Page 136 of Sinful Kingdom

Part of me is more than ready. I’ve never been away from Blake and Zay for this long before; I’m missing them like crazy. We’ve talked every day and video called more often than not so I could give them a tour of the house, making them green with envy over what I’m experiencing without them.

“Yep, good to go.”

No one even comments now on the fact that we’re last to join the group. It’s a position we seem to have taken from Seb and Stella, and honestly, I can’t say I’m all too bothered.

With my beach bag over my shoulder, I take Alex’s hand and lead the way toward the front door and the cars that are waiting for us. We might not have picked them up at the airport, seeing as Stella had a limo waiting for us, but we’ve had rentals delivered since, giving everyone—bar me—a chance to drive.

As with every day that we’ve been here, the sky is cloudless and beautiful and excitement for the day ahead flutters in my belly.

Lifting our conjoined hands, Alex presses a kiss to my knuckles as he stares out of the window at the clear blue ocean growing before us.

With a contented sigh, I rest my head on his shoulder while the others chat around us.

I had no idea life with another person could be this easy, this effortless. But that’s exactly how it is with us. I’m one hundred percent me, and he’s unashamedly him. I trust him more than I do myself, and how secure I feel as a couple in only a short number of weeks would be terrifying if it weren’t for the incredible way he makes me feel.

He’s told his Dad he’s finished taking jobs, but I’m pretty sure that if he decided that he missed it—and I don’t mean the sex part; we get more than enough of that—the thrill of breaking someone down and extracting intel, then I don’t think I’d have a problem if he decided to start again. Hell, the whole thing almost sounds thrilling enough for me to suggest embarking on it with him.

I remember the fear, the excitement as I talked my way into letting the leaders of the city trade me for my boys. There was a definite buzz there that I’m scared he’ll miss.

He keeps telling me it’s fine, but I’m desperate for him to understand that I’ll support him no matter what. I know he’d do the same for me too. Not that I’m ever going back to camming. Dancing, maybe. With the Cirillos—or more so Stefanos and Blake—taking over from Derek and Vincent, giving the girls jobs and ensuring all their venues have the best dancers and servers, I’m confident that they’re being looked after properly.

Kyle brings the car to a stop and puts an end to my thoughts about life when we return to London.

“Come on, baby,” Alex murmurs, throwing the door open and tugging me out.

I suck in a deep breath of ocean air and savour the moment.

This place is incredible. I can understand why Stella has missed it so much. Her friends are amazing too.

With the woman in question taking up the lead, we all follow her to what appears to be the end of the beach, but she doesn’t stop. Instead, she marches straight into the water and begins making her way around the huge rock.

“So I guess we’re going around that then,” Alex teases.

“Looks that way.”

We follow, splashing through the warm waves as they lap at our legs. For a girl who’d never left London before this, it’s heaven.

“Oh wow,” I breathe when we finally round the rock and find a small section of beach.

Ashton and Zayn lower a cooler of food and drink while everyone else begins laying out towels and stripping down to their swimwear.

“Yeah, it’s… not exactly what we can find in London,” Alex says, dragging me from the water and finding us a spot next to Calli and Daemon.

“I have good memories of beaches with you two,” Calli says happily. She looks stunning in her pink bikini with her cute bump.

“Ah, hiding our girls from enemies. Good times,” Alex muses. “And if I remember rightly, you two had waaaay more fun on that beach than I ever did.”

“Don’t think I haven’t forgotten that she kissed you,” Daemon sulks.

“Dude, you need to get over that. It was dark; I snuck in. She thought I was you.”

“She still put her lips on yours.”

“Oh my God, is he pouting?” I laugh, unable to believe what I’m seeing.

“Fuck off,” Daemon grunts, crossing his arms over his chest.

Like Alex, he’s spent our time here embracing his scars. None of the others batted an eye when he first peeled his shirt off, but we all knew just how much of a big deal it was for him. Calli gazed at him with so much love and pride in her eyes, it was almost too intimate to watch. And I felt the same whenever Alex stripped down.

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