“Yes…pretty much,” Emma said. “But he’s not one of those asshole guys with an attitude about it.”
“I didn’t think he was,” Charlotte assured her. “But sometimes the guys who have to work the least are the most clueless when it comes to this stuff. Pete’s likely never had his heart broken, or felt the kind of jealous rage that grabs hold of you and won’t let go. He’s probably processing a ton of emotions right now and doesn’t even know what they are. The ache has to be totally foreign to him. He has no idea what to do. Not to mention, he’s been forced into this game because you started playing it first,” she pointed out. “You were craving this kind of attention, and you weren’t getting it from him, so you searched it out from someone else.”
Emma nodded. “You could be right, and it makes me ashamed. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting Pete to know what to do. I’m tired of him not getting it. I feel exhausted.”
“Ah, the ever-present battle between the girl brain and the guy brain. Unfortunately for us, most guys don’t have the faculties to figure it out unless we lead them by the nose to what we want. We’re like aliens to them. But, for what it’s worth, I don’t blame you. All my married friends have gone through that itchy phase, and each time they come to me—their token single friend—and spout the same things. They just want their husbands to understand them. Not all of them make it, but I’m certain you and Pete will. You’re both super hot for each other.” She patted Emma’s leg. “Now I’m going to go help my as-of-right-now boyfriend with the fire. Apparently, the Gavins are coming tonight, so it should get mighty entertaining around here pretty quick. That couple does it all and doesn’t care who’s watching. The pope could be in attendance, and they’d still get down and dirty.”
Charlotte left Emma to her thoughts.
Emma wanted to believe that there was nothing going on between Pete and Mallory, but she was having a hard time digesting all the emotions. If Pete was jealous of her interactions with Antonio, why wasn’t he doing something about it? On the beach today, he’d been a little possessive, but then he’d gone right back to flirting with Mallory.
Emma felt torn. She wanted more. She craved more. She didn’t really want Antonio, but she loved feeling appreciated and admired. That attention was like a drug. It’d been too long since she’d felt like that. Piper had been right. Her self-worth had been gone for too long, and now that it was back, she felt empowered. No way was she going to lose that.
Emma heard voices down on the beach. She stood. It was time for her to go see what the night had in store for her. No more wallowing.
She would see for herself who her husband wanted.
19
__________________________
____________
Pete watched his wife walk out onto the beach. Her dress flowed around her, her hair swayed in the breeze. She was incredibly beautiful, and his chest seized.
He rubbed at it absently as she headed in the direction of the bonfire.
He’d just come up to the villa from his walk. He’d ended up sitting in the sand and contemplating their situation for a long time. What he’d come up with was there was no way in hell Antonio was going to steal his wife. He didn’t understand everything that was going on with Emma, but maybe he didn’t have to. Maybe he just had to make her see that he was the only one for her. No more games, no more Mallory trying to make her jealous. It was going to be him winning his wife.
Pete walked purposefully toward her when someone grabbed hold of his hand.
An unfamiliar female voice sounded in his ear. “Where you going in such a hurry, big fella?”
He whirled around to see a blonde bombshell standing next to him. She had the biggest breasts he’d ever seen, and he’d witnessed many. She wore a barely there bikini on top that had no more than a square of material covering her nipples.
Why bother?
“Um, to find my wife,” he said, pulling his hand back.
“I’m Cheri Gavin, and my husband, Frankie, is around here someplace. But that never matters here, does it?” She placed the tip of her index finger in her mouth and sucked.
Before he could say what was on his mind, like get the fuck away from me, Mallory came bounding up. “Ah, so I see you’ve met the illustrious Cheri. Down, girl,” she scolded the buxom blonde. “This one’s taken, and he doesn’t do three of a kind.”
Pete quirked his eyes at Mallory. They’d had a threesome yesterday.
“Damn, Mallory, you always get to the good ones first,” Cheri whined. “But after he sees me deep-throat Frankie, I’m certain he’ll come looking for a little adventure. Won’t you, big fella?” She brought her palm up to his pec, and it was all he could do to not swat it away like a fly buzzing too close.
“I’m standing right here, ladies,” he interjected. “I can speak for myself. Cheri, I won’t be coming to find—”
Another woman walked up, joining the group, her sundress cut deeply down the front. “Who’s this tall glass of hunky water?” the brunette with a bob asked.
“This is Pete Slater,” Mallory said. “You’re going to have to wait in line, Becky. He’s taken.”
“By you?” the woman said in a haughty tone. “In all the time I’ve known you, Mallory, you haven’t stuck around longer than four minutes after the big O. You’re gone before your partner can even catch their breath. He looks to me like he’s got enough stamina for more than one round anyway.”
This was getting ridiculous.
“Sorry to disappoint you, ladies,” Pete said, “but I’m not with—”
Mallory clamped on to his arm and began to drag him away. “Time to go!” she announced, turning to the ladies behind her as she continued to pull him along. “See you gals later.”
“Where are you taking me?” Pete asked, his jaw tight. “I’m not amused, Mallory. I’m not playing any more games. I want to find Emma and figure this out with her once and for all.”
“No, you don’t.”
“What do you mean ‘no, I don’t’? I do. Like, right fucking now.”
Mallory had managed to half-pull, half-drag him down the beach, stopping behind a palm tree.
“I’m done with this,” he told her. “I’m not playing these games anymore. I’ve thought about it, and I just have to let Emma know how I feel.”
“You can’t right now.”
“What do you mean I can’t right now?” He tried to look around the tree, but Mallory placed a hand on either side of his face to stop him.
“I wouldn’t look if I were you.”
He ripped out of her grasp and stomped around the trunk. Just in time to see Antonio pull back from kissing someone. Pete’s heart sped up. He couldn’t see who was standing in front of him.
Then Antonio stepped to the side.
A beat later, Emma’s red hair came into view. She was laughing as she placed a hand on Antonio’s chest.
Pete felt like he’d been punched in the gut.
The pain was physical.
He almost doubled over from the intensity. This couldn’t be happening. Rage cascaded over his eyes, and before he knew what he was doing, he was headed in their direction, Mallory holding on to his arm, trying to keep him back.
That wasn’t going to happen.
Emma was his.
Fuck everyone else.
* * *
“That was the lamest truth or dare anyone’s ever come up with.” Emma batted Antonio away, smacking him in the chest. She knew he was making up games as a ploy to try to kiss her. She had to admit she was flattered that he was trying so hard, but she wasn’t falling for it.