The reminder may as well have been a knife in the chest, because the thought of losing this moment to the past and returning to a shitty future without her began to suffocate me.
“Then, we’d better make it count, hadn’t we?”
“More sex?”
My chest bounced with silent laughter. “There’s more to me than my skills in the bedroom, you know.”
“Oh…” She sighed. “I know. I really,reallyknow.”
A sad yet comfortable silence formed between us, and I was fairly certain that if Andy were to turn around and pay even the slightest bit of attention to the expression on my face right now, we’d be rumbled in a heartbeat. I just found myself losing the will to give a shit as Phoebe stared up at me, taking me in.
“It’s not been long enough,” she finally admitted.
“It’s not over yet.” I smiled flatly, even though those five little words from her caused an avalanche of dread to wash over me. Dread at having to say goodbye. Dread at it all being over. Dread at going back to that life and feeling trapped again when everyone expected me to be nothing but grateful.
Phoebe had been about to say something else when Jace came around the corner of the pool’s entrance with Rhea in hand, throwing his free arm in the air and crying out, “Pack up your shit, my people! Big Daddy here has just won big on the footie, and because I’m a shareranda carer, I’ve used the winnings to take you lovely lot out on a little daytrip.”
Rhea bounced on her toes beside him, clapping her hands together. “He’s only gone and booked us all onto a private catamaran sunset cruise around the island.”
The splash of water pulled my attention to where Andy waded through the pool, with Bailey hanging off his back. “What the hell, Jace? How much did that cost?”
“Doesn’t matter. Got lucky on a little footie bet, so it’s practically free money.” Jace’s smile seemed a mile wide as he glanced around all of us, his brows shooting up. “Come on, then. What you all waiting for? Let’s go.”
The rest of us glanced at each other before the cheering began, and Andy and Bailey came unglued enough to climb outof the pool, but when I looked back down at Phoebe, she stared up at me as though the rest of them weren’t even there.
“A sunset cruise,” she said, running a hand over her wet hair. “Almost sounds… romantic.”
She gave me a secret look that spoke of all the bad things she wanted to do with me, then made her way to climb out of the pool, and all I could think as I watched her toned, smooth legs emerge from the water, and her adjust the small piece of material around her tight arse was…
I’m breaking every rule I ever placed on myself for you.
And you’re worth every consequence I have to face because of it.
Chapter Thirty-One
Phoebe
The endless blue ocean spread out all around us, and the usual wind that surrounded Mykonos grew even stronger the moment the catamaran set sail with only the captain of the vessel and the six of us onboard. It whipped through my hair while I sat next to Bailey and Rhea on the trampoline netting at the front of the boat. As usual, I positioned myself in the middle, my legs crossed, with a bottle of champagne in a cooler propped in there while the other two rested back on their elbows, their legs kicked out and faces tilted to the sun.
I took a sip from the flute in my hand, unable to believe the glorious view before me. “I can’t believe Jace spent his winnings on this for us.”
“Must have cost him a fortune,” Bailey said with a contented sigh.
“Over seven hundred for three hours,” Rhea chimed in, making us turn her way. Her eyes remained closed. Sensing us staring, she shrugged and added, “I was there when he booked it. Think he was trying to impress me.”
“Has it worked?” I asked.
“No comment.”
“Hell, it’s impressed me.” Bailey laughed before downing the rest of her champagne and reaching for the bottle for a top up. “You’re running out of time, Rhea. We only have a few days left.”
“Time for what?”
“You know damn well what.”
The reminder of our impending departure made my stomach dip, but I kept the smile on my face somehow… until Bailey nudged me with her elbow. “Tell her, Bee. She may never see him again. Shouldn’t she just go for it?”
“I don’t think it’s my call to say who Rhea sleeps with.”
