Chapter 84 Passion on the Beach
Malia's POV
The villa settles into quiet around eleven, the last of the laughter fading as doors click shut down the hallway.
I lie in bed listening to the distant rhythm of waves, my mind replaying the day, Cian's gentle hands cupping my face, the wildflowers swaying in that hidden clearing, that first tentative kiss that had turned into something more, something that left my lips tingling and my heart racing hours later.
I should tell Aiden. The bond thrums with the weight of the secret, even though it's not really a secret. We all know what this is, what we're exploring together. The whole point of this island trip was to figure out these connections, to see where the bond leads us without the pressure of daily life interfering.
Still. The thought of his reaction makes my stomach twist with an anxiety I can't quite name. Not jealousy—we've moved past that, I think. But maybe... fear that he'll feel less important? That the passionate connection we share might somehow be diminished by what I'm building with his brothers?
A soft tap at my door pulls me from my spiraling thoughts. I know who it is before I even answer—can feel him through the bond, that warm, fierce pull that's purely Aiden.
He leans in the doorway, barefoot and shirtless, wearing only loose cotton pants that hang low on his hips. The moonlight from my window catches the planes of his chest, the strong line of his jaw, the way his hair falls across his forehead. Even now, after everything, the sight of him makes my breath catch.
"Can't sleep either?" he asks quietly, his voice rough with something that might be desire or exhaustion or both.
I shake my head, already reaching for the lightweight cardigan draped over my chair, pulling it on over my thin sleep shirt and shorts.
"Walk with me?" He extends his hand, and I take it without hesitation.
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The beach is silver-blue under the full moon, the sand still holding warmth from the day's sun beneath the cooler surface layer. We walk in silence at first, our feet leaving parallel tracks along the waterline, the foam washing over our toes with each wave's advance and retreat.
Aiden's hand finds mine, his fingers threading through mine with easy familiarity, his thumb tracing slow circles over my knuckles—a gesture that's become habit between us, his way of staying connected even in silence.
"You were gone a long time this morning," he says eventually, voice carefully neutral but I can hear the curiosity underneath. "Missed you at breakfast."
My heart skips, guilt and something else—protectiveness maybe?—flaring in my chest. "Cian showed me a clearing. Deep in the island. With wildflowers."
"Sounds like him. Peaceful. Quiet." He pauses, then adds with a slight smile I can hear more than see, "Romantic."
I glance at him, trying to read his expression in the moonlight. There's no jealousy there, just gentle knowing, acceptance, maybe even approval. It makes my chest ache with how much I love him for that—for being secure enough in what we have to not feel threatened by what I might be building with his brothers.
"Aiden—"
"You don't have to explain," he interrupts softly, stopping our walk to turn and face me fully, both hands finding mine now. "I know what this is. What we all agreed to. The bond doesn't choose just one person, and we knew that going in. I just..." He pauses, searching for words, his jaw working. "I just need to know you're happy. That you're choosing this because you want it, not because the bond is forcing your hand. Not because you feel obligated to explore connections with all three of us."
I step closer, releasing one of his hands so I can press my palm against his chest, feeling his heartbeat strong and steady beneath warm skin. "I'm choosing this. All of it. It's messy and complicated and sometimes I don't know how to navigate it, how to give each of you what you need without shortchanging someone else. But I've never been more certain of anything. This isn't obligation, Aiden. It's... it's everything."
His eyes search mine, moonlight reflecting in their depths, turning them almost silver. Then his hand comes up to cup my face, his palm rough against my cheek, his thumb brushing along my cheekbone with a tenderness that contradicts the intensity in his gaze.
"I love you," he says simply, the words falling between us like stones dropped into still water, creating ripples that spread outward.
The words hit me like a wave, washing away the last of my hesitation, the anxiety about telling him about Cian, the fear that I'm somehow doing this wrong.
"I love you too," I whisper, my hand sliding up from his chest to curl around the back of his neck. "God, Aiden, I love you so much it terrifies me sometimes."
He kisses me then—not gentle like Cian's careful exploration, but with the fierce intensity that's purely Aiden. His mouth claims mine hungrily, like he's been starving for this, for me, one hand tangling in my hair while the other pulls me flush against him, eliminating any space between our bodies.
I respond with equal fervor, my arms wrapping around his neck, fingers threading through his hair and tugging slightly. He groans into my mouth, the sound vibrating through both of us, and his tongue sweeps against mine—demanding, possessive, claiming me in a way that makes heat pool low in my belly.
The kiss is different from this morning's with Cian. Where Cian was gentle and exploratory, learning as he went, Aiden is confident and consuming. He knows exactly what he's doing, exactly how to make me melt against him, how to draw soft gasps from my throat with just the right pressure, the right angle, the right amount of teeth grazing my bottom lip.
When we break apart, both breathing hard, his forehead rests against mine, our rapid breaths mingling in the small space between us.
"I want you," he murmurs, his voice rough and low, sending shivers down my spine. "Here. Now. Under the stars. I want to make love to you where anyone could see, where the whole world could witness that you're mine—that we're each other's."
My answer is to kiss him again, slower this time but no less intense, pouring everything I feel into the press of my lips against his. He understands, his hands sliding down from my waist to my hips, then lower, fingers playing with the hem of my sleep shirt, the touch sending electricity across my skin.
We move together to a spot where the beach curves inward, sheltered by rocks and palm trees, hidden from the distant villa by the natural landscape.
Aiden spreads his discarded shirt on the sand, creating a makeshift blanket, then pulls me down with him, our bodies fitting together like puzzle pieces finally finding their match...