by Tory Baker
“It’s rose gold, hard case. It should be easy to decipher from the rest.” I keep my eyes peeled. Vincent sees his and grabs it with ease, while I just patiently await my luggage. I’m starting to think it’s lost when it finally comes in from behind the wall. I go to pick it up, but before I can, Vincent has it and is loading it up on the trolley along with his.
“Ready to go?”
“Thank you,” I can’t help but look up, he’s taller than me. I barely reach his chin. He looks down into my eyes and responds, “The pleasure is all mine, Sophia.”
Chapter 6
Vince
Fuck, this woman has me tied in knots already. I exit the car and reach in to help her out and I find myself once again, not wanting to let her go. I’m already coming up with a ploy to keep her in my presence, every moment of every day.
When she’s out of the car her eyes dance wildly, taking in everything she can. It fills me up with pride, this resort is my baby. The first one I bought and I molded it to perfection. It’s one of the most well-known resorts in Cancun, and seeing her take it in, yeah, it’s that fucking awesome.
She turns back towards me and says, “This is yours? All yours? Because I have to say, I haven’t even made it inside yet and I’m already in awe and can’t wait to see and do everything that I can. I may not even leave the resort grounds.”
“That’s what I was going for when I bought it fifteen years ago,” I tell her.
“Wow. But wait. You’re so young. How is that even possible?” Her gaze is looking up at me.
“Babe, I’m not that young. Pushing forty this year. I was just lucky enough to scoop up, invest and have the funds to do it.” I tell her honestly.
“Shit,” I hear her say under her breath.
“What was that?” I say with a chuckle.
“Well, umm. Shit is what I said, but what I really meant to say is that’s incredible. I guess we should, umm…go check in now? Or I should anyways.” Fuck, maybe me telling her my age wasn’t a good thing, she may be having second doubts or thoughts and I intend to clear that up, right the fuck now.
“Sophia, age and money. Fuck, Babe. They have nothing to do with what’s building between us.” I have a firm grip on her hips. I’ve kept my hands to myself for the most part, but in this instance, I knew she’d have to see that I truly mean what I say.
“Oh, I just yeah, I thought you’d have a problem with my age, because well. I’m well, I’m twenty-two and I’m just starting out and here you are, in your thirties with your quote-un-quote shit together, and I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do with my life,” she all but rushes out.
“Babe, it’s admirable that you know you’re not happy where you’re at. You’re working shit out, taking the time to live. Just because we have seventeen years between us, doesn’t mean we can’t take a chance and see where this leads us. Who knows we may end up hating each other, but I’m telling you now, I know that shit is highly doubtful. Let’s just take these next couple of weeks while you’re here and I’m here, learn everything we can about each other? We can go as fast or as slow as want, Soph.”
“Okay, umm…Yeah. We can do that, just, you know. Promise me if it doesn’t go as it seems it should you let me know early on,” she says with a wistful look on her face, and that’s when I know. Some douchebag hurt her before. I can’t fucking believe it, the mere hours I’ve been in her presence and some dumb ass fucked up his chances with her. In this instance, I’m thankful as fuck to be the one to pick up the pieces.
“Yeah, Babe. I promise.”
Chapter 7
Sophia
We checked in, well really, I checked in. Vincent has his own place here on the resort, so after I checked-in he walked me to my room. I probably should be a little more uneasy about him knowing what room I’ll be in, but he owns the resort, so I’m thinking he could find out the information easily enough. I’m walking through when he calls out, “I’ll call you later Sophia, get settled and we’ll meet for a drink, if you want.”
I thought he’d be in the room with me, but I guess he’s not. I walk back towards him and there he is, standing at the threshold, leaning against the door jam. His hands in his pockets and his ankles crossed, he’s so damn beautiful and he doesn’t even realize what he’s doing to me. My nipples instantly sharpen to hard points, and a feeling between my legs happens, that has never happened to me before, not from merely being around someone. I may be a virgin, but I know how to have self-induced orgasms.
