Page 41 of Heat Island
She laughs, a short, surprised sound. “That’s... refreshing. Most escorts don’t—” She stops herself. “I mean, I wouldn’t assume most people in your position would offer to help.”
I shrug, thinking that I’ll scrub floors if she asks me to. “I’m on the clock for you here, sweetheart. For whatever services you require.”
I realize only after I see the look on her face how sexual those words sound. Blown pupils, parted lips, a subtle little intake of breath as her nostrils flare. Reactions that make me want to satisfy the need that I see burning in her eyes.
Fuck, this girl is going to kill me.
Trinity recovers first. She smooths down the front of her dress with one hand as she half-drains her glass of rosé with the other. “We should probably head out there before the others come looking for us.”
Before I toss her into that gigantic bed and keep her there for the next week, she means.
I follow Trinity into the living room, trying not to fixate on the gentle sway of her hips or the lingering scent of her that seems to fill every corner of my awareness. The others are scattered around the spacious area—Cash perched on the arm of a cream-colored sofa, Lucas sprawled comfortably on the cushions beside him.
And then there’s Kyren.
He’s positioned himself by the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing out at the pristine beach view with his back half-turned to the room. To anyone else, he might look disinterested, even bored. But I know better.
Kyren only pretends not to care when something matters to him. Deeply.
“Thank you all for agreeing to this arrangement,” Trinity says, setting her glass down on the coffee table. Her voice carries a professional tone, but I catch a slight tremor beneath it. “We need to discuss our backstory before tonight’s welcome dinner. People will have questions.”
Cash straightens, folding his arms across his chest. “What kind of questions?”
“How we met, how long we’ve been together.” Trinity tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “My sister’s fiancés will be particularly...inquisitive. No, scratch that. They’re probably going to ask questions that even your grandmother would think are too invasive.”
“From what you’ve told us, they sound like assholes,” Cash says bluntly.
Lucas immediately shoots him a disapproving look. “C’mon, man. We shouldn’t judge people we haven’t even met yet.”
“Actually, that’s a fairly accurate assessment.” Trinity says with a tight smile. “Especially Egret. He’ll be watching us closely, looking for any inconsistencies.”
I notice how she rubs her thumb against her palm—a nervous gesture she’s probably not aware of. My protective instincts flare.
“It isn’t a lie to say that Matheo and I met at his exhibition,” she continues. “So I think it makes sense to say we’ve been dating since then.”
“Makes sense,” Lucas chimes in. “And maybe we cansay we had our first date at that little Italian place near the waterfront? The one with the string lights on the patio?”
I smile at Lucas’s enthusiasm. He’s already building a romantic narrative in his head. Pretty on brand for him.
As they continue to discuss details, I keep glancing at Kyren. He hasn’t moved from his position by the window, hasn’t contributed a single word. To Trinity, it probably looks like complete disinterest. But the tension in his shoulders tells me he’s hanging on every word.
“Kyren,” I call out. “Any thoughts?”
He shrugs without turning around. “Whatever you guys come up with is fine by me.”
Trinity’s expression falters slightly. I see the flash of hurt in her eyes, which she immediately hides by looking away.
I’ve stuck with Kyren through a lot of shit over the years, but I might actually murder him if he messes this up for me.
“He’s actually great at improvising,” I assure her, though I’m not entirely convinced myself. “And he’s got an excellent memory for details.”
Kyren finally turns, and for a split second, I catch something in his eyes—an intensity that vanishes so quickly I might have imagined it.
I need to figure out what the hell is going on with him before this all goes off the rails.
But I’m too late.
Trinity suddenly straightens, her eyes darting between the four of us.
