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He would turn forty-eight in a few months, but fuck me if he’d ever looked this sexy.
He stared right back at me with an unreadable expression, and he didn’t stop until he was about two feet away.
I hauled in a breath and peered up at him.
What’s it gonna be?
Did I yell at him? Cry? Beg him to take me back?
I was so tense that I’d topple over if he breathed on me.
The corners of his mouth twisted into the barest smile. “How’s my little sea monster?”
Not that phrase.
A wave of longing washed over me, causing my eyes to well up, so I panicked and dropped my gaze.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!
He stepped closer and dropped his duffel somewhere behind me, and then he sighed and draped one arm around me, pulling me right to where I had to be.
“Why are you here?” My breathing stuttered, and I locked my arms into place to keep them at my sides. If I hugged him back now, I’d never let go.
He hummed and nudged up my chin. When our gazes met again, the corners of his eyes crinkled with a soft grin.
God, he was so fucking beautiful.
“Hunting you is always on the menu, Macklin,” he murmured. I shivered violently, trapped. Utterly trapped. “Other than that…” He dipped down slowly and brushed his lips to mine. Oh God. “I figured it’s time we get this divorce over and done with.”
I blanched. Or had he slapped me? Something hurt. A lot.
“That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?” he asked. “I was an idiot for hoping, but even I can’t ignore the signs when you crawl into bed with my own brother.”
Ow.
After delivering that punch straight to my gut, he left me standing there and headed up the beach.
“The lost Master returns!” Reese hollered, earning himself a warm laugh from Walker. “Damn, it’s good to see you, man.”
I blinked rapidly, to no avail. The tears spilled over, and all I wanted was to go home.
Was our ten-year-long horror story over now? Because what he’d said felt more final than anything we’d ever said before. Even when I had uttered the words we’re over. Maybe it was because it came from him.
I was supposed to be relieved, right?
I was the opposite.
I had to safeword. I didn’t wanna be part of this anymore. I had to leave. I had to get out of here. Anxiety bubbled up within me, taking hold of my chest and squeezing it tightly.
“I don’t know how to interpret what just happened.” Lane jogged over to me, and I hurriedly wiped my cheeks and cleared my throat. “Sweetheart, what did he say? Did he hurt you? I fucking swear, I will—”
“Don’t.” I grabbed his arm before he could do something stupid. He was already glaring in Walker’s direction.
“No, screw this.” Lane wrenched free and stalked toward the others, and I cursed and went after him. “Hey, Walker! You come here to reconnect with buddies or just stir up shit?”
Jesus Christ.
“Lane,” I gritted out.
We suddenly had two surprised Tenleys looking our way, and Walker tilted his head at Lane. As always, he aced the unreadable expressions. If he didn’t want anyone to know what was going on inside his head, it simply wasn’t happening.
“You must be Lane.” Walker extended a hand. “Colt’s spoken highly of you. I’m Walker McKenna, your boyfriend’s husband.”
Hello, migraine, my old friend.
“Yeah, that’s nice.” Lane shook Walker’s hand, undeterred and not intimidated. “Mind telling me why Macklin’s in tears two seconds after you arrived?”
Mortification flooded me, along with anger. Sign me up for any fucking drama around the community—who loved whom, who had gone home with whom—as long as it didn’t involve me, and definitely not my emotional reactions. They were goddamn private. I had limits to what I revealed, and I only cried in public when someone was withholding an orgasm.
“That’s our cue.” River clapped Reese’s shoulder, and the two couldn’t escape quick enough, with Shay in tow.
“I’m not staying either,” Lane said. Then he gestured between Walker and me. “You get one more shot. I want our stay here to be kinky as fuck, and I won’t be able to enjoy myself if Macklin’s upset. Get it sorted.” With that said, he stalked away from us too.
I’d love to say this was the first time that had happened.
“We always knew how to clear a room, didn’t we?”
“Because we’re not likable people,” I replied dully.
He was wrong, though. While this had happened before, it hadn’t always been like this. Our last two or three years, though… Christ. We’d agreed to show up at kink events at least once a month, whether we were in the mood or not. Sometimes, we’d brought our fights with us.
I found Walker watching me with his brow furrowed.
I sighed and made a vague gesture for us to walk in the other direction along the beach. If we were gonna ensure Lane had a kinky stay on the island, Walker and I would have to clear the air at least a little. In private.
