Chapter One
Louisa
Squawk!
The loud sound that echoed through the room threatened to rouse me from my sleep. Choosing to ignore it, I moaned and turned over.
Squawk!
With a gasp, my body lurched upwards and I came face to face with a yellow-beaked bird perched on the railing at the foot of my bed. His claws clicked against the metal of the frame as his yellow eyes stared me down.
The African Gray Hornbill was much bigger than I expected him to be. Almost the size of a cockatoo, in fact. He marched along the bed frame, allowing me to get a good look at his mottled gray and white feathers.
“Aren’t you beautiful?” I kept my voice low and glanced over at my brand new Nikon camera in the hopes that I might be able to reach for it without spooking my unexpected visitor. But I was smack bang in the middle of a king-sized bed.
The hornbill followed my gaze as though he knew what I was up to.
“It’s okay.” I shifted an inch towards the carved timber side table. The duck feather pillow bunched up beneath my hand.
The hornbill arched his neck and I froze.
“Easy, mate.” I sat still as a statue. I’d counted to sixty by the time he was relaxed enough to begin preening his feathers.
Taking advantage of his distraction, I crept a little further and reached my arm out.
He pinned me with his little eyes again.
My hand was within millimeters of reaching my newest prize possession, a Christmas present from my men. Barely moving, I crept my fingers across the surface of the timber and silently cheered when they made contact with the camera. I didn’t dare lift it until the bird was preening himself once more, which was when I managed to snap one photo before he leapt to the floor.
I crawled onto my belly and angled the lens towards the little guy. Sadly, his back was to me. I held the camera poised in position and hoped he would turn around again but I was out of luck.
He ambled out of the French doors where the gauzy white curtains were blowing gently in the morning breeze and I dropped my bottom lip.
Viewing the preview image on the digital screen on the back of the camera, I mumbled, “Not too shabby.” It would take a while to learn the finer points of such a powerful little machine, but it helped that I already had a penchant for taking photos to begin with. My first blurred photograph was of the gum trees at the local wildlife park with Mum’s camera when I was five. The gum trees were incidental; I had been trying to photograph the kangaroo my brother, Bevan, was feeding. Because of my early interest, I was gifted my first camera that very next Christmas complete with a packet of batteries and oodles of film rolls.
New, digital camera in hand, I got up from the bed and walked out of the large bedroom to the gorgeous deck that overlooked the fenced in yard to stare at the area beyond the fence. Some Angolan Colobus monkeys were in the nearby Poinciana trees and were feasting on the flowers.
How could I resist taking more photos? Hopefully, I would never run out of space on my SD card, which contained the largest storage money could buy.
Slowly, I scanned the area for something else that I could capture and my gaze fell upon Eric. The second youngest Rawlins brother looked magnificent in the early morning sunlight. He exuded a peacefulness as he leaned on the railing and stared out at our wonderful view of the African bush.
I took a couple of shots of his profile, then approached him. “Morning, Eric.”
Eric smiled, revealing his perfect pearly whites. “Morning, Lou-Lou.” He pointed to my camera. “Have you been taking a few photos?”
“Yep.” I waved the camera in the air. “This is a great Christmas present. It’s inspiring all kinds of creativity. Eventually, I’d like to learn how to edit them to make the images look more professional. Maybe I could do a photography course at college after I graduate from zoology.”
“Never stop learning, huh?”
“Nope.” I shook my head vehemently.
“That’s a good quality to have. I admire that about you.” Eric indicated the camera. “May I see?”
Drawing my lips together, I handed him the camera and leaned back against the timber decking rail as he flicked through some of the images I’d taken.
“You’re giving this thing a good workout.”
“I figure I can download them onto my laptop and then clear out any shitty images,” I replied with a nod.
“Good idea.” When Eric reached the photos of him I’d just taken, he chuckled. “Candid Camera, sweetheart?”
“I couldn’t resist. You’re as beautiful as anything else here.”
Eric drew me to him and kissed me gently.
When I heard a click, I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw that Eric had snapped us kissing. I blushed while he checked the result.
“Perfect.”
Avoiding the complement, I looked out at the waterhole again. “You know, we’ve been in Kenya for a week now and I have fallen completely in love with it. I loved London as you know, but here I feel… connected to the earth.” I wrinkled my nose. “That’s kind of hippy-sounding, isn’t it?”
With a small chuckle, Eric rubbed my shoulder. “But it’s you. I know London was exciting for you, but this is the kind of place where you’ll thrive, I truly believe that.” He draped the strap of the camera around my neck and together, we stared up at the monkeys.
“Keeping this property full of trees is a stroke of genius.”
Eric chuckled at me and pressed a kiss to my hair. “I’ll leave you to animal watch. I have to get going. They’re expecting me at the orphanage early.”
When we’d arrived in Kenya, Eric revealed to me that he’d applied to volunteer at a children’s orphanage not far from where we were staying here on the Kenyan coastline.
This quieter area of Diani Beach was an easy commute to both the elephant rescue I was volunteering at and Tate’s office in Mombasa. The large, five acre compound backed directly onto the beach so Jack and Royce could surf every morning. There was no doubt in my mind they were down there right now.
“Good luck today. I’m glad you enjoy being at the orphanage.” I hugged him, then reached up and kissed his cheek.
He wrapped me tight in his arms. “Thanks. Have a good day, sweetheart.” Eric pecked my mouth and grinned big, then headed off.
After changing from my pajamas into a sarong, I wandered around the deck, which surrounded the entire home and ventured down the path that led through the bush to the beach beyond.
What should have been a five minute walk turned into almost fifteen minutes long since I got a little snap-happy along the way. There was so much beauty here, I couldn’t resist capturing as much of it as possible. The place changed in small ways every day.
The sand on the secluded stretch of white sandy beach that lay directly behind the Rawlins’ property was already heating up beneath my feet. Since the equator ran straight through this country, temperatures rarely dropped below seventy-three fahrenheit. It was a massive transition from the near-freezing temperatures of London. My body was shocked by the temperature change when we disembarked from the plane. I was still coming to terms with the hotter, more humid climate, though my excitement of being in such an incredible environment had prevented me from becoming a water baby and air conditioning hog.
Pausing, I took some photos of the azure water and marveled at how stunning it looked against the pure white sand. These photos might not need editing given the beauty they already showed, but perhaps I could learn how to enhance the colors or the subjects when it came to individuals and animals. At least I would have a lot to work with.
Jack and Royce were giving Byron a surfing lesson near the edge of the water. Byron was keen on learning the pastime since Jack had come on the scene. Not wanting to interrupt, I sat down on one of the cane sun lounges beneath a grass umbrella and watched them.
Byron was on a board in the shallows, his arms stretched out like wings and his knees bent ever so slightly. He moved his body to and fro enough to simulate the act of surfing.
Royce gave his brother a slap on the shoulder. “That’s more like it, By.”
“I think you’re about ready to tackle the great waves of the Indian Ocean.” Jack opened his arms out towards the great blue expanse.
A smile touched Byron’s lips. “I’m looking forward to it.”
My deep-seated fear of the ocean reared its ugly head once again and I became slightly unsettled by Byron’s enthusiasm. “Be careful, though.” The words tumbled out before I could stop them.
The three guys looked over at me.
“The waves look pretty gnarly.”
“I’m sure between Royce and Jack’s expertise, I’ll be okay,” Byron assured me.
“They’re not too bad, Lou. We’re protected by the coral reefs here,” Royce pointed to some indiscriminate spot in the ocean.
Byron overbalanced and the others laughed.
“You haven’t even gone out in the water, yet, man.” Jack slapped Byron’s shoulder as well.
Byron chuckled. “I’m getting out in that water one way or another.”
Byron was breaking out of his shell thanks to Jack, and I was enjoying seeing it. The hulking Hawaiian was a good fit for this tight-knit group I’d formed with the guys, even if it had taken a while for some of the others to catch on.
“So will you, Sea Sprite.”
Royce raced to me and scooped me into his arms, making me squeal. My body tensed and my laughter died in my throat as he approached the water’s edge. “No, no, please.” One hand gripped his shoulder tight while I tried to save my camera with the other. “Please, Royce, I don’t want to go in. I-I’ve got my new camera with me and…”
“Louisa.” Royce squeezed my body. His tone commanded me to abandon my arguments to look at him, and that was what I did. He pressed his nose against mine and murmured, “Trust me.”
