My Favorite What If

by Lyssa Layne

  Gently, he lies back on the bed, groaning as he does. I run my hand down his cheek and smile. His arm moves and he rubs the back of my legs. His eyes are closed, but he whispers, “Stay.”

  I bite my lip, unsure if he means me or Caroline. My mother’s words float through my mind and I nod. I kiss his forehead and he rolls over. The air conditioner kicks on and I shiver. Glancing down at myself, I’m standing there in my soaking wet swimsuit.

  I walk back over to Smitty’s suitcase and pull out a t-shirt. Holding it up, the front says “Ball Busters” and the back says “Smitty 21.” The sleeves are cutout and the shirt’s definitely too big for me but I don’t want to dig through his bag. I hold the shirt up to my nose and take a whiff. Mmm…it smells like him, an Earthy, fruity smell mixed together. Why am I so hot for him? The man has sun poisoning and all I can think about is how much I want him!

  I look back at him, passed out on the bed, and sigh. I quickly undress, wearing his shirt that hangs to my mid-thigh. I pick up a pair of his boxers and pull them on, rolling the waistband a few times until they aren’t falling off and tying the shirt behind my back.

  Quietly, I lie down on the opposite side of the bed, facing him. I watch his chest rise and fall. Reaching out, I run my finger over his eyebrow. No matter how turned on I am by this man across from me, my heart hurts for him. I know firsthand what it’s like to be in love with someone who’s left you, it’s something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Who is this Caroline and what did she do to Smitty?

  CHAPTER 6

  Smitty

  Jolting straight up, my whole body is tingling painfully like a thousand Band Aids are being ripped off one at a time. I throw my legs to the floor and lean forward on my knees, putting my head in my hands. I think there’s someone in my head pounding on my eyes with a hammer. Groaning, I stand and shuffle to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, I finally realize why my body is in so much pain, I’m sporting a new shade of neon red.

  Just like this morning, my mouth feels disgusting and dry. I pick up the water bottle on the bathroom counter and guzzle what’s left in it. My tongue runs over my teeth and I cringe at the grittiness on them. Grabbing my toothbrush, I wash away the filth and head back to my room.

  It’s dark outside and from the rumble of my stomach, it’s well past dinner time. I drag my hand down my face. Thank goodness I was wearing my hat or else my face and head would also be in pain. What the hell happened and how did I even get back to my room?

  I bend over and retrieve another bottle of water from the mini fridge. When I stand up, I see Sloan’s red bikini she was wearing earlier tossed on the floor. Glancing down at myself, I notice that I’m buck naked. Did we have sex? My mind is racing, only making the throbbing in my head worse. I fumble through my suitcase and find the unopened box of condoms at the bottom. No, no, no…. I’m not panicking because I might have slept with her and didn’t use a condom. No, I’m panicking because I can’t remember a thing.

  Over my shoulder, I hear someone moving in bed and I spin around quickly. The room is dark, except for the illumination from the moon and the bathroom light I left on. It’s just enough for me to make out Sloan looking sexy as ever in my t-shirt and boxers…on the opposite side of the bed where I was. Fuck, I didn’t even hold her afterwards. What kind of asshole am I?

  She moves out of bed and walks toward me. “Feeling better?”

  I swallow hard as she makes her way in my direction. “Um…yeah. Uh, what happened?”

  This gorgeous woman is standing directly in front of me and I can feel my cock twitch with her proximity. I squeeze the water bottle in my hand as she starts to reach for me and stops.

  “I think you had sun poisoning. Did you put any sunscreen on today?” she asks, her eyebrows narrowed like a mother scolding her child.

  Her actions bring a smile to my face. I reach out and run my hand down her cheek. “No… I had other things on my mind.”

  I can make out her features, but I can’t fully see her face. I can, however, feel her cheek get warmer under my hand and I smile. She tilts her head and leans into my touch.

  “Sorry, I’m just worried about you.”

  Worried about me? Ever since Caroline left, the only women worried about me have been Jules and my mother. It’s especially charming now that Sloan does. I lean down and brush my lips across hers. My cock jerks and I remember I’m standing naked in front of her. I take a step back, sliding my hand down her arm until our fingers interlock.

