AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Wow. You really do have it bad. How did he end up in Aruba?”
“Laurie called Beck for help, and at the last minute, Beck couldn’t come to Aruba, so he sent Laurie in his place.”
“He offered him up to you?”
I fucking wish. “He told me to make sure he was safe, to take care of him, but not to touch him. I get it. Beck doesn’t want me to get involved with Laurie, because he’s vulnerable from the hell he went through, and he could easily be hurt by someone like me, someone who never wants to stick around.”
“And you completely ignored Beck’s logic.”
I hated how much colder Miles sounded now. “Not exactly.”
“Explain.”
“I didn’t listen to Beck’s messages, and I didn’t know who Laurie was when I met him. That’s all the detail you need.”
Miles hummed. “There’s a good story here, and I will get it out of you, but I am not going to do that now because I’ve got to go to a meeting. Promise me you’ll listen if your heart is telling you Laurie is the man for you.”
Whoa. That was not what I was expecting him to say.
“Don’t ignore your feelings. Do whatever you have to do to keep him.”
“Even if it means making my brother hate me?”
“If this is love like I have for Ben, like Carter has for Matteo or Ford for Jay, then Beck isn’t going to hate you. He’s going to see that you’re exactly what Laurie needs.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, and you owe me the full story next time I see you.”
“We’ll see about that.” I ended the call.
I considered putting on another swimsuit and going to one of the other pools. I also thought about renting a car and just going for a drive, but my mind was racing, and I wasn’t a great driver at the best of times. I didn’t want to be at a pool without Laurie, so I decided the best thing to do was more shopping.
13
LAURIE
Istayed at the pool or out on the beach for the rest of the afternoon. I didn’t want to return to the villa before I needed to get ready for dinner. I doubted Worth was just sitting around there, but if he was, being alone with him was a bad idea. I hadn’t stopped thinking of him the whole time I was laying in the sun, swimming, walking the beach, splashing in the waves, and finally, taking a table in the shade and ordering more drinks.
I longed for him to come back down, take me by the hand and escort me upstairs so he could lay me on the bed and do everything he’d done the night before and more.
Fortunately, Worth wasn’t in the room when I returned. I went straight to my bathroom, stripped out of my sandy swimsuit, and got into the shower. The cool water felt delightful as I washed off the sweat and sand. When I was done, I wrapped up in the clean, fluffy robe that had been provided for me, then immediately grew heated as I thought of how Worth had walked in on me in an identical robe, splayed open as though I were waiting to tempt him.
I smiled at the thought of how the open robe had showed me to even more of an advantage than if I had been completely naked.
I opened my bedroom door slowly, listening for Worth. When I heard nothing, I hurried into the kitchenette and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. I was seriously in need of rehydration after all the sun and alcohol. I was leaning against the counter, water bottle in hand, staring out at the sea when the front door opened. The sound startled me, making me jump.
Worth laughed. “Are you trying to hide something from me?”
I shook my head frantically. “No.”
“Then what made you jump like that?”
“I was just startled by the sound of the door.” I’d gotten used to jumping to attention when Tommy came home.
I realized he was staring.
“You’re wearing that goddamn robe again.”
