Page 62 of Five Days

Knowing him, he only wrote happily ever afters, and I didn’t trust that for our future. Couldn’t. Landon might be able to shift his patterns of thinking on a whim, but I wasn’t capable of that superpower.

Still, I explored his tongue with my own, soaking in his affection, the little noises of enjoyment he made in his throat. I’d picked up on the fact he loved being kissed senseless, and spoiling him had always given me a sense of purpose and satisfaction. Yet something else Callum and I had in common.

I missed Landon’s mouth on mine the second I pulled back but shoved that feeling into the recesses of my mind where they would hopefully get lost. “Let’s swim. Clean the sticky messes in our shorts.”

“You might have to carry me,” Landon grumbled as I slid off the low bed, my feet hitting warm sand and sinking into its softness enough that the grains covered my toes.

“Gladly.” I swung him up and over my shoulder, making him shriek with laughter that brought a grin to my face.

“Put me down!” He play-smacked my back, same as when he’d been a kid, and I went all Big Foot on his ass. He’d grown quite a bit taller, but I could still manhandle his lithe form.

“Nope.” I took off across the burning white sand, his giggles pure music to my ears that trickled straight into my chest.

Fucking hell, these feels were dangerous red flags I had to shy away from.

Knee-deep in warm swells, I tossed him ahead of me, needing yet hating to have him gone from my arms.

“Fucker!” he cried out with flailing limbs before disappearing beneath the water in a splash of water droplets glinting in the sun.

I dove into the next wave to clear my head, breaking not far from him.

Hair plastered to his head, he grinned at me, sunlight making his eyes appear more gold than brown. He was too beautiful for his own good, a greedy yet sweet soul who only wanted acceptance and love.

Thinking back over our time together in paradise, I realized my bitterness had faded.

And as simple as that, I’d forgiven him without conscious effort.

Perhaps healing could be found for past trauma. But making the choice to trust a man with what remained of my heart wasn’t something that could be done.

Chapter 25

Callum

I struggled to ignore the gorgeous day beyond the suite’s windows and the fact Zack and Landon were relaxing in the sun while I read my way through the edited manuscript.

Did they enjoy themselves in their own little corner of the world? Had Zack allowed himself to be vulnerable with Landon?

He and I had walked along the shoreline together in the most romantic setting imaginable, but something had settled firmly between us, far from in a good way. Whatever wall I’d noticed coming down while in his bed the night prior had been firmly erected, keeping me out.

We’d had dinner together then danced, but that underlying fire, that need to possess, simmered rather than boiled over like I’d hoped for.

Being in the sun all day had left us both exhausted, and I’d returned to our suite with nothing more than a kiss goodnight from Zack, Landon’s boxed dinner in my hand.

Zack hadn’t asked for nor initiated anything further, and I wasn’t going to push. He tried to hide, but I saw his desires, the things he’d said he longed for. And how I wanted to give them to him, make him smile and relax in assurance that someone in this world appreciated who he was as a man and lover.

That need to fulfill, the same draw I felt for Landon, bothered the fuck out of me while I spent hours cooped up in the hotel room. I had trouble focusing on the story, but I managed to finish with a couple of tweaks and sent it back to Cyn with hopes we could continue the usual edits without too much difficulty.

I set aside work after having a salad through room service and stripped, readying for a shower to help clear my head of Landon’s latest fantasy come to life in black and white.

He’d nailed the story’s heart-wrenching ending that had the triad riding off together in the sunset. I could admit to jealousy stirring over their happily ever after. It was what Landon had always dreamed about, what he’d introduced to my thoughts, and meeting Zack had solidified in my heart.

But this was reality, not some romance novel where everything was rainbows and kiss emojis.

The suite’s door opened and snicked shut before I stepped beneath the spray.

“Oh, perfect timing.” I heard Landon’s suggestive tone from outside the bathroom, but even better on its heels was Zack’s murmur of agreement.

They’d returned from their private getaway on a secluded beach—and had obviously come to our suite with intent.

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