Page 82 of Isla

"That's all?" I ask, disappointed.

"So far. What about you? Are you going to introduce me to the guys I've heard so much about?"

"Eventually." I smirk, glad to get her back for her lack of information.

"So... how's it going?"

"Really, really fucking well."

Pen sighs a dreamy sigh, looking at me with watery eyes. "I'm so happy for you, Isla. Truly."

"Thank you."

"What's it like?" she asks, picking up several stems.

"What's what like?"

"You know. The romance. Sexy time."

I choke on my spit, coughing until Pen feels the need to pummel me on the back.

"It's a lot. In a good way. More than I ever dreamed of. Better than I could have ever hoped."

"Thank god," she breathes, pressing a hand to her chest.

"Why, thinking about taking on your crew?" I ask, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.

"I really like all of them, but they're not best friends or brothers. They only met the day they came together to crew the ship.”

"But that's been a while now, right?"

"Yeah. A year this month."

"Have you talked with them about it?"

"I haven't even held hands with one of them yet, Isla! I’m not going to ask them all if they want to fuck me together."

"If we want to what?" a deep voice asks, followed a second later by one of the largest men I’ve ever seen.

Pen squeaks, dropping to the floor and crawling under the table to hide.

"Oh god. I thought there were only four of you,” I breathe, worried about how much he may have heard.

He ignores me, bending down to grab Pen by the ankles and dragging her out from under the table. She slaps her hands over her eyes as he lifts her to her feet. When he tries to pry her hands from her face, Pen drops her weight and almost succeeds in sliding back to the floor, except he manhandles her back against the wall, pushing a knee between her thighs to keep her in place.

"What were you just talking about?" he growls, his voice low andraspy. He pulls her hands from her eyes and pinions her wrists to the wall with one hand.

Pen blinks fast, and I decide this is the best entertainment I could have possibly asked for. I switch to the other side of the table, arranging flowers while watching what goes down.

"Isla was talking about her relationship,” Pen stammers, licking her lips.

"No,youwere talking, Penny. Don't lie to me. Was that whole lecture on trusting each other just for show? Or did you actually mean it?"

"Of course I meant it. The job is dangerous. You guys have to trust each other."

"And what about you, Penny? Do you trust us?"

"With what?" she whispers, luminous blue eyes looking up at him like she's either going to run or climb him like a tree. Her gaze locks with mine, silently pleading for help.

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