Page 48 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

I shake my head in disbelief.How dare he. “No I’m n?—”

He interrupts me again. Frustration spelled out clearly on his face as he charges his way back towards me. Strong hands squeeze my cheeks and tilt my head up so that I’m forced to look at him. “Andinstead of explaining that to you, he thought proposing to you would keep you from outgrowing him—or from falling into the arms of someone else. Someone who understands you more than he does.” His voice is nothing more than an angry whisper.

Brooding blue eyes stare down at me, searching for…what?I don’t know.What he eventually finds there must be enough. Sighing loudly, he drops his hands to his sides and balls them into fists, as he trudges into his bedroom.

“Pick whatever room you’d like. I have to call Antonio back, he’s called me half a dozen times. Dinner will be at seven thirty on the deck off of the kitchen. I thought you’d like to watch the sunset.”

The door to his bedroom clicks closed, and I exhale the breath I’ve been holding. I swear this man should be on a fucking Sour Patch Kids commercial.

One minute he’s sour.

One minute he’s sweet.

And the next he’sgone.

Snatching my phone off of Diego’s bed, I leave in search of a bedroom.

“This is not good, Sel.”

I pace the deck for the hundredth time waiting for my cousin and Madison to arrive for dinner.Speak of the devil.Antonio swaggers his way across the deck, escorted by the First Officer.

“No. I don’t want you here with him. If you insist on being a brat and coming along, promise me you’ll stay on Killian’s yacht. Promise me, Sel.”

I mouth, “thank you” to Andrew and pull Antonio into a hug just as Madison steps into the kitchen. My eyes refuse to leave her perfect body. Her face lights up and she appears calmer than I’ve seen her since meeting her as she laughs and socializes with Magaret, the Chief Stewardess. She looks stunning in a white flare-sleeve crop top and high waisted pants to match. What’s better, she must have met Cindy, the woman who runs our salon. Madison’s hair is blown-out and full of volume. Silky onyx waves tumble down her shoulders and over her perfect set of tits. More than a handful...the things I’d do just to bury my face in them.

Greedily, my gaze drops even lower, to the curve of her waist and the smooth skin teasing me there. I memorize every beauty mark, every scar, all the way down to the fresh white pedicure gracing her bare feet. I guess she got the rundown of ship etiquette.No shoes.

The staff have their own, designed for preserving the teakwood and prevent scuffing. I try my best to remain barefoot as well, occasionally wearing boat shoes or sandals.

A delicious fantasy stirs in my mind.Madison on her back, gripping my satin sheets, and hooking those sexy feet over my shoulders as I?—

“Diego? Did you hear me?” Selena’s voice snaps my focus off of Madison and back to my conversation with my sister. Even thousands of miles away, she can be the biggest fucking cockblock. With a frustrated sigh, I turn around and gesture for Antonio to take a seat at the dinner table.

“No, I didn’t. Listen, we’ll talk more later. Madison just came up and I don’t want her to find out like this?—”

“Diego. It’s about Liam,” my sister nags. Probably another one of her warnings I don't want orneedto hear.

Madison’s delicate hand grips my bicep. “Tell me what?”

I turn back around to face her and hang up on Selena. Wide chocolate eyes dart over to Antonio, just now recognizing we are not alone. She starts to blush, tucking her hair behind her ears. Sapphire-blue crescent moon earrings hang from them, adding to her regality, and shimmering as they catch the last bit of sunlight.

“I didn’t realize you had company,” she admits shyly.

I place my hand at the small of her back and guide her toward the table. Antonio stands and wipes his hands over his shorts before extending his own.

“Antonio Reyes.”

“Madison,” she replies curtly while shaking his hand.

He guides her hand up to his mouth and places a kiss onto her knuckles. A low growl emanates from my chest, prompting Antonio to bite his lip and stifle a laugh. His eyebrows raise and he lets out a low whistle.

“You don’t seem like the same young woman we picked up in New York,” he declares before taking a swig of his beer.

Madison and I speak at the same time.

“She’s not.”

“I’m not.” Her cheeks heat realizing we are in agreement—well—at least in this moment. No, shes not the same girl we took from that graduation party.She’s stronger, wittier and even more gorgeous now that she is discovering her sense of self.

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