Island Heat by E. Davies Page A

clauses?”
    “We were engaged, not in a contract,” Eli laughed quietly. “The prenups weren't signed yet.” Kevin winced and Eli continued quickly, not wanting to make him feel bad. “But no, it's mostly out of... consideration for him, I guess.”
    He still hadn't told Kevin all the details of how they'd broken up, nor why. The sight of Tom fucking his co-star on their soon-to-be wedding bed not even two months after they'd gotten engaged wasn't something he ever wanted to talk about again.
    Honestly, Eli hadn't even wanted to tell his new romantic interest about his recent breakup, but after their very first night together, Kevin had sworn he'd spotted the A-list actor walking away from Eli's house. He'd thought Eli was cheating on Tom with him.
    Thank god he'd let Eli explain.
    A man like Tom didn't just magically appear and disappear on an island like this, though. He had to get here somehow, rent a mansion from the rentals office that controlled all housing here... there had to be a trace of him somewhere if it was really him. Unless Kevin had just seen someone who looked like Tom, thus prompting Kevin's memory about where he'd seen Eli – in press photos, on Tom's arm. That could have been enough to jog his memory.
    But Kevin had sworn it was Tom.
    “Mm,” Eli murmured, letting the subject drop until they finished breakfast. “What do you have to do today?”
    Kevin packed up his empty container and disposable utensils. “Already took stock, and we're selling out of a lot more tarts than anything else. People really like them. So I have to make two more batches for tonight and tomorrow, and then start figuring out a menu for next week. We're rotating menus every two weeks.”
    “Sounds tricky. Do you need any help? I mean, I'm not an expert like you, but... I can taste-test,” Eli teased, wiping off his fingers on a napkin and stacking his garbage with Kevin's. “It's arduous, but I'll volunteer.”
    Kevin half-smiled, not fully distracted by the teasing, which was a sure-fire sign he was worried about something. “We have a meeting with Rube today, so Troy will be in early.”
    His best friend and co-owner of the dessert bar didn't yet know about them. Eli gathered that Kevin wanted to keep it that way until he was ready to come out to his gay best friend as being non-straight, too. He also didn't really want to run into Rube, their business mentor and a good associate of his, and let Rube draw assumptions about them this early in their relationship – whatever it was going to be.
    “Of course,” Eli nodded, rising to his feet as Kevin tossed the garbage in the trash. “I'll be off, then. How about lunch tomorrow instead of breakfast? I want to see you properly.” He liked catching up with Kevin in the mornings before Kevin's work truly began, but he wanted to see him in private, too. There were so many other things they still had to explore together.
    Kevin smiled back, his cute brown eyes brightening. “Oh, that sounds great. Where?”
    “My house? I'll get my chef to cook a nice lunch,” Eli offered. “Come by after you're done prepping.”
    “Yeah, I will,” Kevin promised. He walked back to Eli to take his hands as Eli rose to his feet, leaning in for a chaste kiss.
    Eli wasn't going to let him get away with that . He wanted to leave Kevin aching for his touch, yearning for his lips, imagining all the other things he had yet to teach him...
    He deepened the kiss, leaning into Kevin and sliding his hands out of Kevin's hold to grip his waist and pull him close. Their groins brushed, their chests close together. The heat between them multiplied as the chemistry built. Eli let his lower lip slowly slide along Kevin's, brushing it up along it before sucking Kevin's lip into his mouth to slowly flick his tongue along it in a little suggestive move.
    Kevin blushed and pulled away, his lips swollen and pupils dilated. He was blushing – he blushed so easily, Eli marvelled – and breathing