by Kimberly Fox
“Megan, check these out,” Julia says, pulling a pair of earrings out of her purse. They’re still in the fancy, little blue box from the store.
Megan’s face lights up when Julia opens it. “Are those real diamonds?”
Julia smiles. “You know it!”
“Those would look great with your bridesmaid dress,” Megan says.
“Please, these are for the rehearsal dinner.” Julia snaps the box shut and tosses them back in her bag. “I bought really big diamonds for the wedding day.”
Cynthia snorts out a laugh. “Are you trying to upstage the bride?”
“Maybe,” Julia answers. “But she’s already got a man. A hot dentist. She doesn’t have to look hot. We’re the single ones.”
“Don’t remind me,” Cynthia mumbles.
Megan looks over at Lucas with doughy eyes. “I don’t need fancy earrings. I can walk down the aisle wearing a paper bag and be happy. He’s the love of my life.”
Cynthia and Julia let out a synchronized “Awwww.”
I ignore the tightness in my stomach and add my ‘Awwww’ to theirs.
Megan grabs my arm and pulls me away. “I’ll see you girls on the bus. I want to ask Tanya something first.”
Cynthia grabs Julia’s white sunglasses as they head over to the bus. “Let me try those on again.”
Megan pulls me aside and takes a deep breath. “Are you okay, Tanya?” she asks.
“Of course,” I say, looking anywhere but her eyes. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I just…I hope there’re no hard feelings. You mean so much to me.”
I have a hard time looking in her big brown eyes so I drop my eyes to her pink pedicured toenails. We’ve been planning our weddings together since we were nine years old. We’d take turns dressing up. Sometimes I’d be the bride and she’d be the groom and sometimes it’d be the other way around. We’d set up our stuffed animals as the audience and get married over and over again.
Megan has been looking forward to this day since we were kids. How could I ruin it for her? I just have to swallow my feelings and pretend to be happy, even though, just between you and me, I’m a little crushed inside that she didn’t choose me as the maid of honor.
“No worries,” I say, hugging her. “I’m so happy for you and this week is going to be amazing.”
We pull away and her face still looks worried. “It’s just you know, Stephanie is paying for our honeymoon and…”
“Megs,” I say. “It’s fine.”
She breathes a breath of relief. “You sure?”
Stephanie pops out of nowhere making me jump. “Hi bestie!” she says to Megan.
Megan smiles tightly and looks at me sideways. I look back down at her toes.
“Come bestie,” Stephanie says, wrapping her arm around Megan’s and pulling her away from me. “I saved you a seat beside me on the bus.”
“Don’t you think she wants to sit next to her fiancee?” I ask, struggling to pull out the handle from my rolling suitcase. It’s always getting stuck.
Stephanie waves her hand at me dismissively. “She has the rest of her life to do that with my brother,” she says as they walk away from me.
I glance over at the bar. It’s full of tourists who I don’t recognize. Aaron, Lucas and Ethan are probably already on the bus.
I sigh and follow the two new best friends as they get on the bus together, arm in arm.
The bus driver grabs my luggage and tosses it onto the pile of suitcases in the storage cabin like it’s a worthless sack of potatoes. I cringe as I picture my shampoo inside exploding all over my clothes.
The bus is packed and like the plane, I’m the last one to enter. Aaron is sitting in the front next to Lucas. Would it have killed him to save me a seat? He doesn’t even look up as I pass him. What the hell did I do to him? I seriously have no idea.
Stephanie pulls Megan into the last two open seats and I scan the rows looking for a place to sit. I gulp as I see the one open seat.
Beside Ethan.
Shit. I look around in panic wondering if there’s any other place to sit. I could sit on the toilet in the small bathroom in the back, maybe the bus driver’s lap, cling to the roof or I could just stand here awkwardly, something that I’m realizing I’ve been doing way too long.
I swallow hard and move forward as the bus driver gets in his seat and closes the door.
Ethan is grinning as I walk up to him. “I saved you a seat, Tanya,” he says.
“How generous,” I say slipping down beside him.
“It’s on my lap.”
