Insatiable by Opal Carew Page B

another breath. “Then why am I feeling this way for another man?”
    “That’s easy. Because you were confused … hurt…” Brent’s jaw clenched. “Maybe you even wanted to hurt me back.”
    Her heart constricted. “No.” She leaned forward and stroked his cheek. “I would never want to hurt you. I hate that this whole thing is hurting you. But…” She didn’t want to say this, but she had to. “If I were to just go ahead and marry you now, I’d always wonder. Should I really be with Evan? Did I choose you just because I met you first? I think in the long run, I would hurt you far more if we wound up getting married, then divorcing later.”
    His lips compressed. “We’re not even married and you’re already talking about divorce. I thought you were all about seeing it through the rough patches.”
    “So the alternative is staying together despite the fact that I might be in love with someone else? Living a lie?”
    He took her hand and drew her closer. “I don’t believe we’ve been living a lie. You love me, I know you do.”
    The fierceness of his tone thrilled her. He believed in them, and she felt the heat sizzling between them.
    “You have to give me time to be just as sure as you are. But until then, I need to explore my feelings for Evan.”
    “So,” Evan said, “you’re saying at the end of this vacation, you’re going to choose between us?”
    Brent glared at Evan, then shifted his hard gaze back to her. “Is that true?”
    Her stomach twisted at the pain she saw in his face. She drew in a deep breath, then nodded.
    *   *   *
    Crystal walked along the beach, her sandals dangling from her fingers. The warm white sand squished between her toes as she walked. She’d had to get away from the building tension between the two men.
    Three days had gone by since Brent had arrived. Three shaky days. After their conversation that first day, she and Evan had gone scuba diving, as they’d planned before Brent had arrived, then they’d all had dinner together, which had involved a lot of uncomfortable silences. That night, things got really awkward as bedtime approached, until finally she’d told them the only fair thing to do would be for them to all sleep separately. She needed time to figure all this out.
    “Hey there. Beautiful morning.”
    Crystal glanced up to see a tall, leggy blonde woman wearing a short red slinky bathing suit cover, sunglasses, and a broad-brimmed straw hat walking along the beach, heading for a set of four lounge chairs with umbrellas. Her long, wavy hair caressed her shoulders and glimmered in the bright sunlight.
    “Hi,” Crystal said.
    “Which villa are you staying in?” the other woman asked.
    “Um … it’s behind that gate right back there.” Crystal pointed behind her at the wooden gate she’d exited to access the beach.
    All along the beach were wooden fences that stopped people wandering from the beach onto the villa property beyond and gave privacy to the individual yards and pools. Their pool was well hidden, but the patio that overlooked the private pool offered a view of the ocean beyond.
    “That means we’re neighbors. My name’s Sarah.”
    Sarah held out her hand and Crystal shook it.
    “I’m Crystal.” She glanced around. “It’s pretty quiet. I’m surprised. It’s such a beautiful beach.”
    “Well, this stretch of beach is reserved for the villas along here, and there are only eight of them. Right now, I know that includes a honeymoon couple, a couple celebrating their thirtieth wedding anniversary, and six college students sharing one. We’re not likely to see the honeymoon couple, the students will probably spend all their time at the bars, and I’ve seen the older couple taking early morning walks. Then there’s me and my guy. And you. I don’t know about the other three.”
    “Actually, I’m part of the honeymoon couple.”
    “Oh, sorry. I hope I didn’t embarrass you with that comment.”
    “No. Don’t worry