At Last (Time for Love, #5)

by Miranda P. Charles

“Yeah,” Gemma said, smiling back at him.

  Sarah elbowed her surreptitiously. She glanced at her friend, knowing instantly that the gesture meant Sarah approved of Ben as her possible kissing partner on New Year’s Eve.

  Her gaze went to the group up ahead. Apparently, there were eight single guys who had been invited by Jeff and Connor for their joint engagement party. That was more than enough to choose from, one would think.

  As far as she could tell, there were only four single women at the resort, apart from staff. Ellen—Connor’s cousin—was one, although Ellen seemed to be getting along really well with one of Connor’s friends. Therefore, only her, Liana and Annette remained ‘dateless’. In the last few days, it had become obvious to everyone that the latter two were after the same guy. Could she blame them, since she preferred that man as well?

  She shook her head at herself. Why would she even consider Greg when she had six other choices?

  But then again, wasn’t Greg the perfect guy to practice her flirtatious moves on? He’d be someone who wouldn’t blink at such actions, considering the kind of attention he was already getting from Liana and Annette. And that was what she wanted, right? A fun, harmless pashing so her best friends wouldn’t be forced to make good on their promise not to kiss their men if Gemma also didn’t have someone to kiss on the night?

  “So are you gonna ask Ben?” Sarah whispered in her ear as they continued following Robert.

  Gemma glanced around to see if anyone was within hearing distance. Fortunately, Jeff had fallen behind to wait for another group to catch up to them, and Ben was busy pointing his camera at something else.

  “I don’t know,” she answered, feeling discomfort even at the thought.

  “Remember, you don’t need to find a potential forever guy yet,” Sarah said. “It’s just for you to prove to yourself you’re brave enough to ask a man out—well, in this case, kiss him without him being your boyfriend.”

  “Do I really have to?” she asked. “Why can’t we just agree that I didn’t fulfil my resolution this year—and make the exact same one for next year?”

  Sarah slowed them down, looking at her with an intensity that said she meant business. “Gemma, you know damn well why you suggested that resolution last year.”

  She swallowed. How could she think that her friends wouldn’t be able to see through her?

  “It’s been six years, Gem. And it wasn’t your fault,” Sarah whispered. “Don was an idiot and the biggest coward for blaming everything on you. And Tina, much as I feel sorry for that cousin of yours, is just a vengeful person who’s always been jealous of everything about you.”

  Gemma let out a jagged breath, not liking to be reminded of her least-favourite cousin. She and Tina were born only three days apart, and even from an early age Tina had considered her a rival in most areas. If Gemma had a new Barbie, Tina had to have the same one. If Gemma’s parents had taken her to a particular movie, Tina had pushed her folks to take her, too.

  Gemma had tried many times to build a friendship between them, but Tina’s envious streak had always gotten in the way of a good relationship. She’d never understood why Tina felt that way about her. While Gemma excelled in academics and music, Tina was great in sports, so there was no direct competition between them. Well, except for the men. And after what had happened six years ago, she was still Tina’s number-one enemy.

  “Gemma...” Sarah said, her tone carrying a warning not to wallow in the guilt that had afflicted her for years. “We’ve been through this before. You didn’t know that Don and Tina were seeing each other.”

  “I should have guessed.”

  Sarah shook her head in exasperation. “I knew this whole thing was still bothering you. I bet this is why you’re so reluctant to flirt with men without knowing their full life story. But you’re sick of feeling like that, aren’t you?”

  She sighed. “Sometimes, I don’t know why I hold back.”

  “Hah! I was right. I think you hold back because you don’t want to be accused again of being a whore who steals other women’s boyfriends. But seriously, Gem, I don’t see why you still feel guilty about this. Don made you believe that nothing had ever happened between him and Tina. You had no way of knowing Tina was already pregnant with his baby.”

  “Well, Tina is now a single mum working two jobs to support her son, and she hasn’t stopped hating me for breaking up her family. As far as she’s concerned, I committed the ultimate betrayal by sleeping with her boyfriend.”

  Sarah snorted. “They were never a family to begin with. And it’s Don’s fault! How dare he seduce you when he was going out with your cousin? And not telling you that he was?”