“Shhh,” I whisper, looking around to see if anyone heard him. Megan’s parents are sitting right in front of us. “I’m not interested if you haven’t figured that out yet.”
“We’ll see,” he says.
I want to slap that arrogant smile off his gorgeous face.
“Do you get carsick too?” he asks. “Or is that just with airplanes? Because this is a new outfit.” He smooths his hand down the front of his shirt and I can’t help but wonder what his stomach looks like underneath. I’ll find out soon enough. This is a beach vacation after all.
“Just airplanes,” I say coldly. “But I’m allergic to assholes too. So you might want to change into something a little older.”
He lifts his hips off the seat and starts unzipping his pants.
“Will you stop?” I ask, looking around in panic. I wait a second for Mr. and Mrs. Carson to turn around with frowns on their faces but nobody seems to be paying attention to his crudeness.
He sits back down and laughs. “Don’t worry I won’t show you my cock until you’re begging to see it.”
“Jesus,” I whisper harshly, feeling my face go red. “Will you stop?”
Stephanie jumps up from her seat and grabs the handset for the PA system. I never thought I’d say this but I’m actually happy that Stephanie is talking. I need a distraction from this guy even if it does mean hearing Stephanie’s grating voice.
The speakers hiss on when she presses the button. “Hi everyone,” she says into the handset. All eyes are on her, as usual. She is gorgeous I have to give her that; long slim legs with perky tits popping out of her army camouflage tank top. Her long blond hair falls over her square shoulders and frames her pretty face. It’s too bad she’s such a bitch.
“As you know,” she continues, “I’m Megan’s best friend and the maid of honor.” She glances at me as she says it. “I’m so happy that I was chosen as the maid of honor for her wedding. And as the maid of honor, I would like to wish us all a fantastic week!”
Everyone on the bus cheers except me. I’m too busy counting how many times she’s said maid of honor.
I glance over at Ethan out of the side of my eye as Stephanie blabs on about how much fun everyone is going to have this week. His hand is on his leg and I get flooded with warmth as my eyes move up to admire his thick wrist and forearm covered in tattoos. It’s so hot in here but I can’t tell if it’s the tropical climate or Ethan just radiating out hotness.
I reach up and turn the air jet towards me. Nothing comes out but a pitiful stream of hot air that couldn’t cool off an ice cube.
Ethan leans over, touching my shoulder with his. “It is hot in here isn’t it?” he whispers. He pulls out my lacy green underwear and dabs his forehead with it.
My mouth drops. “What are you doing?” I ask in shock.
“Good point,” he says, looking at my underwear in his hand. “I don’t want to dilute the smell.” He puts it to his nose and takes a long inhale.
My whole body goes rigid and all I can do is stare at him with a surprised, incredulous look. He’s loving the shock that he’s getting from me. No one has ever done anything like this to me before and he knows it.
“Hey Ethan,” Mr. Carson says, turning between the seats offering a very welcome distraction. “Thanks again for installing those cabinets for me.”
Ethan smiles and casually stuffs my underwear back into his pocket.
Mr. Carson doesn’t seem to notice, although it’s probably been awhile since he’s seen lingerie and he might not recognize it.
“No problem,” Ethan says. “The kitchen looks great.”
I look at him funny. I can’t seem to picture him installing cabinets or just being nice and helpful in general. I can picture him in jeans and a tool belt working with no shirt though…
“I owe you a beer,” Mr. Walker says.
“I’ll take you up on that,” Ethan says. “I just hope it made the wife happy.”
“Oh it did,” Mr. Walker answers with a big smile. “Very happy.” Ew.
Mr. Walker turns to me and nods. “He has great hands.”
I nearly choke on his words. Ethan looks at me with a smile brewing on his lips as I cough unattractively.
“I’ll see you guys at the pool,” he says, turning back around.
Ethan leans in close to my ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll show you what my hands can do later.”
“If it’s not covering your mouth,” I whisper, “than I don’t want to see it.”
“It’s not,” he says. “And trust me, you’ll want to see it.”
