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“Em, he’s really starting to become—”

Emily held up a silencing finger. “Please. Just let it go for now, Liv.”

She propped herself up on her elbow and flashed a frown. “Let it go?”

“Yes, please. I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”

“I’ll let it go, friend, but I have to say Douchebucket is officially a total asshole now,” she remarked, securing her blonde hair in a messy bun. Leaning over, she reached for the suntan lotion, smearing more over her milky-white skin. “And you need to grow a backbone with him sooner or later.”

Effectively ignoring Olivia’s statement, Emily turned her head in the opposite direction to view the waves in the distance. Soaking in the warm sun, she concentrated on the voice of Bob Marley in the background, singing about how he shot the sheriff.

Over the next few hours, Gavin’s gaze would travel to Emily and then back to Dillon, battling an internal war. He positioned himself perfectly at the table to maintain an unobstructed view of her face from across the pool while trying to focus on a conversation with his friends. However, his mind continually strayed back to the thought of her soft hand against his lips when he had kissed it a few days before. His eyes burned with adoration as she laughed with Olivia; her smile was like an addictive drug to him; and her laugh sounded celestial in his ears. Although they each stole furtive glances at one another throughout the day, Gavin admired her from afar, not wanting to make the situation anymore awkward than it was.

As night fell, the small crowd jumped from a sudden booming sound coming from the front of the home. Lighting off a few fireworks before making his way to the backyard was Trevor’s way of announcing his arrival. Beaming a smile with blonde hair spilling over his forehead, he strolled in, barking out his signature line, “I’m here. Let the party begin!”

Olivia’s girlfriend, Tina, showed up shortly after. Olivia hopped up, squealing, and gave her a kiss, letting each of the men know that she was hers. Chris ignored Olivia as he eyed the beautiful redhead. Olivia smacked him on his arm as she walked away.

Strolling over to Emily with Tina by her side, Olivia announced, “Tina, this is my best friend, Emily.”

“Hey, it’s good to meet you.” Tina smiled. “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s nice to put a face with the name.”

Emily shook the hand Tina extended to her. “You, too. You made your way out here without getting lost, I see. Olivia was afraid you wouldn’t be able to find the place.”

Tina leaned in and kissed Olivia on her cheek. “Sweetie, you were worried about me?”

Olivia blushed crimson. “Of course I was.”

The two women walked away and made themselves comfortable on a lounge chair.

Several whiskies on the rocks later, Dillon approached Emily. He let out a sigh and gently pulled her against him. “Babe, I’m sorry about earlier. I was an asshole. Can you forgive me?” he asked softly.

Emily searched his eyes, trying to understand the sudden change in him. “You have me so confused. You never acted like this when I was in Colorado, Dillon.”

“I know, Em,” he whispered, reaching for her hand. He drew it to his mouth and held it against his lips. “I just love you so fucking much. I’m afraid of losing you to someone else, that’s all.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I love you more than you realize, Dillon. I trusted everything in me to come out here to be with you. That by itself should say enough.”

Placing his hand on the nape of her neck, he drew her face closer to his. “You’re right,” he admitted, his voice lower still. He leaned in to kiss her lips, and she accepted without a second thought as they stole a few extra moments to reconcile.

Dillon pulled back slowly and stroked his fingers through her hair. “I’ll ease up, I promise.”

Emily cast a faint smile, hoping that what he said would prove to be true. Dillon playfully smacked her on the ass, gave her another kiss, and let her know that he was going to play a game of pool with Chris and Joe. She watched as he disappeared into the house.

Emily strolled over to join Olivia and Tina. They were snuggling at the table, overly excited to be around one another. It was then that Gavin tossed a deck of cards onto the table in front of Emily.

Gavin smiled wickedly. “So Trevor tells me that you enjoy playing poker.”

Emily looked at Trevor as he pulled up a seat to the table.

Her eyes flicked back to Gavin. “I play a pretty good game, I must admit.”

“I see…and your game of choice would be what exactly?” Gavin questioned, placing a mahogany box filled with poker chips on the table.

“My game of choice would be Texas Hold’em.”

“Mmm, very good. That’s my favorite.” He took a seat across from her. “Shall we?” he asked, opening the deck of cards.

“We shall.”

“We’ll just watch,” Olivia piped up, lounging onto a beach chair with Tina. She shot Emily a teasing grin, and Emily shook her head.

