‘No, it’s okay. I’ll sleep on the floor. I’m sure there’s plenty of blankets and pillows in the cupboard that I can use. I’ll be fine. I’m going to use the bathroom,’ I said, excusing myself.
Sarah was right, the floor would be uncomfortable, even with blankets, but taking into account the speed at which my attraction to Sarah was growing right now, it was the safest option all round.
If I shared a bed with her, I knew the temptation to ask if I could kiss her would become overpowering.
And if she let me, I knew that once I’d kissed her, it wouldn’t be long until I was begging to take things further. Something that I’d sworn to myself and to Theo that I’d never do.
I couldn’t break that promise.
No matter how much I wanted to.
30
SARAH
What a mess.
All the excitement and happiness I’d felt ten minutes ago about Esme’s comeuppance had evaporated.
This was an impossible situation.
If I asked reception for another room, that’d be a red flag to everyone and basically tell them that we weren’t really a couple. Yeah, there were people who didn’t believe in sharing a bed or room with someone before they got married, but let’s face it, that was pretty rare. There was no way my family would buy that.
But if Ben stayed, he’d have to sleep on the floor, which I wouldn’t want him to do. Like I’d said, he’d saved my bacon already. He was giving up his time for free, for me. Someone who wasn’t even a proper friend. Well, despite our rocky start and the fact that I’d told everyone who’d listen that I hated him, I hoped that, now we were getting on better, he kind of considered me a friend to some degree.
Even if he did, though, what he was doing for me went way above the call of duty for even the best friendships. He was doing me a massive favour. So if anyone should be sleeping on the floor, it should be me.
Yeah. That was settled.
Ben came out of the bathroom and I tried not to look at him. Every time I did, my whole body went haywire. My stomach somersaulted, my pulse raced, my heart pumped and my fanny fluttered. Until now I didn’t know that you could get a full-body workout just from looking at a man.
‘I’ll take the floor,’ I said, revisiting the conversation whilst still avoiding eye contact.
‘I said no,’ he growled. ‘I know you probably still think I’m an arsehole, but there’s no way I’d let you do that. End of story. So what’s the plan for today?’
I knew from his tone that he had no interest in continuing the discussion about our sleeping arrangements, so I’d shelve it for now, but I was still adamant that he would not be screwing up his back for me.
‘We have a rehearsal dinner tonight at eight, then the wedding tomorrow at noon, followed by lunch, the wedding reception and stuff. Then on Sunday morning we can relax before heading back.’
‘Cool. It’s only just gone four, so what are you going to do now?’
Part of me knew I should at least explore the hotel’s grounds, but I was convinced that if I did, I’d bump into Trent or Esme. Plus, we’d had an early start and I was tired, so I just wanted to chill in the room until it was time to get ready.
‘I think I’ll just sit out on the balcony and read. You?’ I asked.
Given how much of an explorer Ben seemed to be, he’d probably go for a walk on the beach. No doubt he’d have the women falling at his feet along the way, but despite his reputation, somehow I believed that he wouldn’t act on it, because he knew that would affect the whole fake dating arrangement.
That alone spoke volumes. Ben had made no secret of the fact that he loved the ladies and the ladies loved him. So it meant a lot that he was giving up a whole weekend of pussy prowling for me.
‘Mind if I join you?’ Ben asked.
‘What?’ My brows shot up. He had the chance to spend time away from me, but he chose to stay and sit here whilst I read? Mind blown. ‘Nope, go for it.’
After taking my paperback out of my bag, I headed to the balcony.
Wow.
The views were stunning. The golden beach looked gorgeous and the sea was multiple shades of blue. I wasn’t surprised Debbie wanted to get married here.
