10. Sutton

10

SUTTON

"Maybe you should let this one go," Brandon said before taking a sip of his beer.

I lifted my bottle to my lips and swallowed down the icy brew. It was only eleven in the morning in Bimini, but I didn't care. I'd spent the entire day before kicking myself for how I'd handled things with June while secretly hoping to run into her.

Could I have camped out near the elevators on her deck? Yeah, but even my possessive ass knew that was crossing a line. The last thing I wanted was for her to think I was a stalker.

Still, whether she was intentionally avoiding me or not, the universe saw fit to put her in my line of sight and just out of reach.

After a short video chat with my mom before the crack of dawn, in which she showed me how comfortable my sweet blue heeler had gotten in her house—and how much she was spoiling him rotten—I couldn't get back to sleep. The time difference wasn't brutal, but once I was up, my brain would not shut down.

So, I killed time reading until the fitness center opened. Hitting the gym was usually a solid way to burn off pent up frustration, and I was making progress on that front, until one wayward glance between bone-crushing sets of deadlifts showed me June running on the overhead track. Everything about her lit the fire of need inside me. The way her dark ponytail swayed with each step. The way her ass jiggled in her charcoal running tights. Even the intense focus in her gaze.

One glimpse and my mouth watered to taste her again, to taste more of her, and that wasn't the only part of my body that rose to attention.

I was pretty sure she didn't see me then, or when she and Missy wandered past the beachside bar in Bimini hours later.

From the table I shared with Brandon, I had a bird's eye view when she laid out her towel and stretched out in the sand about forty yards away. I'd hardly been able to peel my eyes away from her since. Especially since her peach bikini was giving me flashbacks to the night we met.

"Earth to Sutton."

I turned to see Brandon eying me with a pitying look in his eyes. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

I heard him, loud and clear. I just opted not to listen. "What if I don't want to let go?" I asked in all seriousness.

"You barely know this woman."

And yet, deep down, I knew the most important thing: she was supposed to be mine. So what if I'd never believed in falling for someone this fast. I also hadn't believed I could find peace in solitude, until the aftermath of my accident proved me wrong.

"It's not rational. I know that."

He set his beer down and studied me. "So, where does that leave you? Are you going to stroll down the beach and try to win her heart?"

"No."

His brow lifted. "No?"

"I want to, don't get me wrong, but you didn't see the look on her face after the elevator." Or the torment swimming in her eyes.

She wanted me. The evidence was right there in her kiss and the way she clung to me, like she was desperate for more. But she was fighting it, and whatever her reasons might be, no matter how much I ached to haul her into my arms and show her what she was walking away from, I was trying hard to respect her choice.

Brandon rapped his knuckles on the table. "I guess that means we're drinking."

I leaned back in my seat and held my tongue as I weighed my options. Drinking our way through the day sounded good, in theory. In practice? That kind of day drinking was a younger man's game. Plus, I was here to support Brandon, not to pine for a woman who couldn't seem to make up her mind about what she wanted.

"Don't let me ruin your trip," I said. "If you want to go chat up some of those lovely women down there, you know I've got your back."

He chuckled like he knew a secret. "Nah, I've about had my fill of meeting new people. Not to mention every person on that beach will know you're a lost cause the second you look at her."

I turned. "They will not."

"Did you even notice I went to the bar?" He motioned to the two icy bottles sweating on their coasters between us.

I shook my head. How long had I been sitting there staring at her all tangled up in my thoughts?

"My point exactly." He slid one my way.

"And now I feel like I'm failing you as a friend."

"Not at all. I've had a good time. It's been great getting away for a few days, but even I have my limits. I am looking forward to the Captain's Gala tonight, though."

I drained the rest of my first beer, set it aside and grabbed the full bottle beside me. "That's the black tie shindig, right?"

"It's black tie preferred." He nodded. "And you know how good I look in a suit."

That pulled an unexpected laugh out of me. "Yeah, you're like a regular James Bond."

"Damn straight, and you're coming with me."

"You just told me I would be useless to you as a wingman."

Brandon shrugged. "Then don't go as my wingman. We'll just show up, have a few drinks, and maybe dance with a pretty lady or two."

With my mind tripping over June, I'd forgotten all about the gala, even though it was the only reason I'd bothered packing a suit on this trip. Now, the thought of going sent a trickle of dread through my veins. More mingling, more pretending to enjoy myself, all while I'd rather be spending my last night in paradise with a woman who'd taken a piece of me with her when she'd walked away outside that damned elevator.

Unless...

What if June was planning on going to the gala too? There was a pretty good chance Missy would talk her into it, given what she'd told me about the feisty blonde.

If I could get her to at least talk to me, maybe I could convince her that this thing between us—whatever it was—definitely wasn't fake.