Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 108846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
I grip the back of the bar stool to keep myself from reaching out and clocking the asshole. “Get the fuck out of here before I call your new boss and let him know you’re harassing tourists.” Sanders. I make a mental note of that name.
“It’s fine. Sloane’s not a tourist.” Cody smirks, easing his dinghy away. “She’s just a raging bitch.”
My pulse explodes in my veins. I hoist Ryan onto the nearest chair—for both her safety and to get her out of my path—and then drop into the water, my fists balled as I charge toward him.
“Ronan! Help!” Connor’s voice booms from my right, his distressed words distracting me. He’s limping toward us in the water, a tear-streaked Katie cradled in his arms.
My rage evaporates in an instant.
“Here, I’ve got her.” Kyle stoops, and Rachel helps Katie loop her arms around his neck so he can carry her piggyback style. “You’ve got her, right?” He nods to Ryan, who’s slouched against the rail.
“Yeah, I got my drunk-ass sister.” Connor winces as he puts weight on his left leg. “Come on, drunkie. I’m behind you, but don’t fall or you’ll take us all out.”
Carefully, they all move up the steep set of wooden stairs from the dock, leaving me alone with Sloane.
“You weren’t kidding about those slides being dangerous.” I watch as she ties an impressive sailor’s knot with ease.
“You probably should have let the paramedics do their thing.” She hops up on the dock. “I’d get Katie’s ankle checked out right away. It could be broken.”
“Yeah, we’re gonna get her back to the house so she can change and then head in. Connor, too.” He doesn’t know what happened, except he landed weird and now his knee is swollen. “So much for a leisurely cruise.” It went sideways, fast.
“Yeah, I guess that wild orgy tonight might not work out for you guys,” she deadpans, her arms again folded across her chest. Closed off.
With all the commotion, she hasn’t forgotten that part. I owe you one, Ryan. “Look, I meant what I said earlier. That isn’t happening.”
“But it did happen.”
“It did.” And I won’t be ashamed. I definitely won’t apologize.
She bites her bottom lip, and I can almost hear the litany of questions screaming for answers inside her brain.
How many women has he fucked?
Has he fucked men?
How many other people is he fucking right now while he’s with me?
She won’t believe any answer I give her except the one that paints me as shady as her ex.
Sloane takes a step back and then another, away from me. “I’ve gotta close up here before Jeremy comes back in an hour, so I can deal with that mess.”
“I’m going to find out who Cody’s been talking to,” I promise. And fire her ass.
She shrugs. “Does it matter? They’re all going to quit on me when they hear about this, anyway.”
“Maybe not.”
“I would, if I were them.” She nods toward the stairs. “You should go. They’re waiting for you.” That’s a dismissal if I’ve ever heard one.
I stall for another long beat. “We’ll talk soon.”
“Yeah, sure, in another couple of weeks?” She shakes her head. “There’s a lot of drama here. Too much. You could lose your job, and you’re in that weird place, remember? And I’m very vanilla, compared to you. I can’t even believe I let today happen.” A nervous laugh escapes her.
“You didn’t enjoy it?” I hold my breath and wait for her to lie. I know she did.
“It’s not about enjoying it.” She falters. “I just … I don’t think we want the same things.”
We could. I wasn’t looking for anything, but now that I’ve met Sloane, she’s the one I keep gravitating back to, everything else be damned.
“Ronan! Come on!” Connor hollers.
Shit. “Coming.”
“Take care of yourself.” Sloane hops back onto the floating tiki, the weight of whatever fallout is to come squarely on her shoulders.
50. Sloane
“One more!” I force a smile as I aim the phone camera at Jeremy and his cruise girls. “There, got it. Make sure you tag us when you post. And thanks again for coming. Leave us a review!” All my standard parting lines.
“Oh, we will. Definitely.” French Braid waves at Jeremy before trotting away to join her friends.
“You’ve got a fan.”
“Yeah, Charlotte’s sweet.” He counts the fold of cash they must have tipped him, then tucks it in his pocket.
It reminds me that I didn’t get a tip. Then again, the cruise was cut short due to injury.
And I did get an orgasm.
I shake my head at myself and brush those dirty thoughts aside. “So, good shift?” I prod, bracing myself for the inevitable confrontation.
“Better than yours.” Jeremy crouches and sets to tying another rope to secure the float. “Have they gone to the hospital?”
“Probably, by now.” They left an hour ago. The right thing to do would be to text Ronan and ask. I know this, and yet I can’t bring myself to do it. Ronan is dangerous, like Frank said, but probably not in the way he meant. He’s dangerous for me because I’m not myself when he’s around. I’m reckless. I allow crazy things to happen that I never dreamed of when I was eighteen and brash, let alone thirty-one.