I woke with a start when someone bumped into my lounge chair. They muttered a quick apology in Arabic before hurrying toward the deep blue waters of the Persian Gulf, kicking up beige sand in their wake.
Groaning, I sat up and brushed the grains from my skin. I had fallen asleep on my stomach, working on my tan, my beach novel still clutched loosely in my fingers. Beside me, Amir had also dozed off, his chest rising and falling in steady rhythm.
Bodhi approached, droplets of seawater clinging to his muscular chest, his dark sun bleached hair dripping wet. He pressed a finger to his lips before I could greet him, then leaned over Amir. With a mischievous grin, Bodhi shook his head violently, sending a spray of saltwater across Amir’s sleeping face.
Amir jolted awake, sputtering, while Bo