“Well, you two may think you’re expert players, but I’m pretty damn sure I’m going to clean you both out,” Trevor laughed as he peered at them over his glasses. He then threw a hundred-dollar bill on the table. “I’m a certified pro. But don’t say I didn’t warn you both.”

Gavin huffed at his statement and laughed.

“We’re playing for real money?” Emily asked.

“We sure are.” Gavin tossed two one-hundred-dollar bills on the table. “I just put in for you.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Emily replied, standing up. “I’ll just get some money from Dillon.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get it back from him after I wipe you and Trevor out,” Gavin remarked, flashing her one of his dimpled smiles.

Trevor was too busy shuffling the cards to acknowledge Gavin’s statement, but Emily wasn’t too busy to notice Gavin’s heart-stopping smile.

She hesitantly sat back down and threw him a smile of her own. “You think you’re going to wipe me out, huh?” she laughed and gave him a questioning look.

He gazed at her with an arched brow and a wry curve of his lips. “Oh, I’m absolutely positive I will.”

Grinning, Emily leaned back in her chair, her eyes focused and steady. “We shall see, Mr. Blake.”

The way his last name slid from her tongue had Gavin trying to contain emotions that were threatening to pour from his body. He slowly licked his lips as he stared at her and dealt out the cards to each of them.

With cards in hand, drinks flowing, and Olivia and Tina as spectators, the game began. Over the next hour, both Gavin and Emily depleted Trevor of all his chips. They continuously made fun of his earlier statement about beating them both.

“Okay, okay. But just for the record, I’m pretty drunk right now; that’s why my game was off tonight,” Trevor defended himself and retreated into a lounge chair next to Olivia and Tina.

Olivia laughed and consoled her brother by doing a shot of tequila with him.

“The proverbial drank-too-much-and-played-like-an-ass excuse. Classic,” Gavin laughed.

Trevor shook his head with a defeated look molding his face. “I’m reaching far with that one, right?”

Gavin finished the last of his beer before answering. “I’d say so. But I’ve experienced the same drunken play many nights before,” he admitted, dealing another hand out to himself and Emily.

After a few minutes of studying one another’s faces for who might have the better hand, Emily cleared her throat and looked at Gavin. “I’m all in.”

She pushed her growing stack of chips into the middle of the table as a wide I-dare-you smile crept over her lips.

Gavin regarded her carefully as he drummed his fingers slowly against his empty beer bottle.

Trying to drag his gaze from hers, Gavin looked down at his cards. He was holding two Kings and one was already on the table. Leaning forward, he tilted his head to the side and smiled. “You might not want to do that, Miss Cooper.”

Emily leaned herself forward, mimicking his cockiness. It was harder than she thought as she stared into his unblinking blue eyes. “Afraid to call?”

Olivia, Tina, and Trevor watched closely for Gavin’s reply, curious expressions tight on each of their faces.

Gavin smirked and pushed his stack of chips against hers. “I hold fear at bay for a miniscule amount of things in life, but calling your bluff isn’t one of them,” he laughed and flipped over his cards. “I’d like to introduce you to my friends—Larry, Moe, and Curly.”

Olivia let out a laugh. “Oh shit, you’re in trouble now, Em. He just pulled The Three Stooges move on you.”

Emily widened her eyes in mock horror. “Hmm, I might be.” She tapped the edge of her cards. “But considering I have three Aces, I think I’m pretty good for now.”

She fanned her cards along the table as her face brightened with a huge satisfied smile.

The small group—including Gavin—hooted out in hysterical laughter. With her smile beaming ear to ear, Emily quickly yanked the three-hundred-dollar bills off the table and tucked them into her shorts. Right there in that moment, the tension in both Gavin and Emily’s shoulders—from the way their worlds collided—deflated and vanished like a ghost.

Eventually, Chris, Joe, and Dillon made their way back outside. Gavin took a few minutes to fill Dillon in on his devastating loss. Dillon laughed and shot Emily a proud smile. The group helped Gavin clean up, and everyone decided it was best to call it a night. Before the droves of guests arrived, the guys usually indulged in a very early morning fishing trip on Gavin’s boat, so sleep was definitely needed. Everyone said goodnight to one another before heading into their designated rooms.

It was well after one in the morning when Emily crawled out of bed. Dillon’s liquor-enhanced snoring was keeping her awake. Attempting to go back to sleep, she nudged him, flipped on the television, and even placed a pillow over his face in hopes of stifling the noise.

