Page 69 of Whispers in the Dark
He grins, leaning forward to grip her chin. “Princess, I always have room for dessert.”
“I’m going to be sick.” Vin pinches the bridge of his nose. “Remind me why I decided to come on this trip with all you lovebirds?”
“Hey,” Leo chimes in, “it’s not our fault your future wife is traipsing around God knows where.”
Madeleine’s eyes widen. “Future wife?” She looks quickly between them. “What future wife?”
“There’s no future wife,” Vin says flatly, setting down his empty glass.
Leo smirks. “Not according to a certain contract.”
“One that will be null and void as soon as they’re all dead!” Vin shouts, throwing his hands up.
“Touchy,” Eli murmurs.
Vin sighs and pushes back from the table. “I’m heading to bed.”
“Oh, come on, we were just messing with you,” Leo calls after him.
“Is someone going to fill me in?” Madeleine asks with desperation.
“Later,” Eli tells her, draping an arm over the back of her chair.
I watch Vin stride alone toward the shadowed beach, then glance down at Alina, who meets my gaze with that knowing look.
“Go talk to him. I’ll meet you back at the house.”
We’ll talk later?
She nods, a small, unsure smile appearing.
Leaning forward, I press a kiss to her temple and then stand, following after him.
I find him perched on the sand, just a few feet from where the waves lap at the shore. The moon hangs high, silvering the water and painting the shoreline with light.
I sit beside him, and he lets out a long sigh.
“When I said I was always here to talk, I meant aboutyourproblems, not mine.” He grins, but it fades as he looks across the horizon. “I can’t marry her,” he admits quietly. “I mean, I will. It’s what I agreed to in order to ensure my family’s safety, but…”
He goes quiet, and I pull out my phone to type,There’s someone else.
It’s not a question, but a statement.
I’ve known for a while that there’s someone who captured his heart. Someone he desires strongly enough to risk the wrath that will come his way if he doesn’t follow through with an arranged marriage.
“There is.” He rubs the back of his neck, peering down, jaw tight. “And the funny thing is, I have no idea who she is.” He looks up at me, and I arch a brow, waiting for him to continue. “We shared…a night, and well, let’s just say I can’t get her out of my fucking head. But the problem is, we never exchanged names. I’m fairly certain she knew who I was, I mean, who doesn’t know me?” I roll my eyes, grinning. “But I don’t know anything about her.” He picks up a small pebble, rolling it between his fingers. “I keep telling myself, if she were interested, she would have found me by now, but I don’t know… She’s like a drug I need another hit of.”
I nod in understanding as I look over my shoulder at the cabana in the distance, the one Alina and I have been sharing.
Vin bumps my shoulder with his. “Go be with your wife.” He grins. “I’m fine. Really. Just giving myself a few more minutes to wallow in self-pity, and then I’ll head to the bar and get properly drunk.”
I raise a questioning brow to ensure he’s good, and when he nods, I stand, wiping sand from my pants, and head in the direction of the huts.
“Not a word of this to anyone, Mauro,” Vin calls out, and I raise a finger to the sky, letting him know I heard him loud and clear.
A dull thud follows my steps as I cross the wooden bridge leading to the individual homes. I pass each one, stopping at the last hut. Taking a steadying breath, I step inside, finding it quiet.
Almost too quiet.
