Sunset Heat: Bandicoot Cove 2

by Lexxie Couper

  Luke was the one person on this planet who kept him grounded. Why else was it Luke who Addison had run to when the Egyptian president’s daughter came after him with marriage in her sights? Why else was it Luke who Addison preferred to spend his downtime from filming with?

  His cousin, the most decent bloke Addison knew.

  Did he really want to destroy that one good, honest, pure relationship? For the possibility of another one?

  Did he?

  He looked at Kennedy, studying her face, with its straight honey-blonde eyebrows, its faint smattering of freckles, its full lips and fine nose. It was a beautiful face. She was beautiful. “What is this thing between us?” he asked, his head fuzzy with need, his body tortured with guilt. “Is it the same as between you and Luke? Different? Or does it only exist because of him?”

  “Addison,” she began, but he stopped her with a shake of his head.

  “What do you want from me, Kennedy? I need to know. Before I press you back into the sand and lose myself in your body, I need to know what it is you want from me.”

  Breakfast tasted like dust. Luke tossed his knife and fork onto the plate, his poached eggs, bacon and grilled tomato barely touched.

  He looked about the poolside bistro, the very place this time yesterday morning, he and Addison had flirted shamelessly with the waitress. The same waitress served his table this morning, her eyes and body language telling him she was more than happy to take up where they’d left off.

  He’d watched her lick her lips as she placed his coffee on the table before him, leaning forward just enough for the lace of her bra to be exposed by the deep V of her shirt, her hip touching his shoulder as she reached for his napkin, the backs of her fingers brushing over his crotch as she lay it over his lap.

  If he wanted her, he could have had her. He didn’t doubt it. The trouble was, he didn’t want her. Not at all.

  The woman he wanted however…for all he fucking knew, she was currently with Addison. Sir Addison.

  “Fuck,” he muttered, pulling the napkin from his lap and dropping it on the table. He had no idea where his cousin was, hadn’t seen him since Addison stormed from their suite four hours ago, and when he’d gone to Kennedy’s suite before coming to breakfast, no one had answered the door. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

  “Let me guess.” A deep male voice chuckled beside him, and Luke jerked his stare upward, surprised to find Aidan—groom-to-be and the state’s most awarded firefighter—lowering himself onto the empty seat. “You just remembered it’s my buck’s night tonight and you haven’t organized the stripper?”

  The man grinned, his sheer strength and size making Luke feel small. He’d seen Aidan lift a car singlehandedly from a bleeding passenger at an accident scene, and it still amazed Luke the man seemed so boyish.

  “Stripper?” Luke chuckled. “If I organized a stripper Mack would eat me for breakfast.”

  Aidan’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re not scared of my fiancée, are you?”

  Luke burst out laughing. “Bloody oath, I am.”

  It was Aidan’s turn to laugh. “Chicken.” He reached over the table and plucked a slice of untouched toast from Luke’s plate. Ten years of fighting fires together, of coexisting in the station house meant when it came to food there were no real boundaries between them. “So tell me,” he said, toast poised at his lips, “what’s got you so flustered? And don’t you say your speech tomorrow night.”

  Luke’s smile faded. He looked away from Aidan, his gaze falling on the waitress on the other side of the bistro. How much easier would it be just to wander on over there, whisper his suite number in her ear and fuck Kennedy out of his system?

  “Is it the American photographer?”

  Luke jerked his stare back to Aidan, his pulse pounding in his ear. “How do you—”

  Aidan held up the slice of toast like it was a stop sign. “Mate, I watched you last night at the cocktail party. You couldn’t keep your eyes off her. Even when I was talking to you, you were with her. What’s the deal? I know she’s more than just a quick fling. I can tell by the way you look at each other. How do you know her?”

  Luke let out a ragged sigh, running his hands through his hair. “Remember when I went to the U.S. as part of the Firefighters’ World Games?”

