avery rushes back through the crowd toward the dock, shouting his friend’s name.

Finally, I have the moment I wanted all along.

Don’t screw this up, Sam.

“I was surprised to hear you were coming,” I say.

“Sorry I didn’t text you or anything. I lost that little slip of paper with your number.”

I grimace. “Shoot. I should have gotten yours. What was I thinking?”

She smiles at my obvious discomfort. “You were thinkingyou needed to get the hell out of my apartment and never see me again.”

My mouth drops open in shock. “What? No. That's not what I was thinking. I was…''

I trail off, shaking my head.

I don’t have time for this. I need to get something said and this might be my only chance. “Dom held a meeting this morning where he threatened the life and livelihood of any man at the resort who laid a finger on you.”

Naomi rolls her eyes. “I guess he hasn’t changed much, huh? I was hoping love would soften him a bit.”

“It has, I think. In some ways.” I shake my head again. I can’t get derailed here. “Naomi, this resort?—”

“I get it, Sam. No telling anyone what happened.”

She mimes zipping her lips closed and my cock jumps in my shorts. I shift from foot to foot, trying to keep my gaze from locking on her sweet mouth.

What the hell is wrong with me.

“Thank you.”

I know there was more I wanted to say, more promises I wanted to extract from her, but I’m completely distracted by having her body so close to mine.

Avery appears suddenly behind her, a tall olive skinned man with dark hair following him. He inadvertently hits the back of Naomi’s legs with the rolling suitcase as he swings it up into the cart and she falls forward—straight into my arms.

We both laugh as Avery apologizes, but I can’t let go.

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