Player in Paradise

by Lewis, Rebecca

  “That’s definitely an interesting predicament. I knew something must be happening since Priscilla has been unusually chipper lately. But if she wants them to get engaged then you have to just go with it.”

  I dig my fingernails into my palm. She’s right, but I wish I could stop it. There goes my heart messing with my head again.

  “He looked so sad when we talked about it earlier. Like a little puppy dog. I just can’t do that to him.”

  “What’s more important? Pleasing Austin or your paycheck?”

  I’m not so sure anymore…but I don’t want to admit that to her. “I’ll figure out a way to make them both happy.”

  “Don’t go crazy trying to please everyone, Olivia. Austin probably wouldn’t do you any favors. Your main goal should be to do such an amazing job that Priscilla gives you a raise when you get back, okay?”

  “Yeah, alright. Have a good night.”

  “You too.”

  I hang up and want to knock my head against the wall. What can I do to convince Cassidy to end this production she concocted without it backfiring on me?

  I catch up with her after dinner. “Hey, got a minute?”

  “Sure,” she says, tossing her blonde curls behind her shoulder as she walks with me toward the lounge.

  I grab a small, round table with two chairs and invite her to sit down. “Thanks for meeting with me. I just wanted to make sure that you’re ready for this engagement.”

  “Oh, I’m definitely ready. I’m hoping you’ll get me some amazing press out of it too.” She waves over a bartender and orders a cocktail. I guess when you’re a drop-dead gorgeous superstar it doesn’t matter if you’re underage.

  “What if Austin doesn’t agree to do it?” I ask.

  “You’re taking care of that, aren’t you?”

  “He’s not being very agreeable with all of this. Is there any way you would change your mind?”

  “I’m paying you for this, right? Just get it done.” She shoots me an evil eye before she gets up from the table with her Appletini. Her heels clack away quickly across the tiled floor. Well, I wasn’t expecting a miracle, but a compromise would have been nice.

  I make my way to the bar out by the pool and am not at all surprised to find Austin sloshed, hanging his arm around a pretty blonde girl with pink streaks in her hair. His shirt is unbuttoned and his windblown curls are pushed to the front of his head. What a mess.

  As I approach, he distances himself from the girl and stands at attention. “Nice bumping into you here, boss lady,” he slurs.

  “I’m taking you upstairs.”

  The girl isn’t happy, but I don’t care. He’s my responsibility, and I need to make sure he doesn’t end up with hotel security, or worse, in the hospital or jail.

  “I’ll follow your sweet ass anywhere,” he says, grabbing my bottom through my sundress.

  “Control yourself,” I whisper, batting his hand away.

  I lead him to the elevator where he starts singing me some made up song. Lovely. Thankfully we ride up alone.

  He searches his pockets and can’t find his room key. I guess he shouldn’t be alone right now anyway, who knows what he’ll do in this drunken state.

  “Come on in,” I say, opening the door to my room. He follows me through the door and throws himself on the couch by the entry way. I take off his sandals and push his legs up so that he’s lying down comfortably.

  “Drink this.” I hand him a bottle of water.

  He can barely lift the bottle to his lips when I notice his face turning pale. Fuck. I run to grab a wastebasket and make it just in time for him to hang his head over the side and let everything out.

  “If only your fans knew about this side of you,” I say sarcastically.

  “I’m sorry, Liv,” he croaks before getting sick again.

  I hand him some mints as I take a seat on the sofa, then lay his head on my lap and run my fingers through his soft waves. “It’s okay; I’m sure you don’t have it as easy as it looks.”

  His sparkling blue eyes squint up at me as he nods.

  “Maybe a cold shower would help,” I recommend.

  I help him off the couch and lead him into the bathroom. He leans against the marble sink and struggles to unzip his jeans. I push his hands away and assist him, reaching for his fly. My hands shake as I unbutton the top. I’ve already seen him without his pants on, so why am I so nervous?

  He manages to shake his way out of his jeans and I turn on the water. When I move back around, he’s standing against the towel rack completely nude. I try and keep my eyes up as I help him into the tub, but it’s hard not to stare down below. To say he’s well-endowed would be an understatement. His head rests against the wall as the water streams down his back and over his body.

