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As much as I try to resist that notion, it calls to me. But I don’t dare admit that to Josh.
“Give us the details,” he prompts Maleko in my silence.
“Of course. This is approximately ten grams of platinum. It’s heavier than gold. It’s also more durable. The center stone is three carats, cushion cut, color E, VVS2.”
In other words, expensive. But that’s hardly my first concern. Chad pays me well, and I come from a long line of hard workers and good investors. Cash isn’t the issue.
“What about a wedding band?” Josh asks.
“I think a simple channel-cut eternity band would fit best. I have examples. For a ring this size, I would recommend one or one-and-a-half carats.”
“Thank you.” My best friend turns to me. “What do you think?”
Josh is putting me on the spot when we don’t know how Kate feels about us? When I’m still grappling with how I feel?
I finally address the jeweler. “Can you excuse us for a minute?”
“Of course.” Maleko tucks the ring into a glass case and locks it before disappearing into a small office through a side door.
Into the quiet, Josh murmurs, “Admit it’s beautiful and it would look stunning on Kate’s finger.”
“Everything looks good on Kate. But we have no idea if she’s interested in getting married again, much less marrying us both.”
“That’s why we ask.”
I drag a hand down my face. “Buddy, we’ve talked about this.”
“Youdid. Now listen to me. You love her. And I’m convinced a more permanent relationship has crossed your mind.”
Unless I want to lie, I can’t refute him. “That doesn’t mean we should impulsively propose. There are too many considerations. And we still have no idea if she’d be willing to have everyone she loves and every person we work with know that she’s fucking us both. If she can’t do that, I see zero future with her.”
Then, before I get stupidly optimistic fairytale notions in my head, I shove my way out the door. It takes a few minutes, but Josh follows, looking both agitated and disappointed.
That irritates the fuck out of me. “Did you buy it anyway?”
“No. But figure out what you want and if you’re willing to take a chance before we fly out on Monday. If you’re not, I will.”
* * *
Kate
I’ve tried four times to finish this sentence of the email I’m drafting to send Savannah tomorrow. I might be in the office…but my mind isn’t on work. It’s on Marcus, on his aloofness before he left with Josh to get the pizza.
Our first few days in paradise, Marcus was beyond attentive, checking on my comfort all day and lavishing me with ecstasy all night. In so many ways, he was the ultimate alpha lover of my fantasies. Not that Josh isn’t equally amazing—and thoroughly inventive—but he’s more cerebral, more methodical. When he touches me, I can tell he’s thought about what he’s doing and why. He’s also a lot easier to read. Since the beginning, he’s seemingly been all in without hesitation. At first, Marcus was, too…
Now he’s pulling back.
Why? I have no idea and that rattles me because, despite my best efforts, I’m falling in love with them both.
Last night, Marcus instigated, making love to me with Josh savagely, like he couldn’t get to me fast enough, couldn’t get inside me deep enough, couldn’t wrench orgasms from me hard enough. But when it was over, he couldn’t roll away fast enough. For the first time, he slept alone in the other bed.
I don’t understand. It’s breaking my heart.
Is he pulling back because, after Monday’s flight, our fling will be over? Where will that leave me with Josh? Regrettably, he’ll probably be a memory, too.
Behind me, the scraping of the former lobby’s old front door snags my attention. I turn, expecting to see that Josh and Marcus have somehow returned in a handful of minutes with pizza and wine. Instead, I clap eyes on two people I never expected to see in Hilo.
“Dad! Mariah!” I leap out of my seat and go running.
