Anna called down and ordered breakfast, unwilling to risk a run-in with April and Mason in the in-house restaurant, and they’d eaten in companionable silence.
Scotty: They’ve left the hotel.
Shane: Thanks mate. Give me a heads up if they return in the next half hour.
“They’re gone,” Shane told Anna.
She giggled, clapped her hands, and jumped up and down. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a fake, bloody head. Apparently, Mason was a bit of a scaredy cat and Anna was keen to explore that further. She wandered out to the balcony and reached over the railing.
Shane grabbed her by the waist.
“Too far, Tinkerbell. This revenge is not worth dying for,” he scolded.
“Oh hush, I’m fine.”
He kept a firm grip on her as she reached over and dumped the bloody head on April and Mason’s balcony. Thankfully, it landed right side up in a corner of the balcony not visible from the door.This feels natural. I don’t want to let her go, he thought.
Anna righted herself, straightening up, but he didn’t remove his hands. This was becoming a habit. She turned, facing him, or rather, facing his chest. Even sleeping in the same bed as her last night hadn’t felt this nerve-wracking. His hands gentled, no longer feeling the urge to grab her tightly to prevent a balcony tragedy. Instead, his fierce grab turned into a soft caress. He ran his open hands up and down her sides, prompting her to stare up directly into his eyes. She was so warm. Toned, but with a soft little belly. She looked half stunned, half aroused.
Should I kiss her?
He began to move his head down, staring at her lips. She stared back but didn’t move. He moved slowly, giving her every opportunity to pull away. She remained as still as a stone. Their lips pushed together gently. She had a soft, full mouth, just as he’d imagined. They kissed again; both sets of eyes were closed. This time, he didn’t move away. He just left their lips touching, moving slightly, waiting for some kind of signal.
She slid her hands up his upper arms onto his shoulders, then finally, around his neck. That was the signal. He pushed his lips harder into hers, motioning hers open with his. Their tongues met, gently but firmly. She tasted like fresh coffee and strawberry jam and smelled like her usual sweet perfume.
This was amazing. She was soft, passionate, and warm. She felt as into this as he did, flushing him with even greater pleasure. He wasn’t sure how long it lasted. Long enough for hisdick to harden and long enough for her to have pushed into him so they were chest to chest. He could feel her breasts pushing into him, her leg moving between his, sandwiching one of his strong thighs.
The chime of his phone killed the moment. She pulled away, glancing inside their room.
“Um, you have a message,” she whispered, shifting her eyes from inside the room to his chest.
“Whoever they are, their timing is fucked,” he said, his voice deeper than usual.
She stepped away, but he arrested the movement by tightening his grip on her.
“Hey, that was amazing. You are amazing. We’re not doing anything wrong,” he assured.
The last thing he wanted was for her to feel guilty or regretful. Sure, the timing was off, but they were essentially single in their hearts. Actually, he no longer felt single. Hopefully, after that kiss, she no longer felt single.
As he let go, she lowered her head and stared off into the distance like their view of the back of another building was somehow fascinating. He entered the room and checked his phone.
Scotty: Reservation at hotel restaurant for lunch at 1 pm. Want a table in the back? View of them but screens will mostly hide you.
Shane: Definitely! Thanks.
Shane called out to the balcony.
“Tinkerbell, will you join me for lunch and a show at 1 pm?”
She turned, smiling deviously.
“I’d love to, GI Joe!”
Mason
What a clusterfuck last night had been. Who had sent him the picture? He’d Google reverse searched it, but it brought up nothing. How dare April accuse him of cheating! He wasn’t a cheater. His stomach clenched. He was a cheater. But he didn’t have a third woman. That would be truly disgusting behavior. It had to be Lilah, but the woman in the photo had a totally different build than Lilah. And why would she seek revenge this way? She had no way of knowing he was seeing April or that they were away together, so she couldn’t be behind the photo or the card. A sickening feeling gripped him. Could it be Anna? No, definitely not. If she knew, she’d be hysterical and confront him. She didn’t have the emotional capacity to play it cool. And it certainly couldn’t be the Hulk. He’d just kill him, not mess with him like this.
This was just too complicated. He never signed up for all this shit. He pictured his mother, chanting the quote she’d used frequently when he lied as a child:
