“Absolutely. Are you guys down on the beach?”
“Yes,” Arjun replied.
“Great. We’ll meet you there in a minute, all right?”
Arjun inclined his head, then slipped his sunglasses back into place and turned to leave. His footsteps gradually died away.
“What’s up?” Mia asked the moment Arjun was out of earshot. Alex had sounded incredibly enthusiastic about a jet ski ride, but hadn’t moved a muscle.
“Nothing. I just didn’t particularly want to jump up and show this,” he indicated the sizeable erection tenting his shorts, “off to Arjun. I didn’t think he’d appreciate it very much.”
Mia giggled, then clapped a hand over her mouth. “No, I suppose he wouldn’t. I would, though.” She winked and kissed him, then murmured, “To be continued, yes?”
“Yes. And sooner, rather than later, if that’s all right with you. Come on, then,” he got to his feet and helped her up, “better get to the beach before they send a search party for us. Hopefully my cock will have settled down by then.”
With a heavily-exaggerated sigh, she replied, “Four gorgeous men, and all I’m getting between my thighs this morning is a throbbing engine. If I weren’t so fond of jet skis, I’d say there was something seriously wrong here!”
Alex chuckled and slapped her bottom playfully. “You can be very dirty at times, Mia Harrington.”
She scooped up her sunglasses and put them on. “You love it.”
He grinned and slipped an arm around her waist, then pulled her against his side as they strode towards the walkway connecting their bungalows and leading down to the beach. “Yes, I do. I love you. Everything about you—occasionally dirty mind and all.”
“And I love you, Alex Cartwright. Now stop being so bloody gorgeous and adorable before I change my mind and pick up where we left off instead of heading to the beach.”
“Ugh, I wish you would. Stupid Elias. Stupid jet skis.”
She smirked. “Later. I promise. This afternoon, I’m all yours.”
He arched an eyebrow and gave her an assessing look. “In that case, this afternoon can’t come soon enough.”
Chapter Two
When Mia and Alex got to the beach, the others were standing by their row of sun loungers, with Elias off to one side talking to a dark-skinned man Mia guessed was the local who was arranging their jet skis. She and Alex put a little space between them on spotting the stranger—he was likely just as discreet as the resort’s staff, but it wasn’t worth taking any chances or causing confusion.
As she and Alex approached the group, Mia felt the weight of Thomas and Arjun’s gazes on her, even through their shades. No doubt they appreciated seeing her in a hot-pink bikini as much as she did them in their swimming shorts. There was currently a lot of gorgeous male physique on display, and she almost wanted to pinch herself at the thought that these smart, sexy men were all hers. Heat washed across every inch of her skin, and left her with a heavy, aching sensation between her legs. God, at this rate she was going to be so horny that she might deliberately fall off her jet ski just to cool herself off in the water—though given the sea temperature here, it probably wouldn’t help much. Plus, she’d probably end up with four men diving into the sea to rescue her. Four hot, soaking wet men. Oh God, that’s four more reasons to accidentally-on-purpose fall off my bloody jet ski. She bit back a lusty groan.
She shoved the images from her mind and smiled at Thomas and Arjun. “So, jet skis! Whose idea was that? It’s going to be fun.”
“Elias’s,” Thomas replied, returning her grin. “And yeah, it is. I’ve never done it before—hoping it’s not much different to a motorbike.” He glanced out to sea, then back at Mia and his brow creased. “We’ll be incredibly exposed out there—have you got sun cream on?”
She shook her head, her heart melting a little at his concern for her wellbeing. “No, I haven’t, actually. You’re right, though—we’ll all be exposed, so we should put some protection on. I’ll go and get some.”
Alex grabbed her arm as she turned to go, stopping her. “Hey, it’s all right, don’t worry. My bungalow is closest—I’ll grab mine. I’ve got a couple of bottles with different SPFs, so I’ll bring both. Back in a minute.”
“Okay, thanks.” She smiled, resisting the temptation to give him a kiss, since the jet ski guy was still talking to Elias. Speaking of whom… “Back in a mo,” she said. Then, while Alex went to his bungalow, she strode in the direction of her husband and the local.
