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Coco moved Colin’s hand from off her lower hip and up to her waist. She knew better than to try and break free of him, she’d learned the hard way; he would just latch onto another part of her body, claiming his stake for all the delegates, senior officials, and elite Barbadian expats.

A lot of them knew her parents and grandparents from Barbados; she was sure some could also be related as Barbados was a tiny island.

All here socializing while attending the welcoming party for the new commissioner of Barbados, Keith Wallace.

Keith Wallace was actually one of the youngest High Commissioners to date, being just thirty-nine and fine.

He was tall with broad shoulders, proportional to his slim athletic frame with short locs and smooth brown skin, complimented by a trim beard and mustache.

His brown eyes were penetrating, and his voice had a soothing timber to it with a combined accent of Bajan and British as he’d finished his political science and Bachelor of Commerce in the UK.

When you spoke to him, he gave you his undivided attention.

He was charming and quick-witted, and Jackie, when she was introduced, was already enamoured.

Her father and Colin, after arriving, had gone to get their coats sorted and her mom had pulled her and Jackie along when she’d spotted one of her friends who now lived in Boston and was there attending with her husband.

Jackie had excused herself to find a bathroom before she had the chance to be introduced to Keith.

Coco had extended her hand in greeting, which was then enveloped in his warm one.

His gaze then travelled over her, a look of interest in his eyes, and Coco forgot Colin and everyone around her as she gazed back, taking in his form and features, finding him very handsome.

His sudden smile piqued her interest into wanting to get to know him better.

Colin’s tan hand shooting out in front of them and his other wrapping around her waist and pulling her tight into his side broke the spell of the burgeoning spark of attraction.

Keith eyes were guarded now as he took in the two of them and reached out his hand to Colin, where they both shook hands quickly before releasing.

“Colin Norris, and welcome to Boston.”

“Thanks.” Keith smiled in warmth as her father appeared on the other side of her.

“Linnel, pleasure to see you again.” Coco could see her father side-eyeing Colin and his hand on her waist, his lips firming unhappily before he focused on Keith and his hand reached out to shake his.

Her father’s face broke out in a warm smile, and he clasped Keith’s hand in both of his.

“Hi Keith, how are you settling in?”

Keith brown gaze rested back on hers for a second before he answered Linnel.

“It has been busy, but I appreciate the warm welcome I have been receiving since taking up residence here and look forward to working with and getting to know the Bajan community of people here.”

His father nodded and released his hands. “You have met my daughter, Coco.”

“Yes, you have a beautiful daughter.” Coco glanced between her father and Keith, who were exchanging a look.

“Yes, and she has a single, just-as-beautiful friend named Jackie. And on cue here she is.” Colin pulled Coco to the side, making room for Jackie and before she knew it, she was being led further and further away from Keith. If she wasn’t so annoyed, she would have laughed.

And since then, he’d not left her side, She heard him make displeased rumbles in his chest. But she didn’t care; he was taking his role as fiancé too seriously.

Persistently at her side with his hand on her.

His possessive touch was driving her nuts, and so were the feelings it was stirring inside of her, aches she didn’t want to feel and thought were long gone.

She was still attracted to the man, damn it.

Colin in casual wear, joggers, and t-shirt was a sight to behold, but him in a tux was sin walking.

And his cologne, she wanted to bath herself in it.

His cologne reminded her of the axe-me commercial—she was sure she caught a couple of women and men sniffing him throughout the night.

Even her own mother had taken a long breath when they’d shown up together at the hotel for a drink with her parents before getting into the hired car Colin reserved for them.

And she could have laughed at her father’s expression and the hard slap to Colin’s shoulder every time he introduced him as her boyfriend to friends and colleagues at the event.

Her dad, even though he smiled, his eyes were still angry and held no warmth for Colin.

That is why she was still surprised now and when her parents had both came back into the boardroom, her father face drawn in tight and anger in his eyes and her mother hugging her, holding her in her arms as she regarded Colin, her look accessing.

But both agreed to give her their support in getting married and getting her shares back in the company.

“A glass of red or white wine?” A server interrupted her thoughts. She nodded and took a glass of white.

“Thank you.”

“Sir?” He raised the tray to Colin.

“No, thank you.”

The server turned and addressed a couple standing next to them.

“Not a wine drinker?” she questioned as she savoured the fruity flavour of the sweet wine.

“No, not normally. I like the hard stuff when I am out socializing.” He lowered his head to hers to be heard over the crowd.

The richness of his voice in her ear caused her heart to flutter and she took a breath, needing space but not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was affecting her with his nearness.

“Remember that time that I let you try one of my brother’s girlfriend’s fruity coolers in the fridge. It hit you so hard and fast after just a few sips. You were giggling and talking a mile a minute. You looked so adorable trying out your first drink.”

He leaned closer, his lips grazing the upper shell of her ear. “Then you wanted to slow dance as you never had done that either and I got to hold you close, moving your body against mine. Hearin—”

“Yes, and I puked all over you not long after.” She grinned gleefully, remembering the look of shock and horror on his face.

She’d pulled back, suddenly not being able to keep her balance and began feeling sick from him swaying her from side to side.

Colin pulled her back into his embrace to steady her, and she’d looked up at him, her mouth parting and he’d taken it as a sign she wanted to be kissed by him, just as his head lowered, her stomach emptied.

She’d never seen his eyes open so wide, and then he jumped away, making a gagging motion, turning away from her as he took in deep breaths.

Colin gave her one of those ha-ha looks that said she was not amusing. “Yes and took care of you afterwards.” He reminded her.

She thought he would have been angry, but he picked her up and took her to his bathroom, where she let out more of her stomach contents, waiting patiently and holding her hair, making soothing noises and kissing the top of her forehead, until she was done.

