Another eye-roll. “Smitty, she doesn’t have to know about your baggage. It’s just a week and you’ll never see her again.”
That’s the problem. Maybe I want to see her again. Maybe I want to get to know her better. Maybe I need more than a week with Sloan. God knows that my body definitely wants something else from her.
“Yeah, Jules. We’ll see. In the meantime, don’t call me again.”
She giggles and blows me a kiss. “Have fun, Smitty. Love you!”
I smile. “Love you, too, Jules.”
I end the call and toss the iPad on the other side of the bed. Staring out the window, I wonder what Sloan is doing. Those guys had to have been her family. No way it was a boyfriend. If she was my girl, my hands would’ve been all over her the second she was within my reach. Tilting the bottle up, I chug down champagne. Stop, Smitty. Get this girl off your mind.
For the next couple hours, I lie in my bed, finishing off the bottle of champagne and flipping the channels before I finally doze off. When I wake up, it’s dark out and the clock on the nightstand says it’s after eight. My head is pounding so I grab a beer from the fridge, drinking enough until my headache is gone and my buzz is back.
A half hour later and my stomach is grumbling, reminding me I haven’t eaten since I arrived at the resort. I change out of the clothes I wore on the plane and put on a pair of jeans, a collared shirt, and some flip-flops. Drinking a Red Stripe, I follow the sounds of the reggae music, assuming the buffet must be in that direction.
When I arrive at the pool deck, I see a band playing in an open area where people are dancing in the middle of the room. The smells of pasta, roast beef, and jerk chicken hit my nose and, like a hound dog, I sniff out the food table, filling my plate as high as I can without dropping any of it. I sit down and begin eating, only to realize I’m hungrier than I thought I was and begin to inhale my food. I’ve never tasted anything so delicious in my entire life, but then again, I’ve been living on frozen meals for the past year.
Once I’ve cleaned my plate, I order another beer and lean back in my seat. The crowd on the dance floor consists of couples, all probably on their honeymoons or celebrating an anniversary. The resort isn’t exclusively for couples, but it isn’t exactly set up for singles either. Dragging my hands down my face, I shake my head. I can’t do this, I shouldn’t have come. I’d much prefer to be at my own house to wallow in my misfortune rather than have what I was so close to be thrown in my face.
I stand up and chug the rest of my beer. Feeling a bit woozy, I make my way across the dance floor, taking the shortcut back to my room. The band ends their song and the couples start to move off the dance floor. There, in the middle of everyone, is Sloan. She’s wearing the lowest cut V-neck dress, her hips swaying to the beat of the music, even after the band has stopped. Glancing around the room, every man, single or not, is staring at her and probably thinking the same thing I am.
Maybe it’s the atmosphere or maybe it’s my hormones, more than likely it’s the alcohol, but without thinking twice, I march over to Sloan. She doesn’t even see me coming as she’s still dancing with her eyes closed. My hands reach out and grasp the soft, cotton material of her dress. Her eyes open and her mouth drops in surprise. I don’t give her a chance to talk. Not losing my nerve this time, I lean forward and press my lips against hers as my hands grip her hips. Immediately, Sloan kisses me back, her lips parting and inviting my tongue in. Her hands slip around my neck and I pull her as close to me as I can. My left hand goes to her long, honey hair, pulling on it and wanting more than just this moment.
Sloan
Tilting my head to the side, I let Smitty kiss me deeper and my stomach burns with desire. It’s been awhile since I’ve been kissed and even longer since someone kissed me like this. I’ll forgive him for not doing this earlier since this kiss is surely much more passionate than the liplock we would’ve shared on the shuttle bus.
The band starts to play again and my hips start moving back and forth. Judging from the reaction in his pants and the alcohol on his breath, it’s probably not a good idea. Reluctantly, I pull my head away from him and grin. “Have a good night, Smitty.”
Lazily, he opens his eyes. His face is inscrutable and he starts to pull away. Before he gets too far, I grab his hand and pull him back to me for another quick peck on the lips. I can tell he wants more, but something tells me not to go too far with him… at least not yet. Turning away before either of us make an impulse move, I face my brother and sister who are staring at me, jaws on the floor. Laughing, I move my body with the music, ignoring both their stares.
