Callum picked up his juice and followed. Bridger and Avalyn Shaman? This was going to be a crazy week.
Lexi felt like breakfast went better than she could’ve hoped for. Callum’s family was as diverse as they were interesting and kind. The only one she didn’t get warm vibes from was his dad. Callum obviously sought the man’s approval, casting his eyes his father’s direction in a regular pattern. Was that what drove him? Trying to get his father’s attention? Thomas Hawk was nice enough, but definitely not warm or approving. He softened only when he looked at his wife. Even in this beautiful spot of earth, the man was in business casual. Yikes. At least she knew where Callum had come from.
The rest of the family made an effort to get to know her and include her in the conversation. The subject was mostly on the wedding and who was arriving and when. A lot of the names were lost on her, but some were well-known and she looked forward to meeting them or at least seeing them up close.
Avalyn Shaman was one of those names she was very interested in. A self-made philanthropist, Avalyn was as charitably minded as she was accomplished. She was an author and speaker and had created her own charity, Health for All. Lexi idolized the woman. She noticed that Bridger’s face lit up when Cambree mentioned Avalyn, and Cambree nodded toward Callum with a knowing look.
As breakfast died down, everyone started asking about plans for the day.
“I’m taking Lexi to the beach.” Callum put his arm around her chair and his fingers brushed the bare skin of her shoulder. She trembled. “Even if she can’t surf, I can still teach her to snorkel and paddleboard.”
“I’m in, bro.” Bridger shoved his fist toward them like they were going to break from a huddle. “I’m the expert at teaching any kind of water sport.”
Callum’s brows drew together. “I wanted to be alone with her.”
“Ooh,” Cambree said. “I like that a lot.” She crinkled her nose and beamed at the two of them. “Emmett and I are going to the gym because he still has a game Christmas Day, despite the awesome wedding plans, and then we’ve booked some spa treatments. Anybody’s welcome. Unless you want me all to yourself.” She winked at Emmett.
“Always, love.” Emmett grinned unabashedly.
Bridger rolled his eyes. “Don’t make me hang around with them.” He pointed at the engaged couples. “Sappy suckers, every one of them. It’s so sickly sweet I feel like I’m wading in corn syrup.”
Creed chuckled. “Don’t be jealous, son. Someday you’ll find a woman stupid enough to fall in love with you.”
“Ha! Every woman falls in love with me. I just don’t do them the honor of responding … for more than a day or two.”
“Bridger Hawk!” Caroline exploded. “You watch that tongue, young man, and you had better be respectful of women.”
Bridger dipped his chin. “Yes, ma’am.” He looked back to Callum and Lexi and quickly changed the subject. “You two aren’t all corn syrup. You’re like … real people.”
Lexi bit at her cheek. She obviously wasn’t acting like the smitten fiancée, but how could she simultaneously play that role and keep her heart distanced from Callum?
“I’ll show you sickly sweet,” Callum growled. He swiftly bent down and claimed her lips with his own.
Hoots and cheers broke out in the room, but all Lexi could focus on was the pleasure receptors in her lips going insane. The kiss was possessive and demanding and it felt so good she could hardly stay in her seat. She wanted to throw herself into Callum’s arms and keep this kiss going. She grabbed on to his shirt and pulled him in closer. Callum responded—oh, how he responded—framing her face with his palms and tilting her head. The kiss became deeper and stronger, and she’d never felt so connected and smitten by a man.
Callum pulled back and their eyes met and held. There was something so real in his gaze—unguarded, needy. Did he need her? No, that was crazy, desperate thinking. Her heart was racing and her body was warm from that kiss. She couldn’t be expected to think clearly right now. She forced herself to relax the clasp on his shirt, not wanting to meet anyone’s gaze.
He released her face, turned, and glared at Bridger. “We need some alone time on the beach.”
Lexi slammed back to earth. He’d only kissed her to prove to his family they were together.
“You don’t want me with you?” Bridger put his lips into a pout, and everyone laughed.
“Oh, man, you’re a manipulator, and I’m not falling for your baby brother looks today.”
“I want to be with Lexi. I want to be with Lexi!”
