“No, thank you,” I decline his offer.
“Well, all right then. I’ll leave you to it.” And just like that, he’s gone. We stare after him as his feet carry him further away from us.
“Dayum! He was fine,” Stacy exclaims.
“Why did you give him our middle names?” I ask.
“Because, my dear, you and I are going to let loose on this trip. You’ve been with that jerk-off who treated you like shit; you deserve to have a fun vacation. Have a one-night stand. Pretend to be Paige, the carefree college graduate who doesn’t have a gaping hole in her heart from her douchebag ex. We are going to live life to the fullest for the next seven days. I’m breaking you out of your comfort zone.”
Her words cause a bolt of excitement to shoot through my veins. I’ve been the good girl, the responsible, steady relationship girl my entire life. I gave everything in me to Daniel and what I thought we had, what I thought we were building together. The thought of doing something crazy, something out of character for me is exciting.
“Let’s change into our suits and hit the beach,” Stacy calls over her shoulder. She’s already headed back into the house.
I want this to be a trip to remember. Not so sure about the one-night stand, but I want to flirt and wear my barely-there bikini. I want the thrill of being available, nothing holding me back from getting down and dirty on the dance floor, kissing a stranger.
It’s time to do me.
Resolve set, I follow Stacy into the house and quickly change into my bikini. It’s way less clothing than I’m used to, but I remind myself this is living, being wild and free, at least for the next seven days.
“Hurry up, slowpoke!” Stacy yells down the hall.
I grab my sunglasses, a bottle of sunscreen, and my beach towel.
“I packed a few wine coolers in here.” She points to a small beach cooler. “Our parents had this place stocked. There’s no need to go to the store. We’re set.” She grins. “I got my Bluetooth speakers too.”
“Perfect.”
As we set up for the day, Stacy keeps peering down the shoreline. “You think Mr. Hotness will show his face again?”
I shrug. “Maybe, not sure though. He might be staying there to get away from people. This is a pretty secluded area,” I remind her.
“Nope, not buying that.” She shakes her head. “He stopped by to say hello. He doesn’t want to be alone. He might be hiding from people, but he’s not hiding from us.”
“Only time will tell.” I try to end the conversation. Oddly enough, our sexy neighbor with his hardline muscles and inked-up skin has been on my mind as well. The image is hard to forget, trust me.
Stacy plugs her iPod into her speakers and we settle in to get some sun.
The sun is hot against my skin, causing my body to break out in a thin sheen of sweat. It doesn’t bother me, because, well, this is freaking Hawaii. I’m going to soak up as much of the sun’s rays as I can over the next seven days.
Glancing over, I see Stacy has fallen asleep. Just as I’m trying to decide if I want to do the same, a shadow falls over us. Tilting my head toward the sky, my eyes collide with the tall, toned, tatted piece of hotness that is our neighbor. My breath hitches in my throat just from the sight of him.
“Are you wearing sunscreen?” he asks.
Uh, okay. Not sure why it matters to him. “I’m covered, thanks,” I reply, laying my head back on my towel. He may be the triple threat of T’s, but he can take his bossy ass back on down the beach.
I feel him sit down beside me. He obviously didn’t get the hint. I ignore his presence and keep facing the opposite direction.
Feeling yet another shadow, I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
He smells amazing.
His hot breath hits my ear as he says, “I would hate for that flawless skin to be marred by the harsh rays of the sun.”
Holy shit! So he just redeemed himself with that statement. Not only that, but he managed to make the girly bits raise their hand for attention.
Mr. Triple T is dangerous!
Turning to face him, he’s watching me with a smirk. “You’re beautiful,” he says with a hint of sincerity.
This guy is hell on my hormones. I feel my flesh flush with embarrassment. I don’t get the chance to respond before his index finger traces the outline of my jaw.
“Don’t mind me,” Stacy says from her towel beside me. The sound of her voice has me jerking away from him and sitting up. Shit! What the hell am I doing?
“Nice to see you again, Michael,” Stacy greets him.
“Likewise. What do you two beautiful ladies have planned for this evening?”
“Nothing, you got any suggestions?” Stacy retorts, effectively leaving me out of the conversation. It’s just as well. I’m not sure I can find my voice after . . . that.
“I can throw some steaks on the grill, if you’re interested,” he suggests.
“What do you think, Paige?” she puts emphasis on my name.
“I don’t know, Lynn,” I fire back. Remembering my vow to live it up this week and take chances, I turn to Michael. “Are you any good?”
He smirks and my face instantly heats. I meant at grilling, but by the look on his face, he’s taking it to a whole other level.
“Trust me, I’m the best you’ve ever had.”
Holy shit. All right then. This guy is lethal.
“Great, what time do you want us? We’ll bring dessert,” Stacy offers.
“Nope, not necessary. I’ve got everything covered. You leave it all to me.” He winks as he stands and pats the sand from his ass. My eyes follow his hands.
He clears his throat, causing my eyes to travel up his toned body to find his. “See you soon,” he purrs. Yes, he fucking purred, and my body is responding just as I’m sure he hoped or, hell, even knew that it would.
I don’t take my eyes off him as he makes his retreat.
“What the hell was that?” Stacy squeals.
“I don’t really know,” I say honestly. I tell her what happened while she was sleeping right next to us.
“He wants you, Logan! He’s exactly what you need,” she informs me.
“Oh, really? What exactly brings you to this conclusion, oh, wise one?”
Holding up her hand, she begins to tick off items one by one. “One, his body, he’s a sex god. Two, you need a real man to show you how good it can be. Three, you need to let loose and live a little. This guy is perfect for that. We leave here in a week. Take full advantage of what he is so obviously offering and enjoy every damn second of it.”
She makes a good point on all counts, but that’s never been me. I’ve never been a fling kind of girl. My first was in high school. He was my boyfriend for eight months before we decided to go all the way. It was quick and nothing to brag about. We broke up at graduation, both going to colleges hundreds of miles apart. We weren’t in love, but we did have a . . . fondness for each other. The only other guy I’ve slept with was Daniel. I’ve never had an orgasm during sex. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, and he didn’t care enough to realize I was always faking it. Something tells me I wouldn’t have that problem with Michael.
“Stop thinking so damn much, just go with it. You’re Paige, remember?” Stacy prompts, trying to get me to loosen up. My mind wanders to Daniel and how he’s done this for years behind my back, when we were ‘taking a break.’ I can do this. What’s the harm in flirting with a gorgeous guy who seems to be interested?