My big brother strides to me, looking over my shoulder in Smitty’s direction. “What the hell was that, Sloan?”
Sissy’s eyes are big and she nods, agreeing with Gavin. “Yeah, Lo…that kiss was HOT!”
My little sister is right. That kiss was hot and I’m not cooling down from it very fast. I’m sure Smitty wouldn’t mind if I followed him to his room, but something tells me that a man who comes to a romantic resort alone and gets wasted within hours of arriving, probably isn’t in the best frame of mind for casual hook-ups. Don’t get me wrong, I’m okay with messing around and having a good time, but I won’t be someone’s mistake.
Still dancing, I grab my brother’s hand and twirl into his arms and out, making him dip me. Still scowling, he pulls me up. I kiss his cheek. “Follow him to his room, please. Make sure he gets there okay.”
Gavin grumbles, reluctantly giving in and following Smitty’s path. Sissy’s fiancé, Will, joins us, wrapping his arms around her. “Holy shit, Lo! That kiss even got me hard and you just sent the boy to bed alone?”
Sissy giggles and playfully elbows him in the stomach. Not one to embarrass easily, I nod at the both of them. “I’m sure you two can do better.”
And like that, the Talbott competitive side comes out in my sister, who turns her attention to Will and the two begin making out in the middle of the dance floor. I laugh at them, but welcome the excuse to get a drink. Leaning against the bar, I can tell my face is flushed and I’d like to say it’s from dancing, but I know it’s that kiss. My legs are still tingly from the rush of passion Smitty sent throughout my body.
Lust. That’s all it was, good old-fashioned lust. It’d been a long time since I felt this way—wanting to rip his clothes off and run my hands from the tip of his head to the bottom of his feet. I sigh. Yeah, Lo, that’s just what this is—lust. If it was lust then I’d be in Smitty’s room right now, doing exactly those things. My stomach churns as I fight off what I am afraid this really means.
Chapter 5
Smitty
The early morning Jamaican sun shines in through the balcony window and I squint. The pain behind my eyeballs won’t go away and my mouth feels like I’ve been eating cotton balls all night. I close my eyes and the image of Sloan comes to mind. Did I kiss her last night? I vaguely remember it. Then again, most of what happened after I checked-in is a blur. Yesterday, I was just wallowing in self-pity and drinking my blues away. I remember eating a huge dinner and then deciding to come back to my room, but then I saw her. That part, I remember clearly.
She looked so carefree, something I haven’t been in a year. Her dress was soft under my fingertips as were her lips, but then she stopped it. She sent me back to my room. Turning my head, I look at the empty spot in my bed where she could have been lying. I can’t believe I made a total fool of myself like that.
Sometime during my binge drinking the day before, I made up my mind that I was going home today, but maybe I should enjoy the beach a little, then book my flight later this afternoon. Yeah, that’ll be my plan. I take a long hot shower, trying to wash my hangover away. It doesn’t work. Luckily, Jules packed Pedialyte so hopefully I’ll be rehydrated soon.
Shirtless and in a pair of board shorts, I make my way to the beach. I smell bacon and eggs mixed with the salt water from the ocean, but the thought of eating doesn’t sound very appealing right now. Whe
n I walk past the dining area, it’s practically empty even though it’s almost nine. Well, vacation is for sleeping in.
I find a white lounge chair, spread out the hotel’s beach towel, and lie back, adjusting my Cardinals cap and sunglasses. Crap, I forgot the Pedialyte. I’ll grab a water when the bar opens. In the meantime, I’m just going to sleep this hangover away while I catch some rays. Drifting in and out of sleep, I can hear the beach getting busier. Pop music plays over the speakers, waves crash on the sand, people start yelling on the volleyball court and lovers whisper to each other on their own towels. I try to push it all away until something blocks the sun, casting a shadow over my body.
Despite my sunglasses and ball cap, I move my arm to shield my eyes. Above me, is a slender body in an athletic, red Adidas bikini holding a volleyball. The suit hugs all the right curves, but it’s her smile that has me shifting in my seat.
