by Karen Booth
“No. It’s too small. I’ll sleep there.”
“I’m not letting you sleep on the couch. That hardly seems fair. I’m the one who got us into this.”
“We can’t call the front desk and ask them to bring in a rollaway. Then they’ll know the jig is up.”
Noah sat down at the foot of the bed. Lily sat right next to him. They were inches apart, both staring out at the water. He glanced over at her, noticing for the one hundredth time that day how exquisite she was in that dress. He would have emptied his entire bank account to kiss her. He racked his brain for any lame excuse to revisit the notion of practicing.
“Compromise,” Lily said. “We’re both adults. It’s a big bed. We sleep together. I will keep to my side. You won’t need to worry about me.”
Why was fate being so delightfully cruel to Noah? “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” She patted him on the thigh, sending a sizzle straight to his groin. “Now let’s change into our swimsuits and get into the water.”
Six
In her aqua-blue bikini, Lily stretched out on the chaise lounge next to the plunge pool. She soaked up the day’s fading rays, running her hand back and forth across her bare stomach. From behind her sunglasses she kept one eye peeled on Noah. He was floating in the plunge pool, resting his arms on the side with his back turned to her. She was pretty convinced by now. Something was up. There was no way she was the one woman on the planet Noah did not find attractive.
Still, he’d had a zillion opportunities to make a move and he hadn’t taken the bait. Not when she’d asked him to put sunscreen on her back, not when she’d splashed him playfully in the pool, not when she’d made a comment about how good he looked in his black board shorts. If anything, it felt like he was trying to keep her away, which made no sense. Charlotte had said he was guaranteed to make a pass. And Lily would never forget the curl of his fingers in the paparazzi photo of them at Tiffany. He’d wanted her in that picture. She’d seen the evidence.
She propped up on her elbows and watched him. This view of his shoulders was nothing short of spectacular—every sexy contour and rounded muscle you could imagine. Noah was not overly built, but he was in excellent shape. “You’re going to prune if you don’t get out soon,” she said, invoking a seductive inflection. This was the perfect opportunity for him to turn and get an eyeful, but he only made a cursory glance before diving under the water. That was it. He was practically daring her to make the first move. But he was her boss. If only she wasn’t so concerned with keeping her job.
He broke the water’s surface, planted his hands on the edge of the pool and hoisted himself out. He was a dripping wet Adonis. Every firm inch of him was glistening in the sun. They’d been in Florida for only a few hours and he was already tan. He grabbed a towel from a stack near the patio doors to their room and ruffled his hair. Lily had an irrational desire to walk over and help him with everything else that was in need of drying, especially that spot on his lower stomach, right below his belly button, where the narrow trail of hair led beneath the waistband of his board shorts. There were only two words to describe that part of him: Yum. Oh.
“We should probably get ready for dinner, don’t you think?” he asked. “I’ll hop in the shower first if you want a few more minutes out here.” He wouldn’t even look at her. And it was driving Lily up the wall.
“You go ahead. I need to figure out what I’m wearing anyway.”
“Sounds like a plan.” With that, he disappeared.
Lily flopped back onto the chair and groaned. This frustration was impossible. She wanted Noah so bad she could spit. But it was a terrible idea. She’d thought this trip might give her an out—he could make a pass, she could enthusiastically acquiesce, they could give each other a few amazing memories, and then they’d go back to the way things had been before. She already knew Noah was capable of that. As for herself, she wasn’t certain she could pull it off, but she’d lived with far worse heartbreak. She’d been dumped at her own wedding. Nothing would ever be as horrendous as that.
Lily got up from her chair, put on her cover-up, traipsed back inside and flipped through the dresses in the closet, choosing a gauzy black maxi dress with skinny straps. It was the perfect sexy beach dress and she could wear flats with it, which would be nice and comfy.
Noah came out of the bathroom, wearing one of the white waffle-weave towels the resort provided. Lily was far too aware of what else he was wearing. Nothing. “The bathroom is all yours.”
