Consequences: A Mafia Billionaire Romance by Shanna Handel

Author:Shanna Handel [Handel, Shanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stormy Night Publications
Published: 2020-04-16T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Emily

I trudge across the sand, lugging a huge cooler. Eli comes up by my side, taking it from my hand. “Here, let me get that.”

“Thanks. It’s the least you could do after getting me in trouble with the captain,” I tease.

“It was in your best interest, Emily.” He’s not teasing back.

I clear my throat. “Alright. You’re right. I’m still mad though.”

Eli flashes me a grin that makes heat rise in my face. “I hope he wasn’t too hard on you.”

He knows. I can feel it in my gut. I grab his hand. He stops, looks at me. “Please don’t mention it to anyone.”

“I would never.” His reply is sincere.

Something akin to deep trust passes between us. I like him. I can see why Charlotte does. She’s young, flighty. She could use someone as solid as Eli in her life. I ask, “You’re a good friend, aren’t you?”

His eyes lock on mine. “To the people I care about, I am.” He leans in, giving me one of those stern looks the men around here seem to have mastered. “And I care enough about my friends to correct them.”

Make me blush, why don’t you, Eli?

I think of the story Charlotte told me earlier... Eli correcting her behavior in the same way Captain has mine. I’m half tempted to ask him what he thinks of Charlotte. To tell him I know they know each other from back home. Instead I take a page from Eli’s playbook and respect their privacy. I pull a white linen cloth from the bag, spreading it over the table the deck crew has already set out. Eli sets the cooler beside it, pulling drinks out and arranging them in neat rows. We work quietly side by side, quickly getting the job done.

When we finish, I step back, admiring our work. Jules arrives in the tender, carrying vases of fresh roses. The crew helps her down onto the sand. We add the flowers to our spread. Chef stands in the boat, hollering for us ‘bums’ to come help him unload the trays he’s prepared.

We hurry over and take the food from him. Giant platters of fresh fruit, meats, cheeses, delicate sandwiches and salads, all covered in clear film. Enough food for ten people, though Rockland and Tess will be the only ones dining. Nothing will be wasted. Chef knows the crew will devour whatever’s left over as soon as the guests leave.

“Here they come,” Jules says, reverence in her voice.

I follow her gaze and instantly realize why she sounds like she’s spotted royalty. Tess and Rockland make their way toward us, hand in hand. Tess’ red hair blazes against her milky skin, a golden sarong whipping behind her in the breeze. Rockland is a shirtless wall of deeply tanned muscles, his hair spiked from the saltwater. He wears board shorts and nothing else on his taut body.

They ooze power, glamor, and... sex.

I feel a stir between my legs just looking at them. The way they stare at one another as if they are the only ones in the world.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.