Page 55 of The First Best Man

I end the sentence with a smirk, and a laugh bursts out of her as she shoves at my shoulder. She seems to notice her lack of modesty in that instant, and her eyes widen as she grabs the end of the sheet. She stills then, and I can see her wheels spinning as she internally debates her choices. Then, much to my surprise, she releases the sheet, deciding not to cover her chest, and clears her throat.

That’s my girl.

Unable to stop myself, I lean over and kiss her again. This new confidence has my cock swelling––again––but I jerk back when her stomach grumbles even louder than before. With a long, drawn-out sigh, I climb off the bed to find my shorts. Kate follows suit, her skin pink as she walks around naked, looking for her own clothes.

I close my eyes and groan, and when I reopen them, Kate’s staring at me with confusion. I let my gaze roam over her body, then meet her eyes again with an arched brow.

“If you keep tempting me, we’re never leaving this room,” I say quietly as I step closer and pull her into my arms.

“How will we get food?” she asks, her expression contemplative like she’s actually considering it.

“I’ll order delivery, and you can hide when the food shows up.”

“And no one would be suspicious about the amount of food you’d order for ‘one’ person?”

“Nope. I’m a growing boy. I can eat a lot,” I say, then let my eyes drop downward before adding, “Well, at leastonepart of me is growing.”

“Oh, my God,” she says on a laugh. “You’re so cheesy.”

“And you love it,” I say, then kiss her before she can snap back with a response.

When we finally let go of each other long enough to get dressed, we agree to meet at the Grill in half an hour. That’ll give Kate time to get home, change, and tame her wild locks. I balk at the delay––we skippedlunch, and she needs to eat––but even I can admit she looks thoroughlyfuckedin her oversized hoodie, yoga pants, and with her hair standing up all over her head. She plops the bucket hat over the mass of hair, but it does little to hide its crazy state.

“Half an hour,” I say, kissing her lips gently before taking a step back.

“Half an hour,” she repeats, then takes a deep breath and nods.

Repeating the gesture, I step toward the door. Cracking it open, I stick my head out and look both ways before pulling back inside. “The coast is clear. Wait for my text that I’ve got her occupied before you leave, okay?”

“Okay, I will,” she murmurs with another nod.

“I’ll see you soon,” I say, then slip out into the hall and pull the door closed behind me.

I make my steps heavy as I jog down the stairs, hoping the noise will draw Miss Ginny out of whatever corner of the house she’s hiding in. It would be obvious something is up if I were to go looking forher, so I need her to findme.

Do I feel a bit silly with all this subterfuge? Sure. But the ploy makes Kate feel better––safer––and I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure she doesn’t end up regretting what we’ve been up to today.

Because I sure as hell don’t, andwon’t, regret it.

“Tucker, is that you?”

My lips turn up as I head toward the direction of Miss Ginny’s voice. I find her in the dining room, sitting at the table with her back toward the door, and my grin widens with that little stroke of luck. Stepping into theroom, I greet her as I move around the table and take the chair opposite her.

“Good evening, Miss Ginny,” I say as I pull my phone from my pocket and hold it beneath the table. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing just fine,” she says as I surreptitiously send Kate a thumbs-up emoji and tuck the device back into my pocket. “How areyoudoing?”

Something in her voice, a hint of humor, perhaps, has my eyes darting up to meet hers. Sure enough, there’s a twinkle in her gaze, so I clear my throat and nod.

“Doing well. Penny’s under the weather today, unfortunately, so I took the free day to catch up on some work in my room.”

She tsks, giving me a little shake of her head. “You’re supposed to be on vacation. Enjoying yourself and enjoying the island.”

My eyes narrow slightly. There’s something in her tone, something knowing that puts me on edge. I blink, but manage not to move my gaze as I see Kate dart by the doorway in my peripheral vision.

Damn.That woman can be ghost-like in her silence when she wants to be. I didn’t hear a single squeak of her shoes or pop of wood when she came down the stairs, and just because I’m focusing, I barely register the soft whoosh of air when she opens and closes the front door.

“I am enjoying myself,” I say, picking our conversation back up before Miss Ginny gets suspicious.

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