  Aidan snorted. “Of course I do. You had a holiday in New York for a week. I had to deal with three house fires, two car accidents and the science block of Newcastle High School being set alight by a group of students from Cardiff High. I also remember you coming back to work like a bear with a thorn stuck in its paw. You were a pain in the arse, yelling at just about everyone one minute and staring out the window the…” His voice faded away, realization dawning on his face. “Ah, the American.” He grinned. “You already know her.”

  Luke’s pulse thumped harder. “We shared a one-night stand two nights before I flew back to Australia.”

  “And now she’s working here at Bandicoot Cove?” Aidan shook his head. “That’s fate telling you something, mate. You know that, right?”

  “Fate’s fucking with me, Rogers. It put Kennedy here at the same time it put Addison.”

  “And she’s interested in your cousin? Really? I didn’t get that at all last night.”

  Luke combed his fingers through his hair again. At this rate, he was going to be bald before he got off the island. “I don’t know. I don’t think she does either. I’m going to sound like a wanker, but we shared something special in New York, just the two of us, and I thought…” He swallowed, watching the waitress move about the other diners, her attention flicking to him over and over again in cute, sideward glances.

  Ah, Beaso. If only you could use her to fuck Kennedy out of your system. But you can’t. Because you’re not a jerk.

  He swallowed again, returning his focus to Aidan. “Ever had a threesome?”

  He didn’t know why he asked the question. Maybe to see Aidan’s reaction? If his friend and deputy captain recoiled in disgust—or laughed himself silly—Luke would know what he was contemplating was lunacy.

  And what are you contemplating? Sharing Kennedy forever with Addison? Or for as long as it works? Could you really do that? For the woman you’re in love with?

  “I have,” Aidan answered, and Luke blinked. “Right here on this island, in fact.”

  Luke was sure he’d heard Aidan incorrectly. He had to. There was no way Aidan Rogers would partake in something as…unorthodox as a threesome.

  “If it wasn’t for the threesome, I never would have known just how much I loved Mack,” the man continued, a lopsided smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Don’t get me wrong, I already knew I loved her. Fuck, everyone did. Except Mack. I’ve loved her from the very day I met her way back in high school, but it took sharing her with someone for me to realize I would kill for her. Or kill any other man who wanted to touch her.”

  Luke couldn’t fathom what he was hearing. He stared at Aidan—the man he’d worked with for ten years, the most conservative, responsible firefighter Luke knew, a pillar of the community, the face of the state’s firefighting brigade. “Wait, are you telling me you and McKenzie had a threesome? Here?”

  Aidan leant forward, all signs of the boyish man-child gone. “I am. And the only reason I’m doing so, Beaso, is because I know what it’s like to be bloody messed up by love. I know what it’s like to have your balls caught because you’re too gutless to tell the woman you love more than life itself you want nothing but her. And I could tell last night, every time you looked at the American, you wanted to open your chest, reach in, pull out your heart and give it to her.” He snared another piece of toast from Luke’s plate. “And just so you know, I’m going to tell Mack the minute I leave here I did tell you, and the reason why.”

  Luke gaped at Aidan. He couldn’t help it. “Why are you telling me?”

  Aidan sat back, took a bite out of his stolen triangle of toast, chewed it, swallowed it and then fixed Luke with a steady stare. “Because you
’re thinking you could learn to tolerate a relationship sharing Kennedy with Addison, as long as you’re with her, as long as you get to hold her, kiss her, give her pleasure and have her in your world.” He took another bite, his gaze unwavering from Luke’s. “Right?”

  Luke didn’t know what to say. “How did you…” He stared at Aidan, his mouth dry, his blood roaring in his ears.

  Aidan chuckled, a wry sound unlike any Luke had heard him make before. “Everything you’re thinking now, I thought myself.”

  Luke dragged in a deep breath, Aidan’s words a low rumble in his head. Every word was true. Every one. Luke knew Addison wanted Kennedy, he knew Kennedy was conflicted about how she felt for his cousin. And he knew, no matter how much he tried to kid himself otherwise, he’d never be able to survive a relationship where all three of them did what they’d done yesterday. It had been the most amazing, intense, pleasurable, surreal day of his life, and he never wanted to experience it again.

