between gulps of beer.
Rye returned alone, looking flushed with his hair still damp and a self-satisfied smile on his face. She looked for Gem, but she wasn’t far behind, grinning wider than she’d done in a while. She didn’t use the other chair, just slipped straight onto Rye’s lap.
At least someone was having fun.
Matt took her hand off the table and held it in two of his. ‘You don’t seem into this.’
He sounded surprised. She had to bite her lip before she asked if he was kidding. Instead she shrugged. ‘It’s been a long day.’
He moved closer until she could smell the beer on his breath. Eww. ‘It could be a long night too, if you want.’
She leaned back and tried to remove her hand from his clasp but it was useless. ‘Let’s take it as it comes.’
She heard the metal gate slam shut, even over the sound of the music blasting out the glass sliding doors and turned around. Zack stood just inside the garden with a holdall slung over his shoulder, scowling at her and Matt. Everyone turned to look and she used Matt’s distraction to free herself.
The music cut off and Elle shouted, ‘What are you doing here, Zack?’
Elle’s eyes were blue fire, but Ciara was having a different reaction. A more visceral one. Her heart took off full speed and she struggled to get breath into her lungs. He was mad, that was easy to see. But even beneath the crazy attraction she felt just seeing him, she couldn’t find guilt. Yet.
‘Let’s do this inside, Elle,’ Zack said, storming past her to the house.
Elle’s pulse beat at her temples, then she stormed in after him and shut the glass door so hard it vibrated.
‘We should have brought popcorn,’ Gem said, then giggled.
The guys looked confused, but the glass was soundproof so they couldn’t hear Elle shrieking at Zack like she had back in LA. They could see her face turn red though, and could see Zack pull something up on his phone and show it to her as he shouted right back.
Oh God, the photos Elle had taken. She’d forgotten to check them. No doubt they were awful.
‘Who’s this clown?’ Matt asked.
If a lump the size of a golf ball hadn’t formed in her throat, she’d have treated him to a number of insults that would be sure to put a chip in his continental ego.
Gem was more polite. ‘Elle’s cousin. This is their family’s condo.’
Just then Elle came out of the house, sliding the door shut in Zack’s frown. ‘Sorry, my cousin is staying here too. How about we go out for dinner and a few drinks?’
Both Gem and Elle had changed into sun dresses while she’d chucked on a pair of shorts and a vest. ‘Let me put something else on.’
‘You look okay, babe,’ Matt said.
She didn’t take his stellar compliment well. Not now Zack thought she really was a slut, jumping from his bed straight into the arms of pretty boy. ‘I’ll feel better if I wear something else.’
‘Well hurry up. I need to get away from him,’ Elle said.
Ciara jogged across the terrace and slid the door open. She couldn’t see Zack anywhere and didn’t know whether she was disappointed by that. Probably better she didn’t have to face him now, after what he’d seen outside.
She darted into her room, pulled a baby pink summer dress off the hanger and slipped on a pair of gemmed flip flops. Her hair had gone wavy after letting it dry naturally earlier which made her look like a hippy but there was no time to do anything with it. Elle would come in and drag her out if she wasted time with straightening irons.
Poking her head out of the door she saw the hall was clear, so made for the exit. Her flip flops slapped against the marble tiles and she cussed the Muirs for their expensive tastes. What happened to a good old fitted carpet?
Zack was waiting for her in the kitchen, his arms folded across a chest she remembered with too much detail. ‘So you’re bedding that poser tonight?’
The anger that swiftly burned through her wasn’t at the insult to Matt, it was the fact he thought she was easy. ‘Not that it’s any of your business, but no. We just met.’
It was the wrong thing to say. She’d jumped into bed with Zack not long after they’d met too. Talk about leaving herself open to insults!
Zack smiled, then crossed the room. He tilted her chin and the anger evaporated under his touch. It was like his fingers sent little currents into her skin, sweeping down to tremble in her belly.
‘Maybe it isn’t my business.’ He slid both hands up the side of her face and into her hair. Her eyes rolled back as he massaged her scalp. ‘I promise you this, Ireland. If you stay with me I’ll make sure you have a hundred times more fun than you would with him. I’ll even show you what I can do with a tub of Ben & Jerry’s and my tongue.’
How could a girl refuse an offer like that? Why would she even consider refusing? She was lost in his eyes, his slightly spicy aftershave and the way he was touching her made her whole body tingle.
‘Ciara hurry up!’ Elle shouted from the garden. ‘The taxi’s here.’
Her friend’s voice snapped her back to her senses and she pulled away with a boat load of regret. Zack’s jaw ground hard and she whispered an apology before she bolted to the door. He was too much temptation and the last thing she wanted to do was to hurt her friend’s family by leading him on. It was better he was disappointed now than years down the line when it was too late.
At Elle’s suggestion, they hit a bar on the beach so she could top up her tan. Ciara lost hope that dinner was on the cards the second Gem and Elle said they weren’t very hungry and more cocktails were served.
She was too busy remembering the way Zack looked when she left to care too much about what Matt was saying, but tried to at least look like she was paying attention. He took a swig of a creamy looking cocktail that left a white moustache on his smooth upper lip.
Smiling, she picked up the napkin and wiped it off imagining his horror at looking anything other than perfect.
‘So does this mean you’re back with me?’ he asked.
Maybe he wasn’t completely self-involved and had noticed her lack of interest. She forced a polite smile. ‘Sorry.’
‘No problem, babe. I know how you can make it up to me.’
His wicked grin was the only warning she got before her mouth was assaulted by his. Matt wasn’t gentle about his seduction – or patient. His tongue filled her mouth before she had a chance to slap him away for his assumption.
She shoved his chest hard, till he had to grab the table for support. ‘Are you mad? What made
