by Selena Kitt
With a chuckle he replies, “Because, I was having way too much fun watching you. Though I nearly had a heart attack when I watched you untie your top. Plus, I was hoping for a glimpse.” He is grinning wickedly now.
“You know, Tristan, all you have to do is ask.” My mind briefly flashes back to how I woke up this morning, and I flush.
He chuckles again. “Well, if that’s the case, then I’d like a peek.”
I start laughing harder now. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”
“Well, Ms. Enders, given that I’m not wearing a shirt, you can already see mine, so, you know, it’s your turn.” His voice has gotten lower and taken on a more seductive tone.
I blush at his logic and, as if I was willing them to do so, my nipples harden into tight peaks. Because of my barbells, it’s nearly impossible to hide, and it does not go unnoticed. Tristan’s grin gets even wider.
“Gah! That is so damn unfair,” I mumble.
He laughs. “Why, because I can see your nipples through your top?”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, you get that view and I get what, exactly?”
Just then he stands up, and sure enough, he is hard as a rock. I blush, but am unsuccessful at peeling my eyes away from his erection.
“Feel better, Ms. Enders?”
That breaks my trance, and I throw my head back laughing. “You have no idea how much better I feel.”
He smiles and sits back down. “Listen, I’ve arranged for a sunset boat ride for dinner tonight. Would you like to join me?”
I’m shocked by his casual tone and lack of self-consciousness about the fact that he has an erection. It’s all I can think about right this moment, what it will feel like buried deep… I mentally shake my head to clear the thoughts. It’s no use getting worked up now. “You say that as if you’re hoping I have something better to do tonight than spend the evening with you.” He grins at me. “I would love to, Tristan.”
“Good. We leave in half an hour.”
I gape at him. Thirty damn minutes. He’s giving me thirty minutes to get ready for a date? Jesus, I hate men sometimes. “I…uh, should probably run upstairs and change,” I say, breathless with irritation.
“No need. It’s nothing fancy tonight. It’s a nice boat and we’ll be waited on hand and foot, but the dress code is casual. You have shorts here, and a t-shirt too. That is more than enough. I’m going in my t-shirt and swim trunks.”
I’m speechless. Why in the world would he want me to have dinner with him in a bikini?
“There’s a reason for the swim suits and casualness. You’ll see,” he says. I swear the boy can read my mind. “Want to grab a drink before we go?”
“Uh, sure.”
I gather up my stuff, placing my book, t-shirt, water, towel, and sunscreen in my tote. I pull on my shorts and slip my feet into my flip-flops. Despite Tristan’s assurances, I’m feeling self-conscious about being so underdressed. I’m sure my hot pink bikini bottoms are visible through these very short white shorts. And my hair is probably frizzy after being out in the sun for several hours. I doubt the half ponytail I’ve pulled it up into is doing much for me. At least I put on a little bit of makeup before coming down. I don’t like going places undone. I usually keep up my appearance no matter what I’m doing, so being forced into going out with Tristan unkempt is a bit of a thorn in my side.
As we walk into Blu he leans over and whispers in my ear, “You look beautiful, Cami.”
A smile creeps to my lips. How does he do that?
“It is just going to be you and me tonight, with the exception of a couple waiters and of course the boat captain.”
I nod and decide to do everything I can to forget about what I look like.
We make our way up to the bar and Jessie is there.
“Hey, you two. How are you this afternoon?”
“Great.” I smile at Jessie. “We’re headed off to the harbor in a bit for dinner.”
“I heard about that.” He chuckles.
Tristan stiffens at my side.
“How did you know about that?” I ask.
“They asked me to bartend for you guys tonight.”
Tristan relaxes almost immediately. “So will you be joining us tonight, Jessie?” he asks.
Jessie nods. “I’m just waiting for my replacements to come in. They should be here any minute, and then I will head over there. The boat is already ready to go, just need to take a few things with me. I understand the lady of the boat enjoys Cosmos and the gentleman of the boat enjoys buying her the finest that I can make.” He’s grinning at me and Tristan.