He stepped out to let her take a shower and washed her shirt and jeans, bringing her some of his clothes to wear, then called for his driver to take her home.

Holding her in his arms until she’d left.

She’d been so embarrassed when she got home and climbed into bed before her parents returned from an evening event they’d been attending; she pretended to be fast asleep when her mother came to check on her.

She woke up off and on when he would send her message, checking in on her and making her feel cared for and she thought, now feeling bitter, loved.

“Why don’t you go to the bar and get yourself a drink?” She suggested, changing the subject to get away from the sweet memory of them together that he’d brought up.

He eyed her, gloating. “Why, is my presence affecting you?” But then his look turned serious as if searching for something.

“No, but this taking hold of me, staking your claim, is getting to be a little too much. I think everyone now knows we are an item.” She said sarcastically.

“That is the whole point, Coco. Remember our deal, this is what a couple in love looks like, always touching, kissing, and wanting to be together. Just be glad I am not staking my claim here in public by kissing you senseless.”

She bared her teeth at him in a semblance of a smile. “Senseless, in your dreams. Try it and your lip will come out bloody and swollen from my teeth.”

He chuckled. “So, bloodthirsty now. Shall we put that to the test.” His gaze dropped to her lips and back to her eyes, letting her know he was relishing the challenge.

“More wine, ma’am.” Another waiter appeared at her side. Coco smiled, glad for the interruption and avoiding a scene that was about to erupt.

“Saved for now, but don’t test me, Coco.” He warned.

She glared and turned to hand the waiter her empty wine glass before taking another.

“Sir, wine?”

“No, thank you.” Colin declined again.

“Would you like something from the bar?” The waiter hovered.

She groaned, internally calculating that he would eventually have to leave her side to go and get himself a drink and she would get to escape for a bit.

He grinned, knowing her plans had been thwarted.

She turned determined to just ignore him now as he spoke to the waiter, but he was making it difficult with his finger rubbing her skin through the light purple and floral-print dress that she wore with matching pumps on her feet.

That small caress made her feel warm and her thoughts began to scatter.

“Fish cake?” A female server stopped at her side.

Just from the spicy scent, Coco’s mouth watered in anticipation of biting into the deep-fried salt fish cake, skewered on a toothpick; she picked it up and dipped it into the complimentary sauce.

The sweet heat of the sauce built slowly in her mouth.

She enjoyed that it was light and help to finish off the tasty treat.

She moaned when the savoury flavours hit her tongue and she enjoyed the crisp, baked flour done right, not too soft or hard to bite into, flaking off into her mouth along with the taste of the seasoned fish inside.

She heard, “God damn, this is good. Baby, what is this called?”

Warmth spread through her at Colin’s voice holding admiration and the term of endearment that slipped past his lips so easily.

She turned to see his eyes alight with discovery as he took another bite and then it was gone.

She uttered a sound of outrage when he took the last of her piece and popped it into his mouth.

Chewing and then closing his eyes. “Not a lot of ingredients, but the perfect amount of onions, parsley, thyme.” He frowned. “Hot pepper. The batter is just right. Not heavy or greasy.”

His eyes opened and looked down at her expectantly. “It is called a fish cake.” She grumbled, eyeing him icily.

“What? I am sure there will be more of it.” He sounded hopeful and craned his neck, watching the waiters pass by with the cakes, but anyone knew that if you didn’t take enough by the time they came around again, it would be all gone.

“Flying fish and Cou Cou, Ma’am.” Another waiter stopped at her side with a baked, Cou Cou stuffed flying fish roll and once again before she could finish it, Colin helped himself to hers.

She growled low in her throat, and he grinned.

“What? I don’t want to come across as being greedy by taking more off the trays.

Now that was flying fish.” He looked at her as if she should be proud that he recognized one of the many popular fishes in Barbados.

But the demon wasn’t letting her eat and enjoy them too.

Now if they came around with bite-size macaroni pie and he tried that shit, he would be leaving here in a body bag.

He finally left her side to go and talk with the chef when they came out with the breadfruit stuffed with fish filling.

She was able to snack on the bite-size macaroni tidbit in peace when it came around.

The food was doing what alcohol could not—get an immovable force to finally move and she smirked.

Coco sipped on her drink as her eyes scanned the throng of guests, looking for Jackie.

She smiled when she spotted her at Keith’s side, then turned to see where her parents were.

They appeared to be engaged in conversation with a circle of older men and women, and she grinned because she could see they were finishing each other’s sentences.

They tended to do that when they were excited or upset with you.

She thought it was a beautiful and weird quirk they had and couldn’t wait to see how her and her husband had the same mannerisms or speech like other couples she’d met.

Even her friend Zahara and her husband just needed to share a glance and they would gravitate to each other when on opposite sides of the room.

Her friend Ambra and Michael had a weird cat-and-mouse game going on that seemed to work for them but getting involved had earned her the wrath of Michael, bringing Colin back into her life.

Her thoughts turned to Colin and she was surprised to realize she missed his warmth beside her; even though it was fake, it felt nice to have the attention of a man and to feel him holding her protectively.

Coco shook her head to dispel the sadness and loneliness descending on her suddenly; for just one fleeting second, she’d dreamed of this being reality, but Coco had always been practical and she had to get through this trial for now.

Later, she would begin to untangle herself from the mess, but for now what was done was done.

Placing her empty glass on another tray, she moved through the crowd in search of the washroom.

Her head was starting to feel fuzzy, and she was flushed after consuming those two wines.

Coco was still a lightweight when it came to alcoholic drinks, and though one or two glasses was normal for her if she drank at all, she’d been drinking on an empty stomach and was starting to feel the effects.

Spotting the signs for the ladies’ room, she turned down the corridor and was nearly knocked off her feet by a woman in red.