Chapter 5
five
Minns
The resort’s restaurant was small—it literally only seated twenty people—but Kamirah and I wanted to check it out. It was totally worth making the five-minute golf-cart trip.
Tall coconut palms shaded lush gardens filled with frangipani, hibiscus, and gardenias.
A vine dotted with white-and-purple flowers climbed the trees surrounding the restaurant and the open-air pool deck it was situated on.
Large umbrellas, some open and others closed, were set up beside the tables.
Beyond them, more umbrellas shaded the partially submerged sun loungers that were built into the shallow platform of the infinity edged pool.
We didn’t know if there would be any other guests at the restaurant, considering how small and exclusive the resort was.
But given the weight of our conversation the night before and the explosive finale, we decided to start our new day with how we wanted to move ahead—back out in the open.
We didn’t have anything to prove. We were simply ready to be seen in public again.
Neither of us wanted to hide anymore. We were sick of letting the media dictate our story. It was time for us to take it back.
We weren’t making a grand public statement, but going out together was enough.
I hated that spending time together in public, even going out on dates, had become unfamiliar because of our months in hiding.
My head was on a swivel as we sipped our coffees and looked over the breakfast menu. Nerves were inexplicably assaulting me.
It was a pleasant surprise when we saw someone other than a staff member push through the door.
It was an even bigger surprise when I recognized him.
He couldn’t be real.
Someone was punking me. They’d hired a body double to trick me into thinking it was him. The thought sounded ridiculous even to me. Who would actually do that?
But holy hell, if the man was a body double, he was Locke Ledger’s doppelganger.
I blinked.
Did Ledger have a twin? He looked exactly like the Hollywood superstar.
I blinked again.
It was him. In the flesh. Locke Ledger was here, standing only fifteen feet from where we were seated.
Heat rushed to my cheeks. I choked on the air I was trying to breathe as excitement pulsed through me. He was the actor I’d been obsessed with for as long as I could remember.
“Are you okay?” Kamirah asked, but I barely heard her over the ringing in my ears.
I was lightheaded. My heart rate spiked, my pulse zinging through my veins at the speed of light.
He was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.
I opened my mouth to respond to her, but nothing came out. I gaped like a goldfish.
Kam spun in her seat to check what I was looking at—or, rather, whom—but I choked out a cough and held my hand out, stopping her. She paused mid-turn, her brows furrowed and lips drawn down in a concerned frown.
“What’s going on?” she asked in a whisper.
“It’s him,” I squeaked, my voice two octaves higher than it normally was. I was trembling with excitement. Pressing down on my belly, I tried to settle the butterflies doing aerial acrobatics inside me. I was fanboying hard.
Holy shit, I might even get to talk to him.
I sucked in a breath and held it, trying not to act completely uncool.
I couldn’t help but stare at him. Brown hair, hazel eyes, and close-cropped stubble might have been average on anyone else, but on him it was outstanding.
He had a straight nose, pouty lips, a square jaw, and hair that looked soft as silk.
He was the classic Hollywood heartthrob and was dressed like one too—dark blue tailored shorts with a brown belt, an unbuttoned white linen shirt, and leather slides.
Tall and leanly muscled, every inch of him was sculpted to perfection, with utterly lickable abs peeking through the gap in his shirt. He was fucking gorgeous.
I watched with rapt attention as Locke Ledger, action superhero, scanned the handful of tables.
One was a larger six-seater. The rest scattered around the deck were made for couples.
They were far enough apart for privacy, but it meant that only a few had prime position near the pool.
Kamirah and I had picked the table closest to it, which also happened to be the only one currently in the shade thanks to the open umbrella suspended above us.
He flicked his gaze over to us, and it locked with mine. I shivered.
I wasn’t his only fan, but he was by far my biggest crush.
Jesus Christ, it really was Locke Ledger.
I was looking at Locke Ledger.
And he was staring right back. That intense gaze was zeroed in on me, pinning me in place.
He was a force of nature, holding me captive with just his eyes.
His stare was like a physical caress, scorching me with painless fire as he watched my body react to him.
Gooseflesh broke out over my skin. My pulse fluttered wildly.
My cock tented the loose swim shorts I was wearing.
I licked my lips, wishing I had them wrapped around any part of his body.
The man had a certain je ne sais quoi about him.
In his interviews—I’d seen every one of them—he was down-to-earth, intelligent, and funny.
From the moment I’d seen him in a small non-speaking minor role in a random advertisement, I’d known he was different.
He’d captivated me then. Now he held me captive.
Locke fucking Ledger.
Right there in front of me.
I swallowed hard and heard Kamirah’s soft laugh.
Locke tore his gaze away from mine and pinned her with the same stare.
I watched as she sucked in a breath and her nipples pebbled, her whole body swaying toward him.
Like me, she wasn’t having the reaction a fan had to their idol.
We were ensnared in his orbit, like planets to the sun.
Except our sun radiated pure, undiluted sex.
It was probably only seconds, but it could have been hours that we were locked in an unbreakable stare with him. The moment was shattered when the server approached Locke and asked where he’d like to sit.
“I was actually hoping to sit by the pool.” He gestured to our table and smiled politely at us.
“I can move—” I reacted on instinct, reaching up and waving to him.
Oh. My. Fucking. God. I was waving like a fucking fool.
Stop! Why was I still waving? Kill me now. Please stop. Jesus fucking Christ, please stop waving.
