go. Don’t make such a big deal out of the bomb Bas just dropped on you and carry on with our day. This was supposed to be a stress-free break for her, after all.
But a strange mix of fury and frustration brewed in my blood. That odd combination, along with my sexual frustration, made my fuse shorter than usual. I wanted to pummel someone—or something.
Because, goddammit, I just might have ruined a lifelong bond with one of the two friends in my orbit I considered family.
And I did it for her—to protect her.
To ensure that she could work through her issues in freedom, not a jail cell.
And yes, I’d do it all again. Every single decision.
At the moment, however, I needed to work out the built-up frustration I was caging and come back to her in a calmer physical state and with a more rational mental one as well.
“I think I’m going to go work out for a little while. Will you be okay on your own for an hour or two?”
“For Christ’s sake, Grant. I’m a grown woman. Plus, it’s not like I can go anywhere.” Her features softened while she tried to reassure me. “I’ll be fine. I’ll probably catch up on email and stuff. Do you mind if I use your laptop to sign in to my account?”
“No, I don’t mind. I’ll get it set up for you. There’s a small office at the bow of the boat. Do you want to go there? Maybe have a little change of scenery? I can show you how to get to the cat’s cabin on the way.”
“Actually, I think I’ll just stay here. Maybe take a little nap too.”
“All right, suit yourself. When I get back, we can decide how to spend the rest of the day,” I said, pulling a tank top on while I spoke. There was no way I was going to let her stay cooped up in this cabin for the next week. Rio, me, and a giant bed plus an endless amount of time was not a safe equation to calculate at the moment. No, it was outright perilous.
For the first time since meeting this intriguing, confusing, challenging woman, I feared I might be in over my head.
Chapter Four
Rio
Only twenty-six messages waited in my email inbox. That was unusual, but I assumed Abbi had asked Dori to handle all the Abstract Catering correspondence, because not a single message was from that address.
I scrolled down the column anyway, curious about what kind of crap had made it through the junk mail filter.
Huge Going Out of Business Sale!
Delete.
“Didn’t they already go out of business months ago?” I muttered.
Travel Deals You Can’t Pass Up!
Delete.
Sorry, gang. Can’t make it to Aruba or Cairo this year. Want to know about my yacht cruise to Hawaii, though?
Mmm…with a cruisemate who looked so damn sexy in board shorts, I was four seconds from jumping him.
“Move on, girl,” I ordered myself through gritted teeth.
Genius Brain Update: Install Now!
Delete.
I’d removed that silly app an hour after downloading it—yet had been dealing with the promotional emails for eight months since. It was a little creepy—unless the damn app knew something I didn’t. Maybe I did need a few more genius neurons in my skull. Maybe they could’ve helped me from landing in this exact predicament.
“Move. On.” Forget the mutter. I fully growled it at myself now.
Top Ten Reasons Not to F$%* Your BFF.
“Well, here we go! Finally something with promise.”
My favorite online magazine subscription was one of my guilty pleasures, an ideal distraction for my overactive mind. Between the fluffy articles, horoscope predictions, trending top tens, and pop-up advertisements, there were also many helpful advice columns. After a few clicks of the trackpad, I had this one loaded and ready.
Too bad the end result wasn’t as good as my anticipation. The article ended up being snarky, bitter, and disappointing. Maybe the author was fresh off a bad breakup. Or maybe her partner went to work one day and never came home.
Like mine.
So who was the bitter one now?
I wasn’t about to answer that. Besides, I’d given enough time to cyberspace already. I quit the browser, logged out of my email account, and closed the lid of Grant’s laptop. My eyes were getting heavy while I read that drivel anyway, so a nap seemed like the right call. The cabin was so warm and quiet, making it easy to relax on top of the covers and curl up on my side.