“Oh, okay. I thought you might stay awhile,” I say with hope in my voice.
“I’d stay here all day, I promise you that, but you’ve had a rough day and I’m sure you want to change and get settled,” he says sounding almost as disappointed as I feel.
“That is true, I do need to change. That won’t take too long though, what time do you want to meet?” I ask him.
“How about seven? The sun will still be out, and we can watch the sun set,” he has a look of calmness about him, one I hope I get to see on him throughout my stay.
“Alright, well I’m going to throw a bikini on, grab my beach bag, and head down to the beach,” I tell him, in my head I already know which one I’ll be wearing. I may be pale but after a few days out in the sun, my tan will start to peak and give me a sun kissed look.
“Fuck, Soph, you in a bikini. I’m only so strong, Babe,” he rumbles out.
“Well do what you need and then maybe you can join me?”
“Yeah, I’ll go do that now, but first, come here,” he states. I don’t hesitate, I instantly go towards him. When I get just a step in front of him his hand comes up, he holds my chin up and then his face is coming down towards me. He lightly pecks my lips and I sigh aloud, that spark I felt before is back and I hope it stays. We slowly break apart and I’m rocking back on my heels, blushing like crazy.
“See you soon,” he says with one last glance and then he’s walking away. I close the door then rush to my suitcase, quickly unpacking. Natalie would laugh at me right now. I used to make fun of her for unpacking as soon as we were on vacation, but now I can see the reasoning behind it.
After, I unpack everything I pull off my clothes, and grab my navy and white striped bikini and throw it on, making sure I’m not showing extra boob or extra cheek in the back. I look in the mirror, throw my hair back up in a sloppy bun, grab my sunglasses, a white sundress meant for this type of vacation, some flip flops, my bag, and I set off for the beach.
My last thought to myself before stepping foot onto the beach is this is going to be the best vacation ever.
Chapter 8
Vince
Fuck it all to hell, this shit is going to be the death of me. Yeah, I came down here to work, but I did not want to deal with an employee trying to skim from the top at the boutique we keep here at the resort. Not only that, firing this bastard is taking longer than I ever anticipated. He should feel fucking lucky I’m in such a good mood, or I’d be pressing charges. Instead, I’m docking his last paycheck and banning him from resort grounds. I have security escort him out of my office and as soon as the door shuts, I’m exiting the back and heading down towards my beach villa. It’s still on resort property, but my place is closed off from the comings and goings of the guests. I have one thing on my mind, Sophia. I’m in my bungalow, in the middle of changing when my damn phone goes off alerting me of a text message. I glance down and see it’s my resort manager letting me know my now ex-employee is off of resort property. I respond with a quick “thank you” and strip down and throw on my board shorts. I leave my phone on the bed. I don’t want to be interrupted while I’m with Sophia.
I stop dead in my tracks when I see Sophia laying on a double lounger her legs, damn, those will be my fucking downfall, are out in the sun and she has the dome up and over her head to shield her face against the sun. When I get closer to her I see her body and I already know I’ll be sporting a semi all fucking afternoon. She sees me coming up and she moves her bag
so I can sit next to her.
“That was fast, I didn’t expect to see you this early,” she says as I move my body next to hers.
“Yeah, the property manager didn’t have too much that needed my attention,” I tell her as I grab her suntan lotion and motion if I can use it.
“Of course, I’m going to order some food and drinks when the waiter comes back around, want anything?” she asks me with a smile.
“That sounds good, did you grab a menu already? If not as soon as I’m done, I’ll go and grab one from the bar,” I’m almost done applying my suntan lotion and if the sun wasn’t blazing down on me, I wouldn’t even bother but I know how the sun is when you’re by the water.
“No, but I can go get it,” Sophia states while looking at my arms. I’m not a cocky person by trait, but the fact that she’s salivating over my arms, it’s enough to make me want to wrap her up in them and never let her go.
