by Tasha Fawkes
My head span with pleasure, electricity sparking from the pit of my belly to my balls. It left me weak. It left me satisfied. I caught myself on my elbows and softly kissed the spots I'd been biting on Brin's neck. She purred like a happy cat.
"If that's how you play Twister, I can't wait to see what your Risk game is like," she said.
I broke down into laughter. She joined me, and for another moment I was able to escape the reality that was hammering down the door.
The moment I rolled to the side and started taking care of the condom, the guilt hit me like a brick. Brin stroked my back, and my stomach turned.
I tried to think of other things, tried to come back to the moment and not live inside my conscience because I couldn't bear the thought of losing her. If she found out what I'd done, things would be over between us.
If she found out, I'd lose one of the best things that had ever happened to me.
Fourteen
Martin
She looked more beautiful than ever. I wasn't even sure how that was possible.
Lori stood in my doorway, a wet dream in a wet dream, her taut body encased in a gorgeous white sundress that stopped mid-thigh. Sunglasses pushed back her light hair from her forehead, and her red lipstick made my mouth water.
"Hey there," she cooed, stepping into the room.
I double checked the hallway to make sure nobody had seen her, then closed the door. My palms were sweating. I waited for her all yesterday, but she couldn't make it to my room to see me. I didn't blame her. Lori was busy, and the nature of our relationship made things complicated. She was here now, and that was all that mattered.
She walked over to the patio, admiring the view from inside the open door. The breeze tangled through her locks. She made a perfect picture.
I walked up behind her, threading an arm around her waist and nuzzling my nose into her hair. She smelled fruity and sweet.
"I missed you," I sighed.
Lori patted my hand and pulled away. She walked over to the bed and sank down elegantly, folding her legs beneath her. "We've got some business we need to talk about."
"Business?" I frowned.
"Yes. That Brin girl."
My heart deflated, even though I'd known all along that she hadn't come here for me. She wanted Chad back. It made sense, given that they played off each other’s publicity well and this trip had put Chad more in the public eye than ever. Of course Lori would want a piece of that. Still, my romantic brain had entertained fantasies of her coming to her senses and finally realizing that she wanted us to be together in public.
"What about her?" I asked.
Lori examined her impeccably manicured fingernails, lips tugged down. "What's her deal? How did it only take Chad two weeks to move on to some tart? I saw her at the market yesterday. She's too plain for him."
I told myself the jealousy in her tone was only from Brin occupying her place in Chad's limelight. Even if it wasn't, I didn't have a right to be mad. Lori had told me from the beginning that we weren't ever going to be anything, that it was just a bit of fun on the side. It wasn't her fault that I'd fallen hard for her.
I wanted to appease her. Brin was nice, and I could tell that Chad enjoyed spending time with her, but how could anybody compare to Lori? Winning him back would be a breeze.
"She's just some dancer he picked up in Vegas," I said, coming to sit beside her on the bed. "He was crushed after you left. The only reason he's even with her is to make you jealous."
Lori's eyes sparked. "Really?"
It wasn't something I knew for sure, but I'd known Chad a long time, and all signs pointed to it. He wasn't one to share the spotlight with some random girl unless he wanted her to be seen.
"Totally." I wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Her skin was so soft. "She doesn't mean anything to him. You do."
Lori preened in that for a moment. She looked so beautiful when she knew she was getting her way.
"You want Chad and I to get together too, don't you?" Lori angled her body toward me and ran a finger up my chest. My cock stirred, and I bit my lip to keep from groaning. "You know that if we do get together, you and I could pick up right where we left off."
I cast my memory back to those delicious few months before Lori and Chad's breakup when Lori had begun to show an interest in me and had turned my world upside down. The sneaking around was half the fun, truth be told, and I couldn't wait to hide in the dark with her again as soon as possible.
"Of course I want you to get back together. I mean, I'd rather if you just..."
The look in her eyes cut me off. They glinted like steely knives, daring me to say the words and see what happened.
"What do you need me to do?" I asked.
Lori's expression warmed again, and she tapped her finger against my chin. "Let's make a plan."
It was hardly the sexy reunion I'd been hoping for. I lowered my face, just brushing my lips across hers. "Can the plan wait for an hour or two?"
My veins were on fire. Her heady scent filled my lungs, and I breathed in deep.
Lori laughed. My pulse skittered to a halt.
"You're such a dog." She pushed me back with a hand on my chest and tutted. "Plan first. Reward later."
She didn't specify how much later but I suspected she'd only get irritated if I asked.
"Fine." I ran a hand through my hair and tried not to think about the ache in my balls. "Yeah. Let's make a plan."
After making our plan, I found myself reminding myself where my loyalties lay. They were with Lori and Chad, not with Brin, so it shouldn't have bothered me what we were planning to do to her. Lori and I couldn't be together if she and Chad weren't together, and Chad was better off with Lori. Even if he did look happy with Brin, I knew it couldn't be possible for him to prefer her.
