Page 53 of Nothing to Do

“Rourke,” Dyce answered the first question.

“You want some punch, honey?”

She waved a palm. “I probably had enough alcohol today.”

“These are virgin,” Roxie said. “Unlike anyone at this table.” She poured into highball glasses. “You wouldn’t want to get with Rourke anyway, honey. He’s extraordinarily high maintenance. I don’t know how Roux does it. She’s in incredible shape, I can only imagine she needs to be to keep up such stamina.”

“Dyce,” Zairn said and walked outside to the kitchen terrace.

Her guy rested a hand on her waist. “You okay?”

“Yes, go.”

“Go,” Roxie said, putting a glass in his hand. “Take your food and keep the guys busy.”

Though he probably didn’t know quite what that meant, because she didn’t, Dyce went out onto the terrace after his friend. Struan and Tripp weren’t far behind.

Four strong, virile men, good-looking, successful…

“How many women do you think Zairn has slept with?”

“I don’t know,” Roxie said, completely unfazed, licking punch from the side of her hand. “I think he stopped counting somewhere in the four-figure range.”

She whipped around. “Really? You think…?”

“It’s possible the number reaches into five figures. Some of his twenties were a bit of a blur. Why? You want to work out a timeshare?”

Roxie took a little interpreting, but when you got it, her sense of humor was spot on.

“No,” she said on a whispered laugh. “I was just thinking the qualities of those four combined would probably cover every want on any woman’s list.”

“If you could pick and choose, sure. If we could piecemeal Mr. Perfect together. We wouldn’t want Struan’s baggage.” Baggage? “We might get lost in Tripp’s family. Dyce has the money and the intellect. Z has charm a-plenty.”

“It’s never bothered you? That he’s been with so many women?”

“I care less about who he slept with then, and more about who he sleeps with now. She’s important to me. I care very much about her pleasure.”

Mm, no doubt.

“Why are men eligible bachelors and women dried-up spinsters?”

“Because…” Roxie said, handing her a glass, then gesturing to start walking. “We haven’t changed the rules yet. We’re getting there, one bachelor at a time.”

Another laugh and then they were with the men. Plates and glasses had been put down, but none of the men were sitting. Zairn pulled out Roxie’s chair just a second before Dyce pulled out hers. There might be drama and arrogance on the island, sure, but there was chivalry and charisma too.

“Okay,” Roxie said. “We eat, and then we solve the Roman problem.”

Good luck to them all. If it was that easy, they wouldn’t be in their current predicament.

NINETEEN

“IT’S NOT ENOUGH to lock him up,” Struan said. “He has to want it.”

“We’ve had this conversation before,” Zane said.

Zairn exhaled. “Many, many times.”

“They can’t all be Riv success stories,” Tripp said. “You ready to give up on him?”

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