“Nah, I’ll go and grab it now. I’m finished,” I hop up and go towards the bar, ordering her a tequila sunrise and myself a bottle of beer. I grab a menu and make my way back to the woman who’s making me stop and appreciate life a little more each time I’m around her.
Chapter 9
Sophia
We spend the rest of the afternoon and into the evening munching on chips and salsa, a few other appetizers, and drinking. I can’t remember the last time I smiled or even laughed this much. I know I came down here to get away from life, but I’m finding I don’t want to leave Vincent’s presence.
“Want to change and see where the locals hang out?” Vincent asks, and I have to say if he would have asked me back to his place, even with the hurt I carried around in the past, I’d drop it all and follow him.
“That would be amazing, plus I bet you know the right places around here,” I say with a wink.
“Well, maybe but mostly I like hanging with them on my down time while I’m here,” he says with a shrug.
“Okay, let me go change and then I’ll meet you where?”
“How about I pick you up in an hour at your room,” he states more than asks.
“I can be ready in thirty minutes,” this is another change from how I used to be where I would sit and make sure I look my absolute best at all times. These days though, I’m more about experiencing life.
“Alright, then I’ll see you in thirty,” he leans in to kiss me and as much as I want him to deepen it, I know he’s going slow and I’m more thankful of it each time.
He heads his way and I head towards mine with the sappiest smile on my face. I’m in the midst of trying to open my door when my phone starts ringing in my beach bag. I promised Natalie I’d keep it on me at all times, but that I’d keep it to texts only. I answer it without thought or a care that this is going to cost us a mint.
“Natalie is everything okay?” Worrying that there’s an emergency.
“What, wait, no. Why would you ask that?”
“Well you’re calling me, and we both know how expensive this call is,” I murmur into the phone trying to talk and unlock the hotel door at the same time.
“Fuck, I forgot this is international calling. Everything’s fine, love you, have a blast and text me later,” she says with a hurried breath.
“Love you, promise to text tomorrow. I’m going out to dinner,” I tell her as I finally make it inside. Couldn’t they have a normal key instead of the swipe ones that you have to wait for the green light?
“Okies, you better text me stat though!”
“Promise. Give everyone hugs and kisses,” I say into the phone and then hang up.
I’m in a mad dash to hop in the shower and wash off the sunscreen and wash my hair. I’m mentally preparing what I’m going to wear tonight, and I have the perfect dress and shoes for something casual. I can’t imagine Vincent taking me somewhere formal when we’re around the locals. I turn off the water, grabbing a towel to dry off and reach for a second towel for my hair. I over estimated my time by only giving Vincent thirty minutes, but best friends do come first. I rush out of the bathroom throwing on a strapless bra and panty set, and then putting on the halter style dress I recently purchased just for this trip. It’s white in color and has flowers splashed throughout. I put my straw wedges on, then run back to the bathroom and play around with my hair, finger combing it to make beachy like waves. Once I’m satisfied with my hair, I swipe some mascara on my lashes and lip gloss on my lips. I’m just stepping out of the bathroom when I hear a knock on the door. I go up to the door looking through the peep hole and seeing Vincent, I swing the door open and stop dead in my tracks. He’s that handsome. He’s wearing black shorts, a white linen shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and he’s showing off his awesome tattoos. After seeing them earlier today, and then again when he was on the beach, I wanted to seriously sit there and do nothing but trail my fingertips along them.
“Damn, Babe. You’re fucking beautiful,” he growls out.
“Well you look pretty spectacular yourself,” and this time I go up to him and on my tippy toes I kiss his lips. Only when I go to take a step back, he grasps the nape of my neck and deepens the kiss. Not overly so but more in a teasing way. When our kiss finally ends, I’m breathing heavy and his eyes are filled with lust.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Yeah, let me just grab my purse,” I tell him and pick it up, making my way back towards him. “I’m all set,” as he takes my hand in his, we set off for the elevator.
