Bailey rolled her eyes. “Always so sensible.”
If only you knew,I thought, remembering the way I’d streaked naked down the beach beneath the moonlight the night before while Henry chased me. Thinking of the way Henry had trailed strawberries all over my skin while we’d laid in the sand two days before that. The rides on the moped over the island. The way we’d explored parts of Mykonos the others didn’t even know existed.
Sensible? I hadn’t been that since meeting Henry.
“I just think if Rhea wants to go there with Jace, she should. If she isn’t sure, she shouldn’t.” I stared out to sea, really not wanting to get involved in this. I had no right to tell anyone what to do, or ratherwhoto do, when I was holding back so many secrets of my own.
A twinge of guilt ran through me, making me want to turn to them both, blurt out the truth, and lay it all out there. But I couldn’t. I’d made a promise to Henry that this thing between us, whatever the hell it had become, would stay exactly that: between us. Our secret adventure. Our fling in the summer sun.
But then more memories of the last week drifted through my mind.
When Henry had rolled me onto my back in the sand and laid on top of me, running his hand through my hair and down my cheek as he just stared into my eyes as though I was his to lose and he didn’t want to let me go.
The wind blowing against us on the moped, the sun up ahead, and the smell of him surrounding me, making me lean in even closer to rest my chin on his shoulder as the muscles in his arms flexed while he steered us around the winding streets.
Was it wrong that some of the best moments of my life had happened with a man I barely knew? Those smiles he gave me in secret gave me the strength to carry on as normal in public. I couldn’t imagine how I’d have gotten through this trip without him now.
By the time I’d zoned back into Rhea and Bailey’s conversation, my cheeks had become flushed from the memories of Henry lying on top of me, when Jace called out from behind us.
“Hey, Ree-Ree?”
Groaning but unable to hide her amusement, Rhea glanced over her shoulder in his direction, making us do the same. Jace stood there in his swim shorts, wearing a pair of dark shades while holding up his almost-empty glass.
“Yes, Jay-Jay?” she hit back.
“Fallen in love with me yet?”
“Nope. Not yet.”
“Shit.” He shook his head, his grin as big as ever. “How about now?”
“Go away, Jace.”
“You’re coming around, baby. I can tell.”
With a laugh I’d grown to appreciate, he turned back to the guys, who were sitting on the leather U-shaped seating area behind us. My eyes found Henry instantly, and he looked back at me like only the two of us existed. For one selfish moment,I wished that were true. The wind whipped over his thick hair, making me want to run my fingers through it before I’d press my lips to his and wait for his hands to slide around to my arse to pull me closer. I imagined how the two of us would be able to sit together, him wrapped around me as we watched the sun begin to set in the next few hours. I imagined us sharing champagne, eating off each other’s stomachs, and the tender touches he’d grace to my face and body when he had nobody to hide from.
The sheer thought of it all had me turning back around to look out at the ocean instead of him, because the need I had for him now had grown so strong, I struggled to keep control of myself in front of the others.
The thought of Henry being able to stand up in front of our friends and make jokes the way Jace had just done with Rhea had a knot of want mixed with jealousy forming in the pit of my stomach—one I didn’t like the feel of.
“You know what, Rhea,” I said. “I think youshouldgo for it with, Jace.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.” I turned to her, forcing a smile I didn’t feel. “I think maybe it’s time you gave into what you really want. It’s not every day a guy our age puts so much effort in to getting the girl, is it? Jace is sweet as hell, he clearly wants you, and it’s pretty obvious you feel the same way.”
“Atta girl, Pheebs,” Bailey said beside me.
“But I…” Rhea trailed off, a small scowl forming, because even she knew her arguments had run dry at this point.
I glanced over my shoulder one last time and locked eyes with Henry, wishing I could go to him. Wishing I could show them all what he’d done to me these last few days, not just physically, but emotionally, too. The way he’d pieced me back together without even realising the work he’d put in.
Rhea had no idea how precious our time left on this island was, and I didn’t want her having any regrets or wondering what could have been the way I would have done had I not taken Henry up on his offer.
Looking back at her, I gave her a brighter smile this time. “Go get him. Give him the surprise of his life. We said we’d make this a holiday to remember, right? Don’t go home with any what ifs.”
Despite our sunglasses being in the way, I could see the way Rhea searched my eyes, trying to read me instead of dealing with her own wants and desires, so I raised my eyebrows at her and mouthed only one word:Go.
