Page 42 of An Island Promise

‘That’s cool. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that I don’t have a girlfriend – you know, lads’ holiday and all, but don’t worry, I won’t try and jump you.’

She grinned. ‘Well that’s a relief!’

‘To be honest, sexy time at the moment will hurt like hell.’ He pointed to his sunburnt shoulders.

‘I’m sure you wouldn’t turn someone down given the chance.’ Laurie raised an eyebrow.

‘Aye, that I wouldn’t.’ He pointed to the empty shot glasses. ‘You want another or do you need to get back to your friends?’

‘They’re taking time out from dancing. I can stay for another.’

Fionn caught the barman’s attention again and ordered not two but four shots of vodka.

The barman lined them up in front of them.

Laurie turned to Fionn. ‘You mean business.’

‘Do you want to know a trick for spending less but getting drunk quicker?’ He pushed one of the vodka shots towards her. ‘You snort it.’

‘You are utterly mental!’ Laurie laughed, yet she still found herself following his lead, tipping a bit of the vodka onto the bottom of an empty glass. Three, two, one… On his countdown she snorted it. Her nose ignited as if it was on fire. They turned to each other with tears of pain and laughter streaming down their cheeks.

It was going to be a night she probably wouldn’t remember.

26

JULY 2023, PRESENT DAY

Belle and Diego. Belle and fucking Diego. As Caleb paced across the bar away from Belle and her friends, the idea of Belle and Diego together was wedged firmly in his head. He should have stayed, because storming off without saying a word had definitely made it a thing, but he just hadn’t been able to. What the hell was he supposed to say to Belle after her friend had dropped that bombshell?

Belle’s horrified face had perfectly captured how he’d felt. And now he was more confused than ever over his feelings for Belle and even less certain how she felt about him.

Her and Diego. What were the chances? Had anything happened between them since she’d been here? He remembered them talking together at Maria’s but he assumed they were talking business. Fuck! He reached his car and fired off a quick message to Diego.

Any chance you have time to stop by the house this evening. We need to talk.

By the time Caleb had driven to Solace and Diego had replied with a thumbs up, he felt calmer, but the revelation that Belleand Diego had once been intimate had sucker punched him in the gut.

He still had work to do but he could do it just as easily at home as at Spirit and he was glad of the headspace. He sat up at the kitchen island with his laptop and immersed himself in emails until his stomach rumbled.

He’d just taken a pizza out of the oven and was cutting it up on a board when Diego appeared at the open patio doors.

‘Front gate was open,’ he said, sidling in. ‘Everything okay?’

Caleb cracked open two bottles of beer and handed one to him. ‘There’s pizza if you’re hungry.’

‘I ate earlier.’ He raised the bottle. ‘Beer’s good though.’

Caleb grabbed a slice of pizza, sat at the table by the open doors and waited for Diego to join him.

‘Why didn’t you tell me you knew Belle?’

Diego frowned then shrugged. ‘I don’t know her.’

‘You slept with her.’

‘Ten years ago.’ He returned Caleb’s gaze. ‘Does it bother you that I did?’

‘No, it’s just, um…’ And now he was floundering for an answer because yes it did bother him when he felt it really shouldn’t. ‘I was surprised by the connection, that’s all.’

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