I look at Tristan, who is grinning like an idiot. He looks at me with an I’m-feigning-stupidity look. “What?” he breathes.
I laugh. “You are so bad. What am I going to do with you?”
Leaning into my ear, he whispers, “Oh, I can think of a few things.” His breath caresses my ear and neck, causing shivers to run throughout my entire body. I grin at him.
“Can I get you guys your usual?” Jessie asks, interrupting the sensations and goose bumps forming along my body.
“Yes, please. On my tab.” As I say this, Tristan scowls at me. “You look sexy when you’re scowling. I should make you scowl more often.” He dramatically deepens his scowl and then busts out laughing, unable to hold the deep scowl he was going for.
I join him in taking a seat at the bar while Jessie makes our drinks. As Jessie is wrapping up with our drinks his replacement arrive, and he quickly excuses himself to head off to the boat. Tristan and I sit back, enjoying our drinks and chatting about our day.
“Since you were obviously spending time paying more attention to me on the beach, what else did you do today?” I ask him.
“Talked to Tyson, took care of a few other things, planned our boat ride tonight, took a dip in my pool. Tyson plans to have two additional bodyguards fly out here Tuesday or Wednesday. Mainly because of the story, my anonymity, and of course, your protection.”
“My protection?” I say, pointing at my heart.
“Yes. With the story and what I have planned for your birthday this weekend, the extra help will be good.”
My jaw drops. “What in the world are you planning for my birthday?”
“You’re just going to have to wait and see.” He leans in and kisses my forehead. The kiss sends a layer of goose bumps across my skin.
Changing the subject since I know he won’t tell me, I ask, “So what’s the deal with Tyson? He seems like a nice guy. Are you guys friends?”
“He is probably my best friend. Despite the fact that he insists on calling me ‘sir.’” He laughs a bit. “It’s his way of keeping a professional image, but he fails most of the time. He is always there for me, and we usually spend a lot of our social time out together. He takes it upon himself to be responsible for me and my safety without hesitation.” He’s smiling, obviously reminiscing.
“That explains a lot. He does a good job of taking care of you.” The wheels in my head begin to turn. “Does he have a girlfriend?” I ask. I try to sound innocent but fail miserably. Anticipating Tristan’s reaction, I start to smile. He scowls at me and I laugh. Loudly.
“Why?” He growls.
His growl sends a shiver through me. So carnal. And it does things…down there. I try to laugh it off.
“Well.” I put dramatic emphasis on the word and Tristan scowls again. I grin. “He hangs out with you all the time. Does he have someone in his life?”
“No, I guess he doesn’t. Why are you so interested in Ty?” He is glaring at me now, so I play it up a bit.
In my best Austin Powers impersonation I let the drama fly from my lips. “Oh yeah, baby, he is so hot and sexy.” I grin from ear to ear.
“And what the hell am I, chopped liver?” He starts smiling, so I know he is playing the game.
“No, you, Mr. Michaels, are by far the hottest, sexiest, most beautiful person I know.” I blush at my barefaced words. I’m not usually so forthco
ming.
But he senses my unease; he takes my hand in his and gently kisses my knuckles. Then he brings his lips to my jaw and plants sweet kisses along it until he reaches my ear. “You’re very sweet,” he whispers in my ear. I grin. Clearly my words have him uncomfortable or, at the very least, not knowing how to respond.
“To answer your question,” Tristan says, “Ty has no problem with women. I just think he feels the need to stay single because of me. I wish he wouldn’t because it would make things just a little more fun. If he has to be with me when ever I go out, or when I take you out to dinner, we could double.”
I should probably just have this stupid grin tattooed on my face. “I have an idea,” I say, enthusiasm evident. “Why don’t I bring Jolene out with Mick and Beau? She is a hell of a lot of fun. Her and Tyson might hit it off. Then if they do, the six of us can do our thing and Tyson doesn’t have to feel like the fifth wheel.”
He is smiling and nodding in agreement. “That might not be a bad idea, though I hate the thought of trying to play matchmaker with him and making him feel obligated to entertain her. What if they don’t get along?”