  “I knew Tina had the hots for Don, Sarah. And why didn’t I see through Don’s lies?”

  “Hey,” Sarah said, linking her arm with hers. “You had the hots for him too at the time. You just innocently thought that Don preferred you and not Tina. You didn’t try to mess up Tina’s life on purpose. Besides, who’s to say they'd still be together now even if you didn’t have your one night with Don? He’s an out-and-out cad, and he most probably would have cheated on Tina with someone else anyway—multiple times.”

  “I guess. But can you believe how truly stupid I was? I had unprotected sex with him. Imagine if I had fallen pregnant with his baby at the same time as Tina?” She shuddered at the inconceivable thought, like she always did every time she realised what a close call she’d had.

  “But you’ve learnt your lesson,” Sarah quipped.

  “Yes. Now I make sure they’re one hundred percent single before I even contemplate flirting with them.”

  “I meant that you now take responsibility for birth control, Gem.”

  “Oh, right. That too, of course. And you know what still annoys the hell out of me?” she continued, needing to vent yet again about what she believed to be her biggest mistake. “That I thought he was the right guy to give my virginity to. I’d waited till I was twenty-two to sleep with someone, Sarah. And I thought Don was the guy. How incredibly wrong and stupid was I? I wanted my first time to be special, and I gave it away to someone who was completely undeserving. I can never have that moment back again.”

  Sarah sighed heavily. “Like I said, Gem, that was six years ago. You can’t turn back the clock. The real issue now is that you want the word single tattooed on a man’s forehead before you even contemplate flirting with him—even if the guy approaches you first. You know it’s time to let go and move on.”

  She let out a reluctant chuckle. “I know. But I just haven’t met someone interesting enough for me to make the effort.”

  “How can you find someone interesting enough if you look for Don in every man you meet, huh?” Sarah challenged.

  She pursed her lips. “I guess you’re right.”

  “Don is not worth the space you give him in your head, Gemma. And ignore Tina every time she tries to lay guilt on you. She just wants to continue making you feel bad, like she’s always done. It’s her immaturity and bad attitude that’s keeping her unhappy, not your honest mistake all those years ago.”

  Gemma gave Sarah a quick hug. “Thanks, hon.” Her friend was right. Just because the first guy she’d given her heart and virginity to turned out to be an absolute moron, her experience with him wasn’t worth holding back her life for. Seeing her friends happy with their partners made her want the same thing. And she couldn’t possibly get that if she remained suspicious of men, and doubtful of her ability to judge their sincerity.

  Why hadn’t she realised this before? Maybe being in this awe-inspiring environment had cleared her head.

  “So are you gonna flirt with Ben?” Sarah prodded.

  She gave Sarah a big smile, finally allowing herself to open up to this new adventure. “You think he’s the best candidate?”

  “Well, let’s see, who else is there?” Sarah mused. “There’s Jim, he’s cute. And Simon, he’s really nice. But then so is Ben.”

  “There’s also Luc
as,” Gemma added, thinking Connor’s friend was probably the best-looking of the lot—apart from Greg.

  Sarah burst out laughing. “Lucas? The reigning Mr. Fuck King? You’re not serious, are you? Even Connor would frown at you if you kissed that particular friend on New Year’s Eve.”

  “Well, you have to admit he’s really handsome,” Gemma said with a giggle.

  “Yeah. And I suppose he must be a good kisser, too,” Sarah teased.

  “I most certainly am a good kisser,” Lucas said from behind them.

  Gemma gasped, her face turning beet red in an instant. “What did you hear, Lucas?” she asked in horror.

  “Something about Connor frowning at you if you kissed the Mr. Fuck King on New Year’s Eve,” Lucas answered, his tone laced with humour. “I’m all for it, Gemma. Let’s do it!”

  “Hey, we also heard Jim, Simon and Ben being mentioned,” Jeff said, his mouth curving. “You don’t have this in the bag, Lucas.”

  “Oh, God,” Gemma murmured, burying her face in her hands.

  “Did someone say my name?” Ben asked, stopping to look back at them.