Lexi’s chest warmed despite the despondency of knowing another mind-blowing kiss with Callum wasn’t even real. Bridger was irresistible to her, the little brother she’d always wanted.
Callum rolled his eyes and looked at Creed and Kiera, ignoring his younger brother. “What about you two? Gym and spa or beach?”
“We’ve got wedding prep,” Creed said.
“Wedding prep? I thought the coordinator was taking care of everything.”
“I’ve got to teach Kiera how to really dance.”
Lexi was confused, knowing that Kiera Richins was a famous dancer. The tender way Creed said the line and the smolder in his eyes made Lexi feel like she was intruding on a private conversation.
Kiera gave him a sweet and alluring smile back. “And then I’m going to teach him how to really kiss.”
Creed laughed, but his eyes were still movie-star romantic.
Bridger rolled his eyes. “See why I need to stay with you?” he asked Callum, putting his hands together in a prayer pose. “Please.”
“I just kissed her right in front of all of you,” Callum pointed out.
Lexi’s face flamed and she glanced at Callum’s parents, but they were taking this all in stride.
“Yeah, but that’s all you two have done,” Bridger pointed out. “You don’t sit and touch hands under the table and give each other these secretive looks. I can’t handle it anymore, I tell you.”
Lexi’s face felt even hotter. She was failing at her job as a fake fiancée. Should she grab Callum’s hand under the table or kiss him again? Either sounded wonderful. If only their relationship could be real.
Caroline stood, signaling the end to the discussion. “Well, Tom and I are going to try out some spa treatments too; then we’ll come relax on the beach this afternoon. Can we meet for dinner at the Mexican restaurant?”
Everyone agreed and disbanded. Bridger stayed by Lexi’s side as Callum took her hand and they started to the beach. She was worried she wasn’t playing her role appropriately, but Callum held her hand like nothing was wrong, so she put the kiss from her mind and focused on the excitement of heading toward the ocean.
They walked along the north sidewalk and passed pool after pool after pool. Callum hadn’t told Bridger to leave, but he seemed reluctant to have his brother tagging along. Was it because he didn’t want to play the fiancé role right now, or because she was messing it up so badly?
“How many pools did they say they have?” Lexi asked.
“I think twelve adult pools, a few children’s pools, and who knows how many hot tubs.” Bridger shrugged, and then his eyes gleamed wickedly. “Do you two have a hot tub in your penthouse? Can I come over and sit in it with you tonight?”
Bridger was such an eager child in a man’s body. She liked him.
“No,” Callum said. “We might not be all smoochy in public like Creed and Kiera or Emmett and Cambree, but you don’t want to be alone with us in a private hot tub.” He gave Lexi a significant look, and she felt it all the way to her toes. If only he weren’t lying to convince his brother they were really together. Having him alone in a hot tub? Aye-aye-aye.
“Sheesh. It sucks being single, okay? You don’t need to rub muriatic acid in the wound.”
They slowly traversed another set of pools, but Lexi could see the beach up ahead now. “Muriatic acid?” she asked. “Whatever happened to salt?”
Callum chuckled. “B
ridger was being a punk—big surprise there—so Creed found muriatic acid in the pool house supply closet and poured it on a cut on his foot. Do you still have a scar?”
“Yes, sir.”
They told her this so good-naturedly she could hardly believe it. “Did you just torment each other nonstop?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Bridger chirped.
Lexi laughed, but now she could see the ocean and beach beyond the set of infinity pools. The beach looked so soft and welcoming, decorated by cabana beds and lounge chairs and umbrellas. Aside from a few people lounging and some others strolling by, it was pretty much empty. She’d run the beach over and over again this morning, but she hadn’t let herself swim in the ocean or squish her toes in the sand. For some reason, she wanted to do that with Callum.
She tugged on his hand and pointed with her other hand. “We’re here!”
Callum laughed, and when she broke into a run, he kept up. She skirted around the last infinity pool and headed for the closest set of stairs. Pumping down the stairs, she hit the sand, and unlike this morning when she’d had running shoes on, the sand squished into her toes. Sliding her sandals off, she bent down to grab them.
Callum beat her to it. He lifted the shoes and straightened. “Go. I’ll get us some chairs.”