  Glad that the room is dark, I still avert my eyes and stare at the floor when I ask, “Umm… did we…”

  Sloan squeezes my hand. “Did we have sex? No. I helped you take a cold shower, both in our swimsuits. When I came out of the bathroom, you were crawling into bed naked. Yo—uh, I didn’t want to leave you alone, but my suit was soaking so I hope you don’t mind I borrowed some clothes.”

  Whew, that’s a relief, and completely mortifying at the same time. My hands move to her hips where my boxers hang low on her waist, rolled up so they don’t fall off. My fingers walk across her bare skin and Sloan sucks in her breath. I smile and slide my hand over my shirt that she’s wearing. The sleeves are cut out and show off more of her breasts than her swimsuit did earlier. My hands stop at the top of her rib cage and my thumbs press into each of her full, soft bosoms.

  “God, I never knew how sexy this shirt was,” I mumble as I lean down and kiss her neck, kneading each breasts in my hands. Every ounce of pain my body is feeling right now, and in this past year, is gone with Sloan in my grasp. I take a step forward, forcing her to walk backward toward the bed. Her knees hit the mattress and she braces herself, not falling back like I’d anticipated.

  “Smitty…” she says softly, her hands not sure where to go.

  I kiss directly below her ear and suddenly, her hands move to my head, rubbing my buzz cut. I slip my fingers into the waistband of the boxers she’s wearing and start to push them down until she stops me.

  Her hands move to my cheeks and she cups both of them, looking me directly in the eyes. “Smitty, I don’t know what your story is and you don’t have to tell me. I do know that your heart has been broken and you’re still mending it. I want this as bad as you do, but I don’t want to be a regret.”

  My eyes have been fixated on her lips and when she speaks, my stomach drops and I tense up. What the hell am I doing? Well, obviously I’m trying to get Sloan back in my bed, but what is she asking of me? “Look, I can’t make you promises—” I start, but she interrupts me with a laugh and her finger on my lips.

  “Smitty, I’m not asking for a commitment. I’m just making sure that you won’t regret anything we do in paradise this week. This week only, nothing more…”

  I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I let it out and Sloan laughs, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

  “Okay, I get it. Yes, I’ve had my heart broken and no, I won’t regret anything I do with you.”

  Sloan pushes up on her tippy toes and takes her turn nibbling on my ear. “Good, then we agree. One week of wild, uncontrollable sex,” she says with a laugh that makes me even harder.

  Gently, I push her on the bed and she falls back with another giggle. I drop to my knees and move between her legs. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  Slowly, I walk my fingers along the inside of her thighs and she lets out that vibrating hum I like to hear. My hands glide over the boxers and my fingers grip the waistband. As I start to tug on them, Sloan places her hand over mine, propped up on the other arm.

  “One more thing.”

  I look up at her and raise my eyebrow. “What’s that?”

  She grins and answers, “Don’t get attached.”

  I shake my head laughing and pull the shorts off. With my left hand, I slip it under her leg and push her back. Looking at the glorious view in front of me, I grin. Finally, I’m ready to move on and this is the perfect situation—one week in paradise with a beautiful woman, no strings attached.


  Sloan

  Falling back on the sheets, I close my eyes and sigh. This is it, the first man I’ve been with since Cooper. God, I hope I remember what to do! It’s like riding a bike, right? I’ll remember once I get started…

  Smitty’s fingers drag lazily up and down my thighs and I start to tense up. Relax, Sloan, don’t let him know how long it’s been. Right, relax. Besides, who knows how long it’s been for him, too, right? He’s a dude, heartbroken or not, it’s probably a lot sooner than it’s been for me.

  Oh! His finger slides between my lips and I have to force myself not to squeeze my legs together. His other hand slides under my shirt, gripping my breast and squeezing hard. Every nerve in my body is on high alert. My mind is already foggy and he’s barely touched me.

  His breath is warm on my thigh when he whispers, “Relax, baby.”

