Page 94 of Royal Flush

Then the brusque woman with the dazzling raven hair had come into my life. Now I couldn’t imagine being without her, which meant I had no issue dying to keep her safe and happy.

I was half laughing by the time I pulled down the final stretch of road, the gear barely in park and the Jeep turned off before jumping out. I even stormed toward the stairs, trying to curtail my emotions so she didn’t realize how angry I was.

By the time I walked in, my hackles were raised. Immediately, I scanned the living room and kitchen, noticing at least she’d made herself something to eat. But when I moved back into the bedroom we’d shared, not seeing her almost sent me into a panicked rage that would be impossible to stop.

I almost broke everything in my effort to find her, stopping just shy of doing so. When I finally noticed her standing on the deck, I took a few seconds to allow my body to stop shaking. The moment I finally managed to walk out, she turned slowly.

She was in a dress that screamed beachwear and I noticed two thin red straps tied around her neck that could be attached to a bathing suit.

As she lifted her sunglasses, peering up and down at me, I noticed the infamous admonishing look only she could provide. She shook her head and sighed.

“No, that just won’t do,” she said.

“What?”

She pointed to my suit. “The clothes. You look like a buttoned-up accountant, for God’s sake. We’re in a tropical paradise and you’re stuffy and boring looking.”

“This is boring?” I peered down at my clothes, grinning. She had a way of disarming me completely, driving the anger into the clouds.

“Yep.”

“What are you wearing?”

The coy look she gave me heated my body up by a thousand degrees. When she lifted her dress, showing me a teeny bikini, I sucked in my breath. “If you want to see this again, you’ll need to put on a bathing suit and nothing more than a tee shirt. If you’re a very good boy, we’ll share a picnic in the sand and some ocean swimming. But only if you’re very, very good.”

“I’m always good.”

“Nope. You are not. That’s what makes you so endearing. Now scoot. I have a picnic basket to finish getting ready. And you will not conduct business.” She pressed her finger against my chest. “You can and are taking a day off.”

As she strode off, I removed my sunglasses, watching the way she was sashaying toward the back door. When she turned, she blew me a kiss and for some crazy reason, the gesture brought another wave of emotions.

What the heck. I was the boss. I could take a day off. Right?

As I went in to change, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d worn a bathing suit. Years? Likely. I’d purchased several pairs of trunks over the years with every intention of learning to enjoy myself, but it had all been in vain. I’d never taken more than a few hours off.

Maybe this would do me some good.

I had to dig through my older shit to find a pair I thought would work. When I realized it was a pair Gage had purchased as a gag gift one Christmas, I hesitated but maybe there was a different bad boy side to me. I ripped off my jacket, not caring where it fell in the room. Bed. Floor. What did it matter?

As I moved into the bathroom, I looked at myself and laughed. She was right. I was buttoned up. It was time to dispel the image if possible.

I found a colorful tee shirt that would go with the aquarium life on the shorts, laughing at myself again when I was finished dressing. What I wasn’t certain I could find were any appropriate shoes.

After tossing the various pairs that had been left by one or the other of us, I found a pair of boat shoes. In freaking lime green. Which brother had dared buy these damn things? It was either this or expensive Italian loafers.

I made a mental note I needed to buy my own, maybe a pair of tennis shoes as well.

When I was finished, I found her closing the picnic basket. It was something else I hadn’t even known was in the villa.

I donned my sunglasses and moved closer, grinning as I leaned against the island. “Will this do?” I even deepened my voice on purpose.

She was slightly startled, spinning around with that split second of fear on her face.

Until she burst into laughter that doubled her over.

“What?” I threw out my arms, spinning around in a rather awkward dance move.

“You look… fantastic.”

---