Stephanie is still blabbing away over the PA system. Everyone is losing interest at this point. I need a new distraction.
“I won’t,” I answer. “But maybe my boyfriend will be interested in seeing.”
“That guy?” Ethan says, pointing up to Aaron in the front of the bus and laughing. “It doesn’t look like he’s interested. If he doesn’t watch out someone might steal you away from him.”
“Now who would do that?”
“I don’t know,” he says. “Maybe some hot, sexy stranger. Maybe someone who can show you real paradise beyond a beach and palm trees.” He drops his hands to his sides and his knuckles graze the bare skin of my thighs past my shorts. It makes my breath quicken.
His touch is making me lightheaded and I feel heat flooding between my legs. I shift in my seat, moving my leg away from his hand as I look around. He takes his hand back and chuckles.
My skin still tingles where his knuckles were touching. Keep cool Tanya. This is so not like me. But then again I don’t usually have a hot predator like this guy with his sights on me.
Stephanie finally surrenders the mic and sits down to a round of applause. I think they’re clapping because she’s finished and not over what she said.
“Did Stephanie put you up to this or something?” I ask. They are cousins after all and I wouldn’t put it past her. She’s always trying to fuck with me.
I just don’t understand why he’s after me. Julia and Cynthia are both hotter than me and they’re both single. Why is his attention on me?
“No, Stephanie did not put me up to this,” he says with a smile. “I wouldn’t go along with my cousin even if she tried.”
“So, what?” I ask.
He shrugs. “Whenever I see what I want I go after it.”
“And what’s that?” I ask, totally confused.
“Do I have to explain it to you?” he asks with a mischievous grin. “Maybe I should pull this out again?” He pulls out my green underwear and I gulp. Actually, I should start calling them his underwear. I don’t think I’ll be getting them back.
“Okay,” I say, putting my hand on his and forcing them back into his pocket. “Just stop pulling them out.”
I curse under my breath when I realize that I could have grabbed them back but shoved them back into his pocket instead. This is so fucked.
Lucas stands up in his pink polo shirt and plaid shorts. He’s tall and skinny like his sister Stephanie but it doesn’t look as good on a guy’s frame. But he’s got a gentle face and a nice smile that more than makes up for it.
“I want to thank you all for coming,” he says into the mic. “Especially Megan.” He lets out a laugh and everyone joins in.
He continues his sappy speech and Ethan has got me so distracted and thrown off that I can’t focus on any of the words. Lucas gets choked up and wipes a tear from his eye.
“Excuse my cousin,” Ethan whispers in my ear. “He’s such a sap. I swear he’s half woman.”
“He’s sweet,” I say, crossing my arms and leaning away from him. “At least he knows how to talk to a woman.”
“That’s where you’re wrong sweetheart.” I’m looking away but I can hear the grin in his voice. “I know exactly what to say.”
Lucas says something that draws an ‘aww’ from the crowd. Megan jumps up and kisses him on the lips. The crowd claps and cheers. They really are cute together.
Megan grabs the handset from him. “And we’re going to party!”
“Woo hoo!” I yell, clapping my hands.
I look over the seats at the back of Aaron’s head. He hasn’t looked back once. I could be stuck standing for all he cared. I was hoping that seeing me talking with Ethan would spark some jealousy and maybe some interest but nope. That would require him turning around, which he doesn’t seem interested in doing. At all.
The bright blue ocean appears in the distance through the windshield. Tall, gorgeous palm trees line the streets and excitement hits me for the first time today.
“This week is going to be off the hook,” Ethan says, looking at the ocean out the window.
I take advantage of his distractedness and run my eyes up and down his muscular body. His hand falls to his side again, touching my leg.
I slap it away and he smiles, still looking out the window.
This week is going to be interesting, to say the least.
Chapter Three
Tanya
Day One
“This is going to take forever,” Aaron complains.
We’re standing in the long line for check-in and it’s hot and the line is not moving. I glance over my shoulder at the VIP area where Ethan, Megan, Lucas, Mr. and Mrs. Carson and Stephanie are hanging out as they get checked in. Stephanie has her arm wrapped around Megan and they’re both laughing.
