ONE ZALI
ONE
ZALI
I was lying on my back, splayed out on my bed.
The gentle lap of water against the hull of my yacht was calming.
Rumpled sheets surrounded me. My hookup was in my attached bathroom, disposing of the condom and grabbing a washcloth.
He had a cute arse and a nice dick—it was why I’d invited him over—and he seemed like a decent-enough guy, but I wouldn’t see him again.
Even if I wanted a relationship, which I didn’t, he wouldn’t be it.
We had zero chemistry and even less in common.
Sure, people took a while to get in tune with each other, but I needed spark and spice.
I needed to feel passion burning in my veins. I didn’t have it with him.
It didn’t matter anyway. I had my people—my bestie, Flynn; my right-hand man and late brother’s best friend, Ryder; and my dad. That was more than enough. I didn’t even like letting them in, but they’d all been around before my mum and brother died. After that, I’d had no hope of pushing them away.
I also had my work. I was known as Queen, the infamous hacker who’d pulled off some of the biggest security breaches in history.
I played by my moral code and set my own rules to live by.
Society’s laws were more like guidelines.
They were for other people to follow. Boundaries were there to be bent and broken, and I did both at will.
My currency was data, especially the seedy kind that people tried to keep secret.
But I also moonlighted for the Australian Federal Police’s cyber investigations team.
I was technically an independent contractor, but Detective Ezra Fraser was the person who gave me cases to work on.
My handler—I called him my boss—was the only other person in my inner circle.
The cyber investigations team came across some real pieces of work.
I followed the trails down the rabbit hole to see what I could find.
Usually, it was enough to put them away.
When I couldn’t find enough legally, I did it my way.
Then I destroyed them, taking everything they owned and showing their loved ones who they were really dealing with.
I kept up the charade that I was one of the “good guys,” but working for the feds also served as useful cover. No one looked too close to home, and I was able to redirect anyone who did.
“Want me to stick around, darlin’?” my hookup asked, his American drawl strong to my ears.
That was another reason why I’d invited him over. His two-week trip to Australia was ending in a couple of days. He and his friends would leave the Gold Coast’s glitter strip and head back to wherever he came from.
“I can go another round if you give me a few minutes and a soda.”
He was a solid five in the sack. A good workhorse, but we just didn’t click.
His touch didn’t set me alight. We’d been at it for a while, and I still hadn’t come.
I was antsier than I’d been when he’d arrived.
That just sucked—and not in the good way.
I had a commitment tonight that I couldn’t blow off to get off either.
I didn’t get a chance to respond before there was a knock on the door. Flynn marched in, not waiting for an invitation. He didn’t balk at my nakedness. He’d seen me like this a million times. It was definitely my preferred state of being.
“What the…?” my hookup asked, covering his junk with his hands.
“Hey, Flynn,” I greeted my best friend warmly with the first genuine smile I’d given all day, and I held out my arms for him. It probably wasn’t the greatest idea. I was still sweaty and likely smelled of sex, and he was already in his pristine tux—classic black with a white shirt and bow tie.
But I’d missed my friend, and he gave the best hugs.
Flynn didn’t hesitate. He hung the garment bag on the hook behind my door and climbed on the bed with me.
He hovered over me on his hands and knees, holding himself just above me.
His blue eyes were dark, his lips pink and wet like he’d just licked them.
His blond curls gave him an innocence that only he could pull off.
He had a perfectly smooth jawline, a straight nose, and pouty lips absolutely made for kissing.
Kind-hearted and loyal, his personality matched his angelic face.
He was genuinely beautiful both inside and out.
I loved this boy. He was a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.
He understood me better than anyone else on the planet.
I inhaled, breathing in his scent. He was all my favourite things—the ocean, blue skies, and light breezes. My nipples pressed against his chest, and he flicked his gaze to the doorway for a split second before he nuzzled my cheek with his nose and pressed a soft kiss to my jaw.
Swoon.
Fuck me, the man or woman who finally captured Flynn’s heart would be the luckiest person on earth. He was sweeter than any man had a right to be.
“Hey, Zee,” he whispered against my ear. The vibration of his voice sent a ripple of gooseflesh over me, and I grasped his sides, holding him close as I fought to get my wayward body under control.
“Right, that’s your cue,” Ryder said from the doorway.
I blinked, my attention snapping away from Flynn momentarily. I hadn’t even realized Ry was in the room. When my eyes connected with his, I sucked in a breath. Dressed from head to toe in black, he looked suave, sophisticated, and dangerous. Utterly irresistible.
My hookup—holy fuck, I’d forgotten he was even here—let out a disgruntled grumble. He was looking between the three of us, and he narrowed his eyes, assessing me, then widened them comically.
“Is this guy your client?” he asked far more loudly than necessary, and it immediately set me on edge.
“Excuse me?” I asked indignantly. My client?
Although it wasn’t a huge leap to reach that conclusion.
I was lying naked on the bed, my legs still spread after he’d just fucked me, when another man walked in and climbed on top of me.
No shade to sex workers—I admired the fuck out of them—but I wasn’t one. Even if I acted like it sometimes.
I preferred the term slut.
“You think Zali’s a hooker?” Ry asked, his voice a deep growl.
He was like an attack dog who’d zeroed in on an intruder on his property and was about to rip him limb from limb.
The Noble Steed was my yacht, and Ry was definitely my dark knight protecting me from within the shadows.
He did everything for me: cooking, cleaning, navigating, driving, flying—everything.
Including removing hookups who overstayed.
“What the hell do you want me to think?” He gestured between Flynn and me, then, addressing Ryder, added, “Who are you? Her pimp?”
Ry shot his arm out, grabbed my guest by the throat, and dragged him toward the doorway of my stateroom. “You’ve outworn your welcome, fuck face.”
“Hey, I’ll have you arrested for assault,” he threatened, his voice a choked-off gasp.
Ry huffed, and I could sense him rolling his eyes. But he did let go of his throat and instead gripped his arm and hauled him toward my door.
“Great—we’ve got a copper arriving in a few minutes. Tell him your sob story. In the meantime, get the fuck off this yacht.”
“I need my shoes.”
Ry paused, searched the room, then kicked my hookup’s slides out into the hallway before he dragged the other man out after him. With his free hand, he slammed the door closed behind him and yelled, “You have thirty minutes to get ready, Zali,” as he walked away.
Tonight was a big deal. We were attending a gala dinner in support of a children’s charity, and I’d been looking forward to the ball for weeks.
Flynn chuckled and shook his head. He pulled back, and I dropped my hands, letting him go before he flopped down on his belly next to me.
“Gorgeous as always,” he murmured, his voice deeper than usual and gravellier. “But seriously, you sure do find them.”
I waved off his concern. “He wasn’t that bad… aside from thinking I was a sex worker.” I shrugged. Even that was a nonissue, as far as I was concerned—it certainly wasn’t an insult in my books.
“Have a quick shower, Zee, and then let me dress you,” he directed sweetly. “Don’t wet your hair.”
Even though I hated clothes, I couldn’t wait to see how my dress had turned out. The designer was a local up-and-coming creator who’d just graduated and was trying to build her portfolio of couture pieces.
I grinned at Flynn and slid off the bed. I was in a good mood, average hookup notwithstanding. Tonight was going to be fun. I had a gorgeous dress to wear and three of the hottest men on the Coast to accompany me.