  Gemma started chuckling, then giggling. Lord, now hysteria was threatening to grip her. She tried to take deep breaths to arrest her laughter.

  “I think Gemma’s considering whether to kiss you or me on New Year’s Eve, Ben,” Lucas said. “But since I put up my hand first, I guess it’s going to be me.”

  “Hey, I haven’t made up my mind yet,” Gemma interjected. “I still don’t know who among you single guys to pash on New Year’s Eve. You’re all hot.” Since she’d been outed, might as well make a joke out of the whole thing. It would be more embarrassing—no, mortifying—if they thought she was after a potential forever guy.

  “What’s up, dudes?” Connor asked, catching up from behind with Amanda in tow.

  “Didn’t you hear, bro?” Lucas said. “Gemma here is looking for someone to pash on New Year’s Eve. I believe I’m the frontrunner.”

  “What?” Connor said in disbelief. “C’mon, Gem. Not this guy.”

  “Why, thanks so much, buddy,” Lucas said, feigning hurt.

  “What’s this about anyway?” Connor asked.

  Gemma sighed. “It was just a challenge the girls threw at me. They dared me to pick someone to kiss on New Year’s Eve. So I’m considering which one I’ll choose amongst the available guys around. It’s all in the name of fun, nothing else,” she added flippantly, crossing her fingers that no one would see this as the sad, desperate act of a single woman whose best friends were all happily taken.

  “Hey, what’s going on back there?” Ash called, making the rest of the group ahead of them turn, including Jim and Simon.

  “Nothing,” Gemma answered.

  “Yeah, don’t worry about the other guys, Gem,” Ben said.

  “Afraid of a little competition, are you, Ben?” Lucas asked slyly. “I, for one, am looking forward to the challenge.”

  “Now you’ve done it, Gem,” Connor said. “Prepare yourself for a Lucas onslaught. You know he wants to win everything.”

  “Win what?” Ash asked curiously.

  Gemma rolled her eyes as Lucas told everyone within hearing distance the dare the girls had thrown to Gemma—and how he was looking forward to being the chosen one.

  She found herself mentally thanking Lucas. He was making it sound like a fun game, saving her from greater embarrassment. And the others seemed to be buying it! She shouldn’t be surprised, though—the men had been coming up with game after game, enjoying each other’s company and treating the Sanctuary as a playground.

  “Hey, Gemma. Pick me!” Jim cried, raising his hand like an eager kid. “I don’t want to be standing around all by my lonesome while everyone else around me kisses someone on New Year’s Eve.”

  “No, pick me!” Ben and Simon cried together.

  “Gem, I’m the perfect guy for this sort of thing,” Lucas said. “I won’t be clingy or needy afterwards.”

  Gemma grinned as a thought hit her. What better way to let go of her inhibitions than by going into flirty mode right now? “I don’t know, guys. You’re all just going to have to prove you’re worthy of my kiss,” she teased.

  “Oh, Gem,” Ash said, staring at her with concern. “Choose wisely.”

  Gemma patted the arm of her best friend’s sibling, who’d been like a big brother to her for years. “Don’t worry, Ash, I will.”

  “How do you decide the winner?” Ben asked.

  “I have no idea.”

  “How about whoever impresses you the most in the next three days wins?” Sarah suggested, her eyes twinkling. “These guys will have to compete for the privilege of kissing you on New Year’s Eve.”

  Gemma laughed, getting excited. Was she really going ahead with this?

  “So, Gemma, what would impress you the most? A show of strength?” Lucas asked, flexing his biceps. “Or a show of romance—”

  “Just to clarify,” Gemma interrupted, looking pointedly at Lucas, “the winner only gets a kiss. Nothing more.”

  Lucas exhaled theatrically. “I guess I’ll have to be content with that.”

  “Yes. Or find yourself with a broken nose,” Ash joked, with a tinge of menace in his tone.

  “Wooo,” Connor said with pretend fear. “A word of warning, Lucas. Ash will deck you if you mess around with his ‘sisters’. You better be on your best behaviour.”

  “Hey, what’s with you guys talking as if Lucas has already won?” Ben asked. He turned to Gemma, took her hand and pressed it to his lips. “Not only will I do all your bidding for the next three days, Gemma, but I’ll also be as perfect a gentleman as you want me to be.”

