Page 56 of Tame Me

“I’ll just grab my bag.” Hunter and I strolled toward the race marshaling tent and it was heavenly being at his side.

Our conversation flowed so easily, I was fooled into thinking we’d known each other for years.

The truth, however, was that he didn’t know me at all.

He didn’t even know my real name.

My heart squeezed at the terrible web of lies I’d created.

Chapter Sixteen

Hunter ducked into the tent and moments later emerged with a backpack slung over his shoulder and again fell in at my side. At the ice cream tent, we selected our flavors, rum and raisin for him and macadamia caramel swirl for me and headed back to Lolita.

Lolly had three men standing around her as she applied sunscreen to her toned belly. The woman was a hunk magnet.

The men took off as we arrived, and we remained standing side by side to lick our ice creams before they melted down our arms.

“I’m going to head off. Leave you two lovebirds to it.” Lolly swung her legs to the side and stood.

I tried to catch my melting ice cream with my tongue. “Oh no, don’t go,” I said.

“It’s okay, you can stay,” Hunter said at the same time as me.

“No. No.” She flicked her hand. “Three’s a crowd. Memphis and I’ve already talked about threesomes.”

I gasped, and Hunter turned to me with a cheeky grin.

“Ask her about it sometime.” Lolly burst out laughing.

Oh, God. I wanted to dive into the sand and be buried beneath a giant castle.

Hunter laughed along with Lolly though, and it was such a wonderful, genuine sound that I joined in, too. “You’ll have to excuse her. She has no scruples.”

“What?” She faked hurt by clutching her chest. “Want me to leave both towels with you?”

Hunter looked to me for an answer, and I shrugged. “Sure.”

“Okay, babe.” She leaned in to hug me. “Remember what I said about pineapple.”

I gasped again and bulged my eyes at her.

“What’s this about pineapple?” Hunter grinned at me.

“Oh, nothing.” I licked my ice cream, hopeful that it would provide a distraction.

“She’ll tell you later.” Lolly smacked Hunter on the bottom, grabbed her bag, and strolled up the beach with the eyes of every man she passed turning to her.

Hunter turned to me, smiling. “She’s a card.”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

Hunter sat on Lolita’s towel, and I sat on mine beside him. We both faced the ocean with our legs splayed out before us, but my focus was on my ice cream as I raced against gravity to lick the dribbles before I wore them.

“Are you going to tell me about the pineapple thing?”

“Oh, God.” I shook my head. “No.”

He crinkled his nose at me. “I predict you’ll tell me before the night’s out.”

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