  And magically, I do. My legs fall wide and my hand moves to his head where I rub it slowly. His index finger rubs my hot spot and I suck in my breath as my pulse beats loudly in my ears. His hand moves and he slips one finger in me, his thumb taking the place of his index finger. I cry out as he does this and he moves his lips to kiss the inside of my thigh ever so tenderly. Why would any woman ever leave this man?

  My breathing is erratic and I get lightheaded. Quickly, I open my eyes as he slips another finger inside me and increases speed. Focus, Sloan. Breath in, breath out. Following my own directions, I begin to calm down and enjoy the sensations his hands are sending throughout my entire body. My hips begin to grind against his hand between my legs. Now, I can feel his breathing picking up against my leg. His other hand squeezes my breast tightly and I moan in pleasure, so close yet not wanting this to end.

  Without notice, he pulls both his hands away from my body and they push my legs flat against the bed. His tongue teases my lips and dives deep inside me. I sit up surprised and grab his head as he sucks on my hot spot, pulling it deep into his mouth, his tongue flicking and teasing me. My legs push up against his hands, but he firmly keeps them in place and I have nothing to do other than let my orgasm release.

  “Smitty!” I scream as my body twists under his mouth and hands. My body quivers underneath his touch, releasing so much built-up pressure. When I think my body has let it all out, I fall back on the bed, but Smitty doesn’t stop. His tongue continues to flit against me, sending aftershocks of pleasure throughout my body. Finally, I have to beg, “Smitty, please…”

  Exhausted from that liberation, my eyelids lazily flutter open and close. Smitty stands above me and I can see him grinning in the moonlight, his hands still moving along my legs. The moonlight outlines the full erection he’s sporting and I sit up, reaching for it and stroking lightly.

  Smitty leans down and kisses my forehead. “Was that good for you?”

  I laugh as my hand slides up and down. “You couldn’t tell?”

  He shrugs. “Maybe just a bit,” he says with a laugh and grabs my hand. His lips move to mine and he slips his tongue into my mouth, letting me taste myself.

  “Mmm….” I moan and reach for him again.

  “No,” he says firmly and I frown. “You’ve taken care of me all day, it’s my turn to take care of you now.”

  I smile. I was right earlier, he definitely likes to take care of his woman. And yes, as of about twenty minutes ago, I’m his woman…at least for the week. Totally ruining the moment, my stomach lets out a loud, angry growl. Clutching it tightly, hoping it will go away, Smitty takes my hand, pulling me up.

  “Guess that means I’ll now be pleasuring your taste buds. We can order room service,” he says, walking to the nightstand. He turns on the light and starts reading through the menu. “What sounds good? Shrimp? Chicken?”

  My mind is still hazy from the amazing orgasm he just gave me and he’s about to give me another one now that I can see his perfectly sculpted body in the light, not to mention the full length of his manhood and I can feel myself getting wet again.

  When I don’t answer, he glances over at me and I nervously tug the t-shirt down over my hips, wiping my sweaty palms on it. This one week in paradise thing was a bad idea. But then why am I ready to skip dinner and go straight for dessert?

  Smitty grins at me and drops the menu. My cheeks flush red as he’s caught me checking him out. “I… um, dinner sounds great, but I should…need to…”

  Standing in front of me, he raises his eyebrow. “Need to what?”

  I gulp, forcing myself not to look down although I can feel his hard-on against my leg. “I need to check in with my family, let them know we’re both okay,” I manage to squeak out.

  He frowns slightly. “Shit, I ruined your outing with your family.” Smitty turns his back to me, running his hand over his head.

  I touch his back lightly and he cringes ever so slightly. Pulling my hand away, I speak softly, “You didn’t ruin anything. They’re just worried…about both of us.” I give an uneasy laugh. “I mean, it’s not every day my brother leaves me alone in a strange man’s room.”

  Smitty turns around and smiles at my joke. “Yeah, I’d be worried, too. Probably wouldn’t have let you out of my sight.”

  Our eyes meet and he runs his fingers through my hair. My stomach flutters and I bite my lip, reminding myself, it’s only a week, Sloan, only a week. Only a week so I better take advantage of this situation as much as I can. Grinning, I drop to my knees and prepare to return the favor.