Sloan nods behind her toward the sand volleyball net. “You up for a game? We need another player.”
I glance behind her, seeing the guys from yesterday. “Sure, I’ll play.”
She holds out her hand to help me up. Gladly, I take it, swallowing hard as I stand, our bare skin almost touching. Dropping my hand, she begins to turn, but I touch her hip. She looks up in my eyes and I take my sunglasses off. When our eyes meet, I freeze and can’t remember what I want to say. Her lips turn into a smile and her tinkle of laughter brings me back to the moment.
“Sorry,” I comment, shaking my head. “Look about last night…”
Sloan’s smile gets slightly bigger. “What about it? You’re a great kisser.”
My pulse picks up and I laugh nervously. “Yeah? Well, um, thanks, but…”
“Lo, he playin’ or not?” one of the men from the lobby yells at her.
She shouts back at him that we’re coming and takes my hand, walking us over. After she tosses the volleyball to the guy, she turns to me. Speaking to her family, she introduces me then points to the four people on the other side of the court. “That’s my kid sister, Sissy, and her fiancé, Will.”
I recognize Will from the lobby yesterday and it’s quite obvious that Sloan and Sissy are sisters. I look back at Sloan, trying not to smile. So many similarities between the two, both have brown eyes, the same color hair, straight-edge noses, high cheekbones, but Sloan is definitely the beauty between the two of them. Maybe it’s the constant smile she dons or her laidback ways, or perhaps it’s her rock solid body, but given the two Talbott sisters, I’d pick Sloan hands down.
Beside Sissy and Will are an older couple that Sloan points to. “That’s my parents, Roger and Elaina.” Elaina is just as beautiful as her daughters with the same features. Although the man is probably in his fifties, he has the physique of a thirty-year-old. Well, shit, I’m a thirty-year-old so what’s that say about me? Either way, Sloan obviously comes from a family that cares about fitness.
I give a polite wave to our opponents and look at our team. It’s the other guy from the lobby yesterday. He seems so familiar to me, like I’ve talked to him before, but aside from Sloan and the lady at the check-in counter, I haven’t met anyone else on the resort.
Sloan nods at the guy. “This is my older brother, Gavin.” Gavin pulls his sunglasses over his eyes, not even acknowledging me.
Sloan leans against me and whispers, “They all can get kind of competitive, especially Gavin.”
I look at him again, pulling my glasses down, too. So, that’s how this is going to be then—a pissing contest. Gavin and I are about the same size, although he’s got a few pounds on me and I’m more muscle than he is. I smile and nod, this should be fun.
Sloan laughs. “I take it you are, too?”
Sliding my hand around her hip, mainly for an excuse to touch her, I nod. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you down.”
“Good,” she says as she turns and catches the ball her brother throws at her.
“Hey, hey, I don’t think the teams are fair,” Roger objects.
From behind the service line, Sloan juts her hip to the left. “Why, Daddy? Because I’m not on your team? You’re still up a player.”
This is true, without me, it would be three vs three so I’m not exactly sure why they needed me. Sloan tosses the ball high into the air, jumping and pounding the it overhand and across the net, directly between Will and Elaina. Sloan cheers and gives her brother a high five. Gavin shakes his head laughing, then looks in my direction. “She played college volleyball at KU. That’s why they have an extra player.”
Well, that makes sense although I was hoping she was asking me to play as an excuse to talk to me again. I turn my attention back to Sloan, who delicately arches her body, sending the ball across the net. Will is barely able to get his fingertips on it before he knocks it out of bounds. Watching her serve is a complete turn-on, not that she didn’t already do that to me before, but this just seals the deal. Whoa, what deal?
Caroline wasn’t a big sports fan, much less an athlete. She tried though, watching Sportscenter every night with me, but I could tell she was never into it. Sloan serves five points and then purposely hits the net so the other team has a chance. She moves into position next to me and I ask, “Hey, what’s your favorite sports teams?”
“Cardinals, of course, and Broncos for football,” she answers, glancing at me and back to the other side of the net. My grin grows wider at her answer, her perfect answer.
