My boyfriend Blake's ex-fiancée Reyna had called in the middle of the night wanting him to come to her and he’d gone running.

She tried to sleep with his brother. Did he forgive her?

Blake’s phone rang.

I could hear his deep voice when he answered.

“It’s late, Reyna.”

I stiffened at the sound of her name, then strained to hear their conversation.

“Now?” Blake sighed, silent for a long time. “Fine. Give me five minutes.”

The sheets of his bed rustled, followed by a zipper.

I sat perfectly still, knowing it was dark enough that he wouldn’t notice that I was already awake.

————————

HONOR

“So, who are we meeting tonight?” I asked, holding onto Blake’s arm as we strolled through the open-air hotel lobby of the luxury resort we’d be calling home for the next three weeks. If he was bothered by the physical contact from me, he didn’t show it. He had to get used to it anyway. Now that we’d arrived, I was officially his girlfriend.

We made our way through the resort on our way to dinner with his family, where I’d meet them for the first time. The entire place was one picturesque scene after another. It was set right on the soft sand beach, with miles and miles of idyllic turquoise water stretched out in either direction.

The villa Blake had booked was mind-blowing. My first thought when I’d seen it was that it was fit for royalty. The suite opened into an enormous lounge with a bar and dining table.

Sorting the sleeping arrangements on any overnight jobs was always the most awkward part, but Blake had followed the instructions I’d sent him via email, and I was given my own room. The two bedrooms on opposite sides of the suite were the most luxurious I’d ever been in, with enough room to throw a party in each of the ensuite bathrooms, complete with the deep massage jet tub and shower with the fancy robot showerhead taking up so much space.

By far, the best part was the huge back porch right on the beach. I planned to spend the hours Blake didn’t need me sitting out there listening to the sound of the ocean and entering a state of utter relaxation.

Life beside a billionaire really had its perks.

“You’ll be meeting my brother and his fiancée, obviously,” Blake said absently, reading an email on his phone. “My parents, as well as my cousin, who’s one of the groomsmen. And my ex-fiancée. More people will be arriving over the next few days or weeks.”

My brows crept up into my hairline. “Wait a minute, your ex-fiancée?”

“That’s right.”

I pulled us to a stop on the winding path that led towards the ocean.

“What made her an ex-fiancée and not a current one?”

Blake looked up from his phone, momentarily uncomfortable. “She tried to sleep with my brother.”

My eyes widened. “You mean the groom?”

Assuming there wasn’t a third brother.

He nodded, and I pulled a face. “That’s not a great quality in a fiancé.”

He didn’t disagree, but also didn’t offer any further commentary. Instead he offered me his arm again and we kept walking.

“So did she succeed?”

His gaze slid to me.

“You said she tried to sleep with your brother. Does that mean she didn’t actually do it?”

“My brother wasn’t interested. He was already with Kelly at the time and Reyna was engaged to me, so he turned her down.”

I blinked. “How is she even invited to the wedding then?”

The warm breeze picked up, blowing my dress against my thighs, as the sun started to dip towards the waterline in the distance.

“She’s Kelly’s best friend, so she’s the maid of honor.”

Disbelief flooded me. “Wait… what?”

The fact that Blake’s fiancée had cheated on him—or tried to—with his own brother went some way towards explaining why he was so closed off. I wouldn’t be in any rush to trust someone again after something like that.

I found myself softening towards him just a little bit.

But for Kelly to forgive her best friend for trying to sleep with her man? To the point she’d asked her to be maid of honor at their wedding?

She was a far better woman than me, that’s for sure.

“It was two years ago, we’ve all moved on,” Blake said in his usual impassive tone.

That explanation wasn’t nearly enough for me, but it wasn’t my job to pry. If he said they’d all moved on, then I had to accept it. But these people had to be near-saints or highly medicated in order to get over drama like that.

I studied Blake for a moment. He was so stiff and measured, keeping himself in constant check. Surely there was more to him under the surface. What would happen if he let himself go?

“So, are we going to get our buzz on at this party? Really kick up our heels?” I asked, smiling up at him as we walked, trying to cajole some lightness into his stony expression.

He quirked an eyebrow. “I’m not dancing.”

I laughed despite myself. “Of course you’re not. Does that mean I can’t dance either? Given I’m supposed to be your very strait-laced girlfriend?.”

We’d almost reached the point where the path widened onto a large patio and bar right on the edge of the sand.

“You can dance all you like. I’ll be at the bar.”

I patted his arm. “Deal.”

We strode onto the patio. The band was already playing, and some of the other hotel guests gathered in front of the stage to dance in the setting sun. Small tables were scattered around, with a bar at one end and the band at the other near the beach. Along the other side of the intricate stone and shell patio was a green lawn, with a stunning table covered in white linen and candles and beautiful pieces of decorative driftwood, a set up that had to be for our small party for dinner.

