by Webster, K.
Like Camilo.
This time, I don’t cringe.
My flesh heats and my heart sputters to life. Our connection was different than the other Funky Flyers. It was electric. Fire. An explosion. Seeing David and feeling nothing but irritation has made me realize the difference.
I really, really liked being with Camilo.
Tears spring in my eyes and I quickly blink them away. I’d tried not to bother my friends, but I need them. I use the FaceTime app and call Estefania.
She answers, dressed in full, beautiful makeup. People are spritzing perfume on her, fluffing her hair, and applying more makeup. All at once.
“Oh,” I groan. “I’m so sorry. This is a bad time.”
“Never a bad time to talk to my best friend, Sherrie-dan!” Her smile is broad and happy, making my heart skip a few beats.
“Are you sure?”
“You’re on in five,” someone warns.
“Positive,” she tells me in a fierce tone that makes me so damn proud of her. “They can wait. Family emergency.” She shoos them all from the room and then her eyes soften. “Are you okay?”
“I miss you,” I blurt out.
She smiles. “I miss you too, Sherrie-dan.”
“And Damian,” we both say before laughing.
“Hold on,” she tells me. “I’ll get him on.”
Seconds later, she mashes a button and his face appears. We all squeal and giggle and cry for a good solid minute. I’m thankful Estefania has people to fix her back up because her black makeup is a mess.
“It’s so good to see you two,” I manage to choke out. “Look at you both.”
Damian preens and Estefania grins.
I imagine spending more time with them. Lots of it. It makes my heart sing. After Sheridan has different hopes and dreams than Before Sheridan.
“Uh-oh,” Damian sings. “Princess has that evil villain look in her eye.”
“I don’t have an evil villain look,” I argue.
“You do,” Estefania throws back, giggling. “Right now.”
“I’ll inform you two that it’s my look of determination. It’s my ‘get shit done’ look. I had an idea.”
“Does it involve naked pilots with hot asses and tequila?” Damian demands. “Because, if not, I’m not interested.”
I roll my eyes. “It involves brunch tomorrow with your two besties. Can you handle that?”
“Ehh, I guess,” Damian teases.
“He’s already penciling it in his calendar,” Kyle tattles in the background. “Don’t let him fool you.”
“Bring the handsomest man on the planet with you,” Estefania tells Damian.
“I beg your pardon, missy,” Damian argues. “I am the handsomest man. Kyle is just okay.”
Kyle peeks his head on the screen. “Hey, babe,” he says to Estefania. “Hey, Sheridan.”
Estefania blows him kisses and I just grin. I missed these people so much. Giving them up wasn’t something I was prepared for. Just like with Momma.
But, unlike with Momma, this time I have a choice.
And just like any business deal I set my sights on, I’m going to fight to have these people in my life. I won’t stop until I win. It’s the Reid way.
“You’re different,” Mona says, her blue eyes twinkling. Marriage looks good on her. On them both. She and Daddy seem younger since tying the knot. I’m happy for them.
“So are you,” I challenge.
She smirks and sips her wine. “Love will do that to you. What about you? You have that look in your eye.”
I scoff and sip my Hennessy jalapiña. The spice of the jalapeno is offset by the tang of the pineapple juice. It reminds me of Camilo. Everything reminds me of Camilo. “I don’t have a look.”
“Honey, I may be old, but I wasn’t born yesterday.” She arches a brow and leans forward. “Who’s the lucky guy?”
At this, I frown. It should be obvious it’s David. I’m pretty sure everyone up at the office—even Daddy—knows I have been following David around like a lost puppy since puberty.
“David?”
She rolls her eyes. “Don’t lie, Sheridan, you always make a sour face when you do.”
“I’m not lying,” I say in a shrill tone. “I’m not.”
Her gaze softens as she reaches over to pat my hand. “You are. I know I’m not your mother, but I’ve been with your father a long time. I know you.”
I try not to bristle at the mention of Momma. “Who else could I possibly be in love with?”
“You tell me,” she says with a grin.