The score is now 19-16, us. The game has been intense with all the men and Sloan trying not to give up a point. Sissy and Elaina don’t care about the score, they squeal every time the ball comes toward them. Sloan’s long hair flies behind her, pinned back with only a couple of bobby pins. It’s been hard to focus on the game, but I don’t want to embarrass myself so I’ve been forcing myself to do my best.
Gavin serves an ace and it’s match point. The ball flies over the net and Will easily returns it. Sloan dives for the ball, digging it before it hits the ground, and Gavin spikes it over the net where it lands between Elaina and Roger for game point.
I reach out and catch Sloan in my arms before she falls into the sand. Her body is slick with sweat and gritty from the sand. Still, I don’t want to let go of her. One hand on her back, the other on her stomach, I stare into her eyes. Sloan’s eyes twinkle and she bites her bottom lip. God, this woman!
“Please don’t kiss my sister in front of me again,” Gavin complains behind us.
Sloan giggles and I help her stand upright, not letting go of her just yet. I don’t take my eyes off Sloan when I answer Gavin. “I can’t promise I won’t kiss her again, but I’ll try not to do it in front of you.” Where the hell is this coming from? This is not the normal Smitty. No, it’s the Smitty I was before I lost Caroline.
Sloan licks her lips and nods. “Sounds like a deal to me.”
On the other side of the net, the losing team is dispersing. I take Sloan’s hand and nod toward the pool. “What do you say we grab a drink?” When the words come out, I realize the cotton mouth feeling hasn’t gone away since I woke up.
She squeezes my hand. “Perfect. We’re doing a glass bottom boat tour this afternoon if you want to join us. We’re trying to get in as much Talbott time before Will’s family arrives tomorrow.”
I want to say yes, so I can spend more time with her, but I don’t want to encroach. I take my ball cap off and wipe my forehead with my arm. “Well, I’m not really family.”
Sloan shrugs. “Fine, leave me to me to fend off the crazies on my own if you want,” she says and elbows me playfully.
I stop and pull her to me, my hands move up and down her arms. “Well, if I’m helping you out…”
I lean down toward her face and she draws in her bottom lip. Slowly, she moves her head up and down. “Definitely helping…”
My right hand slides over her shoulder to her neck and my thumb moves along her jaw line. “In that case, I’d love to go.” I pause and swallow. “I’m going to kiss you now. Is your brother watching?”
Breaking the intensity of the moment, Sloan giggles and shakes her head. Softly, I mutter, “Good.” Then I pull her body against mine and her arms slide around my neck. Her luscious breasts press against my bare chest and I need more of her. My hands move down her back and over her swimsuit, pulling her even closer. A soft hum comes from Sloan and her tongue vibrates against mine. All the blood in my body rushes between my legs and I know I’m in trouble if I don’t stop this kiss soon.
“Mmm, that was even better than last night,” Sloan comments, her arms still around me.
I give her another soft kiss, not nearly as long or intense. I do it because of my attraction to her, but deep inside, I think part of me wants the familiarity of being comfortable with a woman. I shake my head, trying to rid my thoughts that I’m using Sloan to replace Caroline. Maybe in some way I am, but I don’t want to be that guy. More importantly, I don’t want Sloan to be that girl.
“I just hope you remember this one,” she says and pulls away from me laughing. I shake my head and chase after her. Note to self, no more getting shitfaced while in paradise.
Sloan
A warm breeze blows through the trees where our hammock is hanging. Lying opposite each other, our bellies full from lunch, Smitty rubs my feet. It’s safe to assume he’s not taken and from the few interactions I’ve had with him, it’s obvious that he likes to take care of his woman. Not that I’m his woman! Relax, Sloan, enjoy his company and don’t make more of it than it really is.
Our legs are intertwined and we are both so… comfortable. While he’s massaging my feet, my hand is lazily sliding up and down his calf. I’m not sure why, or even if I should, but I’ve let my guard down with Smitty. I’ve missed the companionship with a man, it’s been so long since I’ve given up on the opposite sex. Maybe it’s because I’ll probably never see him again, so I’m just enjoying him while I can.
Book Boyfriends Cafe Summer Lovin' Anthology 2015 Page 201