Cal, according to Jess, was surprising in bed. He had his own deviant desires but preferred to focus entirely on her until she was boneless from countless orgasms before tending to his own wants.

I’d wanted to ask how an orgasm felt, now she’d had a forced hysterectomy, but I kept such questions silent, especially after she admitted sleeping with Cal would have to wait a bit longer for her inner wounds to fully heal and her patience was already thin.

Thanks to Jess’s divulgence, though, I now felt like I knew Cal on a deeper level. It stripped away the final wariness between us and firmly placed him in my favourite bunch of people. He might take a while to warm up to strangers, but he was loyal and kind, and I could see why Sully had kept him around.

I paced around Jess as she did squatting exercises, clinging onto the deck chair as she rebuilt withered thigh muscles. The big scar on her belly from Drake’s bullet was hidden by her loose-fitting navy and white pinstripe dress.

“He can walk on his own now, did you know that?” I ran a hand through my hair, wishing I’d tied it off my shoulders with how brilliant the sun shone today. My candy pink sundress seemed far too heavy for the heat. “He still has to use his cane, but he can walk around the villa and partly down the path. If Louise and her doctors hadn’t flown back to Geneva yesterday, she’d probably spank him and send him to bed.”

My thoughts flew after the doctor and her team. I owed Louise more than I could ever repay. Thanks to her tireless efforts and in-home care, she was the reason Sully had returned to me. She deserved every priceless gift.

Luckily, Sully had been of the same opinion, and had paid her and her colleagues a bonus that could enable them to retire if they wanted. We’d all agreed to stay in touch and given an open-ended invitation to return to Goddess Isles for a vacation anytime she wanted.

Jess giggled. “If anyone is spanking that man, it better be you. He’d tear anyone else’s arm off.”

I smirked. “I think he’d tear even my arm off.”

“Oh, you might be surprised.” She winked. “To the world, he’s the dominant asshole, cutthroat in every area, but when he looks at you...you could do whatever you damn well wanted to him and get away with it.”

“Maybe on our wedding night, I’ll tie him up and see how far that theory goes.”

She laughed, wiping away the beads of sweat on her forehead. Sitting down onto the same chair she’d been using as support, she got her breath back. “Back to the topic. Why do you think he’s acting weird just because he can walk on his own now?”

I sat across the table from her, snagging a piece of pineapple from the fruit platter that had shards of ice melting over it. “He normally ensures I know how he’s progressing. He grabs me and shows me, in no uncertain terms, how rapidly he’s taking back his strength. However, this morning...he kicked me out. He said he had a ton of work to do, for me to send Cal to him for a meeting, and that I should come see you and ‘stay out of trouble.’” I air-quoted that last bit. “What the hell does that mean?”

Her eyebrows raised. “Dunno. But you’re right, it does sound fishy.” The barcode tattoo on her wrist flashed as she snagged a piece of watermelon and sucked on the juice. I glanced down at my matching one, running my thumb over the slightly raised ink lines.

She caught me looking. “Ever think of lasering it off? We could fly to Jakarta and get it removed.” She eyed her own one, rolling her wrist to catch the sun.

I shrugged. “Is it wrong that I don’t hate it?”

She shook her head, seriousness filling her stare. “I’m glad you said that. I thought I was the only one.” She took another bite of watermelon. “I don’t see it as a bad symbol. I never really did. Yes, the kidnapping part was awful and the not knowing where I’d end up was petrifying, but the moment I stepped foot on this island, I knew I was home.”

I nodded. “I agree. This tattoo was given against my will, just like I was given to Sully against my will...but, thanks to those events, I found exactly where I was supposed to be with a man I was supposed to belong to.” Raising my wrist, I waited until she pressed hers against mine. I laughed and winked. “Besides, it’s like an unofficial friendship bracelet.”

“Ha ha.” She grinned, her hazel eyes growing wistful. “If Cal falls in love with me, we could all live happily ever after. Two couples. Four friends. Two parrots. And a hell of a lot of rescue critters.”

My heart glowed. “I’d like that.” Placing my hand on hers, I added, “And he can’t fall in love with you if he’s already fallen.”

She blushed. “You think? I’m not so sure. I’m not expecting him to—”

“Oh, believe me. Even if he doesn’t know it himself yet, he’s smitten. Next time he hugs you, feel what his arms say. I knew Sully loved me just by his touch, well before he ever had the courage to say it aloud.”

“Ah, Ms. Grace.”

I whipped around in my chair.

A stranger stood in the doorway to Cal’s villa. Tucked down the end of the guest villa’s laneway, Cal’s home had the last private bay before the island became wild with jungle. He was as far away from the main beach as possible, ensuring we hadn’t heard a helicopter land.

Jess frowned but didn’t stand, leaving me to pad barefoot toward the Indonesian woman with an ebony bob, dressed in a stunning white suit and the biggest sunglasses I’d ever seen. “Can I help you? You are?”

Where did she come from?

She had to have been invited. Otherwise, she would never have stepped foot on Sully’s shore alive...but why exactly was she here?

Pulling the huge lenses off her dainty nose, she blinked pretty black eyes. “It’s time, Ms. Grace.”

“Time?”

“To get ready.” She backed up, holding out her arm for me to follow. A dune buggy waited with Arbi acting as chauffeur. Ever since Cal arranged to have the ATV shipped over from Lebah, Sullivan had ordered a few dune buggies to make it quicker to get around the island now there was just the four of us—not including the discrete staff who ran this paradise.

“You too, Ms. Young. I took the liberty of bringing a dress for a maid of honour as well as a bride.”

“A bride?” I coughed.

“Yes. For your wedding.”

My head whirled.

My heart exploded.

Sully...

How had he done this?

When?

The woman grinned, enjoying my shock. “I’m Jaya, and I’ve been tasked with preparing you. The ceremony is in two hours, just before sunset.” Beckoning again, she added, “Please, we don’t have much time.”

I looked over my shoulder at Jess.

She stood, but her eyes flared with worry at how far she could walk without falling flat on her face. Darting back inside, I hooked her arm over my shoulder, moulding her feminine curves to mine, so different to the hard planes of Sully’s body. “So that’s why he’s been acting weird,” I murmured.

Jess snickered. “He’s keeping his promise.”

“Seems so.” I tried to fight the smile on my face but couldn’t. I tried to stop my heart from running away with romantic notions and erotic conclusions but started to shiver with anticipation instead. “That man only managed to walk on his own this morning, yet he somehow organises to marry me by the evening.”