“Is there any other transportation available to the hotel?” I was on the verge of tears again, and he must’ve heard it in my voice because his features suddenly pinched in sympathy. And there’s the pity I don’t want. Half a world away and it’s still fucking there.
“There are taxis going out that way, ma’am, but the line for them is about an hour long.”
He nodded toward a snake of people lining up not far from where we stood. “The next bus leaves in fifteen minutes, but the tickets might be sold out.”
After explaining to me where the bus terminal was, he wished me luck and I hurried to the ticket counter. The giggling couple in front of me snagged the last seats on the next bus, leaving me misty eyed when I joined the others waiting for a taxi.
When I finally got into the backseat of my transportation, I was exhausted and blind to the landscape as we zipped past. The driver quickly realized I was in no mood to make small talk, and the cab soon filled with upbeat, island-style music that accompanied the worst ride of my life so far.
I was in such a stupor that I hardly noticed when we stopped and the man had to all but jostle me to get out. Paying him in American currency because I didn’t even have local dollars yet, I gathered my backpack and went in search of the front desk.
A long bath, blackout curtains, and a fluffy hotel robe while my clothes dried were just what the doctor ordered. There were colorful flowers in vases on glass tables, marble floors, and a glorious view of the ocean from the lobby, but I just couldn’t bring myself to take any of it in.
All I wanted was a bath, my bed, and for it to be tomorrow.
Even that, it seemed, was too much to ask. A kind-eyed woman with a wreath of flowers around her neck grimaced after typing my information into her computer.
“I’m so sorry, Ms. Flinn. It appears we’ve had a double booking for your room. Our other guests checked into it over an hour ago.”
Hysteria welled up like a tidal wave in my chest. “Are you kidding me?”
She glanced at her screen again, shaking her head. “I’m afraid not. We’re fully booked for the week, but perhaps we can arrange a voucher at a different—”
I waved my hand, unable to stand listening to even another word out of her mouth. Rationally, I knew this wasn’t her fault either, but I’d had it up to my eyeballs with this shitty day.
Marching away from the front desk, I sagged into the closest chair I could find and frantically searched for my phone in my backpack. Tears spilled out of my eyes and rushed down my cheeks, even if I was doing a good job of not turning into a screeching mess.
There were too many people around and I didn’t want anyone bearing witness to the breakdown I felt coming.
Ember answered on the first ring. “How’re the cocktails on the beach?”
“I should never have come here.” I hiccupped, fighting back sobs while trying to keep my voice low. My volume rose as I picked up speed, though, despite my best efforts. “I got stood up at the altar, don’t have my supposed-to-be husband with me, my luggage got lost, I missed the shuttle, and now I don’t have a room.”
“Fuck.” My poor best friend spent the next few minutes trying her best to talk me off the ledge and out of jumping on the first flight home. “Okay, now that you’re breathing again, this is what you’re going to do. Wipe your eyes. Take a deep breath. Then you go right back to that receptionist and demand a room. Don’t leave until she gives you a goddamn bed.”
“Right.” I wasn’t exactly feeling it, but I had no other choices at the moment. “I’ll call you later.”
“Go get ‘em, girl!” she cheered before hanging up.
Squaring my shoulders, I followed her instructions before getting back to my feet. Instead of rejoining the crowd waiting to be checked in, I went right back to the same lady at the front desk.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but there’s nothing I can do,” she said once she’d finished up with the clients she was busy helping. “We don’t have any rooms available and—”
A man’s voice spoke up from behind me just as a heavy, muscular arm draped itself over my shoulders. “I don’t think you understand. My wife and I have reserved a room for our honeymoon and we’ll get one. The double booking must’ve happened at your end, which means it’s your responsibility to make it right.”
The body suddenly pressed up to mine was as hard as a rock and a faint spicy scent came off it. The cologne smelled amazing, and I wondered what it was. My mind immediately drifted to whether Will would like it. Then I remembered it wasn’t my problem what he liked anymore.