The thing that really yanked on my conscience was the one thing I hadn't told Lori, and the one thing she would never ask—how Brin felt about Chad. I could see plain as day that Brin adored Chad. She stole secret glances, smiled when he wasn't looking, and lit up like sunbeams when he put his arm around her. That was a girl in love. I didn't know if Brin knew it, but it was probably best if she didn't. Because we were about to break her.
"Right," said Lori, tapping end to her call and dropping the phone onto the bed. "I've arranged a boat cruise this afternoon to keep Chad busy. You know what you're doing?"
I nodded.
She smiled, and it was a wicked, devious smile. I wanted to lick it right from her lips.
"We've got a couple of hours then," she said. "What ever shall we do?"
I pounced.
Fifteen
Brin
Today was our final day of rest before we took on several days of nonstop filming, and I was determined to make the most of it. My ideal situation would have seen Chad and me on the beach, baking in the sun and stealing kisses between sips of our margaritas, but since he left unexpectedly before I could pass said idea by him, I was on my own. I didn't mind so much. I was still in paradise, and I would have lots of time to spend with Chad in the not so distant future. I was excited about what the next few days would bring, even though my excitement was peppered with nervousness since I didn't know what crazy adventure we were getting up to next. It was fun not knowing. I could let my imagination run wild, but because of how enjoyable everything we'd done thus far had been, I knew that I wouldn't be let down.
I hummed to myself while changing into my bikini, feeling so happy I might float away at any moment. It was unreasonable for one person to be this happy, right?
It was all Chad’s fault. Well, it was my fault too. I was never supposed to fall for him, and he was never supposed to make it so easy. I was in big trouble, but I was doing my best not to think about exactly how much trouble. It was just one of those things that I was going to have to deal with the consequences of at a later date. For now, I just wanted to enjoy it. It had been a long time since I'd felt this good, this carefree, this plain old jolly. If there we
re a better way to spend a vacation, I would eat my own hat. I just hoped that when the blow did come, it wouldn't come too hard. For now, all signs pointed up.
A knock on the door stirred me from my reverie, and I quickly threw a dress on overtop of my bikini. I was surprised to find Martin on the other side. He offered up a tense smile.
"Hey, Martin," I greeted. "Chad went out about an hour ago, but I think he has his phone."
"I'm here to see you," he said. "Chad's preparing a special evening for the two of you."
"Really?" I beamed. "What kind of special evening?"
Martin tapped his nose. "I'm afraid that's top secret. All I'm allowed to tell you is when and where you're supposed to meet him."
"Why can't Chad just tell me himself?"
It wasn't that I didn't trust Martin, but he seemed kind of off. I worried that maybe Chad had said something to him. Was he planning a special evening because he wanted to send me home? That would be crazy, right? Chad would tell me if he wanted me to leave. Wouldn't he?
"It's all part of the surprise," Martin answered. He passed me a piece of hotel stationery, on which was scribbled an address.
"Meet him there at five p.m."
I stared at the address. It was in the city, and I wondered if it was some fancy restaurant. My heart gave an excited thump, and I pushed past my brief earlier misgivings. Everything was fine. I didn't know why I had such a nasty knot in my gut, but I needed to get over it, or I was going to spoil our night.
"Thank you, Martin."
His lips curved into a tight smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. What was his problem today? I must've just been picking up on the fact that Martin was in a bad mood for whatever reason, and that was making me nervous. Maybe he and Chad had fought. I couldn't wait to see Chad later to find out. I didn't like Martin like this. He made me nervous.
"No problem. I hope you guys have a fun evening." He turned without another beat and disappeared down the hall. I went back into my room and placed the paper down on the bedside table. I still had a couple of hours before I needed to start getting ready, which meant I had plenty of time to go down to the beach. In other words, I was getting the best of both worlds, and this looked like it was going to be a perfect day.
I stared excitedly out the window as the cab lurched through town, wondering at every set of stop lights if my destination was just around the corner. We passed luxury hotels and elegant restaurants but didn't stop at any, and when we started meandering through the more industrial looking part of town, I began to wonder if maybe the driver had read the address wrong.
Just as I was about to ask, he pulled over. "Here you go, miss."
I looked out the window and cringed. The area was rundown, a little grimy, even. There were no tourists in sight, which was my first red flag. Why would Chad want to meet me here?
"Are you sure this is the address?" I asked. I shoved the paper toward him, and he took it, reading it over again.
Finally, the cab driver nodded and passed the paper back. "Yep. This is it. Are you sure you wrote it down properly?"
"My friend wrote it down," I explained. "This must be it. I'm sorry for bothering you."
I paid him, and the older man gave me a warm smile. He must've seen the worry on my face. "Want me to stay here for a couple minutes, sweetheart? I don't mind."
His concern touched me, but I trusted Chad. He wouldn't have me come here if it wasn't safe.
"No, I'm okay," I said. "Thank you though."
"Alright, hon. Have a good evening."
I hoped I would.
