All I Wanna Do Is You: A Road Trip Rom-Com

by Dylann Crush

  He’d been wrong those years ago when he’d let her dad threaten him into ending things. But he was ready to give it another shot. Would she be strong enough to stand up to her dad this time? Stronger than he’d been before?

  He signed the slip the waitress set in front of him and grabbed his camera. Shades of gold and orange streaked the sky. The sun would set soon and the colorful nightlife of Miami would overflow the bars and restaurants and spill onto the beach.

  Zach spotted Reagan before she had a chance to see him. Her feet were planted in the surf. Waves swirled around her ankles before retreating to the ocean. She faced the open sea, the sun at her back casting her body in silhouette. He unzipped his bag and slung his camera strap over his neck. Pressing his finger down on the shutter release, he snapped a dozen pictures before she swiveled and waved to him, a smile gracing her face, turning her from beautiful to ethereal.

  “You're not taking pictures of me, are you?” Her hand went to her hip.

  He walked closer, not sure what he wanted to say to the gorgeous creature in front of him. “You look like you walked out of the ocean—a goddess from the depths.”

  Reagan scoffed and placed a hand flat on his chest, giving him a slight push backward. “Oh please. How many times have you used that line before?”

  “Just once.”

  “Who takes your picture?”

  “What?” He paused, camera in hand.

  She took the camera, lifting the strap over his head. “I want to take a picture of you.”

  He didn't let go. “No. It's complicated. The lighting’s bad, and it wouldn't turn out.”

  Reagan untangled the strap from his hand. “Excuses, excuses. Come on, Zach. You got one of me, now I get to take one of you.”

  “Later.” He nodded down the beach toward a stage. “Let's go check it out. We can't stay out on the beach too late tonight.”

  “Why? You going to turn into a pumpkin?”

  Zach laughed as she tossed his words from before back at him then wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her down the strand of sand. “No. Because I want to have time back at the room to turn you into a writhing puddle of jelly.”

  “Ha. Good luck with that.”

  His arm slipped from her shoulder down her arm. He twined his fingers with hers as they reached the edge of the crowd. Zach pulled her along behind him, through the throng of people, pressing closer to the stage. As they reached the front, a band swaggered out from the side and the crowd erupted into applause and cheers.

  Zach nudged his mouth against Reagan’s ear. “Ready for this, Lake?” He made sure to emphasize her pseudonym. Time to see if she really would be able to forget who she was for a night. He'd brought her this far, but she'd have to go the rest of the way on her own.

  She turned her head toward him, bumping her nose against his cheek. “I think I am.”

  The band launched into their first tune, heavy on wailing guitar solos and deep, thumping bass. Reagan swayed beside him, clapping her hands along with the rest of the crowd. Zach didn't recognize the music or the band, but based on the pulsating crowd of high school and college students, he wasn't surprised. His taste in music leaned toward what he'd listened to in high school or what his dad played when he was a kid.

  Reagan lifted her hands over her head, moving her hips back and forth. A guy next to her stumbled and fell into her.

  Zach put his hands on her waist to steady her. “Hey, watch it.”

  “Sorry, dude,” the guy mumbled.

  “You okay?” Zach asked, his mouth connecting with her ear.

  She nodded, then put her hands on his wrists, wrapping his arms tighter around her waist and nudging her backside into his front. He felt the contours of her ass through his board shorts. His eyes slid closed, and he buried his nose in her hair and swayed back and forth with her. The two of them formed a private refuge among the pulsating crowd surrounding them.

  The tune switched to a slow melody and Reagan turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck and nestling her head against his chest. His arms circled her lower back and he rested his hands right above her butt.

  The crowd lifted their cell phones with lighter apps into the air and sang along. The smell of weed mingled with the scent of suntan lotion. A slight breeze danced over his skin and, as Zach lowered his head toward her, Reagan lifted hers to meet his gaze.

