Page 27 of Match Made in the Maldives

“We have three and a half minutes,” I say, checking my watch. “Might be a couple late. We can blame it on a sea turtle sighting. Shouldn’t take us long to walk over there.”

“Not sure if Icanwalk right now.”

I laugh, relishing this post-orgasmic glow of Lou’s. Her flushed cheeks, her kiss-swollen lips, and her contented smile.

“What about you?” she asks.

“I enjoyed that just as much as you did, trust me.” I lead her away from the tree, finger-brushing her hair so everyone at dinner won’t know what we got up to in our free time. “Besides, no need to rush anything. It lets me savor you.”

Lou flattens hands down her dress, adjusting herself. “Do you think…We shouldn’t mention this to anyone, right?”

“No.” A sharp, familiar pain hits my chest. “You can keep me your dirty little secret.”

“Hey.” She links her hand in mine and squeezes. “That’s not what I mean. Whatever this is, it’s new. Like you said, no rush.”

While I’ve been pining away for Lou for years, she’s only started seeing me as more than a friend. I don’t want to move too fast and lose her, or lose what I have with the rest of the Moores either.

She drops my hand, and we walk side by side to dinner. Just another couple in the night.

Chapter Ten

Finley

“You’re gettin’ old,” Aaron shouts as I run, once again, to retrieve the soccer ball. He and I have done drills like this since our soccer team days, but my head’s not in the game today.

Not after last night with Luna.

“You’re three months younger than me.” I chuck the ball back to him with both arms.

“Ready, Grandpa?”

He sets the ball down on the grassy opening next to the basketball court. A couple steps to the left, then the right, and he shoots. It grazes my fingertips, soaring past and scoring an imaginary point as I land on the grass with a thud.

“Goooooooal!” Aaron falls to his knees, arms up in a V-shape as he shouts to the sky. Despite losing my edge, seeing him so stoked makes me laugh.

“How modest of you.”

“I pretty much never get a ball past you, so I’m gonna soak this up.”

“Wanna switch to lane passing?”

“What’s that, Finn? Don’t want me to kick your ass scoring goals anymore?”

“Sure, that’s it.”

We fall into a steady back and forth. I run in place while he handles the ball and vice versa. Drills offer a kind of meditation but are also a damn good workout, and I’ve got beads of sweat rolling down my arms and chest.

“Sorry again about the photo,” Aaron says with a kick. “Mel feels terrible.”

“She’s fine.”

“She changed her profile to private, just in case.”

“Wish she didn’t have to worry about that shit.”

“Same. Your brother’s scum of the earth.”

I grunt in response.

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