Sam: U r 2 cute 4 words. Dinner?
Andrea: Do you like scuba diving? I have an extra ticket for the couples’ trip tomorrow…
Mark: Hey sexy. Wanna fuck?
Aria rolled her eyes and flopped back down on the bed. She started to get nervous. Is this just going to be as bad as the dating apps at home? she thought as she kicked around on the bed in a mock tantrum. After a few minutes of deep breathing and attempted meditation, she got up and put on her bikini, grabbed a beach towel, her sunscreen, and the trashy romance novel she’d bought for the trip, and headed for the beach.
There was no question: everything about Bear Ridge was magical. Even the heat of the tropical sun seemed to be tempered by a perfect breeze, almost as if it were manufactured exclusively for the resort. She wandered down to where a collection of people was milling, flirting, and frolicking, and picked a spot under a shady palm tree. After she was properly covered in as much 100 SPF as she could muster to protect her alabaster skin, she put her sunglasses on to give her the privacy to people watch.
And she wasn’t sure she liked what she saw.
There were more sexy guys on that beach than she had ever seen in one place in her entire life. They all looked so relaxed, and mellow, like they’re having the best time of their lives. Which makes perfect sense, because the women are hanging all over them. Ladies in tiny bikinis, with brightly highlighted hair and tons of makeup despite the hot temperatures, are laughing too loud, and too often. Every time one of the guys says something, no matter how pointless it is, Aria could hear a woman’s shrill laugh follow it. She watched as beautiful women, who were probably otherwise perfectly reasonable in any other situation, totally threw themselves at men who may or may not have even been interested. It made her totally uncomfortable.
Aria had never been like that, not even in high school. Dating hadn’t been something she’d concerned herself with, and Reid had pursued her. After Reid, she’d been accused of being standoffish, and cold. But really, she just didn’t have patience for games, or being someone she wasn’t. All she wanted was to meet someone naturally, someone she could talk with, and really laugh with. There was nothing that annoyed her more than lying, or being forced to pretend. She swore she would never act like that, and she wasn’t going to start now just to land a man.
With a sigh, Aria took out her book and started reading, lost in a chapter almost immediately. Between lesson plans and grading tiny tests, she never had time to read, so even the pleasure of getting to focus on something that was entirely for her was enough to make her happy. She wasn’t even sure how long she’d been reading when a shadow cast over her, completely blocking out her access to the sun. She looked up with a raised eyebrow, and saw the most beautiful man she’d ever seen in real life.
He was at least six-foot-eight, with shaggy, sandy blonde hair, huge blue eyes, and muscles for days. A smattering of stubble across his chin accented his defined jaw and sexy lips, and even his long torso was so deeply muscled, it was visible through a tight navy-blue t-shirt. Aria lowered her sunglasses, and smiled.
“Can I help you?”
He squatted down next to her, and her eyes immediately shot to the distractingly large bulge in between his legs, emphasized by his snug board shorts. Dear god, she thought as she tried to look anywhere else.
“You didn’t answer my message.”
Aria blinked a couple of times, trying to recall who he was, but nothing came back. Oh, please. Don’t be ‘wanna fuck’ guy…
“I just got here and wanted to relax for a few minutes before diving right in. Remind me?”
He laughed, a warm, soothing laugh that gave her the tingles. He also seemed to be Australian, which didn’t help her when it came to keeping her wits about her. “David. I thought you might want to get a drink tonight?”
Thank goodness.
“Maybe,” Aria answered with a sly smile. “If you can find me later, you can buy me a drink.”
David laughed again, and his smile was just as bright as his laugh. “You’re sassy, aren’t you? I like that. I’ll definitely be looking for you. You can count on that.” He winked at Aria, then wandered off in the direction of the bar, ignoring the other women that descending on him like mosquitos.