  Something passed between them that he couldn’t put into words. Seemed like he barely knew the woman in front of him, but it also seemed like he knew her better than anyone he’d been with before.

  Reagan rose to her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. He tightened his arms around her waist and took control of the kiss, parting her lips with his tongue and letting his mouth explore hers. She tasted like rum and lime. His hand went to the back of her head, tangling in her hair and holding her still so he could get his fill. He gave up trying to name the unfamiliar awareness coursing through his veins. Fuck it. Who cared what it was called? Bottom line: he wanted more. More of the heat generated between their torsos, more of the taste of her mouth on his tongue, more of her weight pressed against him.

  More of Reagan Campbell.

  Reagan pulled back, breaking contact, and gulped in a breath. Being around Zach seemed to suck all of the air out of her lungs.

  “You all right?” Zach asked, concern in his eyes.

  “Yeah. I needed to breathe.”

  His mouth quirked up. “You’re saying I take your breath away?”

  “Are you always such a cheeseball?” Her hands dropped from behind his neck, and she placed her palms on his chest. The wild thump-thump-thump of his heartbeat pounded through his thin T-shirt. No doubt hers was beating at least twice as fast.

  “Cheese is one of my specialties.” Zach kissed her cheek.

  She gave him a playful push as a laugh rumbled from his chest. The crowd cheered as the band finished up a song. Reagan turned and looked up at the stage, her front row spot giving her a great view of the lead singer as he walked to the edge.

  “For this next song we’re going to need some help from the crowd.” The guy with the green mohawk and the mic stood at the edge of the stage and looked out over the crowd. “Do we have any volunteers to come up on the stage?”

  A mass of hands went up around them. Zach lifted her arm into the air. She tried to pull it down, but not before mohawk man pointed at her.

  “You!”

  Two members of the crew reached down and pulled her out of the crowd and onto the stage. Zach’s hand went under her ass and boosted her up. Faced with the bright lights, she tried to find Zach in the crowd. After her eyes adjusted to the spotlights, she noticed him right in front, a huge smile splitting his lips. The singer picked a few more girls out of the crowd and they clustered in a group. He directed them to form a line behind a mic and then asked them their names one by one.

  Reagan followed Brittany, Abby, Hailey, and Maddie. When it was her turn, she lowered her mouth to the microphone and told the crowd her name was Lake. No one here knew her as Reagan Campbell. No one would be watching her every move. No one cared what she did or who she did it with.

  That knowledge, combined with the massive amount of alcohol from her mojito, sent an intoxicating rush through her. Something inside of her loosened.

  Mohawk Man told them they were going to have a dance off and the winner would get a huge prize. Reagan glared at Zach. The only dance moves she knew were from years of ballet and tap, and the ballroom dance lessons she’d been forced to take in high school so that she wouldn’t make a fool out of herself when she had to attend black tie affairs. Her stomach rolled over. Heat from the lights baked her skin. Beads of sweat broke out on her hairline.

  What had she gotten herself into this time? She didn’t belong here with the twiggy teenagers next to her. Her gaze searched for Zach again. His shoulders rose and fell in a shrug as if questioning whether she could go through with this. Then he shook his head and motioned her to the edge of
the stage. He didn’t think she could do this.

  Somehow, his lack of faith was just the push she needed to make the decision to stay. Her jaw clenched, and she vowed to give it her best shot. No one knew who she was so she had absolutely nothing to lose. The music started, a slow, sultry beat. The other girls began to move. Reagan swayed her hips back and forth, letting the vibration from the giant speakers take over. Her body moved in time to the drums and as the tempo increased, she lifted her hands over her head.

  Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mohawk Man standing next to one of the other women. The crowd gave a loud cheer. He nodded and moved to the next girl. The drummer pounded faster, and Reagan’s body slipped into auto mode. The tempo matched the belly dancing fitness classes she’d done at the gym. The automatic moves took over, her hips twitching and shaking to the beat as it increased, faster and faster.

