The Bonds We Break by Becca Steele

SIXTEEN

“Idon’t think that was enough.” Stepping back, I studied the bonfire I’d built on the beach with the help of Cade and Z. “Let’s chuck some more on.”

Zayde sloshed another load of lighter fluid on the logs, and the three of us watched in satisfaction as the flames shot into the air.

“Speaking of fire, that reminds me.” Cade stepped closer, lowering his voice and running a hand through his dark hair, a frown on his face. “What’s that boarding school your—is it your cousin?—goes to? Went to? That really strict one?”

“Yeah. Uh. I can’t remember the name. I can ask my dad, though. Why?”

He sighed. “Roman. My fucking idiot of a cousin. You know he got suspended from his school for arson? Well, now he’s got himself expelled, something to do with flooding the basement classrooms, I think. Not sure. Even my dad couldn’t get him reinstated, so I said I’d ask you about your cousin’s one. They’re not allowed phones or anything, are they?”

“So the rumours go.” I tried to remember what I’d heard of it. “Don’t think they’re allowed any contact with anyone outside the school during term time.”

A smirk appeared on his face. “That’ll go down well with Roman.”

“I’ll get the info from my dad and pass it on.”

“Cheers, mate.” He flashed me a quick grin before turning back to stare at the fire. “Want a beer?”

When he was off getting the drinks, I threw myself down on the sand next to Z. “I never thanked you.”

“For what?” He turned to stare at me, surprised.

“The whole Creed thing. Y’know. If you weren’t connected to him, things might not have worked out so well for Jessa. For any of us, in fact, if we include all the shit that went down in the past.”

“You’re thanking me for knowing someone?” One brow raised, just a tiny bit, and I rolled my eyes.

“You know what I mean. I don’t think you give yourself enough credit.”

“Maybe.” His voice was noncommittal. I sighed. I’d known the guy for years, and sometimes he was just as hard to read as the first day we’d met. Zayde was an impenetrable vault, unless he wanted to let you in. Even then, he only let you see bits and pieces of him.

Tearing my mind away from the mystery that was Zayde Lowry, I changed the subject. “Did your dad give you the MBA talk?”

He stared at me blankly. “No. What?”

“Oh. My dad said that they’re hoping to get us straight into working at Alstone Holdings once our final year at uni is done, but they’re gonna be offering us all the opportunity to do an MBA part-time while we work. You know, add more strings to our bows or whatever the saying is.”

He turned to stare into the flames. “Once my degree’s finished, I’m done with learning.”

“Fair enough.”

We lapsed into silence, both watching the flickering flames, but it was comfortable, knowing that I didn’t have to make conversation, that Z was happy enough to just chill without me needing to fill the silence. It was one of my favourite things about him, if I thought about it.

Caiden returned with his arms full of beers and dropped to the sand next to Z. “Here. I got us two each. Saves us having to make an extra trip.”

“Good thing I got my own. “

I twisted my head to see West standing behind us. Grinning, I thumped the sand next to me in an invitation, and he took it. When he was seated, I uncapped the bottle Cade handed me. “To us. For being the four amazing fuckers that we are.”

There were snorts of amusement, which I ignored, but everyone joined me, clinking bottles together with a “cheers.”

I fucking loved my friends.

* * *

Around an hour later, when I found myself scanning the crowded beach for the fiftieth time, I’d had enough. This wasn’t me. I headed over to one of the coolers, swiping another beer, then made my way over to a group of four girls from one of my classes, noting their admiring smiles as I strolled over. After placing my beer on the crate they were balancing their drinks on, I threw my arms around the shoulders of two of the girls. “Ladies. You’re all looking beautiful tonight.”

Gem, the girl on my left, angled her body into mine, batting her long lashes as she stared up at me. “We’ve missed you since uni finished.”

“Yeah. We haven’t seen you around for ages.” Su pouted, stepping closer and placing a proprietary hand on my chest. As the four of them crowded around me, I started to panic. Something was wrong.

Really fucking wrong.

Four fit as fuck girls were right here, any of whom would probably sleep with me, given the chance. I’d slept with three of the four already, and from the way they were running their hands over me and giving me those looks, it was a sure thing that they’d be interested in a repeat.

But my dick wasn’t even showing any interest.

Studying the curves of Gem’s tits, I experimentally slid my hand down onto her ass, and she gave me a sultry smile.

Nothing.

Not even a twitch.

My worst nightmare had come true.

My. Dick. Was. Broken.

I was pulled out of my spiralling panic by Su tapping my arm with her manicured nails. From the raised brow she was giving me, it wasn’t the first time she’d tried to get my attention.

“Sorry, babe, what was that?” I flashed her an apologetic grin.

“I said, I’m surprised she’s here. Did you know she was coming?”

I followed the line of the other girls’ gazes, looking over the top of their heads.

Jessa.

Her gorgeous body was wrapped in a red bikini, her dark hair blowing in the early evening breeze, and she looked so beautiful that I was temporarily stunned.

No. It wasn’t her beauty that was stunning me.

It was the realisation that flooded through me the second I saw her. Two realisations, in fact.

One, my dick most definitely wasn’t broken. Not anymore. And two—which directly related to the first point—when it came to Jessa De Witt?

I was completely and utterly fucked.

She stood on the fringes of the group, chewing on her lip the way I knew she did when she was nervous, and I willed her to find her strength. She’d come far from the hollow shell of herself that she’d been for so long, but I guess this was her first test, being surrounded by so many people that she knew, people that had witnessed her fall from grace and the way she’d hidden herself away from everyone.

Her gaze darted around, wide and worried, and I took a step forwards, to do what, I didn’t know. But then, her eyes met mine.

“I invited her,” I murmured in reply to Su, holding Jessa’s gaze. A small, hesitant smile curved over her lips, and then I took another step forwards, slipping my arm from around Gem and beckoning her to me.

My own smile widened as she straightened her shoulders, tossed her hair, and strutted across the sand towards me, acting like the queen she was deep inside. When she was close enough to touch, I lunged forwards, sweeping her up into my arms.

She threw her arms around my neck, laughing.

My stomach flipped, and there was an unexplainable ache in my chest that hadn’t been there before.

“What a welcome.” Her voice was breathless as she stared up at me through her lashes.

I swallowed hard. “I missed you.” My words came out low and rough, dragged from my lips without any conscious thought.

Fuck.

She searched my face, probably reading my spiralling panic far too easily. Instead of replying, she tugged my head down, her soft lips moving over mine.

I kissed her back, my tongue stroking into her mouth, pulling her even closer so the curves of her body were pressed against mine, and even that wasn’t enough.

I wanted more of her. To consume her.

Like I said.

Completely and utterly fucked.