I turned toward the stranger, having to tip my head back to get a good look at him. He was taller than I expected. The top of my head only reached his cheek.
I nearly stumbled backward when I saw what he looked like. His features were as chiseled as his body felt against mine, his jaw angular and dusted with light brown stubble. High cheekbones looked like they could cut glass and would make a model jealous, yet there was no mistaking the masculine ruggedness he exuded.
Glancing down, he caught me gaping up at him and winked a melted-honey-colored eye at me. Technically, I supposed his eyes would be classified as brown, but there was an amber ring around his iris and bolts of it shooting from his pupil to the outer edge.
A small smirk lifted the corner of his mouth before he turned his attention back to the receptionist and took charge of the situation when she repeated her excuses to him. “We’d like to see your manager. This is our honeymoon and we’re not taking no for an answer. You can go get him now, thanks. Much appreciated.”
She stared at him for a beat before she turned around and disappeared behind a door in the paneling of the wall. The guy didn’t loosen the grip he had on my shoulders, but he did turn slightly into me, that same mischievous smirk still in place.
“Hi, it’s nice to meet you. Play along, okay? We’ll get a room, but only if they believe us.”
There was so much light in those eyes when they met mine that I could only nod my agreement.
“Okay then, darling wifey, let’s get ourselves a room.” He smiled, and my heart skipped a beat. There were some people in this world who had absolutely dazzling smiles. This mysterious stranger was certainly one of them.
Which begs the question, who is he and why is he helping me? Beautiful strangers don’t usually go out of their way to help borderline hysterical dumpees, do they? I had no idea. Nothing even remotely like this had ever happened to me.
I still didn’t even really know what was happening to me. It was confusing as all get-out, and I hated being confused. But under the circumstances, I wasn’t about to smack his arm off me and demand answers.
I wanted a room, and he seemed confident he could get one for me. Have it your way, kind stranger. Just get me my damned bath. Then I’ll worry about getting answers.
Chapter 6
JAXON
The woman stared at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was, but I didn’t really care. Even though her face was stained with tears and her cheeks were mottled with red blotches, she was hot as hell. Thick, jet-black hair was piled into a high ponytail at the back of her head and she gave me that look through the deepest, clearest blue eyes I’d ever seen.
Droplets still clung to the long lashes framing those eyes, but that didn’t detract from their beauty. In fact, all the tears really served to confirm was that she wasn’t wearing any makeup because nothing was smudging.
So she was naturally beautiful. I liked that. There was nothing worse than all those layers of warpaint so many women covered themselves in daily.
This woman wasn’t dressed to impress either, but considering what I already knew about her, that wasn’t surprising. Her navy linen shorts and simple white tank top had been paired with brown leather sandals. I had to give it to her. She looked good—especially if what I’d overheard her saying was true. She definitely wasn’t trying to impress, but somehow, she still did.
A throat clearing behind us yanked my gaz
e away from her. It landed on a beefy man wearing a suit and a nametag that read, Bobby. “What can I help you with today?”
“Well, Bobby, it seems your lovely establishment has made a mistake. My wife and I have just arrived for our honeymoon and we’ve been told there’s no room available for us. There’s been a double booking.”
A defensive, arrogant gleam entered his dark eyes. “Yes, so I’ve been told. I’ve also been informed that you’ve been offered a voucher for a different hotel in order to correct the situation but that you’re refusing it.”
“Yeah, see, that’s because we booked here for a reason. This is supposed to be one of the nicest hotels around, and we’d really rather stay here.”
“We have no more rooms available for the week, as you’ve been told.” He folded his arms across his wide chest and lifted his chin, narrowing his eyes slightly on mine. “There is only a suite available here and it’s more expensive than the garden-view room you’ve paid for.”
“That’s a shame for you,” I replied, tugging the woman into my side and sliding my free hand under her chin to let her know I wanted her to look at me.