  The crowd booed the next girl and Mohawk Man tapped her on the shoulder. The next girl was the same. Reagan whirled around and around. The girl next to her froze and left the stage before the lead singer gauged the crowd’s response. He moved next to Reagan. She tossed her body from side to side. The crowd went wild.

  He spoke into the mic. “You’ve got your two finalists. Let’s give them a moment to show us what they’ve got.”

  The music got louder, faster, almost frantic. Reagan matched the pace, her hips gyrating, shoulders shaking, head swaying. The other girl tried to match the beat but finally stopped and shrugged. Mohawk Man pointed to the crowd, and she left the stage.

  “We have our winner! Remind us of your name, sweetheart?”

  Sweetheart? The kid was probably at least ten years younger than her. “Lake.”

  He grabbed her hand and lifted it into the air. “Way to go, Lake. You won a cameo in our next video and a gift card to the best tattoo shop in Miami.”

  A tattoo shop? Her laugh bubbled up from deep in her chest. What in the world would she do with a gift card to a tattoo shop? She followed Mohawk Man to the side of the stage where a photographer snapped their picture.

  “Give Roach your contact info, doll. We’ll be in touch about that video.”

  Stunned, Reagan nodded.

  “Oh, and I gotta say, you surprised me. I thought for sure the chick in the yellow bikini was going to blow you away. Cheers!” Mohawk Man gave her a mock salute and bounced back onto the stage to the roar of the insatiable crowd.

  Without thinking, Reagan jotted her cell phone number down where Roach instructed and followed him to the back of the stage where he directed her out. Zach met her at the edge of the crowd and caught her up in a hug.

  “Didn’t think you had it in you!”

  “Me, neither. What the hell happened?” She hadn’t fully processed the surreal experience yet. Maybe it had been a dream.

  “You had fun.” His gaze searched hers as he handed back her purse. “You did have fun up there, didn’t you?”

  Reagan didn’t answer right away. Her ears still rang from being so close to the giant speakers. Stars still danced across her vision from the blinding lights. Her skin still tingled from the heat of the night. Her heart still beat wildly from the adrenaline rush of dancing on a stage in front of hundreds, if not a couple of thousand, strangers. As her brain struggled to process the unfamiliar sensations and make sense of the experience, a smile crept across her lips at her unexpected realization.

  “I did have fun. That was crazy. But I loved it, the music, the beat, the lights, all of it.”

  Zach’s hands slipped from her waist to cup her butt. “You looked amazing up on that stage.”

  Her face flushed with heat, heat that traveled down her chest, across her stomach, and settled in her gut. The only thing separating his hands from her tush was a flimsy cover-up and her bikini bottoms. Although the impromptu performance on stage had given her a confidence boost, she wasn’t quite ready to head back to the room.

  “Had enough of the tunes?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Let’s walk down the beach before we head back.” She tucked the envelope with her gift card into her purse, linked her arm through his and tugged him toward the water line.

  The sun had fully set. A full moon bathed the beach in a silvery light. Her body hummed with anticipation. She knew without a doubt she and Zach had a long night ahead of them. Four days ago, she wouldn’t have been able to imagine herself here, in this situation. The freedom of being with Zach thrilled her to her core. It also scared the crap out of her. Like opening Pandora’s Box, he’d discovered and unleashed something deep inside her; something no one had ever touched before.

  Tonight she’d let wild abandon wash over her. Break her free from the worries, obligations, and fears that she’d been tethered to, and give herself over to the magic of being with Zach. One more night, she promised herself.

  But worry gnawed at her gut. Now that Zach had reminded her how it felt to shed the guarded mask she’d always held in place, was one night all they’d ever have?

  20

  Zach kicked off his flip flops while Reagan did the same. Nothing like the feel of sand under his feet. With the sound of waves crashing onto the shore, he was in his element. His whole body relaxed as he breathed in the warm evening air and the salty ocean spray landed on his skin.