Aria just shook her head with a chuckle. She was surprised that a man like that had gone a day without finding a match, let alone being snatched up permanently. But she had learned that often, men were less likely to be interested in women who threw themselves at them than women who just acted like themselves, or at the very least, took it easy. At least, men that were worth having anyway. Which was the problem she was running in to in Indiana.
Once again alone, Aria put her sunglasses back on, and went back to reading. For the most part, she tried to ignore the buzzing of the app as it went off in her bag, hoping she could just deal with it later. But after a while, it got annoying, so she thought it might be easier to clear out whatever, or whoever, was relentlessly pestering her.
When she opened the app, she found that there weren’t just ten new messages waiting for her, but a crop of new matches that had been assigned to her by the resort. A few of them looked nice enough, but no one was really catching her interest. And then, she got to the bottom of the list, and her heart felt like it stopped dead. All of the blood in her ran cold, and it was if the entire world stopped moving around. Her last, newest match, was Reid McAllister.
Her Reid.
Reid was a bear shifter?
Aria dropped the phone on the towel as her entire existence seemed to come to a screeching halt.
Dear god, what is going on?
Chapter 6
Reid
How the hell did I end up here? Reid thought as he walked off the ferry with his clan mates, who were far more excited to be at Bear Ridge than he was. Frank and Brendan had been there before, but it had always been just for a vacation, and they had never really been interested in finding mates. In truth, he wasn’t sure they were interested in finding mates this time either. Being at the resort with guys who were just looking for a good time, and not there for a purpose, worried Reid. He was already on edge, and he didn’t want to blow up at his friends over something stupid.
In fact, everything had been making him cranky since his decision to come to Bear Ridge. He had never been like this before the procedure to make him a shifter. He’d always been a mellow guy, more interested in keeping things easy, and simple, than blowing up or causing a scene. Now, he felt like his bear was in charge all the time. He was living at the whim of a creature with a hair-trigger temper and a generally bad attitude, and more than anything, that was what was bothering Reid. What kind of woman was going to put up with a jerk like him?
Reid followed Frank and Brendan to the reception area in the main area of the resort, where the owner, Ursula, was sitting and reading. She was cute, and perky, and had an air of happiness about her that was infectious. When they walked in, and she saw the other guys, she grinned.
“Well, if it isn’t the Colorado boys! I really didn’t expect to see you again so soon!”
Frank winked at her. “Well, we just couldn’t stay away, Ursula. How could we resist another week in your beautiful resort?”
“Maybe I just missed you,” Brendan said, wiggling his eyebrows at her. She waved a dismissive hand at him.
“Oh, stop it you. You know I don’t fall for any of that boyish charm. And who is your friend? I don’t think I’ve met him before.”
Frank patted Reid on the back with a brotherly grin. “This is Reid McAllister, one of the newest guys in our clan. He’s a great kid. We just need to find him someone to put up with his bullshit.”
Ursula rolled her eyes. “Oh, I’m sure he’s perfectly wonderful. Especially if he manages to handle all of your nonsense. Pretty easy on the eyes too, huh?”
Reid blushed, and shrunk back a little. He didn’t take compliments well and didn’t like it when people drew attention to his looks. “I don’t know. I mean.
No. I don’t. Whatever, you know?”
“Humble too. I like that. You know… there is a young lady here that I think would be perfect for you. If the matching system doesn’t set you up, I just may have to do it myself.”
Reid had to force back another shrug. He didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but he was also having a hard time acting excited about anything. Ursula just shook her head with a knowing smile. She’d seen guys like Reid before and she knew he would be the one to find a match the quickest. The men with the hardest exteriors were always the ones who were the easiest to crack. She reached under the counter and pulled out the phones for the guys, then slid them across the cool marble.
“Okay, fellas. You know the drill, and I’ll let you show your friend the ropes. I’ve booked you into three side-by-side bungalows so you can keep in touch, but can avoid each other easily enough if you find that special someone and want to be left alone! You should already have some matches ready and waiting, but if you want to take some time to get acquainted with the resort, Reid, please do. You have the week, and there are tons of events and trips planned, so you’ll have a great time, no matter what you decide to do.”