  “Don’t make your decision until the very end, Gem. There’s more to me than meets the eye,” Lucas said, putting an arm around her.

  “I’ll surprise you, Gem. You can count on that,” said Jim, winking at her.

  Gemma stared at the men in disbelief. Were they really taking this game seriously? Geez, what had she gotten herself into?

  Go with the flow, Gemma. Let your hair down and play!

  “Okay,” she said. “There are no specific rules, and the judge’s decision is final—with the judge being me, of course. Like Sarah said, whoever impresses me the most will get that special kiss from me on New Year’s Eve. If I find it hard to pick a winner, I’ll be consulting my BFFs for their input, so you guys will have to be nice to them, too.”

  “Hey, I wanna join this game. Pick me, Gem,” another voice urged.

  Gemma’s heartbeat spiked. There was Greg, standing behind her, waiting for her response.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “I don’t think you should be allowed to participate, Greg.”

  Greg dragged his gaze from Gemma to lift an eyebrow at Lucas. “Why not?”

  “Unfair advantage,” Lucas quipped.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I agree with Lucas,” Ben piped in. “You co-own this place. You have a whole army of staff at your disposal to call upon to help you impress Gemma. Plus, you’re her best friends’ brother-in-law.”

  “Hey, we’d all be fair,” Sarah said. “Much as we love Greg, if we don’t think he deserves Gemma’s kiss, we won’t be voting for him.”

  “Everyone knows you won’t have a problem getting a date this New Year’s Eve, Greg,” Jim said knowingly. “I think you should sit this one out.”

  “I think it should be Gemma’s decision whether I’m eligible to join or not,” Greg said. “What do you say, Gem?”

  “Um, well, the more the merrier, I suppose,” Gemma answered. “So, yeah, you’re in.”

  “Great!” he said, surprised at the relief he felt.

  Heck, he’d pull out all stops to beat everyone. He was as competitive as they came. And frankly, the thought of Gemma making out with some other guy stirred his gut.

  He’d promised himself he wouldn’t entertain the thought of sleeping with her. But kissing was a totally different proposition,
wasn’t it? Besides, it was only a game that Gemma herself came up with. Surely there was no harm in having fun with her and the rest of the guys. Was there?

  *****

  Greg sighed as Jeff lagged behind with him, letting everyone else walk ahead.

  “What’s up with joining the game, bro?” his brother whispered.

  “What’s up with you asking me that question?” he returned good-naturedly.

  They heard laughter from behind and found Zach and Rebecca rushing up to them.

  “I see you guys have finally decided to leave your private cottage after two days of locking yourselves in there,” Greg teased the couple. “I assume it’s because Gran’s becoming more pushy for grandkids?”

  Rebecca blushed, but her happy grin remained.

  “None of your business what we do in our romantic hideaway,” Zach said with a smug smile. “What have we missed?”

  “Greg and the other single guys will be competing for Gemma’s kiss on New Year’s Eve,” Jeff answered, winking at Rebecca.

  “What?” Rebecca said, her eyes rounding. “I have to find out more about this.” She hurried up the path to catch up with her friends.

  “Hey, don’t I get a ‘good luck’ from my sister-in-law?” Greg called.

  Rebecca stopped briefly to blow him a kiss.

  “So tell me all about it, dudes,” Zach said, inserting himself between Greg and Jeff and clasping their shoulders, giving them a fond brotherly shake.

  Jeff relayed the recent news.

  “Greg, you, Liana and Annette are already the talk of the place,” Zach said with a chuckle. “Everyone’s intrigued by this love triangle, especially since those two are giving a very public show of trying to seduce you. It’s quite funny, really. I’ve never seen them behave like that before. Anyway, are you doing this to give Annette and Liana a hint you’re not interested in either of them? Because I don’t think a mere hint will work. You need to tell them direct.”

  “I already have,” Greg said, sighing. “But you know those two. They think they can get anyone they want. Frankly, I’ve been surprised at their... shamelessness, for want of a better word. I don’t know if it’s being in the Sanctuary or what. This place does make people lose their inhibitions.”