“You don’t have to stay with me,” she said to him. “Really, I’ll be fine.”

He stood too close to her, gazing with tender affection.

“I can see you’re upset, luv. And I’d rather not return to the den of iniquity up there, if it’s all the same to you.” He chuckled, as if embarrassed by what was happening at the house.

The woman let out a dry laugh, shaking her head and crossing her arms. “I don’t know what’s gotten into my friends. I mean, Katrina’s always been wild, but not like this.”

Astaroth shrugged. “It’s her bachelorette weekend. One last hurrah and all that. Right?”

“I guess.” The woman looked out at the darkened ocean. “But leaving on a plane with strange men and going to an island . . . no offense. God, I didn’t mean—”

He laughed. “No offense taken. I think we were all caught up in the moment in Vegas. We’ll return soon and this will seem like a dream. Try to let yourself enjoy it.”

“I can’t. It was fun at first, but . . .” She gave a frustrated sigh. “We’re all happily married, and Katrina’s about to be, and now they’re all up there. . . . It’s not like them.”

“I’m sorry, luv,” he whispered. “I’m shocked as well.” They were quiet and he gazed at her for a while before continuing. “When I first saw you tonight I hoped I’d have the pleasure of your company. Seems there are so few women out there who value intelligence and also happen to be stunningly gorgeous. I was disappointed to hear you’re unavailable.”

She looked up at him and a band of red wrapped itself around her. I bit down hard against a shiver that was only partly from the freezing temperatures. My body was in such a sad state that I wondered if this was really happening. Maybe it was a bad dream or a hallucination.

Astaroth gave the woman a shy grin. “My apologies . . . I shouldn’t say such things to a married woman.”

She dropped her gaze and stepped away from him. He stepped closer and continued in that smooth voice, full of false passion. “It’s just that I’ve felt something between us from that first moment. I’m sorry to be so bold, but I know you feel it, too.”

She shook her head. “No. I—I can’t.”

“You can’t help how you feel,” he purred, stroking her hair.

Kaidan gripped me tighter and pulled, angling me away, but I could still hear them.

“I’m not going to lie,” the woman said. “I feel something, too, but I won’t act on it. I’m sorry. He’s a good man.”

“And you’re a good woman. I fear I’ll never find someone like you. I’ll be thinking of you when I return to England tomorrow, wishing I could have touched you . . . just once. Nobody would ever have to find out. Not your friends. Not your husband. Only the two of us. We wouldn’t be hurting a soul.”

She hesitated before saying, “I can’t.” She sounded on the verge of tears.

Kaidan squeezed me tighter and I felt his chest move with a sharp intake of breath. I cranked my head to the chink in the board again, wanting to see what caused such a reaction from Kai.

Two whisperers had descended on the woman as Astaroth continued to pet her and speak in gentle tones. And then he was kissing her, and she was kissing him back. I closed my eyes.

I was too numb, too frozen to process the full emotion that I would have experienced under normal circumstances. I heard the couple clambering to board the boat.

My teeth began to chatter, and I could no longer control it. With slow movements, Kaidan turned me to face him so my head rested on his shoulder, which helped my teeth not clink together. But now my breaths were ragged. Too loud in my ears. I sensed movement in the water and shifted my eyes to see Blake and Kopano surround Zania, who was in much the same state as I.

I closed my eyes and let my brain rest, too disoriented to think anymore.

Minutes? Hours? I didn’t know.

We waited until footsteps once again shook the dock as Duke Astaroth escorted the woman back up to the house. Minutes later all four Dukes and Flynn came down and stood on the dock by the boat. I had to look and see what they were doing.

A palpable tension gripped the small space between all of us under the dock. The four Dukes stood in a tight circle, talking in low tones while the two whisperers circled overhead, but we could hear. They were close. Too close. Flynn stood back from them with his arms crossed.

“They’re all up there, crying,” Astaroth said about the women. “Sweet regrets. Good thinking about the island, Melchom.”

“Yes,” Melchom agreed. Blake’s father looked small compared to the other three Dukes. “I just wish we could ditch them now. This’ll be one hell of a ride back to the mainland.”

“Sad women are so boring,” Pharzuph said. “At least you have something fun to look forward to after this.” He elbowed Melchom who nodded.

“I can’t wait to be rid of this old body. Should be a lot of good ones to choose from in China.”

We all looked to Blake who raised one eyebrow as he listened.

“You bringing your Neph boy with you?” Astaroth asked.

“Eh.” Melchom shrugged. “He’s got a great setup out here.”

“Well, don’t let him get too comfortable,” Astaroth warned. “This generation of Neph are lazy. They’ve no clue how good they’ve got it.”