Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“It’s hot,” Makayla says with a laugh.
Alex exhales with a nod. “Beats sitting in a Zoom meeting for another hour, though.”
“Agreed,” I say, clinking my glass against his.
“It’s shaping up to be an interesting holiday,” Makayla says after a long sip. “And we haven’t even gotten to the proposal part yet.”
Something tells me all the words we’re not saying will end up expressed in an entirely different language. Our words may fail to capture what’s sparking between us, but our bodies have no problem acknowledging—and indulging—the chemistry. It feels like courting every kind of trouble.
The sweetest kind of trouble.
5
ALEX
If Makayla reacts the way I hope she will, she won’t be the first woman my brothers and I have shared. It’s an unconventional arrangement, but we make it work. Kellan and Oscar are my best friends, and somehow sharing is ten times sexier than dating one-on-one.
“God, this feels so nice. I don’t want it to end,” she says, her cheeks rosy and glowing as tendrils of steam curl around her.
“What have you been up to?” I ask. “Like I said, it’s been a minute.”
“I don’t know why it seems like such a long story—it really isn’t.” She giggles. “I’ll give you the highlights. I went to college.”
“Brava. You’ve always been a smart woman,” Kellan says. “What was your major?”
“Marketing, with a minor in Hotel & Tourism Management.”
“So you’re planning to run a chain of luxury hotels around the world, then?” I say.
Makayla laughs. “For some reason it doesn’t sound crazy when you say it, though it does when I do.” She smiles. “Honestly, I figured I’d start by opening a winery in California—once I get my feet back under me.”
“What happened?” I ask, my brow furrowing with concern.
We may not have seen her for several years, but we have always cared about her. Even now, I feel an inner need to keep her safe, to protect her from whatever life might want to throw her way. Makayla was always strong and resilient—it doesn’t mean she should face everything on her own.
It’s bad enough that she and Bryan lost their parents at an age when they both still very much needed their guidance.
“I got an internship at a social media company not long after I graduated,” Makayla explains. I want to reach out and touch her hair. The damp ends cling to her shoulders, and the sight is dangerously distracting. “It was great. They offered me a permanent position after about six months.”
“That’s fantastic,” Kellan says. “Sounds well deserved—exactly what I remember you being capable of.”
“I thought we were starting over as strangers,” Makayla quips.
I lean closer, and I can see the goosebumps dancing across her skin as our eyes briefly meet. “We are, but that doesn’t erase what we already know about you. If anything, it completes the picture of who you are today. So tell us about the social-media gig.”
“For a while, it was great.” She sighs. “I’m a high performer. I nailed every quarterly bonus. I helped bring millions in revenue through several campaigns. Hell, I loved the gig and I thought I’d be there for a while longer. The experience was incredible.”
Kellan nods slowly. “Bryan mentioned you’re between jobs now, which is why you can join us for the entire trip.”
“I had to quit.”
“Why?” I ask.
Makayla shakes her head. “Let’s just say my boss and I stopped seeing eye to eye on a few key parts of my job.” For a heartbeat I consider pushing for details—I hate the gray, distant look in her eyes. But she recovers quickly, flashing Kellan and me the brightest smile she can manage. “How about you two—actually, all three of you? How have the past few years treated the Anderson triplets, eh?”
Kellan and I exchange brief glances, and he gives me a subtle nod. He wants me to lead this part of the conversation.
I have a hard time focusing, however, because of this gorgeous woman sitting between us. My gaze keeps sliding beneath the water, tracing the lush curves of her full figure. But I want to make a good impression. I can’t remember the last time I was this beguiled by a woman.
“Well, as you already know, your brother and I got into business together,” I say. “It’s been great from day one—though we’ve had our ups and downs, hit a few snags. Every setback taught us something.”
“Some harsh lessons,” Kellan grumbles, but I shake my head at him.
I refuse to be reminded of those darker times. I’d rather focus on how we emerged stronger—and better for it. “It’s been good, Kay—made even better by this trip. It started off boring,” I confess, “until I found myself in a hot tub with a beautiful woman I haven’t seen in ages.”
“I don’t think it’s been that long,” she says with a laugh. “Maybe a decade. Has it been a decade?”