Lily decided another test was in order. She pulled her cover-up over her head and walked right up to Noah, planting her hand on his cheek. His stubble scratched her palm as she peered up into his eyes. He was so beautiful it made her chest ache. “I think your scruff could use some neatening up. It’s getting a bit scraggly.”
“Really?” His eyebrows drew together.
“You want to look your best for the Hannaforts. You can use the bathroom while I shower.” Maybe a trial like this would be enough to push him over the edge.
“I really don’t think that’s appropriate. The shower has glass walls.”
Sure enough, he flunked the test. Or passed with flying colors, depending on which side you were on. “Fine. Go ahead and finish up. I’ll wait.”
She plopped down on the end of the bed, resigned to her fate. There would be no fun between her and Noah. At least she could triumphantly tell Charlotte she was wrong.
A moment later, Noah was done, looking as perfect as could be. “Better?”
No. “Much.” She snatched up her dress and the rest of her clothes, and breezed past him into the bathroom. She took her shower, deciding to focus on the night ahead. It was better to worry about impressing the Hannaforts, rather than the endless cycle of Noah sex thoughts rifling through her brain.
Hair up in a towel, she slipped into her dress and turned in front of the mirror. Like Noah, she’d gotten a good amount of sun today. Quite frankly, she looked amazing in this dress. Such a waste. Noah wasn’t even going to notice.
* * *
Noah put on a pair of black dress pants and a French blue dress shirt. Keep it together, buddy. You can do this. Only he was sure he couldn’t do this. Being around Lily wasn’t merely a test of his willpower, it was the Iditarod of chastity. Spending the morning with her on the plane was one thing, but he had not been prepared for the moment she’d stepped out onto the patio in her bikini and he’d had no choice but to jump straight into the plunge pool with no warning.
“Really wanted to go swimming, huh?” she’d asked.
“It’s way too hot out here.” He’d looked at her for a few seconds too long, his eyes traveling the length of her body, up from her feet to the swell of her hips and the gentle nip of her waist, to the round lusciousness of her breasts. He would’ve given up a year of his life to have had the chance to kiss her and press against her while she was wearing that bathing suit, but he knew where that ended—both of them naked in that beautiful bed under the mosquito netting. If he was going to ruin everything, he might as well go down in a blaze of glory, but no. He had a lot to prove to himself. He wasn’t like his dad. He had to be strong.
“Noah?” Lily called from the bathroom. “I need help. I can’t get this necklace clasp.”
“Sure thing. Two secs.” Maybe she’d be wearing a frumpy Hawaiian muumuu to dinner. Please be frumpy. Please be frumpy. He stepped into the bathroom and got his answer. Her dress was flowing and delicate, with a low back and a slit up one leg. She had her hair pulled to one side, and was holding the ends of the necklace at the nape of her neck.
“I hope you can get it. The clasp is tiny and so is the link it’s supposed to go into. Your fingers might be too big.”
He stepped behind her, taking the silvery chain, fumbling like a fool as he drew in her sweet smell and wished they didn’t have to go anywhere tonight. Again and again, he missed w
ith the hook of the clasp. His hands were slick with sweat. His pulse was thumping in his ears. His knuckles grazed the velvety skin of her neck, drilling electricity right into him. Finally, he hooked the clasp. He dropped the necklace like it was on fire, stepping back abruptly.
“Thanks,” she said, shooting him a quizzical look via the mirror.
“No problem.” He ducked out of the bathroom, thinking of icebergs and blizzards. That was the only way he’d make it through his evening with Lily.
They left their room and headed down the walkway, under the canopy of palm trees down to the main resort building. This was no high-rise hotel but rather three sprawling stories of exclusivity, containing a mere eight suites. Along with only twenty individual cabanas on the island, guests could enjoy a quiet and tranquil stay.