Lexi threw her arms around his neck. She almost kissed him right on the mouth, but she caught herself and kissed his cheek. She loved the feel of the short hair of his beard under her lips.
Callum dropped her sandals and wrapped her up tight in his arms. Lexi was thrown back to that kiss, again. She focused on his dark gaze and hoped her eyes were telling him she wouldn’t mind kissing him right now.
Callum’s eyes dipped to her lips, then back up. He lowered his head closer, his breath brushing her mouth. Then … he stopped.
Lexi blinked up at him. What was wrong? She wanted more kissing, and quick.
“You have to ask me, remember?” he murmured.
Lexi had forgotten that she’d thrown that at him when he asked her to be his fake fiancée. Yet they were in public, so this could be counted as proving they were engaged. Nothing could’ve been further from the truth, for her, at least. Him paying her to be here, her worry about her job, his tendencies to work nonstop—none of that mattered right now. She just wanted Callum.
“Come on, you two.” Bridger was right at Lexi’s elbow. “For the love of the unattached little brother, show a little mercy and stop smooching all the time.”
Lexi forced herself to look away from Callum’s handsome face. All the brothers looked so much alike, but to her Callum’s face was more refined and appealing.
“I thought you wanted to swim in the ocean,” Bridger reminded her.
“I do.” Lexi disentangled herself from Callum’s arms. She pulled her dress up over her head and reached down for her sandals. She wondered if he noticed or liked her floral suit.
Callum swept the sandals from her fingertips and then reached for her dress. “I’ve got these,” he said in a low rumble. “You go. I’ll be right there.”
Lexi nodded her thanks and turned, running through the soft sand to the water. She hit the water with a splash. It was as warm as the outside air and buoyed her up. She slogged through the water for a while. When it got to her waist, she dove under. Surfacing, she stroked into deeper water and tasted the tang of salt on her lips. Yes! She was finally swimming in the ocean.
The waves were gentle, and although she was disappointed she wouldn’t be surfing on her one trip to the ocean, this was almost as good. Rolling over onto her back, she floated in the water and let the slow waves lift her up and down. She gazed up at the blue, blue sky, thinking this might be a little piece of heaven.
Hands wrapped around her abdomen, and she focused in on Callum’s handsome face haloed by the sun above. Heaven indeed.
She dropped her feet to the sea floor and faced him, water streaming down her face and neck. His hands stayed on her waist, and he smiled tenderly at her. “I thought you said I got to see you in a bikini.”
“This is a bikini,” she shot back.
Callum’s eyes traced over her sporty two-piece suit. The top had a high neck and came just below her rib cage. The bottoms were high-waisted and a full cut. Both pieces were a white floral pattern that she loved. She’d ordered two similar suits online from Nani Swimwear when Callum had given her the money.
“It’s a very attractive suit,” he relented, “but it covers too much to be a bikini.”
Lexi pushed at his firm shoulder. She let her gaze wander over his well-built shoulders all the way down to his abdomen. “I’m sorry you don’t approve of my suit. I think yours is just perfect.”
Callum grinned. “Well, thank you.” He released her waist and took her hand. “So are we swimming in the ocean first, paddle-boarding, or snorkeling?”
“We can snorkel?” Lexi almost forgot about the sting of Callum saying her suit was attractive but covered too much. Did that mean anything anyway?
He nodded, smiling at her exuberance.
“Okay.” She pulled her hand free and rubbed her palms together. “Swimming first, then snorkeling, then paddle-boarding, then kayaking. Then I saw waiters bringing food right down on the beach! We eat lunch right here as we listen to the waves and we hope we get sand stuck in our teeth, and then we take a nap in one of those cabana beds, and when we wake up we do it all over again.”
Callum chuckled. He brushed a strand of wet hair over her shoulder. Her bare skin singed with warmth from his fingertips. “I love your exuberance.”
Lexi was at a loss. She finally countered with, “So you don’t love my too-modest suit but you love my exuberance?”
Callum leaned closer. “I’m kind of loving everything about you, truth be told.”
Lexi blinked up at him.
