And yet, he showed me a bit of his tender side and got me for a second.

But then… Things followed their course.

He knew why Kai and I were late last night. And he saw me in the pool with Francisco. The rest was no secret for anyone, although they didn’t get a minute-by-minute report on it.

He is stingy with showing his heart, and he is right to act that way. I eventually got whisked away, and whatever he had given me that day had been erased completely.

Even the memory of that night seems fuzzy.

That’s why it hurts. I shouldn’t be worried about him. He’ll never fall for me without me falling for him first.

That is Alejandro in a gist.

I shouldn’t be worried about any of them. They have no intention of getting their hearts broken. Which works for me.

But does it?

My idea that they could fall for me sooner than I thought and I could win my prize earlier than anticipated is now a stupid joke that has landed flat.

Their assurance that if I fell for one of them, that particular man would reciprocate my feelings sounds more like a pick up line.

It’s all fluff.

The reality is here with me. Sex brings us up, and sex drags us down. Without the tingles between our legs, our walls rise high, and our hearts stay locked behind them.

Hence the regret… But regrets are like weeds. They grow from nothing and are a pain in the butt. When they are overgrown, you need to cut them and remove them.

So no regrets, Alejandro.

I stare blankly at Kai’s back while he’s peering at the ocean.

Easier said than done. It’s probably easier to cut weeds than pull regrets out of my heart. Even ignored, they remain stashed in the nooks and crannies and weigh heavily, waiting for me to crash.

I move my eyes to Robert, Francisco, Alejandro, and the two other men.

Robert and I haven’t exchanged a word since I arrived. Francisco doesn’t know I exist. And Alejandro…

Hmm. His dark eyes hold a deep fire. His strong blaze could easily burn me to the ground.

I do catch someone’s attention, though. To my dismay, it’s the same man who’s noticed me before. The one with the square-shaped ring and irritating smirk.

I don’t like him. He gives me a bad vibe, and my body reacts with a shudder of disgust, invisible hairs standing on end on my arms.

I move my eyes away from him, cold like a piece of broken glass.

Theodore something. Ted Sloane. Made his money in the auto industry, and now he’s eager to invest. Married or separated. Two grown-up kids, who are probably my age.

I eavesdropped on a conversation Kai’s father had with some group members this morning, and the man was part of it.

Why did he look at me like that?

Forget about him… Well, well, well. Who said the night was boring?

A woman keeps Kai’s company. Where did she come from? She must’ve just arrived. I haven’t seen her before.

I would’ve noticed her for sure.

She has long dark hair like me and wears a sparkling short dress with narrow straps and deep cleavage. The fabric drapes between her breasts, revealing part of her chest.

Tags: Shayne Ford Romance
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