“I doubt that. Jolene is very outgoing and generally gets along with everyone. But, you do have a good point. Maybe we can just make a point to introduce them in a little more casual setting?”
“That might be better. I was thinking about bringing Travis out here, too. He and Tyson get along famously, so they would at least have each other to bullshit with.”
“Is Travis single, too?”
Tristan just smiles. I’ll take that as a yes and a dodge to my question.
“Then I’ll bring Jolene and Naomi, you bring out Travis, and we can see who hits it off. If there is no real connection between the boys and girls, then the girls’ll have each other and Ty and Travis will be more than capable of causing their own mischief.”
“That’s not a bad idea, Cami. I will take care of getting Travis here, and why don’t you get Jolene and Naomi squared away. I was going to let Travis stay in my suite, so it sounds like we’ll just need one more room for Naomi and Jolene.”
“Perfect. I’ll make the arrangements in the morning.”
Just then Tyson shows up to usher us outside. I smile at him knowingly. I barely know the man and I’m trying to set him up on a blind date for an entire weekend.
I thought of Jolene for him because Tyson is so tall and big. Jolene is six feet tall and a very beautiful woman. Naomi, on the other hand, is short like me. She is the skinniest person I know, but she is beautiful in a tough-and-rugged kind of way. I don’t know Travis at all, but I am hoping that in one fashion or another everyone ends up having a great time.
Tristan interrupts my thoughts. “What in the world are you thinking about so hard? I swear I smell something burning.”
“Ha-ha, Mr. Funny Man!” I laugh. “I was just thinking about what we were talking about.” I throw a significant glance at Tyson’s back. I’m not sure how he would take the idea of being set up on a blind date.
“I will bet you a hundred dollars he blushes like a little school girl,” Tristan says, and suddenly I’m the one blushing. “Hey, Ty?”
Tyson stops mid stride and turns to us. “Yes, Tristan?”
“Cami is trying to set you up on a blind date next weekend with one of her friends. She thinks that since you’ll have to be with me the whole time and I intend to be with her as much as possible, you need a date too.”
I am most definitely the color of a cherry as he says this. “Sure, make this all my fault,” I mumble.
But Tristan was right; Tyson blushes as red as I am.
“Thank you, Cami, for thinking about me, but it really isn’t necessary.”
“It wasn’t meant to be a set up,” I protest. “Just simply thinking that since you have to follow Tristan around all the time, maybe you might want to have a good time doing it. Plus, it bothers me to see you off in a corner all by yourself.”
He is blushing a little brighter now. “Is she blond.” He says it more as a statement of fact than an actual question. Nothing he could have said would have surprised me more. I laugh out loud.
“Yes, and she is about six feet tall.” His smile grows wider then.
“Well, Ms. Enders, you sure know how to pick ’em,” Tyson says. Apparently I’ve nailed his type. Tristan is looking at me with approval.
“Then it’s settled,” I say, and I know I’ve got a smug grin plastered on my face. “Tristan is going to bring Travis out to Tarah, and I’ll bring Jolene, Beau, Naomi, and Mick. We can have a big old party this weekend.”
Tyson smiles and gestures toward a Jeep. “Sounds good to me. We ready to head out?”
“Yup, let’s roll,” Tristan says.
I climb into the back and Tristan joins me. Tyson hops into the driver’s seat and we’re off to the docks.
Tristan leans in and whispers in my ear, “I wouldn’t have hesitated about them getting along if you had told me she was tall and blond. That’s Tyson’s favorite.”
I giggle just as my cell phone rings. I pull it from my tote bag and check the caller ID. “Speak of the devils.” I hit the green button. “Hi, Mick.” Tristan smiles.
“Hi, Cams. How’s the vacation going?”
“Absolutely excellent.”
“I know that voice. You’ve met someone, haven’t you?”
“Jesus, Mick, how can you tell from a two-word phrase?” I’m slightly embarrassed because Tristan is sitting right next to me.