  It would tear him apart to see Kennedy pleasured by another man, brought to climax by another man, even one he loved as much as he did Addison.

  It was going to hurt like hell never to touch her again, but better never to touch her again than kill his cousin.

  “Now.” Aidan rose to his feet, towering over Luke, his expression…sympathetic. “It’s the day of my buck’s night. I need to spend it with my future wife convincing her the stripper my best man has lined up isn’t going to seduce me into passion so frenzied I forget all about my promise to love her until I die.” He gave Luke a grin, but Luke couldn’t miss the serious intensity in his eyes. “A promise I fully intend never to break.”

  “Rogers?” Luke frowned at him, his heart still racing far too fast, his mouth still far too dry. “Who was the other man? The guy you shared…”

  Aidan shook his head. “I can’t tell you that, mate. And it doesn’t really matter. But he was the right bloke to do it with, and I’m glad it was him that gave me and Mack that wonderful, amazing experience. And if he ever thought he could come back and have her again, I’d break him in two. Without a second thought.”

  And with that, he leant forward, stole the last piece of untouched toast from Luke’s plate and walked away, throwing a quick “See you tonight, best man” over his shoulder.

  Leaving Luke alone at the table, his eggs cold, his toast gone and the waitress making a beeline for him.

  “Can I get you anything?”

  He swung his stare from the sight of Aidan’s broad back, up into the direct blue eyes of the waitress. A thick lump formed in his throat. “Errr…”

  “My shift finishes in an hour,” she said, withdrawing her order pad from the pocket of her apron and scrawling something on it with quick, fluid strokes. She tore off the top sheet of paper and passed it to Luke, her eyes once more telling him very clearly that she was ready for what they’d begun yesterday morning to continue. “I’m more than happy to show you the pleasures of the island when I’m done.”

  His blood pounding through his veins, his gut knotted, Luke took the small sheet of paper. It was her mobile number, of course. Ten digits neatly written on the paper followed by an equally-as-neat love heart and the name Shelli.

  “I know a really private swimming hole a little further inland,” she went on, “surrounded by rainforest and soft white sand. It’s perfect for skinny-dipping.” She touched the tip of her tongue to the end of her pen. “And other things that don’t require clothes.”

  Luke’s cock throbbed in his shorts, a base response of primitive sexual need. Before he could say anything however, the waitress hurried away, stopping at a few tables as she made her way to what he assumed was the kitchen.

  Sitting motionless, he tried to picture her standing hip-deep in still, clear water, her breasts uncovered, her nipples tight and ready to be sucked.

  Instead, all he could see in his mind was Kennedy, naked and trembling—her breasts heaving, first as she begged him to get rid of the butterfly in her room, and second as he brought her to orgasm with his mouth and fingers and dick.

  He closed his eyes, bit back a low groan, his balls heavy and full with need, and opened his eyes again. The waitress stood a few tables away from him, watching him from the corner of her eye.

  Luke saw her smile. Saw her touch the flesh between her breasts.

  He ground his teeth, dropping his stare to the piece of paper in his hand.

  Ten digits, a heart and Shelli.

  He flicked his watch a quick look, took note of the time and straightened to his feet. Time was running out.

  He needed to get moving. Now.

  Chapter Eight

  Walking through the lush gardens of the resort, the beach behind her, sand still clinging to her toes, Kennedy found herself wondering if she could be any more pathetic. Moving to Australia, to Bilby Island, was meant to be the new chapter of her life. There wasn’t meant to be confusion and chaos. There was meant to be serenity, laughs and generally a relaxed time. A time spent taking photos of people enjoying themselves. Instead…

  She flicked a look at the man walking beside her.

  Instead, she’d stepped into the kind of romance film she would have walked out on if she’d been watching it in a theater. The kind where the heroes were too good to be true, the heroine did stupid things, and the audience threw things at the screen every time she did.

