Going for the Hole

by L. P. Dover

  “True,” I agreed.

  She patted my arm and let me go. “All right, you two,” she said, glancing back and forth from me to Harper. “Make sure to order whatever you want.” Opening her purse, she pulled out four room keys and handed two to me and the other two to Harper. “These are your room keys. I got everyone their own . . . you know, just in case.” She winked again and walked off to join the others at the bar.

  Shaking my head, I slipped the keys into my purse. What the hell was she thinking? I wasn’t about to bring random men to my room.

  Harper nudged me in the side. “Come on, let’s get a drink.”

  “Does she really think we’re going to hook up with random men this weekend?”

  We took a seat at the bar and she looked around, her eyes focusing on various guys throughout the room. She smiled and a snicker escaped her lips. “Don’t know about you, but I’m seeing a smorgasbord of hot, delectable men. Several of which seem to be missing a ring on a certain finger.”

  The bartender came over and we ordered. My tequila sunrise was heavy on the liquor, but it tasted good. It was exactly what I needed. “Cameron wanted me to tell you hello for him. He said we need to do dinner.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Her attention was on a man across the room, but then, she turned to me and took a sip of her bloody Mary. “We were the dynamic trio growing up. It’s funny how things change.”

  Another large gulp of my drink and I could already feel it warming my insides. “Tell me about it. I used to think you two would get married.”

  She coughed, her face turning red as she waved her hands in the air. “I love Cameron to death, but I think you know he’s not my type. I like my men more . . . rugged.”

  It was true. Cameron had a pretty-boy vibe with an athletic build; he always kept his face nicely shaven and his clothes neat and pristine. It was the way we were raised. To always look presentable.

  I snorted. “Yes, I know. My dad would’ve killed me if I came home with the men you’ve dated.”

  She took another sip of her drink and moaned as it went down her throat. “Oh, mine wanted to, but there was nothing he could do about it.” She swiveled my chair around and whispered in my ear. “Sometimes you have to break the rules. You have to live your life on your own terms, not for those around you.”

  “Girls,” Olivia called out.

  I glanced back to find Sophia and Allie standing behind her, both ready to go, by the impatient looks on their faces.

  Olivia walked up to us, grinning mischievously. “You guys up for a little action tonight?”

  I had a feeling what that action was going to be. I couldn’t even pretend to be excited. “You’re talking about the club, aren’t you?”

  She snickered. “Not just any club. Everyone who’s anyone will be there.” Her eyes twinkled. “Besides, my cousin will be there, and we all know he has a thing for you.”

  Rhett Taylor. How could I forget him? I hadn’t seen him since Daniel and I broke up. He was in his mid-thirties, very handsome too, and the owner of the elusive club, Tryst. I’d never been club material, especially one that only let in elite members of society. If I didn’t know the owner, I doubt they’d even let me in.

  Glancing down at my clothes, I sighed. “Olivia, I didn’t exactly bring anything to wear to Tryst.” It was one of the most popular clubs in the southeast, and just so happened to be a few miles down from the resort in the popular side of town.

  She waved me off and winked. “No worries. I came prepared. In your suite, you’ll find a bag of goodies on your bed. It’s my thanks to you for putting up with me for the next week.”

  “Oh God,” I groaned, nervous as hell to see what she’d gotten me.

  Bursting with laughter, she turned on her heel and waved as she walked away. “Be ready in thirty. Rhett got us a limo. The girls and I will meet you and Harper out front.”

  Harper giggled. “This is going to be fun. We have a limo, which means we can drink as much as we want.” Her smile was infectious.

  “And why is it that every bad thing I’ve done in my life, I’ve done with you?”

  She winked. “Because I’m a badass bitch.” Tipping back her drink, she finished it off. “However, it’s not like you’ve really done anything bad to begin with.”

  “Hey,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “I tried weed once.” Not one of my finer moments.

  Harper burst out laughing. “Yeah, and you kept going to the bathroom, in fear that you were pissing on yourself.”