Noah and Lily followed the signs for the rehearsal dinner, which led them down a crushed stone path through a lush tropical garden to the pool area behind the hotel. The multilevel expanse of stone, water and plants seemed to go on forever, with waterfalls, spas and places to swim. A few folks were still partaking of the pool. Everyone else was milling about, enjoying a cocktail and the balmy night air. Noah took Lily’s hand and they walked over to where Lyle and Marcy were chatting with a small group of people. Still no sign of Charlotte, Michael, Sawyer or Kendall.
“There’s my favorite newly engaged couple.” Marcy practically squealed with delight. “Did you enjoy the champagne I sent to your room?”
“We haven’t had a chance to drink it yet,” Noah answered. It had been his call to stick the bottle in the fridge. Popping that cork could’ve led to any number of poor choices. “But thank you so much. It was very thoughtful.”
“Anything to make you all feel comfortable and welcome. I hope you enjoy what the staff has for you when you get back to your room tonight. I think you’ll find it very romantic.” Marcy nodded with a conspiratorial grin.
Lily looked at Noah, her eyes sweeping across his face as if she were trying to gauge his reaction. He had no idea how to respond to this revelation. He could only imagine what Marcy had in store, but one thing was certain—everything about their circumstances was made to sexually frustrate the hell out of him. “I can’t wait to see it.”
“I’d ask you to report back tomorrow, but I don’t think I need to know the details.” Marcy smiled wide. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to visit with some of my other guests.”
“I wonder what the surprise is,” Lily said. “Chocolate-covered strawberries?”
“Probably. The usual clichéd trappings of engagement.”
Lily’s mouth formed a thin line. “You might think it’s clichéd, but I think it sounds quite nice. Plus, there are worse things than someone leaving chocolate-covered fruit in your room.”
“I know. You’re right.” It’s just that I’m going to want to feed it to you and take off your clothes and that was not part of my plan for this wedding. “Let’s go mingle.”
Over the course of the next several hours, Noah and Lily met nearly every member of the extended Hannafort family. Lyle’s parents, then Marcy’s, as well as cousins and aunts and uncles. They had a lovely tropical-themed meal served poolside. Lily was a big hit, making sparkling conversation with the other guests and impressing everyone with her knowledge of everything from real estate development to romance novels. She even told Lyle’s uncle a few off-color jokes that made him belly laugh and declare Noah the luckiest son of a bitch he’d ever met.
As the sun set and the sky turned darker, torches blazed and flickered. The waterfalls were lit with dramatic effect. The ocean breezes blew, and although the air cooled, it never lost that warm and humid feeling.
“I’m really tired. Let’s go back to the room,” Lily said.
It was ten o’clock and most of the guests had left. Noah had been putting off their departure, going back for seconds on key lime pie and ordering one last drink. He couldn’t stomach the thought of what their romantic surprise might be. Surely something that was only going to make his charge that much more difficult. “You sure you’re ready? It’s so beautiful out tonight.”
“Fine. You stay. I’ll go back by myself.” Lily got up from her chair.
“No. No. I don’t want you walking by yourself.” He reached for her hand, and she turned back, stealing his breath from his chest. She was so breathtakingly beautiful in this light, with the wind blowing her hair across her shoulders and her skin glowing with a gorgeous peachy tan.
“I couldn’t possibly be in a safer place. And it’s pretty obvious that you’d rather be here and not alone with me.”
His stalling had been transparent, probably a little too much so. There was a very hurt edge to her voice that he disliked greatly. “I was enjoying myself with you tonight. That’s all.” He smiled. However much he wanted to create distance between them, he didn’t want her to think he didn’t enjoy her company. He did. He simply enjoyed it too much. He got up from his chair and took her hand. “Come on. Let’s go see what over-the-top thing Marcy has waiting for us.”
They took their time on their walk, listening to the birds in the trees and the gentle lap of the ocean off in the distance. Lily dropped his hand and traced her fingers along the inside of his arm, snugging him closer. He knew he should’ve ignored it, but he didn’t want to. He put his arm around her shoulder and let her lean into him as they took the final steps to the front door.
