“Get serious. What’s going on?”
“Sit down, relax, and I’ll tell you.”
He mutters something I don’t hear and takes a seat.
Between sips of coffee, I tell him the truth. He’s not a big fan of Mark either, and I can tell he approves of me stepping in to help her deal with him by pretending to be her date. Then, I fill him in on the room mix-up and how we ended up sharing one.
His eyes grow wide. “One bed? Does that mean youaresleeping together?”
“In the literal sense, yes. But we’re each staying on our own side of the bed.” That’s not necessarily true, but in this case, I think intent is more relevant than execution. “As for sex… Well, nothing has happened on that front. Yet.”
“Yet? Wow.” Lucas leans back in his seat, running a hand through his dark hair. “You never mentioned having a thing for Kaylee before.”
I understand his point. “I didn’t. I mean, she’s hot, but I didn’t really think of her like that.” What I don’t tell him is that something shifted between us last night.
There are a lot of beautiful women in the world, and I’ve dated plenty of them, but there’s always been something missing. I want more than just empty sex or frivolous fun. I want to feel a connection. It’s the main reason I’ve had so many short-term relationships. I don’t want to settle. I’m looking for something deeper than surface level and last night,the chemistry we shared felt like it ran deeper than the physical attraction between us. I felt it even if I can’t explain why.
There’s potential with Kaylee, and the idea of exploring that is exciting. She could be the one I’ve been looking for, and I almost missed it because I was pursuing the wrong women. “You know, Kaylee is different from any woman I’ve dated in the past.” I don’t want Lucas to feel like I’m using her in any way.
Just then, a chair is pulled out beside me. I glance up as Eric slides into the seat. Mark ends up across from me, next to Lucas.
“Morning, boys,” Eric says with a grin.
“You’re in a good mood,” I comment, taking a big bite of my muffin. Not that I blame him.
“Of course I am. I’m getting married tomorrow.”
Mark rolls his eyes, but I’m the only one that seems to notice and he covers it with a sip of his coffee.
“Good for you,” Lucas says. “I’m looking forward to tying the knot too. I’ve wanted to lock Rainey down for a while, but she’s planning a big wedding. And what she wants? She gets.”
“That’s what happens with a family name like Dare,” Eric says. “Big money means a big party.”
Lucas laughs. “It’s not about that for me or for Rainey. Her mother is over the moon her only daughter is getting married. I’m letting them do whatever they want. I’ll just be glad when I can call Rainey my wife.”
“You guys are so whipped,” Mark says, but everyone ignores him.
He’s surly this morning, and he’s actively avoiding my gaze. He doesn’t say much as we eat breakfast and talk about the schedule for the next couple of days. I wonder if Eric said something to him after he made an ass of himself last night and now he’s on a tight leash.
We linger in the coffee shop for a while, until it’s time to meet the girls at the dock for a wedding party boat and snorkelingexpedition planned by Ashley. Despite living in Miami and spending a ton of time at the beach, I’ve never been snorkeling before. Personally, I’d rather be surfing, but swimming around in the ocean sounds more appealing than it did before yesterday because it means I’ll be with Kaylee.
When we get to the dock, the women are waiting in a group. Ashley and Kaylee are talking, and I allow my eyes to roam over her from head to toe, starting with the oversized sunglasses on her face and working my way down. She’s wearing a dress again. This time, it’s white with an eyelet pattern. It hugs her chest before flowing to just above her knees. It’s not particularly revealing, but she looks stunning. I focus my gaze on her long legs, internally cursing when the thought of having them wrapped around me makes my dick jerk back to life.
So much for taking the edge off.I have a feeling taking care of myself isn’t going to give me the satisfaction I truly need.
Mark’s girlfriend is among the women, and she comes to his side but it’s obvious the awkward tension between them remains. She’s stiff and he has that bored look that doesn’t bode well for her.
I focus on Kaylee as she greets me with a smile. “Hi, there. How did you sleep last night? Sharing a bed wasn’t too bad, right?” she asks.
I think about waking up with the scent of her coconut shampoo in my nose and her warm skin against mine. Clearly she has no recollection of draping herself over me. “No,” I say, my lips curving in a grin. “Not bad at all.”
“Time to load up!” someone yells out. We board the boat that’s just big enough to fit our party of nine.
There are two bench seats, and I end up sitting between Eric and Kaylee who tilts her head back with a smile, as if she’s trying to soak up the bright sunshine. When the boat starts moving,gliding over the waves, her hair whips wildly around, and I laugh when it hits me in the face.
It doesn’t take long before we reach the reef the owner of the boat says is ideal for snorkeling.
Everyone stands.