  Cheeks flaming, I looked around to make sure no one heard her. “Not so loud. Someone might hear you.” There were three guys in the corner, staring at us with mischievous smiles. I had no doubt they just heard my embarrassing story. Needless to say, that night had been the first and last time I ever smoked marijuana.

  Harper peered over at the men and smiled. “The one with the brown hair keeps looking at you. He’s hot as hell.”

  Dying from embarrassment, I rolled my eyes. “Pretty sure he’s looking at you.” The bartender came over and Harper ordered us shots of whiskey. I tossed mine back and felt the burn as it slid down my throat. I needed some liquid courage, if I planned on making it through the night.

  Harper moved closer and nudged me with her elbow. “Seriously, Ash, that guy is literally staring at you. I call dibs on the muscular hotness beside him.”

  “You can have them all.” Before she could take her shot, I stole it from her and drank it.

  Her grin widened and she laughed. “That’s what I’m talking about. Maybe you can get a little action tonight. How long has it been since you’ve had sex?”

  “Too long,” I confessed. “Not since Daniel.”

  Harper snorted. “Such a douche.”

  That he was, but I didn’t want to waste my time talking about him. We’d dated for three years and broken up about four months ago. I’d thought to surprise him at his law firm after leaving my clinic early, only to find him with his pants around his ankles, cock-deep in his secretary. My anger at the whole scene had only abated weeks later, once I realized I hadn’t even been in love with him anymore.

  “Our break up was the best thing that could’ve happened to me,” I said in all honesty.

  She nodded and banged her hand on the bar. “Exactly. So tonight, we’re going to have fun. What happens here, stays here.”

  “Easy for you to say, you’re allowed to do what you want.”

  “So are you,” she countered. “Just because you’re a doctor with a prestigious last name doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. All you have to do is be someone else.” Nonchalantly, Harper peered over her shoulder and gasped lightly. “Uh-oh, Mr. Sex on a Stick and his delicious friends are on their way over. Use a different name. I’ll go along with it. You could use a good time.”

  It had been way too long, but the thought of lying made me nervous. I didn’t know what to do. Hell, I’d never even had a one-night stand before. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and smiled as the whiskey warmed my skin. I could feel my cares slipping away.

  “Good evening, ladies.” His voice sent shivers down my arms.

  Turning around, my eyes went straight to his face. Harper shook his hand and said hello to the others, but I couldn’t take my attention away from the man before me.

  His brown hair was short, but the perfect length to run my fingers through, and his eyes were a smoky gray. He reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t place him. All I could focus on was how sexy his smile was as he looked at me. It’d been a long time since someone looked at me like that.

  I held out my hand and smiled, trying my best to lie convincingly. “Hi. I’m Sarah.”

  His lips tilted slyly as he shook my hand. “Bryson. Nice to meet you.”

  Chapter Four

  Lucas

  I watched the women’s reactions to see if they knew who I was. Usually, I could tell right away, and it was obvious they believed me when I threw out the false name. Noah was hard up fo
r the redhead, but I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes off Sarah. Her golden skin and dark blonde hair reminded me of a California girl, like the ones you’d see surfing, but her accent was southern.

  “Where are you from?” I asked, letting go of Sarah’s hand.

  She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Here in Myrtle Beach. You?” That explained the accent. She sounded like a southern belle.

  I’d lied about my name, but I didn’t see the point in lying about everything. “Charlotte,” I answered. “I needed a vacation.”

  “Sounds familiar.” She smiled. “I wish we could stay and chat, but there’s somewhere we have to be.”

  Harper nodded. “We do have to get going, but maybe we could meet up later?” Sarah nudged her in the side and I couldn’t help but smile. It looked like I was going to have my work cut out for me.

  I wasn’t about to let Sarah slip away that fast, not when I could tell she was interested in me. “Where are you off to?”

  She cleared her throat and I could see the hesitance on her face. But her friend stood, grinning from ear to ear. “We’re going to Tryst. Ever heard of it?”

  Ah, yes. I’d been there a couple times over the years. “We’ve heard of it,” I answered.