When they walked inside, there was no sign of romance in the seating area where the bottle of champagne had been left earlier. “Huh. I wonder if they forgot.”
Lily walked ahead of him into the bedroom. “Oh my God, Noah. In here. It’s unbelievable.”
He braced himself and followed her. The lights in their bedroom were off, but a warm glow came from the glass doors to outside. Hundreds of candles were lit out on the patio around the plunge pool. Even more were floating in the water. The bed had been turned down, and purple orchid blossoms were strewn all over the duvet. Another bottle of champagne was on ice next to the bed, and a tray was next to it with coconut massage oil. He couldn’t have arranged a more romantic, sexy setting if he’d wanted to.
“Marcy wasn’t kidding,” Lily said.
“It’s going to take forever to clean this up.” He felt like such an ass the instant the words left his mouth. Lily deserved every romantic delight before them and he was raining on her parade.
She cast a disappointed look at him. “We can’t really call housekeeping and ask them to take care of it. Anyone who knows this is here thinks that our clothes are off by now. They think I’m giving you a sensuous massage. They think we’re making love.”
As imagined visions of Lily naked, her hands all over him, wound through his consciousness, desire and determination battled inside him. He wanted her more than he’d wanted any woman. She was right there. Mere inches from him. What if he took her in his arms right now and kissed her? What if they did everything that logically came out of this quixotic setting? Would it really hurt anything?
“You know,” Lily started.
Noah held his breath. Was she about to give him an out? Tell him that they had to go through with it, lest housekeeping rat them out?
“Charlotte would be laughing her butt off if she saw this right now. She told me you were going to make a pass at me. She said you couldn’t help yourself. This whole thing with the candles and the flowers and the champagne seems like they’re practically daring you to do it.”
And there he had his answer. Charlotte expected him to do that because he’d always done that, and their father had always done it, as well. He wanted no more assumptions made about him. His thirst for Lily only felt so potent because he’d been tortured for two years. What was another night or two? “My sister thinks she knows me, but she doesn’t. You said it yourself that I’m not the guy in that video. I am not only capable of being a gentleman, it is my full intentio
n to be exactly that.”
Lily walked over to the head of the bed and lifted a corner of the duvet. “Fine. But we still have to make it look like you aren’t.” She grabbed the edge of the duvet and with a dramatic flick of her wrists, the orchid blossoms popped into the air, most of which fluttered to the floor. “I’m going to wash my face and brush my teeth. It’s been a long day and I’m tired.” She sauntered into the bathroom, leaving Noah to wonder how this all got even more messed up than it had seemed in New York.
He flopped back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Lily was going to be back soon. To sleep in the same bed with him. And he had to make sure absolutely nothing happened. Even if it killed him.
Seven
Lily made it through the night. She made it through waking up next to Noah, and having breakfast with him. She’d lived through an entire morning and part of the afternoon together, ignoring his good looks and the lack of passes made. She’d taken it all in stride, but now that she was dressed for the wedding, in the royal blue dress that Noah probably wouldn’t even notice, she needed to take the edge off. She simply had too much baggage when it came to “I do.”
There were three bottles of champagne in their fridge—one from yesterday, one from last night after the rehearsal dinner and a third that had shown up with that morning’s room service alongside a beautiful tropical fruit platter and some omelets. They hadn’t ordered the bubbly, but Marcy and Lyle had sent it anyway. They were apparently highly invested in Noah and Lily’s engagement. At least someone was. Noah had shown no interest in at least enjoying their odd predicament in paradise.
And Lily was sick of it.
Pop. She waited until the wispy mist had trailed out of the bottle before pouring herself a glass of glorious golden bubbles.
“Oh. You decided to open one,” Noah said, walking into the room all dressed for the wedding. He looked perfect, of course. Whomever had designed the modern-day men’s suit had clearly had Noah in mind when they’d come up with the idea. He was straight out of the pages of a magazine.