  “You coming?” he asks under his breath.

  Was he talking to me or talking nonsense to himself?

  “What?” I ask.

  “Come in,” he says, more direct this time.

  The water trickles down as he runs his fingers through his hair, which now looks dark brown instead of dirty blonde. His tanned skin is a deeper bronze in the dimmed light that shines through the shower.

  I’m stunned, watching him in all his glory as he closes his eyes. Maybe I should join him…at least to keep him awake. I don’t want him falling asleep in the tub and drowning, right?

  He squints his eyes open and smiles again. “Take off your dress,” he commands.

  Screw it. I can’t suppress my hormones any longer. I give in and do what he says, slowly peeling the blue fabric over my head and tossing it to the side.

  He licks his lips. “Now take off your bra.”

  I unhook the back of my black bra and slide down the shoulder straps until it falls to the floor.

  He grows larger as he looks me over. I inch closer, my toes touching the ceramic wall, and wait patiently for my next instruction. Instead, he reaches his hand out to quickly pull me in with him.

  The cold water shocks my system and my nipples grow hard under the stream. He immediately takes one in his mouth while his fingers caress the other. His tongue flicks my sensitive skin while his hand grabs and pinches harder.

  My wet hair sticks to my face as he tilts my head back. His mouth leaves my chest to make a trail of kisses up my neck, while his hands slide down my stomach, traveling under the elastic band of my hip huggers. I didn’t realize how badly I craved his touch until he agonizingly feels his away around my sweet spot.

  I close my eyes and grab onto his shoulders as he inches his fingers closer to my center.

  “I want to fuck you,” he growls, pushing me up against the cold tile. His digit dives into me, pulsing in and out quickly as my feet slide against the slippery bottom of the tub.

  Crashing his lips into mine, he forces his tongue through. The sensations drive me wild, and I run my nails down his arms. He shudders and bites my bottom lip, tugging hard before pulling away.

  “Do you have a condom this time?” I ask.

  “I think,” he says, stumbling out of the shower. He sways and grabs hold of the towel rack. “Can you check the bag in my bathroom?”

  I reach for a towel and quickly wrap it around my soaked body as I run barefoot through the room, dripping water everywhere. Thankfully, the adjoining door is unlocked and I rush in to search for the bag.

  “Holy shit!” I scream, jumping back against the door as it closes behind me. I swore I saw a ghost, but as my eyes adjust, I see that it’s Cassidy sitting on a chair in the corner of Austin’s room reading a magazine.

  My heart struggles to reach a normal pace. “What are you doing in here?” I ask.

  “I should be asking you that question.” She throws the magazine on the desk.

  “Uh…” Crap. I have absolutely nothing to say that could get me out of this situation.

  She stands up, placing her hands on her skinny hips. “If you must know, after our conversation, I decided that I needed to speak to Austin myself to m
ake sure he would agree to propose. Unless this,” she waves her hand at me. “Was part of your bargaining plan?”

  “No, I’m pretty sure he’s still not keen on the idea…”

  The door bumps into me from behind and Austin busts through with a towel haphazardly wrapped around his waist. “Liv, you find it?”

  He knocks into me and looks up to find Cassidy staring at us.

  “What the fuck is this bitch doing in my room?” he yells, grasping my shoulders to keep himself steady. He brushes my hair aside with his thumbs, sending a small shiver down my spine.

  “Well, this is perfect!” she says, clapping her hands. “Now you have to marry me!”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” he says, gripping me tighter.

  “If you don’t propose, then I’ll tell Olivia’s boss that you two had sex. You wouldn’t want her getting fired, would you?”

  I sure as hell hope he wouldn’t.

  “Get the fuck out of my room,” he screams. “Now!”

  Cassidy storms out, slamming the door behind her.

  He lets go of me and collapses on the edge of the bed with his face in his hands. “You see what I have to deal with? This fucking psycho bitch.”