“It’s David.” I cross my arms over my chest, daring her to argue.
“David’s an old fuddy duddy. You’re in love with the idea of David.” She narrows her eyes. “No, you fell in love this week. I want to know all about him.”
I gape at her. Am I that transparent? I’d been pretty sure I covered the hickeys. “Who?”
“The one who has you smiling when no one is looking. The one who has the strongest girl I know frazzled and showing us that she’s human under her rock-hard façade. The one who you can’t stop thinking about.”
“Mona…”
“Sheridan.”
“Ugh,” I grumble, darting my attention to the balcony where Daddy and David are smoking a cigar. “Fine. His name is Camilo.”
Mona grins. “Sounds handsome. Tell me more.”
“He’s a pilot…”
“I love him already.”
“He’s such an asshole.”
“But he’s good in bed?”
“Mona!”
“Honey, you don’t get those kind of hearts in your eyes for nothing. The man made an impact on my girl and I can’t wait to hear every detail about him.”
For the next fifteen minutes, we whisper about all the sordid details of my rendezvous with a handsome yet infuriating pilot. It feels good to talk to someone I care about from my real life about what happened. By the end, she’s Team Handsome Pilot. David never stood a chance.
“Sheridan,” David says, making me nearly jump out of my skin and spill my drink. “Want to take a walk with me?”
Mona’s cheeks turn pink, clearly shocked at having been caught gossiping about a guy. Luckily, he doesn’t seem to have heard anything.
“How’d you get the black eye, David?” I ignore his outstretched hand and choose to stand on my own.
He and Daddy exchange a look before David chuckles. “I’ll tell you all about it. Come on.”
Daddy’s features are impassive as he watches David clutch my arm. Mona frowns but doesn’t intervene. David guides me outside. He moves his palm to the small of my back, guiding me through the crowded bar area outside of the hotel restaurant.
Eventually we make it to a gazebo that glitters with twinkling lights. The wind is warm tonight and tickles the hair hanging from my messy bun. I’d seen the shock of all three of their faces when I came to dinner with my hair in a different style. I just didn’t, for once, feel like straightening it.
“You look beautiful, sweetheart,” David says, his hand sliding from the small of my back to my hip as he sort of side hugs me but doesn’t let go.
I’m stiff in his grip. At one time, I dreamed for this moment. “So? The black eye?”
“It’s nothing.”
“David, you promised.”
He lets out a heavy sigh, his thumb rubbing along my hip bone. “Your dad.”
I swivel around to look up at him. His hands settle on my lower back as he regards me with a smirk.
“Daddy? Why? You two never argue or fight, much less start swinging at each other.” I’m blown away by the fact my father hit his best friend.
“Let’s just say I deserved it.”
“What did you do?”
“I told him I wanted something of his.”
“Daddy doesn’t like to share.”
His brows furl and he pats my ass. “No, he doesn’t. Especially when it comes to his little girl.”
I freeze, understan
ding washing over me. “It was about me?”
“It was.” He sighs. “I told him I was going to start dating you.” He pulls me close to his chest. His erection pokes into my stomach. It reminds me of the night we had sex. How anticlimactic it was.
“He said no?”
“He said hell no and then punched me in the face.” He chuckles, massaging my ass through my dress. “I told him too damn bad.”
My mind is reeling. “And he let you walk away?”
“He made me promise I wouldn’t hurt you.” His features soften. “I would never intentionally hurt you, Sheridan. I love you. Always have. You’ve always been like family to me. Then…”
Staring up at him now, I’m trying to recall what it was that had me so obsessed with him. I wanted to marry this man, for crying out loud. But as I look at him, I don’t feel the same feelings Camilo evoked in me. No fire. No intense feelings. No overwhelming attraction. It’s mild affection for a longtime friend.
“Then you came on to me after dinner that night,” he murmurs. “I drank too much. We ended up at that hotel in bed together. It was nice what we had. It will grow to be better.”
I keep waiting for the pattering of my heart.
The flush of my cheeks.
Warmth between my thighs.
Anything.
All I feel is nothing.