My heart tripped inside my chest. He always had a positive effect on me, and my fear was slowly replaced by my overwhelming love for him. With a gulp I nodded.
He carried me over to the others and set me down in the ankle-deep water.
Splashing my toes around in the clear liquid, I said, “It’s warm.”
Royce chuckled. “Much warmer than the water at Wayborough Shores, that’s for sure.”
“Morning, Lou.” Jack pecked my lips. “You’re in time to watch Byron take on the African swell.”
“Yeah, if he can stay on his board for more than five seconds.” Royce flashed his brother a shiteating grin.
Byron splashed the youngest Rawlins.
“So I heard. Like I said, be careful.”
Byron studied my concerned expression. “Like I said, I’ll be fine.”
Byron flashed a surreptitious glance Jack’s way and Jack clamped his hand onto By’s shoulder. When the air zinged around us, I pretended to ignore the sexual tension between the pair.
“Go on, then.” I held my camera up. “I’ll snap some photos of you.”
“That would be awesome of you, honey. Let’s get out there, Jack.” Byron turned the nose of his board out into the ocean. “I’m keen to give this a try.”
“Then let’s do it.”
Royce quickly followed after them.
When the three of them reached a certain depth, they slid onto their boards, stomach down, and paddled out until I could barely see them due to the brightness of the early morning sun. Though I knew my camera was no match for the sunlight, I would definitely get some great silhouettes of the men, and hopefully some brilliant action shots as they surfed their way back in.
I held my breath as Byron found the courage to stand up as a wave picked him up. He wasn’t ready to cut in and out like his companions could. Instead, he lifted his arms out to his sides and focused on his balance.
Caught up in the moment, I lowered my camera and cheered him on. My cheers turned to a yelp when he fell off the board. Panic began rising when he didn’t resurface. By the way they were glancing around frantically and calling his name, it was obvious that Jack and Royce were sharing my concerns. My stomach began to roll and I thought I was going to be sick.
Byron finally resurfaced and shook the water from his face, and I heard him laugh and whoop loudly. Jack and his brother joined in on his laughter. My heart slowly returned to its normal rhythm as relief flooded through me and I sank to the sand. Byron climbed back onto his surfboard and I spent the next hour watching the trio have the time of their lives.
When they finally made their way back to shore, I threw my arms around Byron, not caring about getting wet. “You scared the crap out of me, By.”
“Sorry, Lou. I promise I’ll make it up to you.” He snaked his arm around my waist.
I cocked a smirk at him. “You’d better.”
Byron pulled me against him. “How does a romantic, candlelit dinner by the pool right beneath the acacia tree sound?”
“You know the exact way to connect to my soul.” I slid my arms around him.
“Of course I do. You’re the woman I love.” He hugged me tight.
With a relieved sigh, I ran my hands through his hair. Byron’s affection was one of my favorite things. He was a romantic soul and his careful personality meant he put a lot of thought into everything in his life, including me. He was the shy and quiet, introverted brother, and ever since I’d been in this six way relationship, I’d noticed how he had a habit of fading into the background beside Jack and his four more outgoing brothers. I wanted to help Byron shine, to show him that he was as good as, and as important as any of the others, because what I had with each of my lovers was unique in its own way. Byron was no exception.
Goosebumps of pleasure rose on my skin when By brushed his lips over the tender junction between my neck and right shoulder. I relished the feel of his short beard on my soft skin and then I was gazing into his loving, blue eyes. My heart swelled with the desire to kiss him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hijack your time with the guys,” I whispered against his lips.
He silenced me with his kiss, which always had a way of shutting down all of my thoughts and concerns, leaving only us. After a few wonderfully long moments, Byron broke the kiss and rested his forehead against mine. “That was worth it.” He buried his mouth into my hair right against my ear and whispered, “Your heartbeat’s racing.”
“How can you tell?”
“I can feel it.” He pressed his thumb to the pulse on my neck.
He was right, my heartbeat felt like thunder in my chest. It was always in overdrive when I shared a special moment with any of my men. A doctor would probably prescribe me heart medication if they didn’t realize how in love I was with each and every single one of my guys.
“Hey, where are our post-surf kisses?” Royce teased.