None of it worked.

Deciding that a good dose of fresh air might help bring on sleep, she quietly opened the bedroom’s French doors that led out to a balcony.

Immediately, it was as if the ocean called to her. She walked over to the edge and peered out to the distant waves tumbling onto the sand dunes. As her senses were just starting to absorb the sounds, smells and sights engulfing her, Gavin’s voice saying “hello” made her jump.

She whirled around, a curl of hair catching on her lips, and found him sitting in an Adirondack chair. “Jesus!” she let out louder than anticipated.

“No, it’s Gavin. Gavin Blake,” he deadpanned, reaching for a beer from a six-pack on the floor. “Although, in certain private one-on-one situations, I’ve been referred to as God,” he laughed.

With an unladylike snort, Emily laughed with him. “You’re too much.”

“Aren’t I though?”

“Yes, very,” she replied and then turned back to the door. “I didn’t realize this was a connecting balcony. I’ll let you have your privacy.”

“By all means, stay and have a beer with me.”

With the mildest of trepidations, she made her way over to him. He popped a beer open for her. “Thank you,” she replied, accepting it and sinking into a chair beside him.

“You’re very welcome. So what brings you out on the balcony in the wee hours of the night?”

“You can’t hear that?”

Gavin’s brows knitted in confusion as he looked around. “Uh, I hear the waves.”

“Then you’re lucky,” she sighed. “Cause I can still hear Dillon snoring.”

“Ah, I see,” he laughed, propping his feet on a small outdoor ottoman. “Us men do know how to knock it out of the ballpark when it comes to that.”

Emily shook her head and took a sip of her beer. “I’ve tried everything short of smothering him to death to get him to stop.”

Quirking a brow, Gavin smiled. “Hmm, not a bad idea. You’d be available then.”

“Be nice,” she laughed.

“Yes, ma’am,” he clipped, and Emily shook her head.

A few minutes went by as they listened to the waves rolling in the distance. The sky was clear with a magnificent view of the stars as a cool, summer breeze skirted its way across the balcony.

“So I didn’t see you go down to the water today,” Gavin remarked, reaching for another beer. He popped the top off and tossed it into a terracotta pot that held quite a few bottle caps. “Do you not like the beach?”

“Actually, I love the beach.” She drew in a deep breath as her gaze slid from his out to the water. “Some of my best memories of my mom come from endless days spent on the beach with her.”

Heaviness settled in Gavin’s chest. He knew her mother passed away. When they were at the club, he wanted to say something to her but felt it was inappropriate to do so unless she brought it up. He continued to stare at her, struggling to find the right words.

He shifted his body to face hers. “I’m very sorry about what you had to go through, losing her,” he finally stated softly.

Drawing her knees up under her chin, she looked to him. “Thank you.”

His voice was low and cautious as he gazed into her eyes. “If you don’t mind, I’d love to hear about the memories you have of her on the beach.”

A faint smile tugged at her lips. “Really?”

He nodded and smiled back. “I’d be honored.”

She took a minute to compose her thoughts. “Well, when I was a kid, she’d save all year long, so we could visit Santa Cruz, California. She’d rent a little condo right on the beach, and we’d literally spend the entire day outside. We’d fly kites for hours on end and ride our bikes on the boardwalk.” She paused and smiled. “She used to love making sand angels, like the ones you make in the snow when you lie on your back.” She let out a light laugh at the memory and wiped a tear from her eye.

“Emily, I…” Gavin whispered. She looked at him. “My intentions weren’t meant to upset you. Please…I apologize.”

“They’re…good tears, Gavin. I haven’t talked about her in a while. Really, you didn’t upset me.”

Her words left Gavin awestruck. He searched her eyes and found traces of happiness mixed with incalculable loss. It melted his heart. He longed to run his fingers through her hair and console her; he wanted to hold her in his arms and rid her of the pain. “They sound like wonderful memories,” he whispered.

“Yeah, they are,” she replied, staring straight ahead. “It was hard seeing her sick for so many months, but to tell you the truth, when she took her last breath, a wave of relief washed over me. She was finally at peace.” Wiping another tear away from her eye, Emily looked at him and then averted her gaze out to the ocean. “There was a point I’d actually hoped that I would wake up and find out she was gone and not in pain. It still makes me feel guilty that I’d felt that way, but I couldn’t bear watching her suffer anymore.”