“David,” I start, pressing my hands against his chest that’s soft from age and years of working at a desk. “We shouldn’t—”
He cuts me off, his mouth dipping toward mine. I let out a shriek and duck. Our mouths don’t connect and I get a sloppy kiss on my nose before I manage to untangle myself from his arms. A shudder wracks through me and I don’t understand the sudden repulsion. It’s David. I love him.
But he’s not Camilo.
Just thinking of Camilo’s devious smirk and dark, sexy eyes, heat floods through me. The last thing I want to do is kiss David while I dream of Camilo. That’s completely messed up.
“I, uh, I need to go,” I croak before stumbling out of the gazebo and onto the pathway.
“Sheridan, sweetheart, come back,” David calls out. “I’m sorry. I screwed it all up. Let’s have a drink and just talk.”
I nearly roll my ankle in my heels, so I stop briefly to yank off my shoes, and then I run back up the path toward the restaurant. As soon as I make it back inside, I spot Daddy and Mona. Mona grins when she sees me and Daddy’s tense shoulders seem to relax.
“I’m not feeling well. See you tomorrow,” I call out, rushing past them.
I can hear David calling for me, but I don’t stay.
I run all the way back to my room.
And when I get back, I bypass the Hennessy to grab a handful of mini bottles of tequila. I spend the rest of the night enjoying the breeze on the balcony, drinking tequila, and staring up at the stars wondering if Camilo is flying high trying to reach them.
Camilo
This resort is massive and fancy as fuck. At first, I thought they’d give me shit and wouldn’t let me in, but they let me right in without a fight. I make my way over to the front desk and smile at the clerk.
“May I help you, sir?” she asks.
“I’m looking for Sheridan Reid. Can you call her for me?”
She frowns. “Are you a guest here?”
“No, but—”
“Naked! He was naked!”
The clerk gapes at me, her eyes traveling to the café restaurant attached. I know that voice. I’d know that voice from anywhere. I tip my head at the shocked woman and then rush into the café. I find Damian, Estefania, and Sheridan all sitting at a table laughing.
God, I love Sher’s smile.
So beautiful and vibrant.
I fucking missed it.
All I can do is stare as Damian continues to tell a loud, crude story that has both women cackling until tears roll down their cheeks. I saunter over to his chair and playfully squeeze his shoulders as I lean in.
“Save me a dance, hot stuff,” I purr, my eyes locked on Sher’s.
He squeals. “My hot pilot is here! Oh em geeeee!”
Laughing, I make my way around the table to Sheridan. Her eyes widen when I grip her hand and pull her out of her seat. One of my hands threads through her silky hair and the other grabs her sexy ass. I claim her with a hot, possessive kiss that has her moaning. My dick wakes up and I kiss her like we’re the only two people at the resort.
“Camilo,” she whispers when I pull away slightly. “You’re here. How?”
I nip at her bottom lip. “They’re called planes, baby. They fly high in the sky and—”
“Smartass,” she huffs, pushing me away. Her scowl is affixed, but she can’t hide the delight she feels at seeing me again. “What are you doing here?”
“Came to see you.” I smirk. “Maybe catch a dance later with my boyfriend.”
Estefania giggles and Damian screeches.
“You heard the hottie! I’m his boyfriend!”
Sheridan rolls her eyes. “Don’t you have work to do?”
“Only thing I have to do is you.” I grin at her. “I’ve been thinking about it since the moment I let you walk away.”
“You didn’t let me do anything.” Her brows furrow. “And who says I’m going to do you? Awfully full of yourself, bird boy.”
“I see you’re still stinging with those barbs, abejita.” I rake my gaze down her front. She’s wearing a linen dress that’s starched stiff. Her hair has been straightened into its sleek, signature look. All it makes me want to do is rip her dress off and muss up her hair.
“Stop looking at me like that,” she warns. “Or else.”
“Ma’am, is this man bothering you?” the clerk asks from the café doorway.
“Yeah, he is,” Sher tattles. “But we can handle him.”