A splash of water caught her in the side of the head. She blinked and spit as she heard loud laughter and turned to see Bridger almost upon them. “Come on, you two lovebirds. Let’s swim.” He dove under the water like a fish.
Lexi dove in after him. It was smarter than responding to Callum. When he was all sweet and attractive and forgot about his phone and computer, he was too much to resist. She’d never felt like this about a man. The guys she’d dated in college didn’t compare to Callum’s presence and charm, and he drew her in faster than a calf to her mama. What would she do if he tried to kiss her again? Her face filled with heat as she prayed he would.
Chapter Sixteen
Callum enjoyed the morning spent with Lexi and Bridger, and for the most part he was able to ignore his phone. His back was feeling much better and he could discount the dull throb like he did all the bruises Joseph gave him.
He watched Lexi closely for signs she was into Bridger, but although she laughed at him a lot, she didn’t cast longing looks at the “adventurer.” Bridger would never try to steal his brother’s fiancée for real, but when the gig was up, these two would probably be drawn to each other. Callum’s stomach churned at the thought of any man besides him being close to Lexi.
After the servers brought them drinks and lunch on the beach, thankfully without sand between their teeth, they lay down on the cabana bed. Bridger took a bed next to them. Callum loved being around his brother, but he really wanted to have Lexi all to himself. He hated that he was second-guessing every compliment Bridger gave and the way Lexi responded. If she wanted an adventurer like she’d told him that first day, Callum wasn’t even in the running.
Lexi lay down and closed her eyes. “Ah, this is heaven.”
Callum rolled onto his side and studied her. She was so beautiful with her long, blonde hair streaming around her and her skin pink and flushed with sun and excitement. Her eyes were closed, so he could look his heart’s contentment. He’d teased her about her suit, but it was perfect for her. He wouldn’t have liked his fiancée being splayed out in a string bikini. Maybe that was too possessive, but it made him think Lexi was the right fit for him.
“Sto
p staring at me,” she mumbled.
Callum chuckled. “But you’re so fun to stare at.”
Her eyes blinked open. They were as blue as the ocean. He was drawn in and didn’t want to break free. Thankfully Bridger seemed distracted and wasn’t bugging them, for the moment.
“I probably look like a drowned rat,” she mumbled.
“No.” He let himself cup her shoulder with his palm, so smooth, so intriguing. “You look beautiful.” He scooted closer on the bed.
Lexi focused in on him. Callum wondered if this was finally their moment. It didn’t matter to him that she’d come to Cancun for a large sum of money. She was here now, and he wanted her to stay by his side. If only they could share a kiss, not for anyone but them, maybe he could convince her to date him beyond this engagement farce.
Callum lowered his voice. “Will you ask me … please?”
“Ask you?” Her blue eyes twinkled at him, but she rolled onto her side and faced him, moistened her lips, and rested her hand on his chest.
Callum’s chest swelled as he scooted even closer. Their lips were so close he could almost taste their sweetness. If he hadn’t told her she would ask him to kiss her, he’d already be there. “Lexi, will you ask me to kiss you … please?”
Lexi smiled, and his chest tingled from her warm palm. If only she’d ask. He felt like he’d been waiting for this moment his entire life, even though he’d only known her a matter of weeks.
Finally, finally, she whispered, “Callum, will you kiss me … please?”
Callum grinned and hurried to cross the distance.
“Bro!” Bridger shook his shoulder and yanked him from Lexi’s lips.
Callum whirled on his brother, sitting up. “What?” Had he really just ruined Callum’s opportunity for a kiss? He would’ve tackled him into the sand and thumped him if Lexi’s hand wasn’t on his shoulder.
“That’s Britney Nolan.” Bridger pointed.
Callum followed Bridger’s finger, intrigued to see the famous model Cambree had wanted to set him up with. He’d been informed that Kiera had multiple cousins she’d wanted to push on him. Thank heavens Lexi was here. The soft touch of her hand made him thankful for other reasons. If he could get Bridger to chase after the woman Cambree had wanted to set Callum up with, he could be alone with Lexi. She’d just asked him to kiss her. He wanted to punch a fist in the air, but he’d rather just kiss those lovely lips of hers.
Hawk Brothers Romance Collection Page 37