“I appreciate that, but there’s no world where the two of us make sense. He’s more likely to leave me on whatever that island is when he finds a hot new conquest.”

“You never know. He might surprise you.” King brought his drink to his lips and paused. “And if he doesn’t, I’ll make sure to keep you close.”

Goddamn it, there went my stomach again, flipping like a maniac at the implication behind his words. I had to be reading into it. Wishful thinking and all.

“You know what I realized?” East said, squeezing in between us. “This boat has enough room for an abundance of shopping bags.”

A booming laugh escaped me at his random comment. It was so out of nowhere, and so East, but that was one of the things I could say I enjoyed about him. He was always the most entertaining guy in the room with that mouth of his.

“You’re not wrong,” King said, an amused glint to his eyes. “But unfortunately for you, we won’t be utilizing the boat for that today.”

“What? No shopping?” East’s full lips pursed into a pout, and I couldn’t help but want to suck on it. Who knew I’d find his petulant side so sexy?

“No shopping, but don’t worry,” King said, and reached out to brush a thumb over East’s pouty lip. “I have a feeling you’re going to enjoy what I have in mind a whole lot more than spending money.”

East nipped at King’s thumb. “Does it involve spendingyours?”

“Yes, it does.” King chuckled and looked to me. “But I have a feeling it’ll be worth every single penny.”

Oh shit.The way those words rolled off King’s tongue, and the scorching perusal he gave us, had my heart pounding.

Who was I kidding? Every time he talked to me in a way that wasn’t teacher/student, my chest tightened. Add in the conversation we’d had about his being in a past relationship, and the fact he’d opened up to me and East and told us something so personal, and that annoying emotion, hope, kept trying to creep into my brain.

It was stupid, I knew, to hope for anything beyond the here and now. But as we stood there, the three of us, laughing in the morning sun, I couldn’t remember ever being more content.

I turned around and leaned back against the rail, deciding if I only had a limited time to enjoy King out of Astor, then I was damn well going to make the most of it.

“So are you going to tell us where we’re going?” I asked, trailing my eyes down the open collar of his shirt to his chest. “Or is this another one of those secrets you love to keep?”

“It’s not so much that I love secrets. But I do like a good surprise every now and then.” He leaned in and put his lips by my ear. “Like you, for example. You were a really fucking good surprise.”

God that was hot.Sodamn hot, and if he were anyone other than who he was…

Fuck it.

I turned my head and boldly took the mouth that had just made my dick pound as hard as my heart. When King grabbed the back of my neck and thrust his tongue in to tangle with mine, I just about collapsed at his feet.

He hummed as he brushed his lips over mine. “See? Surprises can be very good.”

“Hello,Iwant a surprise.”

A laugh escaped me at East’s put-out tone, then King turned on him and said, “Oh you’ll get one, little prince. But you’re going to have to wait.”

East opened his mouth, to no doubt protest, but the captain came over the speaker announcing our arrival in Anguilla in minutes.

King let out a chuckle. “Well, there you go. That’s where we are.”

“Aww, guess your captain didn’t get the memo on the surprise, but it seems you have a few more up your sleeve.” East smirked. “And we all know I’m both of your awesome surprise.”

“You’re something, all right,” King said.

I lowered my sunglasses and winked at East. “Haven’t quite figured out what just yet.”

“Well, when you want to shower me with admiration, I’m right here. I respond well to flattery. Compliments. Gifts.”

As the boat began to dock, I leaned in by East’s ear and said, “Careful. Your massive ego’s about to outsize your dick.”

“Don’t worry, I know how to wield both. Or have you forgotten already?” As East reached for the button of his shorts, King swatted his hand away, curled his fingers in the waistband, and tugged him forward.