Staring into those expressive eyes that might as well have been screaming at me to tell her what the fuck I was doing, I fixed a dopey expression to my face and didn’t break eye contact with her as I addressed the manager.
“We’ll take the suite, but we’re not going to pay more for it than we already have. We will have a place to consummate our marriage tonight, and if we don’t get to those keys very soon, that place will be those couches at the entrance.”
Her nostrils flared, but she didn’t argue. She just took another deep breath, nodding at him before turning her face into my shoulder. Clearly, she wasn’t comfortable with my threat of public sex.
I would’ve laughed if I wasn’t trying to convince the rude ass-wipe that I was serious. Personally, if it were with a woman who looked like her, I wouldn’t have a problem getting it up even if there was a rather large audience gaping at us and the very real possibility of being arrested.
It would be so worth it.
But I was trying to convince him I was serious, so I leaned down and ran my nose along the length of hers, closing my eyes to breathe her in. “I’m not kidding, dude. Keys or couches. Your choice, but make it fast.”
I felt her shaking against me. When I opened my eyes, it became clear that she was laughing. That was why she was hiding her face, not because she was embarrassed. Or maybe it was a little bit of both.
Knowing she was laughing about it made it that much harder to keep myself from doing it. The manager sputtered a few times, but eventually, he made the right decision and held a key card out to me.
“Please enjoy your stay, sir.”
“We will.” I plucked the card from his hand between two fingers, slid it into the back pocket of my shorts, and tugged on her. “Come on, baby. Let’s go get this party started.”
We walked away with her still tucked under my arm, and I heard him whispering to the receptionist furiously about how tourists had no shame. Chuckling under my breath, I only let her go when we reached the elevators.
“Where is the suite?” she asked, taking a step away from me and angling her head back to look into my eyes. “My room was supposed to be on the third floor.”
I checked the card before returning it to my pocket. “Beachfront bungalow seven.”
Glancing at the map of the resort mounted on the wall next to the elevators, I jabbed the button to go down. “Seems it’s right on the beach. I’m Jaxon, by the way.”
“Lindsay.” She held out her hand to shake mine, but I enveloped her in a hug instead. We’d be fucked if that manager saw us shaking hands and exchanging names.
She tensed in my arms but let me hold her for a second before pushing me away. “Why did you do that?”
“I overheard you on the phone,” I admitted. A low ding signaled the arrival of our elevator. I ushered her in with a hand to her lower back. “Maybe this room will make it better for you.”
She turned away from me, but not before I saw the flush creeping up her cheeks. Three walls of the elevator were made of glass, and she braced her hands against the copper railing inside, her gaze firmly fixed on the ocean beyond before we dipped beneath the greenery surrounding the main building of the hotel.
“I’m sorry you had to hear all that,” she said as the doors slid open again, depositing us on the ground level of the impressive resort.
I shrugged and held a hand in front of the doors to keep them open while she walked out first. “Don’t be sorry. I’m just glad we got the room. Sounds like you’ve had a rough go of things the last couple of days.”
She snorted in the most adorable way and rolled her eyes as she looked back at me over her shoulder. “That’s one way of putting it. Another—and this is the one I prefer—is that it’s been a clusterfuck of epic proportions that not even the most sadistic of scriptwriters would’ve put the beloved characters of their movie through.”
I barked out a laugh. “I like that description better too.”
Checking the room numbers and arrows on the wall, I pointed down toward a pathway that wound through the garden. “I’m pretty sure it’s that way.”
Adjusting the strap of my duffel bag on my shoulder, I stayed half a step behind her while navigating us in what I hoped was the direction of the bungalow. We’d only gone a few yards when the path opened up behind a cluster of palm trees.
A thin stretch of bright green grass separated a row of free-standing, reed-roofed bungalows from the beach. Hedges created the perimeter between the garden and the sand, but there was a walkway cut into each patch of greenery leading from the entrance of every bungalow.