The whole thing was like something out of a tropical holiday movie. And I instantly fell in love with the place.

Blake slipped his phone in his pocket and guided me towards a group huddled at the end of the bar.

“Look who’s here!” a guy dressed in a white linen shirt and navy shorts called across the lawn, his expression bright.

It had to be Blake’s brother, Hudson—the groom.

A petite yet curvy woman in a gorgeous red strapless dress that popped against her dark skin was tucked into his side, her dark brown eyes lighting up at the sight of my date.

The two men clasped hands, patting each other on the back in a man hug, before Blake embraced the bride.

“This is Honor,” Blake said, his warm hand landing on my lower back.

Both the bride and groom’s eyes landed on me with a look of surprise.

“Honor, is my… girlfriend.”

“I’m Kelly. Thanks so much for coming, Honor.”

I smiled. “Thank you for having me. This location is incredible.”

“And we all know I make great decisions!” a voice called from the bar. A giant of a man, hair scraped back in a bun at the back of his head, made his way over, three drinks balanced between his fingers.

“Honor, this is my cousin Spencer. Spencer, this is Honor.”

“His girlfriend,” Hudson added.

Spencer’s eyes widened as he moved to shake my hand.

Spencer hooted with laughter, throwing an arm around my shoulders. “I like you already, sweetheart. ”

Blake, who’d watched the entire exchange with his standard unreadable expression, said, “I’m heading to the bar. Do you need a drink?”

I nodded. “Malibu and pineapple, please.”

Kelly let out a noise of agreement. “That sounds festive! One for me too, please. White wine is too proper for an island party.”

A woman in a slinky green dress and long black hair that fell down her back sidled up to Kelly with what looked like a gin and tonic in her hand.

“Rey, have you met Honor?” Kelly asked.

So, this was Blake’s former fiancé. Reyna.

Her eyes landed on me, surveying me before offering her hand. “I’m Reyna, the maid of honor.”

She clocked Spencer’s arm still around my shoulders.

“Are you the poor date Spencer dragged along? I can’t understand how he manages to score all these attractive women. Does he have a huge package? That has to be it.” She glanced at Spencer, turning her nose up.

“Spend a lot of time thinking about my package, do you Rey?”

“Honor is actually Blake’s date,” Kelly offered, ignoring their sparring.

Reyna’s expression hardened as she viewed me with fresh eyes.

“Interesting,” was all she said, glancing at something over my shoulder. “I need another drink.”

She disappeared to the far end of the bar just as fast as she’d come, her full drink still in her hand. Clearly, we wouldn’t be doing each other’s liquid eyeliner and swapping friendship bracelets any time soon.

“Don’t mind her,” Spencer said, dropping his arm from my shoulders. “She wants me, but won’t admit it.”

I laughed, just as Blake returned, passing a cocktail each to me and Kelly.

After fifteen minutes of small talk with Blake’s family, during which he introduced me to his sweet mother, Helen, and welcoming father, Charles, the waiter announced that dinner was about to be served. We made our way to the long table under the palm trees, where the sound of the waves crashing against the beach floated over us. It was truly magical.

I took a seat between Blake and Spencer. Hudson and Kelly were settled across from us, with Blake’s parents on their left. When Reyna appeared and pulled out the chair on Blake’s other side, I had to stop myself from placing a possessive hand to his knee.

I reached for my drink, taking a gulp and plastering a smile on my face.

The meal was served family style, with bowls of spiced crab curry, whole lobster, crispy calamari and freshly shucked oysters passed between us.

“So, Honor, Blake mentioned you work at a marketing firm. What’s that like?” Blake’s father asked.

I grimaced. “About as interesting as it sounds, Charles.”

The rest of his family chuckled, and Hudson glanced at his brother. “Can’t believe Blake has finally brought around a girl with a personality.”

“Can’t believe Blake has finally brought around a girl with a personality.”

Reyna scowled at Hudson. “I take offense to that.”

“You should,” Spencer replied casually, downing an oyster, and earning another scowl from Reyna.

“Play nice, children,” Kelly said good-naturedly.

Ignoring Reyna completely, I leaned across the table towards Kelly. “How did you two meet?”

“Blake didn’t tell you? He introduced us,” Kelly said, smiling at Blake.

I turned to him, a look of surprise on my face. “No, he didn’t and I’m floored. That’s definitely something I would have loved to know.”

Focused on cutting his food, Blake didn’t so much as flinch at my thinly-veiled barb. “I’m sure I mentioned it.”

He definitely, absolutely hadn’t.

“Nope,” I said, cutting into my own dinner. “You think you know a person after four months…”

Reyna laughed to herself. “Please. Four months with Blake is like four days with a normal person. I’m sure he hasn’t even shown you his apartment yet.”

Blake stayed infuriatingly silent.