  I clutch my towel tighter. Maybe this was a bad idea. He didn’t even stick up for me. I stupidly thought there might be something between us since our waterfall escapade, but now it seems that he doesn’t care about me at all. I guess he really just wanted to get some.

  “Let’s just call it a night,” I say.

  “No, come on, stay.” He pats a spot next to him on the mattress. “Don’t let her ruin this.”

  “Goodnight, Austin.” I turn the door handle quickly and escape to my room. Why do I get attached so quickly? I knew he was a player. I knew he went through women like days of the week. Why did I think I was any different? I try to blink back my tears as I crash into my pillow, but eventually let them fall. I just hope Austin doesn’t hear me crying over his stupid ass.

  Chapter Eleven

  Austin doesn’t come down for the scheduled Jet Ski activity in the morning. I don’t particularly want to see his face right now, but unfortunately I have no choice. I let the activity director know that I’ll go check on him. Cassidy rolls her eyes and gives me grief, but she’s just as much a part of the problem as he is.

  I knock on his door. No answer. I knock again and impatiently wait. He’s probably still asleep.

  “Austin!” I yell, pounding the door with my fist.

  The deadbolt unlocks and I’m greeted by the grumpy face of a hung over Austin Ford.

  He scratches his head and squints. “What’s up?”

  I force my way through and enter his room. It looks exactly how I left it last night, and so does he, draped in a white hotel towel slung low around his waist.

  “What’s up? Are you serious? You’re supposed to be jet skiing with Cassidy right now.”

  I search through his dresser, finding a pair of swim trunks and toss them at him.

  He drops the towel and quickly steps into his shorts, giving me a brief show of his bare behind. Damn his ass looks good; even his tan line is sexy. But no, I can’t think like that right now, I have to remember that he hurt my feelings and that he’s nothing but a suave Hollywood player.

  He grabs a t-shirt from the floor and pulls it over his head. He roams the room, searching for his flip flops. They must still be in my room.

  “Grab the rest of your stuff and follow me,” I instruct.

  We cross into my room and I lead him to the footwear by the couch.

  “How’d these get here?” he asks, sliding into his sandals.

  “You don’t remember?”

  He shakes his head.

  He doesn’t remember? Last night was one of the most exciting nights of my life and he doesn’t even remember it? I stalk over to the bathroom and pick up his shirt from the cold, tile floor. “Does this bring back any memories?”

  His eyebrows raise, but he doesn’t answer.

  “How about this?” I grab his jeans and push them toward him.

  Shrugging his shoulders, he grabs the clothing from me and takes a closer look. “No, I don’t remember anything.”

  “Well, I’m sure glad I didn’t sleep with you then. Wouldn’t want to be some forgettable, drunken lay.” I shove the clothes at him and wait outside the door, forcing myself to breathe in slowly through my nose and out through my mouth. I knew he was hammered the other night, but the dismissal still stings. And I’m mad at myself for thinking he was actually into me. I should have known better.

  He meets me on the other side of the door and we walk to the elevator in silence. As we step inside, he turns to face me, but I can’t look him in the eye.

  “I’m sorry, Olivia. I don’t know what happened last night, but if I was an asshole then I truly regret it. You’re a great girl and I had a really good time with you yesterday, at least the parts I can recall.”

  He grabs my hand and circles his fingers in my palm. I can’t forgive him, not yet, but his touch still melts me.

  He drops my hand as the elevator doors open and we meet Cassidy and the group outside.

  “What took you so long?” Cassidy asks as we rush over. She should be thankful that I was able to get him down here at all; he still looks a little green.

  Kai, the resort’s activities director, guides everyone on how to properly use a Jet Ski, explains the section of the water to drive them in, and tells us what to do if you fall off.

  Austin runs to the shoreline to grab his vehicle while Cassidy trails behind.

  “You joining?” he shouts to me.

  I’ve never driven a Jet Ski and was actually a little nervous. Before I can answer, Kai takes my hand and leads me to one of the watercrafts. “Sit behind me, I’ll take you around.”

  “I’m not so sure about this,” I reply.