  Harper grabbed her purse off the counter. “Unfortunately, the place is picky with who they let in. I can’t guarantee they’ll let you past, but if you make it inside, maybe we’ll see you there. If not, we could possibly meet you back here later on.”

  Noah and Aiden looked at me, grinning smugly. If these ladies knew who I was, they wouldn’t be questioning if I could get into the club. “We’ll take our chances,” I stated confidently.

  Harper wrote down her number on a napkin and handed it to Noah with a wink. “Now we have a way of keeping in touch. Talk to you soon.” She put her arm around Sarah’s shoulders and they hurried off to the elevators.

  Aiden punched my arm, grabbing my attention. “What the hell’s up with you? Why’d you lie to them about who you are?”

  Noah laughed and tapped his hand on the bar to get the bartender’s attention. “I’m actually glad you didn’t. Harper’s fucking hot, and now I get a shot at her. I call dibs.”

  Aiden huffed. “Why am I always the one left out? I don’t want to be the damn third wheel.”

  Noah chuckled. “Don’t worry. We’ll find you someone before the weekend’s done.”

  We sat at the bar and all ordered another round of drinks. Aiden nudged me again. “So, why’d you lie? Really.”

  The bartender set down my gin and tonic and I shrugged. “Not sure. It just came out that way.”

  “Nah,” Noah teased, “you’re tired of the pussy just falling in your lap, that’s why. Sometimes it’s a turn on when you have to work for it.”

  Bringing the glass to my lips, I tossed my drink back. “True. When I saw no recognition on her face, I grabbed at the opportunity for anonymity.” My lips pulled back slyly. “Just being an ordinary guy will be interesting.”

  Aiden shook his head. “Nothing about you is ordinary. But I do have to admit, you have your work cut out for you with this one. It didn’t look like Sarah was going to be jumping on your dick anytime soon.”

  Brows lifted, I held out my hand. “Wanna make a bet?”

  “Here we go.” Noah laughed.

  Aiden looked down at my hand and smiled. “What are we betting?”

  I nodded toward the elevator doors. “I got two thousand dollars that says I can get her to sleep with me tonight.”

  “Do I look like a fucking newborn baby? You’re the master at getting women in the sack.” Aiden scoffed. “No, we need something harder.”

  “Like what?” I was curious to see what he’d come up with.

  Noah slapped a hand on my shoulder and winked at Aiden. “Come on, man. Aren’t you tired of your brother always winning? Think up something good.”

  Aiden’s grin widened. “Got it.” By the look on his face, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. “I bet you can’t get Sarah to fall in love with you.”

  That was the last thing I expected to hear. “Seriously?” I griped. “What kind of a bet is that?”

  Aiden held out his hand. “Scared?”

  “You said you wanted a challenge,” Noah chimed in. “Here’s your chance to prove you can do anything.”

  “All right, assholes, you’re on. How much? And better yet, how long do I got?”

  Aiden smirked. “Ten thousand, and you have until we leave town.”

  Women loved me, and I had no doubt I could get Sarah to fall in love with me. I shook both of their hands and nodded toward the elevator doors. “Deal. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Five

  Ashley

  “Oh my God. Isn’t Noah the sexiest thing on two legs?” Harper winked, grinning like the Cheshire cat. She was damn near purring by the time we reached our room.

  Rolling my eyes, I slid my key card in the door and opened it. The suite was enormous, housing its own living room, kitchen, and separate bedroom. Tossing my keys onto the kitchen counter, I turned to her. “Just be careful, Harp. We don’t know those guys. For all we know, they troll the clubs every night, looking for pussy.”

  She followed me inside and flopped down on the expensive brown leather couch. “Eh, that’s what condoms are for. Besides, they seemed pretty cool. Sex is good for the soul, stop freaking out so much.”

  Laughing, I shook my head. “Are you always this horny?”

  “Always. You are too, you’re just too scared to admit it.”