“You can wait your turn.” I squeezed Byron tighter and kissed his jaw.
Royce made a show of pouting and I rolled my eyes.
Byron jerked his chin at his younger brother. “Give him his kiss, or he’ll sulk.” He released me and gently pushed me in Royce’s direction.
The young surfer caught me in his arms and engulfed me in them. “Hey there, Sea Sprite.”
“Good morning.”
“Mm, it sure is.” He eagerly accepted my kiss, his tongue dancing with my own. He tasted of seawater, and was still completely soaked.
Between him and Byron, and now Jack, who was insisting on his turn, I was going to have to change my wet clothes when I got back to the house.
“Morning, pretty lady.” Jack’s deep voice hummed against my lips.
“Morning.” I looked up at the man I’d dubbed my Hawaiian Viking due to his sheer size, the mane of dark brown hair and the fantastic, bushy beard he sported.
He was six-foot-five to my five-foot-nothing, and even when I pushed myself up on my tiptoes I barely came up to his shoulders. I loved how physically big he was, in all departments. It meant he could easily pick me up, he could totally surround and dominate me, he could fully encompass me. To look at him, one wouldn’t think of him as a gentle giant, but I did. At the same time, I knew he was all alpha male, and given his love of participating in bare knuckle MMA, he made me feel as though I could take anything on and no one would dare mess with me, because they’d have him to answer to.
As with the rest of him, Jack’s morning kiss engulfed me. Shamelessly, I dragged my hand down the hard planes of Jack’s abs as we kissed and became hyper aware of his body reacting to me.
A growl rolled through him. “Do you know how horny I get after I’ve been surfing, Lou?”
“No.” I blushed, because I could guess, but I didn’t want to appear too forward.
He pressed himself against me so I could feel how much.
“Here I thought that was the effect Royce and I had on you.” With a sweet little smile, I arched my eyebrow at him.
“What if I said it’s a combination?”
“That’s acceptable.” I gave him a nod.
He smiled. “Yeah? Does it pass the Louisa Kembry tick of approval?”
My blush deepened as I nodded again.
“Nice save,” Royce said to Jack with a laugh.
Jack laughed with him.
He and Royce collected their surfboards and Jack slung an arm around our boyfriend’s shoulders.
“Breakfast time?” Royce asked.
Jack shook his head. “Sex first, breakfast after. I meant it about my post-surf horniness.”
I went to Byron and linked my fingers through his.
“You go back with the guys, honey. I’m going to go in search of some raw materials for my next project.” Byron jerked his chin to indicate the way the beach met the bushland.
“What’s your next project?” I asked. My curiosity was instantly piqued. Byron’s talent when it came to woodwork was truly exquisite.
“I’m not one hundred percent sure, yet. I want to design something to commemorate our trip here.”
This kind of thing right here was why I loved Byron Rawlins. He was so considerate and thoughtful and he wasn’t afraid to be sentimental.
“Are you sure you don’t want to join us?” I glanced at the path that led back towards the lodge.
A blush ran all the way up Byron’s neck to his ears. “I don’t know about that. I know I’ve been in a group with you before, but I don’t know how I fit in with...” his voice caught and he stared at Jack’s receding back. He cleared his throat and pecked my forehead. “You go and have fun.”
I sensed his anxiety as though it was my own. As I watched him turn and slowly wander away down the beach by the shelter of the trees, I wondered what was going through his mind, but I knew better than to push. Byron was a man who had to take time to come to his own conclusions about things, to decide what he wanted in life without being prodded by everyone. Sometimes, though, I worried that he pushed a lot of his own wants, desires and needs down due to fear. Fear that came from nowhere but within himself.
Hopefully this trip would help Byron to relax and fully open himself up to new avenues in both his creative life and his love life, because I knew he was still fighting the feelings he harbored for Jack. Was he struggling with the possibility that he was bisexual?
I didn’t want him to struggle alone and wished there was something I could do to help him. Hopefully he would turn to me or his brothers. The happiness of all my men was the most important thing to me, and I would do anything in my power to make sure they felt special, included, comfortable and loved. They should all be able to freely and unapologetically be themselves. Something I knew would always be a little more difficult for a quiet man like Byron.
With a heavy sigh and him on my mind, I headed back to the lodge behind Jack and Royce.
