“What are you doing?”

“Have to go past the party to get to the front.”

I smirked. “You want to head to the villa or the party?”

She looked at me all sultry and perfect. “Well, I’m not in the mood for dancing.”

“You want to head back to the villa…with me?” I clarified.

“You’d let me walk back in the dark? Alone?” She pouted and I leaned over and licked her bottom lip. She gasped.

“Breathe,” I said against her mouth.

“You make it hard to breathe,” she contested, pulling on a shoe.

“Don’t your feet hurt?”

“Yes, but I’m not going to walk all the way there barefoot.”

I stood and pulled Bane to her feet. She looked so small in my jacket, but the sight of her wrapped in my clothes was an insane turn-on.

I handed her the cups. “How about a ride?”

“What sort of ride?”

I turned from her. “Hop on.”

She stepped onto the chair and wrapped her arms around my neck, cups in one hand, her purse in the other, pressing into my back. “Are you sure you want to try this?”

I reached around behind me, quickly finding her legs, and hooked my elbows around her thighs, hoisting her onto my back. Her grip around my neck nearly choked me until I had her adjusted.

“Don’t kill me!” she squealed.

“You don’t kill me!” I shot back.

“Oh! Sorry!” She loosened her choke hold and kissed the side of my neck. “Is that better?”

My grip around her thighs, skin to skin, tightened. “Are you fully covered back there?”

“Yes, thanks to your jacket. Now giddy-up.”

I maneuvered through the sand and followed the sidewalk in the growing dark. We paused at a trash can for her to dump the cups into. We left behind the crowds and torchlights. Ahead was the trail. Above, the stars and a bright moon.

I walked carefully in the dark. The last thing I wanted was to trip and hurt Bane, but I was also in a hurry to get back to the villa with the greatest hope of having the place to ourselves.

Thirty-three Bhanu

“Do you want me to light the way with my phone’s flashlight app?” I suggested. If only I could get to my purse without falling off.

“No.”

“Don’t drop me.”

“I’d never do that.”

“I dunno…seems like great payback for all those times I got to you at work.”

“You’re delirious from too much cake; you never get to me.”

I took a deep breath, inhaling the lingering scent of Sunny’s shampoo and hair product and sandalwood cologne. I leaned down and licked his ear, whispering, “Are you sure?”

His hold on my thighs tightened, sending a screaming sensation of pleasure to my core.

He turned his head and muttered, “If you keep that up, I might drop you.”

I cherished the feel of him. “This is fun. By the way…Diya isn’t coming over tonight…”

His fingers pressed into my thighs, and I swore he moved faster.

Ahead, villa lights and sidewalks appeared. Waves crashed against the shore and rocks to the left.

“You can let me down,” I said, worried about hurting his back.

“Not here.”

Even though we’d made it to the sidewalks.

“Okay, now you can let me down,” I said.

“Not here.”

Even though he was unlocking the front door.

“Here?” I croaked.

He shook his head, even though we were inside and he’d flipped on the lights. The place had been dark, quiet, and obviously empty.

“What’s that?” I pointed at the small basket on the counter.

Sunny walked me over and turned, sliding me onto a barstool like it was nothing, graceful and fluid.

He turned into me as I pulled out items from the basket, saying, “It’s a gift from Diya. For both of us.”

“That’s nice of her.” He examined the box of decadent local macnut chocolates with appreciation.

I riffled through the other items. Local rum cake that was very tasty and quite strong. The small size packed a mighty punch. And underneath that? I picked up the foiled packages before realizing what they were. I hid them behind my back the second Sunny saw.

“What’s that?” he asked, peering around me.