Page 40 of The VIP Package

“I’ll pass, but thank you for making the effort.”

“I pride myself on guest satisfaction.”

That explains why I’m feeling so satisfied. I mist more organic sunscreen on my shoulders and neck, taking extra time around my décolletage. “How about you?”

“What about me?”

“You’ve created this entire sex resort.”

“And?”

He’s suddenly guarded, so I do my best to keep my voice light.

“Surely you have kinks of your own. I’m just curious.”

“My kinks are irrelevant.” A shadow rolls over his face as he looks at his watch. “We really do need to go.”

“I can take a hint.” I get up and stretch one more time, tipping my naked breasts toward the sun. Between skinny dipping and the nude sunbathing, I’ve spent more time nudetoday than I have in a long time. “If I lived here, I’d probably stay naked all day.”

“Your patients would appreciate that.”

All the blood drains from my head. “Oh, God.”

“What?”

Guilt grips me tight in cold claws, squeezing my lungs and my heart. “No, no, no, no,no—” I scramble for my phone, heart thudding in my ears

“Camille, what’s wrong?” Ash frowns. “What is it?”

“I totally forgot I booked a telehealth session with one of my patients.” It’s four p.m. here, which means it’s five in Halifax. Two hours past when I promised my patient I’d try to connect. “I’m the worst fucking therapist ever.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be on vacation?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I snap. “I told her I’d be there for her and I wasn’t.”

Toggling to email, I see she sent me a message thirty minutes ago.

Hi, Dr. Plier. I logged into the portal and waited around for fifteen minutes, but it looks like you couldn’t make it. We’ll connect another time.

“Fuck.” I squeeze my eyes shut, cursing myself for spending my day rolling around naked with Ash. “I’m such a dick.”

“You certainly aren’t.” Ash’s brow furrows. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

I’m too fucking mad at my own dumb ass to make a hard-on joke. “My patients depend on me. I don’t have the luxury of not being there for them.”

“You’re entitled to have a life, Camille.” The urgency in his voice makes me open my eyes. “That doesn’t make you a bad therapist. For fuck’s sake, you’re on your damn honeymoon.”

I peer into cool blue eyes. “A honeymoon with a man I met yesterday at a sex resort I wasn’t supposed to be at.Goddammit.” With more force than necessary, I cram my phone into my beach bag. “I can’t believe I let her down like that.”

Ash picks up my gym bag. “Come on.” He stuffs my eReader into a pocket. “Grab the rest of your things. You can email her from the boat and reschedule for this evening. You can take the call from the comfort of your suite.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

He folds up a chair, tucking it under one arm. “Would you believe me if I said it’s for the blowjobs?”

“No.” I start stuffing my things in my bag. “I’d believe you if you admitted you’re secretly a very nice guy who just pretends to be a grumpy asshole so no one gets close to him.”

Ash goes still as a statue. Cool-blue eyes turn to ice. “Donot,” he snaps, “psychoanalyze me, Camille.”

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