The woman shoots us a confused look before shrugging and leaving.
“How am I looking at you?” I lift a brow.
“Like you’re going to fuck me right here in front of Estefania and Damian,” Sheridan sasses.
“Can we put it to a vote?” Damian asks. “I totally vote yes.” He elbows Estefania, making her grunt. “Her vote is yes too. Now get naked, beautiful people. Papa needs to see some pilot peen!”
“It’s been put to a vote,” I say with a one-shouldered shrug. “I guess we have to.”
“I am not sleeping with you in a café!”
“So take me to your room,” I taunt with a wicked grin. “I’ll be quiet. You, on the other hand, will scream my name until I’ve wrung you of many, many orgasms.”
“Camilo!” she shrieks, her face turning red from embarrassment.
“I’m on his side, but no need to go to her room,” Damian says. He pats the table. “You can sit here, handsome. No need to escape. It’s already been put to a vote.”
“I’m trying to have a meeting with my friends.” Sheridan glowers at me.
“Brunch doesn’t count as a meeting.”
“Meeting is over,” Estefania says as she stands. “Sherrie-dan missed her handsome pilot and I have to meet with a handsome assistant upstairs.” Of course she’d be eager to bail to go spend time with her boy toy, Kyle.
Damian hugs me and then Estefania does. They do the same with Sheridan. Eventually, they leave us. Sheridan seems eager now that they’re gone.
“What now?” she asks, smoothing her palm down over her hair.
Yep, totally fucking that hair up soon.
“Now we play.”
She frowns when we step out of the cab. Rather than taking her straight to bed like I wanted, I decided she needed to loosen up first. Plus, I quite enjoy poking at her a little. Call it foreplay. She’s hot as hell when she gets mad or flustered. Seeing her in front of a miniature golf place with her brows furrowed in confusion damn near gets me hard.
“Ready to get your ass kicked in putt-putt golf?”
Her lip curls up. “What is this?”
I mimic holding a club and pretend to hit
my imaginary golf ball. “Like real golf but less boring and takes more skill.”
She scoffs. “Real golf takes skill.”
“Accurate. Putt-putt takes more skill, though.”
“You’re insane.”
“I know. Come on. Let’s go play.”
After paying our entry fee, we’re given a couple of putters and a golf ball each. Sher marches right over to the first hole. I make a great show of eyeballing her ass as she bends to put the ball at the starting point. She flips me off before straightening.
“Ready to lose?” Her dark brow is arched in challenge.
“I never lose.”
“Neither do I.”
She taps the ball with her club and it sails right into the hole. Rather than squealing like a typical girl, Sheridan smirks and marks it down on the tally sheet. “What will you do for me when you lose?”
At this, I laugh. “Are you betting me, woman?”
“I absolutely am.”
“Dangerous, little bee. Very dangerous.”
I squat to set my ball down and narrow my eyes down the worn green turf to assess how hard I’ll need to tap it.
“You talk big for a boy who’s afraid to lose,” she taunts.
“I’m a man,” I remind her, standing to my full height. “And I’m not going to lose.”
“Then let’s bet on it.”
“What are the stakes?”
She prances over to me and flutters her long lashes, making my dick embarrassingly hard. “You win, you can stay in my bed tonight. But if you lose—”
I dip down and kiss her, stealing her words. When we finally break away, I grin at her. “I told you I don’t lose.” I step back and pat her hip with my putter. “When I win, I expect you to stay in our hotel bed the entire night. Naked. I have plans for that body and I don’t need clothes interrupting.”
Ignoring her growling, I step over to my ball and hit it just hard enough that it drops into the hole on the first try.
My girl may be competitive, but so am I.
She looks so fucking good naked in bed. Her dark hair is no longer sleek and straight. It’s messy and wet and wavy from our frantic shower where I took her for the third time this evening. Now, she’s eating cheese and crackers from a platter that we had delivered by room service and there are crumbs on her tits. My mouth waters to lick them off. I’ve spent most of the afternoon licking every square inch of her naked body since I whipped her ass in putt-putt.