Page 35 of Enjoying the Ride

She’s going to get lost on the beach, I glower.She’ll trip in the sand before being washed out to sea.

With that in my mind, I stalk after Posey, my rage at a boiling point.

Fortunately, she hasn’t gone far.In fact, the redhead’s just a few yards down the beach, awkwardly stumbling through the sand in glittery stilettos.I watch as she trips, collapsing into a heap on the sand.

I make my way forward.

“It’s hard walking in the sand in high heels,” I remark.But my cruel statement only gets a sob in reply.Immediately, guilt overwhelms me.“Goddammit, woman,” I growl, bending to help her up.“You drive me crazy, you know that?”

“Don’t touch me!”Posey hisses, standing up on her own while wobbling to the side.

“You’re going to get lost out here,” I point out, my mind and my heart at war within me.“And where the hell are you going anyways, in a bikini and high heels?”

Posey shrinks into herself, looking small and confused among the expansive landscape.I want to pull her to me, shield her from the world, but I can’t give in.

“I was going to hitch a ride back to the airport,” Posey states.Her tears have stopped but her tone is sad, broken.

“That’s not going to happen,” I inform her.She starts to protest but I hold up a hand to stop her.“Because there aren’t any visitors at Mirago.Sure, there are tourists at a resort called La Mirage down the way, but they aren’t allowed off the property.As a result, you’re not going to be able to hitchhike.Trust me.”

“I see.”Posey bites her bottom lip.“Well, maybe Kixson or Narax or someone can take me.”

I cock an eyebrow.“I’m not sure if you noticed, but everyone’s a little busy getting acquainted right now.They’re not leaving that den of sin.”

“I’ll wait,” Posey says in a flat tone.“They can’t have sex forever.”

“You’d be surprised,” I drawl.“There are a bunch of ravenous men in there.They’re excited to meet a new group of beautiful women, and let’s just say they’ll be occupied for alongtime.But I don’t get it, Pose.”

“Get what?”she asks, suddenly sounding very tired.

“The last two weeks, you’ve been all about coming to Mirago, telling off your asshole of a boss, making a new life for yourself.”

“So?”

“So what’s changed?”

“You,” Posey answers simply.

“Me?”I lean back, stunned by the statement.

“I thought that…” she begins slowly.She shifts so that she can face me, her stare brave yet hesitant at once.“I thought that in New York, there might have been something between us.I don’t just mean sex, either.”

“Okay,” I drawl.“And?”

“And when we practiced for our interview, you were so patient and almost lighthearted with me.You seemed to always be picking me out of the group.But then after we hooked up…”

“I was a complete asshole to you,” I finish her thought aloud.

“Your words, not mine,” she says with a shrug, but I can see how deeply I’ve hurt her.

And why, Trek?I scold myself sharply.Why did you shut her out like that?

Of course, I know the answer.I’ve known that this was going to happen since the moment I met Posey.Hell, from the moment I saw her damn photo in that damn application.

I’m in love with her.

It doesn’t make sense, but then again, love doesn’t have to.Somehow, I’ve become infatuated with the sassy redhead, and I want to keep her all to myself.I don’t want to share her with my brothers, and I was grappling with the fact while ignoring her on the outside.But seeing how I’ve been hurting Posey, maybe it’s time to be honest about how I feel.

I stand up abruptly.Posey looks up, worry and sorrow crossing her beautiful face.

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