Page 46 of Her Filthy Mistake

“Wow.” He clutches his chest with a hurt expression on his face. “You’re already bored with my lack of creativity?”

Laughter bubbles out of me. “I wouldn’t say that exactly.” I wink and step toward the door. “I believe you still have some tricks in your arsenal, but we have all the time in the world to enjoy each other. Let’s see more of this island before we leave.”

“Ahh….” He shoves the door open. “Our first fight.”

“Yes.” I brush against his side as we emerge into the bright sunshine. We should make plans to come here in the future and relive the experience of becoming a couple. I shiver at the slight touch of his arm against mine.

It’s not that I don’t want to go back to the bungalow with him and never come out again, but I’m a rule follower, and there was a promise of another prize. Although this time, it’s a surprise.

“I don’t think Elise wants to grade us based on sexual positions and locations.” I stop and tip my chin up. “But out of curiosity, how would we decide?”

“You’d touch me, and I’d do whatever you wanted me to do.”

I bite my bottom lip and shake my head. The man is the perfect boyfriend material. My perfect boyfriend material. No, he’s my boyfriend. “Where did you come from?”

“That’s easy.” He smirks as we begin walking again. I wouldn’t trade this moment or any other moment since we stepped foot in Saint Lucia. “I came from your dreams.”

“Cute.” I elbow him in the ribs, and it’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him I love him, but I bite it back. It’s too soon. It has to be. Yes, we’ve skirted around each other for four years, but we’ve not spent a lot of time together. We need to know that we’re compatible before making that kind of decision.

“So….” He glances at me out of the corner of his eye as his hand brushes against mine. Even though there are people everywhere, moving from one location to another at the resort, it feels like we’re alone in paradise. “What do you want to do first?”

“Let’s go for a hike.”

“Your wish is my command.” He waves his hand toward the marked trail at the edge of the resort. “Lead the way, my lady.”

Twenty minutes later, we’re standing at a viewpoint that overlooks the ocean below. The crystal blue water shines so brightly that it hurts my eyes.

Jace places his arm around my shoulders and pulls me to his chest, kissing the top of my head. “Beautiful.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No.” He turns and cups my face. “You’re beautiful. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. It feels like a mirage to be here with you, touching you, laughing with you. It makes me not want to go back to reality.”

“Everything will be fine.” I step into his body and wrap my arms around his waist. We haven’t run into anyone in the last ten minutes of our hike, so it’s a safe bet that no one we know will jump out of the trees and surprise us.

“I hope so,” he sighs and holds me tighter. I inhale his musky scent and lay my head on his chest.

“I’ll talk to my father when he gets here and explain that you’re sober, and there’s no reason to worry about signing you to the label.”

He threads his fingers through my hair and strokes down my back. With that one touch, I arch into him as desire curls low in my belly. I step back and meet his gaze.

His eyes are dark with desire but remain tinged with worry. “I don’t expect it to be that easy. For some reason, your father doesn’t approve of me, and I’m not sure how Landon and Carly will respond.”

I place my hands on his chest. “Tell me what you want to happen.” His heart beats steadily against my palm.

“I want to be with you.” He shrugs as a large bird swoops down to the water and shoots back into the air. “Outside of that, the rest doesn’t matter. Whether we’re in Kansas City or Vegas doesn’t matter. And while I’d prefer everyone was okay with us being a couple, I’m not giving up if they start out opposed. I’ll prove to them that we’re good together.”

I stroke my hands along his back, relishing the ability to touch him when I want. Or at least when I want if no one else is around. But soon, that won’t matter. “And singing?”

“Yes, I want to sing again. Maybe it won’t lead to anything, but as soon as I touched that guitar, my blood started humming. I’ve missed it, but I do worry about falling down the rabbit hole again and losing myself.”

“You won’t.” I place my index finger on his lips.

He responds by kissing the tip. “Thank you.”

I stand on my tiptoes and offer him my mouth. We’ve done enough sightseeing for today. It’s time to go back to the bungalow and draw straws on locations and positions.

His lips cover mine. They’re soft yet firm as they press over mine. He angles his head and takes the kiss deeper, swiping his tongue between my lips and tangling with mine. It’s a slow and lazy kiss that fits the peacefulness of the venue.

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