  She tightened her grip on her camera. She’d intended to capture the gorgeous sunrise with it but hadn’t taken a single photo.

  Because you were busy doing other things, yes?

  A lump filled her throat, and she shot another look at her walking companion.

  Addison hadn’t said anything since they’d left the beach together, which was unusual for him. After over twenty-four hours in his company, she knew he liked to fill silence with sarcastic but funny comments and quips. What had passed between them on the beach however… Well, there wasn’t really anything funny or sarcastic to comment on about that.

  Are you sure? Sarcasm would fit perfectly about now. Something like Gee, you fucked this up well, didn’t you, Kennedy?

  She ground her teeth and bit back a sigh. She had fucked things up well. Very well. And now she had to live with that.

  For how long?

  Instead of waiting for an answer she didn’t want to think about, she turned to Addison. “Are you going to the buck’s night tonight?”

  He gave her a sideward look, his expression unreadable. “Yes. Are you?”

  “For a little while. McKenzie wants some photos of Aidan being, in her words, ‘a right bloody idiot’.”

  Addison chuckled. “She’s a firecracker, that one.”

  They continued to walk, silence once again falling between them.

  She slid him a quick glance, wishing she knew what to do. She couldn’t think of anything to say that hadn’t already been said on the beach, nor anything to do that would ease the tension. There wasn’t anything she could do. Not unless she counted running as fast as she could to the seaplane dock, jumping on the next flight and getting the hell out of here, and doing that wouldn’t solve her problem. Not really.

  She looked around the lush garden, at the resort’s guests enjoying themselves in it, and bit back another sigh. Where the hell was a butterfly when she needed it? If a butterfly came flitting out of nowhere, she’d at least have an excuse for running away.

  Maybe then, give or take a few hours—or years—she’d be able to get her head sorted out. As it was, all she could think about was what she and Addison had done on the beach. And how Luke was going to—

  She walked into a brick wall. A brick wall that went oof when she smacked into it.

  “Luke.” Addison’s voice uttering his cousin’s name sent shards of icy tension into Kennedy’s belly. She took a step back, looking up into Luke’s face.

  He stood on the path before them, his jaw bunched, his stare moving from her to Addison and back to her.

  Oh Kennedy, he’s so…

 
; Her lips tingled as she gazed at him, her pulse leaping faster. She tried to pull a breath, but couldn’t. Her stomach was filled with butterflies, those damn little things that petrified her so much. But not as much as her feelings for the man in front of her. For the possibility she’d ruined everything. Everything. By being so damn…confused.

  “We were just…” Addison began, but Luke shook his head, his nostrils flaring.

  “I don’t want to know.”

  Kennedy’s stomach dropped. She stepped forward, willing the Australian to look at her. “Luke, we need to talk. I need—”

  “To wipe the sand from your hair?” He cut her off. “Your shoulders?”

  She started, her hands instinctually moving to her head. Heat flooded her cheeks when her fingers brushed over tiny grains of sand clinging to her hair. Before she could stop herself, she looked up at Addison, a low groan escaping her at the sight of more sand dusting his shoulder.

  Fresh warmth set Kennedy’s cheeks on fire. Oh boy.

  Luke snorted, the sound flat. “Thought so. Figured I didn’t really stand a chance.”

  “It’s not…” she began, and then stopped. What did she say? Yes, Addison and I had sex on the beach. Yes, he made me come three times. Yes, I feel like shit now. Yes, I think Addison does as well.

  Would Luke stand to hear that? Or would he walk away from them both, before she could tell him what was really in her heart? What she finally now knew, standing there with him right before her, his torment clear on his face, his smell—one she’d never forgotten regardless of the months that passed—threading into her body with every breath she took? That she knew exactly what she wanted. Who she wanted. Not just while he was on the island, not just while she was on the island, but forever.

  Would he even believe her if she did?

  She took another step closer, placing her hands on his chest. He flinched, as if her touch caused him pain, his heart slamming against her palm as he sucked in a sharp breath. “Luke, I need to tell you—”