Page 83 of Isla

"Hey! I'm Isla,” I call out, hoping to distract him. “Nice to meet you! Your crewmates are outside helping my– my–"

"Your what, Isla?" Pen says in a sing-song voice, getting me back for watching her drama.

"Guys? Boyfriends? Lovers?" Heat creeps higher on my cheeks with every word. I suppose I'm going to have to figure out what to call them eventually.

"Boyfriends, plural?" he asks, looking over his shoulder at me, one eyebrow cocked.

"Yes, two of Charlie's guys are also here."

"What do you mean 'Charlie's guys’?" he asks, looking between me and Pen.

My mouth drops open as I look back at Pen. "You haven't told themanythingabout us?"

"No," she whispers, covering her face with her hands. "I was scared it would encourage them."

"And that's a bad thing?" I ask, trying to figure out what's going on in her head.

"Not bad. Scary as fuck."

Ah. That I can understand. "Charlie is married to Pen's brother Lach, as well as Lach’s best friends, Cam and Jack," I explain, realizing that doesn't even begin to do their relationship justice, so I keep going. "And Jack is married to Lach, and Lach is married to Cam, too," I blurt out.

"Andyourboyfriends?" he asks, surprisingly seeming to understand the relationship dynamics right away.

"They're three brothers."

"Slightly less complicated, then," he says, smiling.

"Yes, thank god."

"Why isn't this freaking you out?" Pen asks him, turning his face toward her, studying him like she's seeing a brand new person.

"Should it?" he asks, smirking.

"I–I don't know," she stammers, stunned.

"Is this the conversation I walked in on?” he asks, holding her gaze. “You were saying you wouldn’t ask all of us to fuck you, weren’t you?”

"Oh god. I can't do this,” she groans, dropping her head back against the wall and closing her eyes.

"We've known each other for a year, Penny."

"I'm your boss," she says, making a last-ditch effort to fend off his questions.

"In name only, and you know it. You've only been on the boat once, and the captain is the one that pays us."

"Are you going to explain away every excuse I have?"

"Yes, so you may as well stop making excuses and tell me what you were talking about before I torture it out of you,” he threatens, positioning his fingers against her ribs, ready to tickle her if she doesn’t give in.

"You wouldn't dare!" she says indignantly.

"I'll give you to the count of three. One." Pen struggles against him, but he holds her in place, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "Two."

"Fine! Yes, okay? That's exactly what we were talking about."

"And is that what you want, Penny?" he asks, his voice soft, deadly.

Goosebumps race over my arms, and I'm suddenly very aware that I should not be here for this conversation.

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