Page 84 of Forbidden Games

She turned and strode into the darkness. He’d follow. He’d be unable to help himself. And then they’d get their hands on each other and all her conflicting feelings would disappear for a while.Thatwas what she wanted. She already had a complicated life. She didn’t have room formorecomplications—even if they arrived in a package that made her body ache and her heart beat too hard.

Sex was easier. Sex was safe.

Even if it didn’t feel particularly safe as she hit the sand and kept going. The wildness of the island was closer to the surface here, with the villa lights seeming at a distance and the stars a blanket overhead. The soft shushing sound of the water sliding over the sand let her draw her first full breath since she and Roman had started talking about things better left unsaid.

She tilted her head back and inhaled deeply, taking the salty air into her lungs and letting it chase away her worries. She was still on vacation, no matter how stubbornly real life kept trying to intrude. Relaxation was the name of the game and Allie would be damned if she was drawn back into all the crap before she was good and ready.

Footsteps padded behind her, and she didn’t turn to watch Roman approach. She wouldn’t be able to see more than the outline of him, and it was better to soak up what little peace she could as she waited to see if he’d let the conversation go.

He stopped next to her, close enough that his shoulder brushed against hers. “You can’t run from this forever.”

“I’m not running from anything.”Liar.“I’m holding to the arrangement we made. Everything can wait until we leave West Island.” What happened then... No, she wasn’t going to talk about it. She wasn’t even going tothinkabout it.

“Allie...” His exhale was lost in the sound of the small waves hitting their feet. “This is what you really want? For me to fuck you until neither of us is capable of words and we just ignore everything unspoken between us?”

This was the moment of truth. If she said she’d changed her mind about their bargain, she had a feeling Roman wouldn’t judge her for it. He seemed to want to talk—actually talk. Maybe he was starting to feel the same thing she was—that this thing between them wasn’t just about mutual orgasms.

That maybe it could be more.

All she had to do was tell him that she was willing to talk.

But when she opened her mouth, it was cowardice that won. “We can talk when we’re in New York.”

He turned to face her, his expression lost in the darkness. “Promise me that we will.”

“What?”

“Promise me that you won’t run when we get back. You’ll have dinner with me and we’ll talk.”

It’ll never happen.It sounded good in theory right now, beneath the stars and with their bodies gravitating toward one another, but once they got back to the city and were grounded in their real lives, it wouldn’t hold up. He’d get busy. She’d have to cancel a few times. They’d both lose interest and move on with their lives.

The thought made her chest ache, but she set it aside just like everything else she’d set aside since she came here. “I promise.”

Roman shifted closer, sliding his hands over her hips and up her back, fitting her body against his. He’d stripped before following her out here, and all his skin against all of hers sent a delicious thrill through her. He kept calling her beautiful, but he was a work of art. “Adonis.”

“Aphrodite.” He lifted her easily so she could wrap her legs around his waist. “Let’s go swimming.”

She didn’t protest as he walked them into the ocean. Roman didn’t go far, stopping as the water lapped the bottom of her breasts. It felt absolutely wicked to be out here in the dark with him. Even if it’d been broad daylight, no one would have seen them, but the thrill of the risk still heightened every sensation.

The water teasing her breasts. The slick slide of his skin against hers. The feel of his breath ghosting across her lips.

She arched against him, trying to take his mouth, but Roman dodged her kiss. “Do you know the legend of Aphrodite?”

She blinked. “Yes, of course. She came from the sea.” The words were barely past her lips when Roman launched her away from him. She was airborne for a single breathless second and then she hit the water and went under.

Allie surfaced with a curse that turned into a laugh. “You’re crazy.”

“Come on. You can’t skinny-dip in the Caribbean without horsing around a bit.” He splashed her and then disappeared beneath the surface.

Allie skittered back, searching the inky water for a sign of him, but the only warning she got was a hand around her ankle and then he pulled her under. They twisted beneath the surface and tangled together. She used his shoulders to shove him farther down and push herself up for a breath.

And then his arms were around her waist and he was hauling them closer to shore. His cock pressed against the small of her back and her breath hitched in her throat. “Playtime’s over.”

She laughed at the cheesy line, but the sound came out strained. “You just wanted to get me all wet.”

“Mmm.” He cupped her breasts and rolled her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. “Come on. As much as I need you right here, right now, the condoms are back in the villa.”

She almost threw caution to the wind and said it didn’t matter. Allie clamped her mouth shut to keep the words inside and nodded sharply. Unprotected sex with Roman, no matter how much she wanted him in that moment, was the worst possible idea. “Yes. Villa. Now.”

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