Page 246 of Daddy, Take Me Away
“Ah.” She waves off my words. “Your villa sounds lovely, but I’m not a woman who wants to be hidden away.”
“You can invite whomever you like over while you’re staying there,” I add, sweetening the pot. “Like Mr. Grey over there.”
One of her thinning white brows rises. “Mr. Grey, huh?”
“Yes, and don’t look back now, but he’s checking out your ass.”
“You got a sex room?”
I bark a laugh. “What is it with you Wayz women and those books?”
She wiggles her brows.
“No, no sex room, but one of the bedrooms has a four-poster and some leather ankle and wrist cuffs in the drawer.”
She grins mischievously. “Throw in free room service, including a good bottle of wine, and you’ve got a deal.”She waves her hands down her wrinkled, albeit surprisingly lithe, body. “And I’ll keep all this fabulous away from your prudish guests.”
“You’ve got it, Aggie. Housekeeping will have it ready for you in an hour and I’ll send a few men over to transfer your things. In the meantime, shall I show you my other private beach?”
She nods, and takes my offered elbow. “Mind if I grab your ass as we leave? Show the old guy he’s got some competition.”
“Let’s leave that to his imagination, yeah? I’m a gentleman, not a gigolo.”
“Fine, I’ll tell you about my Zoë while we walk.” She turns her head and calls out, “You guys coming?”
When the others follow us, I pipe up, “Hey bride and groom, you’re not going to pester, or even ask Zoë about helping out, yeah? And you’re not going to make her feel guilty either. You did a shitty thing, a really shitty thing, and you’re not going to make it worse by forcing her to help your betrayal come to fruition. And if I hear you’ve been after her, I’ll escort you off the property myself. Got me?”
There are grumbles behind us, but the bride finally answers with a crisp ‘yes’. Then I hear her whisper-ask Mark if I’m Zoë’s new boyfriend.
My gut rolls at the term, boyfriend, but I’m surprisingly not revolted by it like usual. It’s none of their business what Zoë and I are anyway.
Aggie gives my arm a squeeze and whispers, “I love a take-charge, protective man.”
By the time I’ve got Aggie and the rest of the group settled on my private beach, I’m plotting ways to make Mark and his new bride miserable without making my resort look bad.
Zoë’s ready when I return, and I smile at the stripe of white zinc on her nose, instantly forgetting the distaste her sister and Mark left in my mouth. Can this woman get any more adorable?
“Ready to go?”
She bobs her head, stuffing her curls into a bun on top of her head.
“Let’s go.” I hand her a small backpack with a few bottles of water, a first aid kit, a sandwich, an apple and a few snack bars. Mine’s already on my back with the same supplies, but a few extra items, like towels and two helmets.
“What about our meeting?”
We take one of the resort jeeps for the first leg of the journey, having our meeting on the drive, but then hop out at a parking lot near the head of the trail. A few other couples are setting out too, so we hang back a few minutes and let them get a head start.
I hold out my hand for her to take. “Can’t be losing you now, can I?”
She takes it and I give hers a squeeze, loving the way her small hand feels in mine. When did I turn into a guy that liked holding hands? Holding wrists, yes, especially when pinning them.
“I believe you’ve mentioned a few long stories and we’ve got a long journey so…”
“This suddenly feels like a trap,” she says, her eyes narrowing on me.
I shrug.“Tell me about your sister and your ex.”
“Confession?”
