Page 198 of Better When Shared
“We know it’s not conventional,” Hamish added. “But what happened on the yacht was incredible. Both the pleasure and the… friendship. I’d love to explore that, deepen that.”
I nodded, trying to keep my tone light despite the hope blooming in my chest. “I’m all about the unconventional. And exploration is kind of my specialty. No strings?”
Hamish swallowed, his eyes darting to the side, as if he didn’t like that idea. But he nodded.
“Anyway, I have a big wedding on Saturday, so I’m going to be swamped. Are you booked, Makai? Maybe you and Hamish could surf?”
“My schedule is clear. Skylar gave me few days off since I had to work five days straight with some demanding British guy.”
Hamish laughed, eyes sparkling, then leaned in and kissed me, hard, rough, and possessive. “Well, if you could handle a little more of me, I’d be happy to surf with you while my wife works. And maybe afterwards, we could meet her back here?”
“Definitely,” Imogen said. “I have to hear all about Hamish’s progression.”
“Anyway, we decided to give you a night to rest and think on it,” Hamish said, his eyes dropping to my crotch. “We want you to enter this with a clear head.”
Imogen smiled. “We’re both sore, and I’m sure you need a good night’s sleep. We’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me, sweet and gentle.
I wanted to invite them to stay but I stopped myself. The space would help me keep from getting attached.
Wouldn’t it?
As they gathered their things to leave, promising to take the evidence of their visit with them to avoid Skylar’s interrogation, I felt that same restless energy from earlier, but transformed now into something lighter, almost buoyant.
And honestly? That was scary as hell. I cleared my throat, and they both turned to face me, eyebrows up.
“I mean, if we’re all just getting some sleep, I have a really nice bed.”
A slow, vibrant smile spread across Imogen’s face. “Fascinating. Why don’t you show us this bed?”
What the fuck was I doing? And why couldn’t I stop myself from leading them back to my bedroom?
Chapter 13
Imogen
Eight days, three weddings, and a ludicrous amount of sex had passed since we’d been stranded on the Wanderlust, and every day, Makai showed us new parts of San Juan Island to fall in love with.
Today, my husband finally felt confident enough to show off his surfing skills, and I was sitting on the beach watching them play in the water. They were both hoping to make it look fun enough that I’d break down and give it a try, but I’d had a series of big events, and all I wanted to do was relax.
Watching them both yank on wetsuits had been good for a laugh, though.
I’d learned a lot in the past eight days. For one thing, Hamish and I both enjoyed kinky sex more than either one of us would have previously wanted to admit.
And more importantly, we both enjoyed Makai. There was something about the laid-back surfer that broke down the careful walls Hamish had built to protect himself. Makai encouraged us, cheered us on, and pushed us both to explore what we really wanted in life. I was almost starting to wonder if Makai was the thing that had been missing in our relationship all along.
Which was an insane thought, because Makai was still treating this like it was a casual holiday fling. And it was, wasn’t it? Our home was thousands of miles away, across a continent and an ocean. And I couldn’t imagine Makai wanting to live in Dorset. Not when he was so at home on his beautiful ranch property.
I was pulled from my dark thoughts as my proper, anxious, risk-averse husband executed a stylish-looking turn on his surfboard, whooping with uncharacteristic abandon as he rode the wave toward shore, making me smile.
They’d both tried to get me in the water today, but my feet hurt and I was exhausted after a particularly difficult—but rewarding—wedding. Beyond him, Makai transitioned from one fluid maneuver to another, his body moving in harmony with the ocean in a way that made my mouth go dry.
Fuck, these men were sexy, each in their own way.
Makai had brought us to a new spot, citing something technical about wind direction and wave breaks that I hadn’t quite understood.
The new break they wanted to surf was in a windswept cove a few miles down from the beach at Cannery Beach State Park, and today, we had it entirely to ourselves. It was just the three of us and the endless rhythm of the waves. Even outdoors, at a beach, where we couldn’t possibly get carried away, being alone with these two men made my body feel like a live wire.
“You have to try this, Imogen!” Hamish called out as he caught another wave, his face split into a grin I’d rarely seen back home. “Next time! When I’m not so tired,” I called back.