  CHAPTER 7

  Smitty

  A naked Sloan stands before me, laying a wet towel on the bed for me to rest my sunburn against. I finally decide I’m ready to be with another woman and I can barely touch her because my torso is on fire, like constant pinpricks against my skin. Somehow, I pushed away the pain long enough to pleasure her and she managed to get me off with her mouth and not touching my sunburn. Still, that wasn’t enough for either of us so Sloan braved a freezing shower so that our hands could do a little more exploring. After an hour, she finally turned the water off, patted my skin dry and rubbed aloe vera all over me. Then she suggested that we get some sleep.

  She turns around to face me, waving her hand over the bed like she’s Vanna White and I can’t wipe the grin off my face. It only takes me a few steps to get to her and like a magnet, one hand runs over her chest, squeezing her breast while the other moves to her neck and I nibble on her ear.

  Giggling, she tries to wiggle away, but I press my body against hers causing her to fall back on the bed. My body has already reacted and I’m about to dig out that box of condoms I didn’t think I’d get to use.

  Trying to be serious, she frowns and shakes her head. “As your nurse, I insist that you get some rest.”

  Sticking out my bottom lip, I pout. “There’s no way I’m going to be able to sleep with you in my bed.”

  Sloan sits up, leaning back on her hands. Her biceps showing off her muscle in a feminine way. “Well, I’ll get you to bed and then I’ll head back to my room.”

  My heart sinks and aside from disappointed, I’m slightly shocked at my reaction. I didn’t realize I wanted her company as much as I did. I push her wet hair over her shoulder and cup her cheek. “Sloan, I don’t want you to feel like I’m using you. I want to get to know you.”

  She nods, an emotion I’m unfamiliar with flashes over her face, but is gone before I can recognize it. “There will be plenty of time to get to know each other. Besides, I agreed to our deal so you can’t make me feel bad.”

  Taking her hand, I brush my lips across her knuckles. “Let’s re-negotiate our deal. Be mine for an entire week—sex, showers, naked breakfasts in bed… cuddles, snuggles, late night talks, walks on the beach. I want as much as I can get from you.”

  Wow, that probably sounded desperate, didn’t it? But it’s exactly what I want and when am I going to be in paradise again… with her? Ever since Caroline left, there were tons of women who have flung themselves at me. Of course, there were the random women at the bars and Jules tried to set me up with some of her co-workers.
Hell, even Caroline’s cousin asked me out, but I turned them all down because a random fuck wasn’t going to make me feel better and it’s not going to now either.

  Sure, Sloan is random and we probably won’t see each other when this vacation is over, but if I was ready to really move on, it would be with her, or someone like her. She’s attractive, but not just in looks. No, she’s caring. I mean who the hell takes care of a total stranger they just met? She’s loving, it’s obvious from the way she interacts with her family. She’s down to earth. Unlike the other women who have thrown themselves at me, she couldn’t care less when her leggings are torn or ruined, I’ve seen her without make-up and completely naked, unfazed by both and not in the least bit self-conscious. The woman is the whole package and while I may not be able to take her back as anything more than a memory, I know that I want everything I can get from her in this one week.

  She squeezes my hand and smiles. “I thought I told you not to get attached.”

  I lift my shoulders up and down. “I’ll do my best, but in the meantime, be my paradise girlfriend.”

  She laughs and stands up, grazing against me and setting my body on fire for a whole other reason. Her hands squeeze my ass, the only non-burnt skin in her reach and she kisses me softly. “Fine, but don’t get any ideas that you’ll be able to talk me into anything more when we go back to Missouri.”

  In return, I slap her ass and she giggles. “Deal, but I can’t make any promises I won’t sway your decision. You haven’t seen the thing I do with my tongue and middle finger,” I say and wiggle my hand.

  Sloan tosses her hair back and it tickles my hand on her backside. Her laughter tinkles in my ears and it’s the most precious sound I’ve heard in a long time. This week is just an escape from reality, I’m not worried about wanting more at the end of the week so this shouldn’t be a problem.