  Kai’s brown eyes twinkle as he smiles. I wonder how many girls he’s persuaded to ride on his Jet Ski…

  “I promise you’ll have fun.” He slides on his sunglasses and flashes his white teeth again. He’s actually pretty cute, with dark skin and jet-black hair.

  “Ok, but if I die, it’s your fault.”

  He laughs. “I take full responsibility for your safety Miss…?”

  “Olivia.”

  “Nice to meet you Olivia, now let’s get in the water.”

  I shimmy out of my cover-up, put on a life vest, and follow him in. He seats me on the Jet Ski so that I’m straddling my legs behind him.

  “You might want to put your arms around me,” he yells, revving up the engine. “It can get a little rough.”

  I hold onto his sides loosely, too embarrassed for a full-on embrace. He’s wearing a hotel-branded blue t-shirt, and I can feel his muscles underneath. Not as ripped as Austin’s, but still decent.

  “Ready?” he asks.

  “I guess so.”

  We drive off slowly, running over a few baby waves. This isn’t so bad. The spray is refreshing as we pick up the pace. It’s not long until Austin and Cassidy come over to our area. Austin’s a little too close for comfort, and Kai motions for them to give us some space, but Austin isn’t backing off. We drive in another direction, but Austin follows closely, revving his engine. What is he trying to do?

  “Let’s keep it a friendly competition, bro,” Kai says. I suddenly feel us jerk forward and we’re off and running at what feels like 50 miles per hour. The waves crash around us and we must be flying ten feet in the air. My stomach lurches as I hold onto Kai for dear life.

  Is Austin trying to get me killed? I glance over to see Cassidy screaming while holding onto her sunglasses, jewelry and tiny bikini top. She’s not enjoying this testosterone match either.

  Austin grins at me as he drives dangerously close to our Jet Ski. “You should have joined me,” he yells. I feel like a piece of meat dangling in the middle of two hungry dogs.

  Austin peels off again and Kai jumps the waves even higher. A
s we speed over the surf, the turbulent movements cause me to lose my grip around Kai. I suddenly crash into the water and my whole body stings like I’ve been stung by a hundred jellyfish.

  Thankfully my life jacket brings me to the surface quickly, but my head won’t stop spinning.

  “Olivia!” Kai jumps off the Jet Ski. He seems miles away.

  An arm grabs me from behind. “Stay still.”

  It’s Austin. I want to turn around and slap him for his crazy behavior, but my head is pounding too hard.

  “I got her,” Kai says, swimming over. “I’ll bring her back to shore.”

  Austin pulls me as close to his body as the life vest will allow. “I have her.”

  Kai’s eyes narrow under his sunglasses. “She’s my responsibility.”

  “Take Cassidy back with you. I’ve got this,” Austin says.

  Austin was the alpha dog in this game and Kai succumbed to his defeat, swimming over to Cassidy who did not seem impressed.

  Austin slowly guides me to the Jet Ski. “If I lift you up, do you think you can get back on?”

  “I hope so,” I say with a wince.

  “One, two, three.” He grabs my waist and pushes me up. I’m able to grab hold of the handle bars and regain some sort of balance. I swing my leg around and sit down. Austin hops up and takes a seat behind me, placing his sizeable hands on top of mine to steer us back. Even though he caused this situation, I stupidly feel safe with his comforting arms around me.

  Kai rushes over as soon as Austin helps me step off the vehicle and back on land. “I called the medic and they’ll be right over. I hope you’re okay. I’m sorry for losing control.”

  “You should be sorry! Aren’t you supposed to be the professional?” Austin yells.

  “It’s okay, I’m fine, just a slight headache,” I say.

  “I almost lost my Chanel sunglasses, jerk!” Cassidy says, slapping Austin’s bicep.

  “Can you shut up for one damn second?” Austin seethes. Cassidy grabs her stuff and storms off with the rest of her entourage.

  “I’m fine. I don’t want to cause a scene. You guys go get changed for lunch and I’ll just relax for a bit.” My head is throbbing, but I don’t want anyone’s plans to change on accord of my slight injury.