Chapter 10
Vince
My first taste of Sophia, it was over before it really started, but fuck do I want more of her taste, more of her body wrapped around mine, and just fucking more.
We make our way down the beaten path and towards where the employees and locals come to hang out after work. I may be a business man by trade, but I like to unwind, and I find being around people that are down to earth are more my speed.
I hear Sophia gasp when she sees the restaurant with a bar off to the side, and the band playing on the stage to the left. There are little tables scattered here and there. What she doesn’t see is the kitchen. It's back behind the scenes, and this right here, is a little slice of peace of tranquility on Earth.
“Everything keeps getting better and better, Vincent. How do you ever leave this place?” she asks with a whisper soft tone.
I stop and turn her towards me, “It’s hard, but being here with you, I can see me never wanting to leave, as long as you’re here with me.”
“Vincent,” she breathes out and I take it as my opportunity to kiss her again. This one is deeper and filled with more want than I’ve yet to show her. I get my fill of her, for now at least, and lean back. As much as I want to take her against the next available surface, her face shows me she isn’t ready for that. Something I’m going to need to talk to her about and soon.
“Sophia, Babe. Tell me what’s wrong,” I plead to her.
“Nothing, I swear, it’s just well, this is all so new to me,” she whispers aloud looking over my shoulder.
I tilt her head to look into my eyes, wanting her to see the depth and the truth of my words, “I promise you, we won’t go any further than you’re ready for, but I also need to know what I’m fighting against.”
“I’ve been hurt before, by someone I thought wanted me, and I don’t want to be hurt by you too. I think it would devastate me and we’ve only known each other for a short while, but I think if you walked out of my life...it would crush me,” she says with emotion clogging her throat.
I pull her back into me, and hug her, my body surrounding her, my warmth keeping her grounded, and I tell her, “I promise, we’ll go as slow as you need. Nothing needs to go at warp speed, but you have to tell me if you get scared.”
“Okay, Vincent. I can do that,” I look at her when she says that, and I can see she truly means it.
“Let’s go find a table, grab some food, a drink or two, and dance the night away,” I tell her enthusiastically with a smile.
&nbs
p; “Yeah, let’s go,” her spark is back in her eyes, and I’ll do my best to keep her smiling the night away.
Chapter 11
Sophia
I’m just waking up and its day five here, and I have to say I’m having a blast, even when Vincent is working. I’m exploring the resort and even venturing out more and more. Just yesterday I went horseback riding through what was once the Mayan civilization. It was by far one of my favorite things I’ve done. Today, I have nothing booked, and I’m looking forward to laying out in the sun and reading a new mystery thriller. My lips are still tingling from last night’s goodbye kiss. Vincent has been true to his word and has taken it slow, but last night, I actually wanted more, and tried to convince him of that, but he broke our kiss, with both of us breathing heavily, and desire pouring out of our bodies. It was the hardest thing not to invite him in to stay, but I resisted. Barely.
My phone buzzes on the night stand next to me, and I grab it thinking it’s Natalie, but to my surprise it’s Vincent. It instantly brings a smile to my face.
Vincent: Mornin’ Babe, be ready at 9 and wear your suit.
Me: Good morning. See you soon <3
Vincent: Can’t wait.
After reading his last text, I text Natalie really quickly before I get up, and walk into the bathroom. My hair, that was once more of a bleach blonde, is now fading back to its original honey gold color, and it looks more natural now, and more like myself. Add into the fact my dark circles that are slowly disappearing, and I’m smiling more than I ever have. I do my business, brush my teeth, and my hair, throwing it up in a messy bun, and then switch from my pajamas into another bikini already getting excited to see what Vincent has up his sleeve. I’m in an all-white bikini today. This time I put on a pair of jean shorts, a loose tank top that hangs off of one shoulder and a pair of flip flops. Lastly, I pick up my beach bag that I now keep fully stocked and by the door, and ready to grab in an instant. This one, is definitely one of those, seeing Vincent in his board shorts, it’s enough to have me drooling now.