____________

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.

After seeing Pete surrounded by a group of women, not even glancing her way, and then running off with Mallory, it was all she could do to keep it together.

If it hadn’t been for Antonio keeping her attention, she would’ve been crying.

There was a loud noise, and then Mallory yelled, “No!”

Emma couldn’t see around Antonio, but something was going on.

All of a sudden, Antonio was being yanked backward. Emma was surprised to see her husband, angrier than she’d ever seen him, gripping Antonio by the shirt, yelling, “What the fuck is going on? That’s my wife!”

Pete was furious.

Emma was floored.

Antonio mocked putting his hands up in surrender. “Hey, man, no worries. We were just having a little fun while you were—”

Pete dragged Antonio closer, almost yanking him off his feet. Pete was taller by a good five or six inches, but Antonio was stocky. “I said, ‘That’s my wife,’” Pete said right into his face. “Do you understand? She’s mine. If you don’t keep your hands to yourself, I’m going to break them.”

Emma stepped between them, putting her hand on Pete’s arm, pleading, “Pete, it’s fine. There was nothing going on! We were just playing a dumb game of truth or dare, and Antonio dared me to rub noses with him. Please don’t make a scene.”

“Rub noses with you?” Her husband looked like he’d bitten into a lemon. His head snapped to her. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Yes, I was touching her nose,” Antonio replied. “So you can let go now. No harm, no foul.”

Pete let go, flinging him back.

Antonio stumbled back a few steps, but regained his footing easily. “Your wife was playing along with my banter very nicely, but she would only agree to give me an Eskimo kiss, when what I really wanted to do was take her inside and fuck her.”

Emma’s mouth fell open. She couldn’t believe Antonio had just admitted that out loud.

Pete seemed unfazed by the news, which also surprised Emma. “Well, at least you have the balls to admit you’re trying to seduce my wife.”

A buxom blonde Emma hadn’t been introduced to yet started clapping. “That was incredible!” she said. “It was right out of a movie where two hot guys get into a fight over a woman! I’m so turned on right now. Frankie, come here right this minute! I need a big cock in my mouth!”

Emma made a face. The woman was over the top in the worst way. Why would Antonio ever invite her? Frankie dutifully walked over to his wife, his dick out, and she took the entire thing into her mouth in one pull.

That was why.

Before Emma could figure out what to do, Pete was dragging her away from the group, his arm gripped tightly around her waist. He didn’t stop until they were in front of their own villa next door. He sat on the double lounger, pulling her down onto his lap, his mouth covering hers, his tongue entering her mouth swiftly and furiously.

She plowed her hands through his hair and fell into the kiss.

He growled into her mouth, needy and hot, “You’re mine.”

“Yes,” she breathed.