Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 110550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
“Just to be clear for the future, there’s no point trying to surprise you, is there?”
“None.”
“Come here.” I held out my hand, drawing her onto my lap. “See that collection of lights in the distance? That’s where I intend to feed you the most delicious meal prepared by human hands and then make love to you on the beach until the sun comes up. Not too bad for a first date—if I may compliment myself.”
She kissed me slow and sweet. “Not too bad at all.”
In no time at all we were touching down on the isle. A private car idled on standby, whisking us through the palm-shaded streets. It was ten minutes too long to get to my place. Just mine. Years ago, I bought this beach house to get away with Lizzie, and some days, just to get away.
“Wow, Liam. It’s beautiful.”
Three stories of floor-to-ceiling windows let you watch the sunrise and sunset from every room in the house. A hot tub waited for us in the back, overlooking the crashing waves. A firepit in the sand to keep us warm through multiple sessions of beach sex. This house wasn’t just beautiful. It was about to become one of my favorite places in the world.
“Dinner is waiting for us inside,” I said. “All we have to do is heat it up. Tonight it’s just me and you—alone.”
“You can stop selling it,” she said, racing off. “You’re already going to get laid.”
I chased her around the house and up the back wooden steps. Mackenzie squealed as we fell on the lawn chair, our lips connected before we hit the cushion.
Someone I could have fun with wasn’t on my checklist either. It’s a good thing I threw the thing out.
Eventually, we made it inside. Kenzie spun on the living room carpet, taking it all in at once. “We have to come back soon with the girls. They’ll have so much fun playing together on the beach.”
“We can come back any time you want—all four of us or just you. This place is just as much your home as the Fairfield.” The smile she gave me made me consider skipping dinner and moving right to dessert.
“What are we having?” she asked while I heated up the oven.
“It’s a favorite on the isle. Lobster tails with lemon cream sauce, mango rice, and pomegranate salad. It sounds like too many flavors competing, but all together, they’re the finest symphony of food I’ve tasted.”
“Sounds perfect.” Mackenzie was beautiful in her pink and blue dress, padding barefoot over the rug. Her halter straps caressed her smooth, tanned throat—drawing my eye to the hollow of her collarbone where I was dying to find that spot that had her moaning in the back of my car. I also smacked her firm, plump ass while I had her bent over in my car. I was dying to do that again too.
Kenzie helped me get dinner ready and take it out to the candlelit table waiting for us on the balcony. One bite and the food got the moan I was hunting for.
“Incredible. Who made this? Maybe they’re the one who’s getting laid tonight.”
My brows climbed my forehead over the rim of my wineglass. “Oh, I see. You want me to spank you too.”
She sent me a look that tightened my pants. “A lady doesn’t ask for one, she earns it.”
It was entirely possible I would have to marry this woman. Now I understood why my dads chose to love Mom equally. When you’re obsessed with a woman and killing your rivals isn’t an option, it’s the conclusion you come to. If Kenzie wanted another man who wasn’t a Merchant, I felt no twinge of conscience saying that man would disappear and never be found.
“What are you thinking about, Hunt?”
“Killing any non-Merchant man who touches you.”
A smile curled her lips. “Hmm. This is what I get for dating a man who is always honest with me. What if I ask what’s your most embarrassing childhood story?”
“I’d tell you it’s the time we went to Cinco Theme Park and I begged my parents to let me go on the Typhoon Twister, even though they kept saying I couldn’t handle it. Long story short, I threw up mid-ride and splattered everyone in a five-cart radius.”
“Oh no,” she squealed, clapping her hands over her mouth. “You didn’t.”
“Sadly, I did. As soon as the ride stopped, Baris lifted me up and took off running. I swear there was a roving hit squad of vomit-covered tourists hunting me through the park.”
Mackenzie laughed so hard, she wheezed—tears running down her face. Before that day, the only people who knew that story were me, Baris, and my victims. Yet, I didn’t think twice about telling Kenzie.
I can tell her everything—good, bad, and embarrassing. That wasn’t on my checklist before either.