Hammocks were stung between the trees in front of each room as well, giving the impression that everyone had their own private place to hang around and watch the sun set. I let out a low whistle and arched a brow at Lindsay.
“This is pretty awesome, huh?”
Her eyes were wide when she brought them back to mine. “It’s definitely better than a garden-view room on the third story.”
We located the number on our key and I swiped it in front of the reader before swinging the door open and motioning her in. She grinned until she noticed I wasn’t stepping back.
“What are you doing?” The grin morphed into a frown. “Why aren’t you leaving?”
“I couldn’t get a room here either, so maybe we can help each other out.”
Blinking rapidly, she lifted her hands and took a step back. “Oh. No. No. No. No. No. I’m not sleeping in the same room as some stranger. Look, thanks for your help, but no.”
“There’s a conference on the island,” I said. “All the hotels are fully booked for the next few days. You’re not going to leave me on the street, are you?”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.” She crossed her arms and moved into the doorway. “Thanks again for your help. I hope you find someplace to sleep.”
I peered over her shoulder and spotted a couch I was pretty sure rolled out into a bed. There were telltale bars visible at the bottom from this angle.
“I already have found a place to sleep.” I inclined my head and jerked a thumb toward the sofa. “Right there. You won’t even know I’m here.”
She turned slowly, eyeing my proposed sleeping quarters before moving farther into the bungalow. I let her have a look around but dropped the duffel at my feet. I had no intention of leaving there without a bed for the night.
Getting a flight hadn’t been a problem at all. Accommodations, however, was proving to be a challenge. I was perfectly happy to couch surf in shared spaces too, but not even that was available.
When Lindsay came back, her arms were crossed and she glared daggers at me. “There’s a door between the bedroom and the couch. The bathroom is accessible from both sides, but all the doors can lock. If I catch you fiddling with any of the doors when they’re locked, you’re out.”
“You got it. I only need a place to sleep anyway. I’ll grab a shower when you’re out. No worries.”
“No worries, he says,” she muttered, blue eyes dark with disbelief. “Trust me. I’m worried.”
She sighed and turned around without saying anything else. Taking it as my cue, I stepped into the room and stripped out of my sweat-soaked shirt immediately.
Her eyes narrowed again when she reached the door to the bedroom and turned to see me half naked. “What are you doing?”
“Getting comfortable.” I smirked. “It’s been a long-ass day, and have you felt how hot it is out there?”
Releasing another sigh, a heavier one this time, she shook her head and slammed the bedroom door behind her like she was aggravated with me. I couldn’t help chuckling and shaking my head right back at her.
She wouldn’t even have been in the suite if it wasn’t for me. I had no idea why she was acting so hostile and uptight all of a sudden, but I wasn’t letting her ruin this for me.
Fucking Fiji, baby. I’d actually done it. I was there.
One anxious roommate wasn’t going to fuck up my vacation. I’d been prepared to live with tons of roommates in hostels or someone sleeping on the couch next to mine. I could deal with one emotional woman in the next bedroom.
This suite was more than big enough for the both of us.
Chapter 7
LINDSAY
The mattress I lay on was firm, the sheets were as soft as silk, and the comforter was quite fluffy. I’d only switched on the air conditioning minutes ago when I entered, but I had an idea of why the bedding was so plush despite the heat outside.
“He moved in with you?” Ember laughed.
I lifted the phone away from my ear until the cackling stopped. “Are you done? It’s not funny.”
“You’re right. It’s not funny. It’s hilarious.”
I rolled over on the bed and watched the waves lapping at the shore while listening to my best friend’s attempts at making light of the situation. “What’s not funny about it? A smoking-hot guy gets you a suite at one of the nicest hotels in Fiji, pretends to be your husband, and then decides to shack up with you? It’s the stuff movies are made of.”
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