  Reagan ran ahead of him, her hair trailing behind her like a veil. He didn’t think she’d go through with the little stunt on the stage. It totally proved his point though—she could have fun if she’d loosen her tight grip on life. Tomorrow, things would change between them. She’d go back to her dutiful daughter role. Would she miss this if she went back to playing “yes girl” to her father and demanding family?

  He’d put himself first for so long, he could hardly remember a time when he’d had to think of how his actions affected someone else. Reagan lived in a completely opposite world, where all she thought about was how her words and actions would appear to the press or her father’s political party. Well, they still had tonight. And before he was done with her, he’d make sure she had a taste of what life could be like out of the spotlight of her dad’s campaign.

  Reagan stood at the edge of the ocean where the waves barely rolled up to cover her bare feet. Her arms wrapped around her waist and she gazed out over the open ocean. What was she thinking? Did she regret the time they’d spent together so far? Was she convincing herself not to let things go any further between them?

  She turned her head as he approached. “Hey.”

  He stopped behind her, pressing his torso to her back and wrapping his arms around her. His cheek rested against her temple and she relaxed into him. “Hey, yourself. What are you thinking about?”

  Her hands covered his, and she leaned into him. “Just how much I’ve been enjoying myself tonight.”

  “You have?”

  “Yes. Don’t sound so surprised. Turns out I’m capable of having a little fun now and then.”

  He touched his lips to her cheek. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

  She traced her finger over his arm, along the path of one of his tattoos. “Want to go for a swim?”

  “Now?” He lifted his head and looked around. They’d walked far enough beyond the edge of the crowd to have a little privacy.

  “You afraid?” she asked, already lifting her cover up over her head.

  His gaze roamed over her curves. The tiny bikini he’d picked out did amazing things to her figure. Although he appreciated the way it clung to her hips, she’d look even better out of it. He tossed his T-shirt on the sand next to their abandoned shoes and bags.

  “Race you.”

  She sprinted into the surf. He followed, caught her around the waist, and pulled her into an incoming wave with him. Their heads surfaced and bobbed above the water. His feet touched the ocean floor and Reagan wrapped her legs around his waist. Her hands clasped behind his neck, and she pulled his mouth down to hers. He tasted the salt on her lips as his tongue ran over the seam of her mouth. She opened for him, her mouth just as hungry
for his.

  His hands ran up and down her back, holding her tight against him. The kiss deepened. He frantically explored her mouth with his, desperate to show her how much he wanted her.

  Another wave rolled over them, and their lips broke contact. Zach walked further into the water, past the line where the waves broke onto the shore. His mouth found hers again as his hands worked on the knotted string in the center of her back. She didn’t stop him, so he moved his fingers to the next knot at the base of her neck. Her legs tightened around his waist and she brushed over his dick. He strained against the front of his board shorts as he adjusted the angle of her ass, wanting to savor the moment as long as possible.

  The next swell carried them closer to shore. Zach struggled to get beyond an incoming wave before they got caught. Reagan’s hands twisted in his hair. Her lips moved to his ear and her teeth scraped against his ear lobe. So she wanted to play rough? He pulled back as the next wave swept past them, carrying her swimsuit top with it.

  “My swimsuit! Grab it!” Reagan pushed off him and tried to swim for the tiny triangles floating about five feet away. He didn’t let go of her as another wave carried her top crashing to the shore.

  “It’s gone now, cupcake.”

  She covered her breasts with her hands and set her feet down in the sand. Her hair hung in long strands, covering her face, and her shoulders shook. Oh God, she wasn’t crying, was she?

  “Reagan?”

  Her head lifted and tears ran down her face. His heart stalled in his chest until he heard her gulp in a huge amount of air and erupt into giggles.

  “Come here, you.” He slung an arm around her shoulder and drew her into him.

  She laughed, pausing to unsuccessfully try to catch her breath. Her arm still covering her chest, she leaned into him. “So much for that swimsuit.”