Both men turned as she approached, and Elias’s handsome face broke into a wide grin. “And here,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and drawing her close, “is my beautiful new wife. Mia, this is Aisar. Aisar, this is Mia.”
The dark-skinned man gave a slight bow. “I am pleased to meet you, Mia. Many congratulations on your marriage.” He shifted his gaze back to Elias. “You are very lucky man.”
Elias tightened his grip on Mia’s waist and kissed her cheek. “Believe me, my friend, I know. Anyway,” he cleared his throat, “now we are all here, it would be great if you could bring the jet skis.” Pausing, he glanced at his watch. “That will give us a good two or three hours on them before lunch. Yes?”
Aisar inclined his head. “Of course. Yes. I will go now. You have the money?”
They’d clearly already agreed on a price, as Elias nodded. “I do. You go and get the jet skis, I’ll go and get the money. You can have it when you deliver them and we know they’re working okay.”
The man opened his mouth as if to object, but Elias cut in, waving a hand at their surroundings. “Aisar, my friend, we are here for another two and a half weeks on holiday. We have nowhere to go or anywhere to hide on this tiny island. I promise you, you will have your money, if we have our jet skis. With full tanks of fuel.”
Aisar’s smile was tight. He probably wasn’t used to such bossy, assertive tourists. “Yes, Mr Elias. Give me a little while to fetch four—”
“Five, Aisar. I asked for five.”
“O-of course.” His gaze flicked momentarily to Mia, and a frown line appeared between his black eyebrows. Apparently he didn’t approve of Mia having her own jet ski. She resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. “Five jet skis. I will fill all tanks before I bring. Okay?”
“Yes. The money will be here ready and waiting for you.”
“Very good. I will see you soon.” He and Elias shook hands, then Aisar gave Mia a quick nod before scurrying away, heading for a jetty where a rickety-looking rowing boat was moored.
Mia turned to Elias, shaking her head. “You didn’t have to be so hard on him. Even though he’s a sexist git.”
“What?” Elias was wide eyed. “Why was I being hard on him? I just want five jet skis with full tanks of fuel—I don’t think that’s too much to ask. It’s his bloody business, after all. I didn’t even haggle with him on the price. It must be hellish to make a living here.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Hmm. You could have given him the money upfront.”
“Yes, I could. But I don’t know the man, Mia, and I want to make sure he bloody well comes back. The last thing I want is for all of us to get excited about having some fun on the ocean, only for Aisar to disappear with a wad of cash, never to be seen again. It’s not about the money, it’s about making sure he keeps his end of the bargain.”
“You’re so distrustful,” she chided, giving him a playful shove.
He shrugged. “Can’t help it—comes with the territory, I’m afraid. In my line of work, everyone looks out for number one. And that’s what I’m doing here. Well, number one, two, three, four, and five, anyway.” He nodded towards the others—Alex having returned by now—and treated her to a smile that showed off his dimples. “Just trying to make sure everyone has a good holiday, that’s all.”
She looped her arms around his neck and drew him down so their noses touched. “And you’re doing an excellent job of it, too. Only three days in and everyone is so much more relaxed and
happy. By the end of the trip we’ll be practically comatose—in a good way, that is. Did I tell you what an excellent idea of yours this was?”
Elias chuckled. “You might have mentioned it once or twice. I’m just happy that everyone’s happy. Now give me a kiss, wife.”
“With pleasure, husband.”
A series of whoops and wolf-whistles made them break apart before things got too steamy, and they turned to the other three, shaking their heads. Elias sighed. “For Christ’s sake, you lot—can’t a man kiss his wife in peace?”
Elias and Mia linked hands and walked over to the group.
“No,” Alex said, smirking. “Not when you’ve got three other blokes here that want to kiss her, too.”
“Well, she’s only got one mouth, so you’ll have to wait your turn,” Elias replied, landing a mock punch on his best friend’s bicep.
“Already snogged her this morning,” Alex shot back, then poked his tongue out at Elias.