  Clearing my throat, I pretended not to hear her and hurried into the bedroom. Maybe I did think about sex a lot. It was hard not to when you were alone at home every night. Thank God for the internet.

  A glittery gift bag laid on its side on the bed. It was large and obviously filled to the brim with stuff. Harper rushed in and looked inside, clearly more excited than I was. “Wow. Olivia went all out, didn’t she? I can’t wait to see what’s in my room.”

  I pulled out a small, black dress that would hug every single curve of my body.

  Harper nabbed it and held it up, nodding. “This is it, Ash. You have to wear this tonight.”

  Don’t get me wrong, I had the body for it. But I’d gotten so used to wearing loose scrubs and clogs over the past few years, I couldn’t remember what it was like to wear form-fitting clothes. “Are you sure it’ll fit?” I asked.

  Lips pursed, Harper glared incredulously. “You’re being absolutely ridiculous. You have a better body than me, for Christ’s sake. Put it on, and I’ll be back to touch up your makeup. We need to make those green eyes pop.”

  She hurried out and I reluctantly put on the dress. It was soft and smooth against my skin. Digging through the bag, I found a pair of three-inch black heels, so I slipped them on. Now I was closing in on six feet tall. About fifteen minutes passed before a hard knock sounded on the door. I walked over as best as I could in the heels. When you didn’t wear them much, it was hard to get used to them.

  Harper’s eyes widened when she gazed down my body. “Damn, girl. You’re not just a snack, you’re the whole meal.”

  Her approval made me giggle and lightened my insecurities. I blushed and motioned for her to come in. When she walked by, I appreciated her royal-blue, one-shoulder dress. She’d pulled up her red hair into a sleek bun that showed off her beautiful face and long neck. “You look absolutely breathtaking,” I said in return.

  Taking my hand, she pulled me over to the couch. “Thanks. You will too, once I’m done with you.”

  Ten minutes later, we walked through the lobby and I felt grateful Bryson and his friends weren’t around. Olivia was outside, waiting by the limo in her white dress and glittery sash that read Bride. Her face brightened when she saw me.

  “Now that’s what I’m talking about. I knew there was more to you than scrubs and whatever you call those hideous clodhoppers you wear on your feet.” She grabbed my hand and twirled me around.

  With all the
alcohol in my system, I almost lost my balance. “I used to dress up all the time when I was with Daniel. It’s just been a while.”

  Her smile faded. “Cam told me what happened, but I’ve been too afraid to ask you about it.”

  Harper snorted, waving her hand dismissively. “Oh, she’s over that son of a bitch. Her dry spell is going to end tonight.”

  Olivia snickered and ushered us toward the limo. “Sounds good to me.” Placing her hands on my shoulders, she leaned in. “I know Rhett’s ready to see you.”

  “Is he seriously going to come onto me?”

  “Yep.”

  “Great,” I groaned.

  Harper fluffed my hair. “Girl, you got two men after your goodies tonight. Wish I had that problem.”

  I couldn’t lie, it did feel good to be wanted.

  We got into the limo and I leaned over so only Harper could hear me. “My dry spell ends tonight, huh?”

  A mischievous grin spread across her face. “You know it,” she whispered. “I could see it on your face the second you looked at Bryson. You want him, and don’t even bother denying it. And now you have Rhett waiting on the sidelines.”

  Rhett wasn’t a sidelines guy. He’d been pursuing me a long time, because I wasn’t easy to conquer. If I gave in to him, it’d only cause me problems if things didn’t work out. That wasn’t what I needed tonight. With Bryson, there was an attraction I couldn’t deny . . . and there were no strings attached.

  Harper moved in closer. “Bryson’s not from here. He’ll be gone in a couple of days. What’s it going to hurt to have a little fun?”

  I shook my head and laughed. “I can’t believe I’m considering this.”

  We pulled into the parking lot and saw people lined around the building. Everyone looked like they could be famous with their expensive clothes and jewelry. Luckily, Rhett escorted us past the hordes and right on inside. He was tall and muscular, like all the men in Olivia’s family.