The heat of Kamirah’s amused gaze scorched me, and her giggle tinkled like a bell. But he still had me entangled in his gaze. I couldn’t look away.
“You’re welcome to join us,” Kamirah said, her voice low and sexy like she was turned on, but loud enough to carry across the space.
Locke tilted his lips up in a genuine, open smile and shook his head. “I don’t want to interrupt your couple time.”
Kamirah looked my way, and she grasped my hand, lowering it to her lap. Oh, fuck me, I still had it up in the air mid-wave. My cheeks flamed. My ears burned. I ducked my head down, too embarrassed to look at him.
“You’re not interrupting,” she reassured him.
I didn’t know whether to kiss my wife in everlasting thanks or die on the spot, so I squeezed her hand instead. She interlaced our fingers, holding tight.
“In that case….” Locke moved closer, then slid into the seat opposite Kamirah.
He pressed his knee against my leg, and I bit back the groan at the heat of his touch.
I slipped my hand under the table and adjusted my erection, trying to ease the ache between my legs.
My reaction to him was visceral. I was hard enough to hammer nails, my balls already drawn up tight to my body.
He held his hand out to Kam to shake. “G’day, I’m Locke. Nice to meet you,” he greeted in a smooth, deep voice that rippled through me like an ocean current. His Australian accent was more pronounced when he spoke off camera. It was such a fucking turn-on.
Kam slipped her hand into Locke’s, and they shook. “Kamirah—Kam—Minns, and this is my husband, Chris. It’s good to meet you too.”
Locke turned to me and held his hand out. Mine shook as I reached for him. Electricity sparked between us when he grasped it. I sucked in a breath and choked again, coughing on my own inhalation. My cheeks flamed, and I looked down at our still-joined hands.
The man was an absolute A-lister. No, he was a megastar.
He was shaking my hand. Fuck me!
His latest role had catapulted him into the limelight as the world’s biggest action movie star. He was Vigilante, my newest antihero obsession.
But it wasn’t the movie star I was confounded by. It was the man before me. He was magnetic. He had presence. Without even needing to speak, he’d rendered me speechless. In just a few words, he’d ratcheted up my lust to levels that were obscene for being in public.
“Tell me about yourselves,” he prompted.
“Ah,” I squeaked, then cleared my throat. He let go of my hand, and I eased it back under the table to once again adjust my straining hard-on. “I’m, um, a hockey player?”
“Are you asking me that, or telling me?” he teased, his lips tilting up in a wicked smirk while his hazel eyes glinted with playful mischief.
When he swiped his tongue over his bottom lip, wetting it, I squeezed the base of my dick, desperately trying to stave off coming in my pants like a fucking teenager.
I laughed self-consciously, not sure whether I hated or loved how off-kilter I was. “I’m the starting right defense at the San Diego Seals—the NHL team—but I’m on leave at the moment.”
It was Locke’s turn to laugh self-consciously.
He rubbed the back of his neck and he admitted, “I’m actually a big fan of the Seals.
I caught your game in Brissie when I was home last year.
” He grinned, that open smile lighting up his face.
“I wasn’t sure if it was you—you look different out of your uniform—but I was so glad you kicked LA’s arses.
My mate supports them, so the bragging rights were welcomed. ”
“Thanks.” I dipped my head in acknowledgement, and a small, satisfied grin broke over my lips. Locke Ledger was a fan of the Seals. It was the best thing he could have said to me. “It’s always good to win against the Kings.”
“What do you do, Kamirah?” he asked graciously, keeping the conversation moving.
“Charity work. I’m mostly fundraising for Warrior Pups—we train rescue dogs to become therapy dogs for veterans. But I also work with charities helping survivors of domestic violence, and youth mental health and drug services.”
“They’re all noble causes.”
We were interrupted when the server came to us for our breakfast orders.
“My dad’s a veteran,” Locke explained once we were alone again.
“He saw two active campaigns before being medically discharged. Mum says he wasn’t the same when he got back, especially after the second tour.
PTSD treatment is so important for vets.
I can’t imagine the horrors they see.” He shook his head and frowned before he seemed to shake it off and add, “And I love dogs, so… yeah, it’s a worthwhile charity. ”
“That’s what I think too,” Kam replied, grinning at him. She bit her lip and flushed a pretty pink, clearly pleased that he thought the same as we did.
“Have you been on the island long?” I asked, wanting to know more—everything—about him.
“This is my first full day.” He sighed and stretched his arms above his head before cracking his neck side to side.
This close, I could see the heavy weight of exhaustion on him.
Even as good as he looked, there was a washed-out quality to his skin and dark smudges under his eyes.
“I’d planned on sleeping all day, but it’s too nice out here to stay indoors. ”
“We’re going snorkeling just off the coast.” Kamirah gestured to the large yacht moored at the jetty and added, “We’re hopping on the catamaran in about an hour. I’m told the net between the two hulls is perfect for a nap.”
He grinned then moaned. “That sounds incredible.”
“You’re welcome to join us if you’d like,” Kam offered. I squeezed her hand, silently thanking her again.
“Really?”
“Definitely,” I agreed. “Three’s company. We’d love to have you.”
“In that case, yeah. I’d love that too.” His smile was shy, and his eyes shone with excitement, when only a moment ago, fatigue clung to him.
My heart flip-flopped in my chest, butterflies doing loop de loops in my belly. We were going to spend the day with Locke freaking Ledger!