Sweaty round flesh touches the back of my arm and I yank it away. There’s a fat Italian man in a tight Speedo behind me who keeps standing a little too close. He doesn’t seem to be concerned about the concept of personal space. It’s insanely hot in here and his wet belly hits my arm again. Ew.
Aaron is looking at the tall ceiling of the spectacular lobby in annoyance. The ceilings are built with hundreds of interconnecting beams of wood that must have taken years to design and build all for our visual enjoyment and all he can do is stare at them in irritation.
I glance back over my shoulder at the VIP area and the waitress is bringing them a tray of champagne flutes. Little beads of water snake down the tall, cool glasses and all of a sudden my mouth is incredibly dry. The happy group each take a glass and cheers with each other. I have to look away.
Cynthia and Julia leave the front desk with their key cards and new, pink, plastic bracelets on their wrists. Julia waves as they walk away. “We’ll see you at the pool, love.”
Aaron drops his suitcase and huffs. “I’m going to get a drink at the bar while you wait,” he says.
There’s a bar on the far side of the lobby with a few people drinking their afternoon away. His eyes are fixated on it.
“Can’t you wait with me?”
His shoulders drop in annoyance. “We don’t need two people to wait, do we?”
I really have to pick my battles with Aaron and I really don’t want to be fighting with him all week. I just want a fun week with no drama but nobody else seems to want the same thing.
“Fine,” I say, eating my frustration. Relationships are all about compromise. “Why don’t you get us both a drink and come back and wait with me?”
He rolls his eyes. “Fine.”
“Strawberry daiquiri please,” I call out to the back of his head.
The line moves about six inches and I have to force myself to not look back at Megan and the other VIPs. My self-discipline doesn’t last long, I can’t help it, and I glance over, immediately regretting it. They’ll
all be staying beside each other in their ocean view suites while I’m in the back of the resort with a view of the parking lot.
It feels like I’m back in high school at the loser table looking at the cool kids and wishing that I was one of them. But when did Megan upgrade? She was always at my side at the loser table. ‘Dorks forever,’ we would say. But now she’s a cool kid and she’s left me behind.
She walks away arm in arm with her new best friend, Stephanie, and I feel a sharp pang in my heart. Stephanie throws her hair back and laughs at some inside joke that I’ll never be a part of. I turn away, holding back the tears burning my eyes.
“I brought you something,” a deep, raspy voice says from behind me. It doesn’t sound like the half-naked Italian man.
Ethan is holding up his glass of champagne. The excited bubbles float anxiously to the top. “Thanks,” I say, “but my boyfriend is getting me a drink.”
He points to the bar where Aaron is talking to two teenage girls who can’t be older than nineteen. “I don’t think he’s coming back.” Aaron’s beer is half finished and there’s no sign of the strawberry daiquiri that he’s supposed to be bringing back to me.
Ethan holds up the champagne flute to me. Fuck it. I take it from him, touching his hand in the process. I take a sip and have to hold back a moan that’s bordering on sexual. The coolness of it, mixed with the taste and the bubbles is so good in my dry mouth. It’s just what I needed in this heat.
Ethan reaches for the glass and touches my hand as he takes it, making my arm hairs stand to attention. He rotates the flute, turning the spot where I drank towards him. He takes a sip, placing his mouth on the exact imprint of my lips. He empties the glass, looking at me over the flute as he drinks.
“Tasty,” he says, licking his lips. Everything that he says sounds sexual. Probably because everything that he says is sexual.
I take a deep breath. It just got hotter in here. What is this guy trying to do to me? What is his game?
He smiles as he picks up his bag. “I’ll see you at the pool.”
I gulp as I watch him walk away. Shit. Now I really wish that I had stayed on my diet and exercise program. I had wanted to lose the winter pounds that I gained but slacked off the past few months and the wedding week came up faster than I had thought it would. I’m not huge but I’m definitely not as tight and hard as I’d like to be. Definitely not as tight and hard as Ethan must be used to.