I flinched, wishing that hadn’t slipped out. “Look,” I started, knowing he was wasn’t going to like what I was about to say, “the financial advisor I told you about? Well, it turns out he was working with Darryl, or at least, Darryl was pointing his athletes in his direction. So, to get Phillip Morris’ information I made an appointment with Darryl. That was weeks ago and I haven’t heard from nor seen him since. Until tonight.”
“Until tonight,” Tyler stated cautiously.
I shrugged. “Probably all of the stuff with you and Leonard …” I waved my hands in front of my face, dismissing the entire issue. “He’s not important. Whatisimportant is that I’m starving and want to go home.”
“Yeah, about that …”
I gave Tyler a funny look.
“How would you feel about not going home?”
“Hmm?”
“Instead, I want you to come away with me for a few days.”
“Away? Where?”
He shrugged. “Anywhere you want.”
“Tyler, that doesn’t make any se—”
“I’m suspended for two games. No practice until next week. We can make it a long weekend. You can move any appointments around, right?”
“Yeah, but … You don’t even have a destination in mind. We don’t have anything packed. I’m sure you’ll get in trouble for just up and leaving even with your suspension. Plus, how? We’d need to book tickets somewhere and—”
“Belize and Roatan Island. Those are our destinations. We’ll get there by boat.”
“Boat?”
Tyler shrugged. “Yacht, actually. My family owns a yacht. We, mostly my parents, use it for personal time. Vacations. You can teach me to scuba dive.”
“I’m not certified to teach. Just to dive.”
Another shrug as he stepped closer, his arm going around my waist. “Then we’ll get an instructor for me and we’ll dive together. Roatan has the best diving around, right?”
I nodded. “Yes, but …” I hesitated. It all sounded crazy, but the gleam in Tyler’s eyes as he stared down into mine, kept me from saying no.
A slow smile crept across his face as if he just knew he’d won. “Your bags are already packed. We leave in an hour.”
I sputtered. “Y-you packed my bags? How? Why? You didn’t know I’d agree to this impromptu vacation.”
“I knew,” was all he said before pressing a kiss to my lips.
“Don’t touch me.” I pulled back from the kiss. “I’m still pissed at you for getting your ass suspended in the first place. You shouldn’t be allowed to go on vacation. Like in school, if you get suspended for fighting, you don’t get to go to Disneyland. You are made to stay home and write book reports and do chores all day. You’re put on punishment.” I knew I’d used the wrong word when that damn smile grew and that goddamn dimple came out to play, as if it was winking at me.
“You want to punish me?” He wiggled his eyebrows and I couldn’t help the giggle that spilled from my lips.
“What clothes of mine did you pack?” I couldn’t believe he’d gone in my closet to pack. Though, on second thought, I totally could believe it. Tyler practically lived at my place. Much of his belongings were at my condo and I’d given him a key weeks ago.
“Nothing. We don’t need clothes.”
“Tyler.”
He chuckled. “A few bathing suits, dresses for going out at night, and shoes.”
I sighed. “How do I know you packed all of the right stuff and that they match?”
“Whatever I forgot, we can pick up. Let’s go. We need to meet the plane. The yacht’s docked in Miami so we leave from there.”