I stepped out of the cab and wrapped my arms around myself nervously as I craned my neck, looking for Chad. A person further down the street gave me a funny look, probably because of the way I was dressed. Not having known that our date would be held in a dumpster, I'd worn my favorite navy dress. It was tight in the bodice and flared at the hips, giving me an alluring silhouette that I knew Chad would love. I'd paired it with a pair of strappy heels. Thank god I danced in heels for a living. It made me feel a lot better knowing that I could comfortably run somewhere if I needed to.
I watched the cab's taillights fade into the distance and wondered if maybe I should have asked him to stay. Someone rattled a garbage can somewhere nearby, and I practically jumped out of my skin. I needed to get it together.
Two big men in branded t-shirts and jeans, chains clinking as they walked, rounded the corner and started heading straight toward me. They were talking in low tones, but I couldn't hear what they said. I wasn't sure if they were talking about me or not, but an icy shiver tracked down my spine.
I moved to the side before they got to me, leaving them plenty of room on the sidewalk to pass. I didn't expect them to stop in front of me.
"You Brin?" the taller one asked. He was bald with dark skin, whereas the other one was so blonde his hair was almost white.
Was it too late to pretend I wasn't Brin? They obviously knew to expect me. Why would Chad send the two scariest guys in Hawaii to pick me up for our date?
I nodded uncertainly.
"Come with us," said the blond. "Chad's waiting for you."
The other snickered, and the oily taste of fear rose in my throat. I debated whether or not to refuse. Something didn't feel right. It wasn't just the intimidating welcome party, either. This place, Martin's manner earlier, Chad's absence.
Was this a test? I just couldn't puzzle out why he would want to test me. So then what? Maybe it was a party. Yeah, that was it. Chad had planned me a surprise party, and one of these warehouses was filled with balloons and streamers and friendly faces, and I was going to feel like a complete idiot as soon as I saw Chad's grinning face. We'd laugh about this experience, but I would ask him never to do it again.
"Okay," I finally squeaked out. "Lead the way."
The guys flanked me and started walking. I hunched my shoulders and tried to ignore the overpowering scent of cologne threatening to choke me.
We walked down the block and stopped in front of a dilapidated warehouse. I wasn't sure whether to feel relieved that my guess of a party looked more likely than ever, or utterly terrified because this was unquestionably the site of at least one murder.
"Is this the place?" I asked uncertainly.
The blond nodded. "Yeah. He's just in there. He's really excited."
I tensed my jaw. It was time to be brave, just like I'd been for the zip lining, for the cliff diving, for the ATVing. This was another adventure, and I just needed to grit my teeth and go through with it.
The bald one opened the door. It shrieked horribly, like the metal itself was warning me to get out of there. I swallowed my fear, put one foot in front of the other, and stepped into the darkened warehouse.
My two guides followed me, and I heard a shriek as they closed the doors behind them. I peered out into the darkness. Where were all the people? Where was Chad?
I turned to question my companions, but before I could my eye caught something at the side of the room. There was a small bed made on the ground. It looked far from inviting, and I decided if this was Chad's idea of romance then he and I were going to have to have a chat before he ever tried to romance me again.
Even as I thought this, I knew Chad wasn't here. I knew he wasn't going to be here, either. Something was horribly wrong, and I couldn't figure out what.
I looked between Baldie and Blondie. "What's going on?"
Blondie smirked and stretched out his hand. "Give me your phone."
"No." I clutched my purse, panic swelling in my chest. "Where the fuck is Chad?"
"He's not here. We ain't gonna hurt you. We ain't even gonna touch you. But we're on orders to get your phone from you and make sure you don't miss your flight in the morning. If you don't let us fulfill our orders, we're going to have to make you."
"My flight?" My head was spinning as I tried to comprehend what the hell was going on. "Am I being sent home? But—but I don't have any of my stuff. I didn't even get to say goodbye. Wh
at's going on?"
Baldie sighed like I was the most troublesome part of his day. "Your bags are on their way, princess. Now give us your fucking phone, or we're going to have a problem."
The idea of relinquishing my only means of communication to these apes was terrifying but only slightly less terrifying than the thought of what he might mean by "trouble". I didn't want to find out. With a shaky hand, I pulled my phone my from my clutch and handed it over, trying not to let my skin touch ay part of Baldie's while I did.
"Good girl," he said, shoving it in his back pocket. "You'll get it back at the airport tomorrow. For now, you'd better get comfortable." He gestured toward the makeshift bed. My stomach turned.
"Are you guys going to leave me here?"
I couldn't tell whether the idea of being left alone in this place was creepier than the idea of them hanging out with me all night or not. At least if they didn't stay, I could try to find a way out. I quietly hoped for that to be the case.
Blondie chuckled. "Like fuck we are. Not at the rate we're getting paid. You're getting the VIP service, princess. We'll be here together all night long." He winked, and my stomach turned.
I obediently walked over to the bed. I wanted to rage rather than follow another one of their horrid commands, but the bed seemed like a better idea. At least there I could get under the covers and pretend none of this was happening. At least there I could retreat and hope that when tomorrow came, they would take me to the airport as they said.
I got into bed and I hoped.
Sixteen
Chad
I spent the whole day with Lori, cruising out on crystalline waters and drinking wine older than I was. She always knew how to live in style.