Brendan gave Reid another brotherly punch in the shoulder, and then smiled at Ursula. “We’ll get him set up, don’t you worry. No way this handsome kid is going back to Colorado empty-handed.”
“We’re all about romance at Bear Ridge! We’ll find you the love of your life, or we’ll die trying. That’s a Bear Ridge promise,” Ursula said with a contented smile. A kid in a resort uniform came over to take their suitcases to their bungalows, leaving the trio to wander and explore as they made their way to their rooms. Reid and the other guys made their way out of the main lobby, and as Frank and Brendan chatted happily, Reid tried to hide how uncomfortable he was. So, he put on a fake smile and straightened his shoulders.
“Listen, fellas. I think I might take some time to get settled in and check out my matches. Can we meet up later and hang out or something?”
Reid had no intention of looking at his matches. All he wanted to do was go crash in his room and stare at the ceiling, or watch TV in peace. I sure hope this place has TVs, he thought as he tried to maintain his faux sense of enthusiasm. For smart dudes, Frank and Brendan weren’t catching on.
“Yeah, alright. We’ll call you in a while when we’re heading to the bar. Don’t get in any trouble,” Frank said with a wink.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Brendan laughed, wiggling his eyebrows.
Reid mumbled under his breath, “That’s not narrowing it down all that much.”
“What?” Brendan asked, spinning on his heel.
“Nothing! Bye!” Reid answered, sauntering off to his room. Once he got to the bungalow that had been assigned to him, he was more impressed than he expected to be. It was almost like a tiny suite encapsulated in what looked from the outside like a Spartan hut. Instead, it was decked out with the finest electronics, and the most comfortable bed Reid had ever laid on in his entire life. With a happy sigh, he flopped down right in the middle, then scooted around until he’d made a perfect hole out of the blankets.
“Yup, no reason for me to leave this room, ever,” he said out loud. But then his phone starting dinging at him, and the persistent noise was driving him insane. After a few minutes of beeping, he couldn’t take it anymore, and jammed the phone under a pillow, hoping he could just ignore it for the rest of the trip.
But he knew that wasn’t an option. If he came back to Colorado without having so much as talked to a woman, Kurt was going to murder him. Not just scold at him. Straight up murder him. There was no way he could get away with ignoring the matching system forever. Except, he couldn’t get over the nagging feeling that he’d messed up somehow, that it was his fault for letting it get to this point. What kind of young, handsome, agile bear shifter had to drag his ass all the way to a matchmaking resort to find someone to love him?
This kind, apparently, he thought bitterly as he reached for the remote and flipped on the television. It didn’t take long for him to discover that station options at Bear Ridge were limited, so it only took him a minute to scan through all his options. When that got boring, he got up and wandered around the bungalow, poking through the cabinets, and trying out all the furniture. That took all of five minutes. All the while, that damn phone kept buzzing underneath the pillow in his bedroom.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to meet someone. He desperately did. But he wasn’t sure Bear Ridge was the right way either. He’d always felt like something bigger was at play in his life. Fate maybe? Though that seemed far too cheesy a concept. Reid couldn’t help but believe his whole future had been charted out long ago, and he wasn’t going to meet the love of his life at a resort. She was out there, all right. He was sure of it. But she wasn’t going to be a girl he met for the first time on vacation.
Reid forced himself not to think about Aria, which just made him think about Aria, and then he growled angrily at himself. Why can’t I let her go? he thought as he swept a glass off the desk, and then sighed, relieved, when it turned out to be plastic and didn’t break.
If no one is ever going to compare to her, I need to just find someone totally different. Someone to put her out of my mind once and for all. Someone who isn’t kind, and intelligent, and gentle, and beautiful…
He chastised himself again, and took a deep breath. Reid resolved to look at his matches, and make a date with one of the women. Just one. That would be a start. And if he could survive one date with one woman, then he could manage the rest of the week. With another frustrated growl, Reid made his way back to the bed and pulled out the phone. There were already ten matches, and as many messages, buzzing at him. The phone was so packed with messages, he couldn’t even see all of his matches when he first looked. He decided to pick one at random and just message her back. He didn’t even care who it was.