“It’s true,” Arjun put in, his tone solemn, but the merest glint in his eye gave away his mirth. “When I came to find them, they were playing tonsil tennis on Mia’s deck.” That wasn’t strictly true, of course, but had he arrived a couple of seconds earlier, they would have been.
Thomas snorted and folded his arms across his chest. “Bloody hell, Arjun, seems like me and you are slacking today, doesn’t it, mate?”
“All right, all right!” Mia put her hands up, her pulse racing as irritation bubbled inside her. “Stop it, all of you. I know you’re only messing about, but you’re making it sound like a game of pass the parcel, and I’m the sodding parcel. It’s not funny, and it’s certainly not sexy.”
“Oh, I dunno…” Elias said, reaching out to tweak the strap of her top, “I’d quite like to unwrap you. Even though it wouldn’t take long in that tiny bikini.”
She shot her new husband a glare and jerked away from him. “I’m not joking, Elias. I mean it. Back home, our schedules are very much governed by geography, and our jobs and other commitments. Here, we’re going to be together constantly for the next two and a half weeks, and we need to figure out a way for everyone to be happy, without me feeling like, well, the prize in a game of pass the bloody parcel. Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t be happier that we’re all here, but drawing up a schedule of who gets to ‘have’ me at any given time is not going to happen. It’s… seedy.” Despite the tropical temperatures, she shuddered. “Yeah, definitely not going to happen. It’s got to be organic, otherwise it’s not sexy or romantic, is it?” She paused. “If any of you are prone to bouts of genuine jealousy at seeing me kiss one of the others, this probably isn’t going to work out so well for you. I love you all to pieces, and I don’t want to have to worry every time I kiss one of you that the rest of you are upset, or pissed off, or whatever. This trip is meant to be fun, and relaxing, and—”
Thomas stepped over and took her hands. “Sweetheart, calm down. You’re getting wound up over nothing.”
She snapped her gaze up to his face, ready to give him a telling off, too, but his expression gave her pause. He’d shoved his sunglasses on top of his head, and his blue eyes were full of warmth and understanding. She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her racing heart. “I don’t think it’s nothing. And we’ve all said on multiple occasions that for this arrangement to work out we have to be honest with each other. So I’m being honest now—I know you guys were only teasing, but I didn’t like the way the conversation was going, or the way it made me feel, all right?”
Thomas squeezed her hands, then nodded. “Fair enough. I’m sorry for my part in it. And you don’t have to worry about me being jealous. I entered into this arrangement with my eyes wide open, and I wouldn’t have done that if I didn’t think I could handle it. I’ve told you before I’m in this for the long haul. That’s still the case.” He gave her a small smile. “I love you.”
She pulled one of her hands from his grasp and cupped his face. “And I love you, too. Your apology is accepted.” She stretched onto her tiptoes—not the easiest thing to do on sand—and kissed him. This time there was no whooping or wolf-whistling—the others were probably too afraid of getting another telling off if they did. When she pulled away, she turned to the rest of the guys. “I’m sorry if I sounded really whiny or bitchy then, but I had to get it off my chest. Can you see where I’m coming from?”
Three nods. Then Elias said, “I’m sorry too, Mia. It was a joke, but that doesn’t change the fact it was in poor taste. And now you’ve pointed it out, I can definitely see why it pissed you off. Although it wasn’t my intention, it did make it sound like you were an object to be passed around, rather than a human being with feelings and opinions. A human being we all adore, I might add. It was something crass and stupid that should never have come out of my mouth, and I hope you can forgive me.”
Mia held her hands up again. She had to bring the conversation to an end before it started becoming a big ‘thing’. “Okay, let’s not overreact about this. We’re all adults here. You guys made a joke, I didn’t like where it was going, so I put a stop to it. You all understand my point of view now, so let’s move on, shall we? If we have problems, we have to talk them out, either one on one or as a group. Bottling stuff up is not going to help any of us, especially when there are so many potential feelings to be hurt, or feathers to be ruffled. And I’m going to shut up now, because I’m getting sick of the sound of my own voice.” She let out a small sigh, then turned to Alex. “Could I have the factor thirty sun cream, please?”
