The beach party was alive with the crackle of the bonfire, the steady crash of waves, and a soundtrack of distant laughter and pulsing music. She stood just beyond the circle of light, the ocean breeze teasing the thin straps of her halter top bikini against her bare shoulders and the fabric hugging the gentle curve of her waist and hips. Tonight, she’d dressed to feel confident—but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw next.

Jay.

The one who had spent the last few weeks weaving half-truths and teasing promises like a web she had willingly stepped into. His easy smile, his lingering touches that made her pulse race, the way his green eyes had made her believe there was something real.

But now, under the moonlight, Jay was leaning into someone else.

A girl with sun-kissed skin and hair that caught the firelight like flames, laughing softly as she slid her hand up his chest. And then—slowly, deliberately—she kissed him.

The kiss wasn’t rushed or sloppy; it was soft and confident, the kind of kiss that claimed a moment meant to be private.

Her breath caught.

She swallowed hard, the tightness in her throat threatening to break. The edge of her lip stung from biting it too hard.

“Jay really knows how to play you, huh?” Kade’s voice, low and rough, pulled her out of the swirl of pain and disbelief. He stood a step behind her, arms crossed, watching the scene with a calm that felt like fire.

She shot him a glare. “Don’t act like you care.” He smirked, stepping closer until his presence was a heat she could no longer ignore. “You’re terrible at hiding it.”

“Maybe I don’t want to hide it,” she snapped back, cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and something else—something she didn’t want to admit.

Kade’s gaze softened, but only just. Without warning, his hand came around her waist, fingers curling lightly beneath the thin fabric of her bikini top, pulling her firmly against him.

Her breath hitched, every nerve alive to the sensation—the contrast between the cool night air and the warmth of his body pressed close.

Jay’s eyes flicked over, sharp and darkening with something unreadable—frustration, maybe, or the bitter sting of losing control.

Kade didn’t hesitate.

His lips brushed hers—first barely there, teasing, a soft question.

She leaned in, closing the small gap, hands instinctively clutching the collar of his shirt as his mouth deepened the kiss.

His hand slid lower, moving from her waist to rest firmly yet gently on her hip, pulling her even closer, the warmth of his palm pressing through the thin fabric of her bikini bottoms.

Her skin flushed beneath his touch, the electricity spreading like wildfire.

Then, his other hand traced a slow, deliberate path along her side, fingers skimming over the curve of her waist before sliding down to rest lightly on her stomach—bare skin exposed by the bikini’s cut—his touch feather-soft but sure, drawing a shiver from her.

She melted against him, the kiss slow and deliberate, every movement filled with unspoken meaning.

Then, Kade pulled back just enough to catch his breath, his chest rising and falling as he stared down into her eyes—dark, intense, and utterly captivated.

Without breaking eye contact, he leaned in again, pressing his lips to hers with even more urgency this time, deeper and softer all at once.

His tongue tangled with hers again, warm and inviting, coaxing a slow, sweet rhythm that left her dizzy and breathless.

His thumb brushed along her cheekbone, careful, reverent, like he was memorizing every line and curve.

Her hands tightened on his shirt, holding him close as the world fell away until there was nothing but the taste of him, the warmth of his body, and the steady beat of their hearts. When he finally pulled away, his gaze held hers unflinchingly. “Why did you—” she started, but the words caught in her throat. “Don’t get it twisted,” Kade said, voice low and steady. “I didn’t do this because I like you.”

Her eyes searched his face, heart pounding.

“I did it because you needed it.”