“Because, Cams, I know you all too well and know what gets you excited, so it either means you got a new tattoo or you met a new man. Given that there are no charges on your platinum card for the tattoo shop in the hotel, I can only assume it’s a man. So in that case you get my lecture. Be careful! Lecture over.”
I start laughing. He really does know me pretty well. “Yes, Mick, trust me, I am.”
“Does this have anything to do with the fact that Tristan Michaels is on the same island?”
FUCK! “How in the hell do you know that?” I’m practically shouting. Tyson’s head whips around and Tristan shakes his head at him. He returns his eyes to the road.
“Calm down, Cams. Trinity told me that he was there and that you were actually working at making your paycheck yesterday. She was proud of you and the way you took charge. She even said that it wouldn’t be long before they had you as a full-time CEO.”
I snort. “Yeah, okay, Mick.”
“Don’t discount it, Cami. She was really impressed with you yesterday. So, am I right? Is it Tristan Michaels?”
Mick is well aware of my obsession with Tristan, so I’m not surprised that he put two and two together. “I don’t need to remind you to keep that little tidbit to yourself, do I?”
“No, you don’t, Cams. I signed a non-disclosure agreement years ago that ties my tongue unless it comes to discussing it with the employees of Bold and, well, you, by all technical accounts, own Bold, so that means I can tell you whatever I know.” He was being just like the Mick I know and love.
“Good, and you will find out on Wednesday.”
“You’re coming home?” Hope in his voice.
I giggle. “Hell no! I would move here if it wasn’t going to cost me a near fortune every night.”
“You can afford it.” He laughs again. “If you’re not coming home, how exactly am I going to see you?”
“I’m going to bring you, Beau, Jolene, and Naomi out here on Wednesday.”
“Oh!” A hint of shock colors his tone, but not in a bad way. “Why?”
I’m laughing. “Twenty-four hours ago you were giving me hell because of my birthday on Saturday. I have decided that I want to spend my birthday here, so that means that you and the girls are getting on a plane and coming out here. So chop, chop! Make the arrangements, would you?” I laugh. Mick hates when I ask him to do things that are usually on Beau’s list of things to do.
“Uh, Cams, can’t Beau do all that?”
I
laugh again at his Oh-dear-God tone. “Yes, I’m just giving you shit because I know you won’t. Ask Beau for me, will you?”
“Call her yourself.” He laughs knowingly.
“Fine, hang on.” I pull up the three-way feature on my phone, hit Beau’s number, and connect back with Mick. It’s ringing. I roll my eyes when I realize I can hear Buckcherry’s “Crazy Bitch” coming through Mick’s line. Laughing, I say, “Jeez, Mick, you could’ve told me she was sitting right next to you.”
“But that wouldn’t be as much fun.”
I pull my phone away from my ear and put him on speaker phone in anticipation of Beau’s reaction.
“Tristan Michaels? Are you kidding me, Cams?” Beau squeals with excitement.
Tristan blushes a bright red.
“Maybe,” I say back to her.
“Don’t you dare hold out on me, Cams, I swear to God I will beat it out of you if I have to.” She can no longer hide the fact that she is laughing now.
Tristan holds out his hand and nods toward the phone. I hand it to him, slightly nervous, but knowing Beau, this is going to be funny.
“How dare you threaten to beat my girl?” He is smiling and Beau squeals again. I can picture Beau sprawled out on the floor laughing.
“Your girl, huh?” Beau says, sobering quickly.
“If she will have me, then yes, my girl.”
Tristan
I hold my breath, unsure of her reaction. I know it’s moving fast, but I can’t help it. I care for her so much already.
“I think we have already cemented the fact that I want to be your girl,” Cami says. She’s trying to scowl, but a huge grin keeps leaping back onto her face.
I let out my breath and smile back at her. Mick laughs, and Beau squeals again with excitement.
“Cams, you’re dating Tristan Michaels?” she asks.
I’m holding my breath, waiting for her reaction. “Yeah, I guess I am. Is that ok with you, baby?” Cami is giggling again as she takes in my reaction. I know my face betrays the fact that I’m suddenly concerned about the fact that Beau might be able to control the outcome of my blossoming relationship with Cami.