He handed it over without a word.
“Thank you.” Mia turned and headed for the nearest lounger, hoping that the weird mood she’d helped create would dissipate soon. She didn’t regret saying anything, because she’d meant what she said about bottling things up, but she really didn’t want to be a party pooper. They were here to have a fun and relaxing time, after all.
She sat down on the lounger, then flicked open the lotion and squirted a big dollop of it into her hand. Determined to push past what had happened and move on, she turned her full attention to putting sun protection on wherever she could reach, shutting out what was going on around her. It took a little while—her skin was so pale it was important to be thorough—but inevitably she reached a point where she needed help.
She glanced up to find the men scattered. Elias was over by the jetty, watching as a motorboat towing a bunch of shiny jet skis approached—apparently Aisar wasn’t as poor as his rickety rowing boat would have one believe. Arjun wasn’t in sight at all, while Thomas and Alex were perched on the next two sunbeds adjacent to hers. Alex was busily rubbing cream into his exposed skin—as a surgeon he saw enough cancer patients to make him painfully aware of the risks and therefore extremely careful with his own health.
As she made eye contact with Thomas, he raised an eyebrow. “Need me to do your back?”
“Yes, please,” she said with a grateful smile. “And then I’ll do yours. And his.” She jerked a thumb at Alex. “And the others, if they need it.” Squinting, she asked, “Have you put lotion on? Just because you work outdoors all the time and have a good base colour doesn’t mean you won’t burn, you know. This sun is way more fierce and constant than at home.”
Thomas nodded as he got up, then swung a leg over Mia’s lounger to take a seat behind her. “I know. And I have put lotion on.” His breath was warm on the back of her neck as he held out his forearms on either side of her shoulders. “See, shiny skin. Smells of coconuts.”
She lowered her head so she was close enough to sniff his arm. It did smell of coconuts. “All right, I believe you.” Handing him the bottle, she said, “I did the tops of my shoulders and a little bit over the back, where I could reach, but best to start at the tops again and work your way down, if that’s all right. I’d hate to miss a bit and end up with burnt patches. The lobster look is not attractive. Not to mention painful.”
“No problem.” He sneaked a quick kiss to the side of her neck, sending a
pleasant shiver down her spine. “Touching you isn’t exactly a hardship, sweetheart. Though I’m sure you’d make a lovely lobster.” There came the unmistakeable sound of him squirting some of the contents out of the bottle, followed by a click as he closed the lid, then slick noises as he rubbed the liquid between his palms.
She chuckled. “I’m beginning to think maybe this was your plan all along when you asked if I had any sun cream on. You sneaky bugger.”
“Hey, there are three other guys here who would have willingly helped you. I merely happened to be in the right place at the right time,” he said lightly, placing his hands on the balls of her shoulders and sweeping cream down over her shoulder blades. The sensation of his big, warm hands against her sun-heated skin was blissful, and she closed her eyes momentarily.
“I say again: I’m beginning to think maybe this was your plan all along. Mmm,” she added as he started to massage the lotion into her skin. “That’s nice.” She wriggled from side to side. “Really nice.”
He pulled her bikini strap and let it ping back against her skin with a snap. “Stop talking like that, and wriggling for that matter, otherwise you’re going to give me a bodily reaction I won’t be able to control.”
“Oh yeah?” she purred, snaking her hand behind her and groping for his crotch. “And what might that bodily reaction be?”
Thomas grabbed her wrist. “Mia,” he growled. “I mean it. I’ll put you over my bloody knee if you carry on. Make your arse look like a lobster.”
Whether it was the sun going to her head, the adrenaline from the earlier disagreement, or arousal, Mia didn’t know, but she couldn’t seem to help her sudden mischievousness. “Oh, really? Is that a threat or a promise?” She wriggled again, deliberately moving back on the lounger so the gap between them grew smaller. “It’s been a while since you spanked me.”
A loud groan came from their left-hand side. Mia turned to see Alex watching them, wide eyed and tugging out the front of his shorts in an attempt to mask his erection.