Reid closed his eyes, scrolled, and clicked.
Ring ring! Ring ring!
The desk phone in his bungalow startled the hell out of him, and he dropped the mobile back on the bed to go answer it. He didn’t know why, but he was afraid to answer it, convinced one of the women on his phone had somehow figured out what room he was in, and was getting way too pushy.
“Hello?” Reid answered, nervously.
“What’s the matter with you?” Frank said with a laugh. Reid felt his body visibly relax.
“Nothing. I just thought… Never mind. What’s going on? It’s been like an hour. You couldn’t live without me for an hour?”
Frank snort laughed. “Sure, that’s it. No, man. We just thought it would be fun to hit the bar. You wanna come with?”
Reid looked at the clock, then looked at what he was wearing. He was actually still in the clothes he had slept in, since they had rolled out of bed and left straight for the airport.
“Yeah, all right. But do I have a minute to change clothes? I look like death warmed over.”
Brendan shouted from what was obviously the other side of the room. “When don’t you?” Reid didn’t realize he was on speaker phone, and never appreciated not being told ahead of time.
“I’ll be generous. You have five minutes,” Frank answered. “But if your ass isn’t outside in five minutes, we’re leaving without you.”
Reid laughed. “This isn’t Colorado. It’s an island and we’re on a resort with three bars. I’m pretty sure I could find you if I wanted to.”
“Whatever, man. Just don’t be late!” Frank yelled before handing up the phone.
Reid hung up and rolled his eyes. Then he rushed over to his suitcase and dug out some clean clothes. He slipped into a pair of black jeans, and a gray t-shirt. Then he put his favorite boots back on, and shrugged at himself in the mirror. It wasn’t exactly “resort wear,” but he was comfortable, and that was all he cared about. Once he felt vaguely put together, he started for the door, then he heard the buzzing of the phone from the bedroom.
With a resigne
d grumble, he went and retrieved the phone, slid it in his pocket without looking at it, and walked out the door. Frank and Brendan were already waiting for him, looking impatient.
“What took you so long, man?” Frank asked, looking at a watch on his wrist that didn’t actually exist.
“You said five minutes. I took three. What’s the rush? It’s not like anyone is going anywhere, remember?”
“I need a drink is all,” Frank said, turning and walking off. Brendan and Reid followed him to the bar, and Reid couldn’t help but shake a little with nerves.
I can’t believe I’m doing this, he thought as they walked into the bar. I’m going to need more than one drink.
Chapter 7
Aria
Aria felt like she was going to throw up. In fact, she was sure of it. Her stomach was in knots and she was positive that every bit of food she’d eaten in her entire life was about to be expelled back all over that damn beach. This can’t be real, she thought as she looked at Reid’s smiling face on her phone. There is just no way. I didn’t come all this way, to this resort, just to come face-to-face with the only man in my life who well and truly broke my heart…
The phone kept buzzing with new messages, but Aria couldn’t bring herself to click away from Reid’s profile. Nothing about what she was looking at made any sense. Reid wasn’t even a bear shifter. He was a human. At least, she thought he was. There was absolutely no way that he could have been a shifter for all that time without her knowing. But if he wasn’t a shifter, what was he doing at Bear Ridge?
And why did he have the nerve to continue existing after everything he had put her through?
Aria had spent so much of her adult life trying to put Reid behind her. But in truth, she’d never forgiven him for ghosting her. They had made plans. They were supposed to start a life together. And instead, he’d just abandoned her without so much as a letter. He hadn’t even had the decency to tell her goodbye, or that he was sorry. Deep down in her heart, she may have still loved him. But at the end of the day, all she felt when she looked at him was anger.
Furever Always (Furever Series) Page 37