Page 89 of What Happens in Paradise

Hazel wanted me to send photos of the sunset, but I just realised I didn’t have any. Because although of course I’d watched it, briefly, I’d spent most of the time locking lips with Alejandro.

Shit.

Screwing Alejandro was bad enough, but at least I’d done it off the clock.

Hazel was right. The main reason for going to Rick’s Café was to watch the romantic sunset, so of course she’d want to see photos.

I’d always prided myself on being good at my job, but I’d let myself down and Hazel.

‘I tried taking some, but they came out blurry,’ I said quickly, ‘so I deleted them. The ones on the website are pretty accurate, though.’

‘Is everything okay with you, Jasmine?’ Hazel’s face was more wrinkled than a frowning pug’s.

‘Yes!’ My voice went up several octaves. ‘Of course!’

‘You don’t seem yourself. Normally, you reply to my messages straightaway. And after every location you’ve visited, you’ve always sent me a barrage of photos afterwards, but not only were you MIA for an entire weekend, you’ve just told me that after taking a trip to the other side of the island, you don’t have a single photo of the sunset: a key feature of the location!’

She had a point. A very, very valid point.

To be honest, I challenge anyone to even think about taking photos of the most beautiful sunset views in the world when they had the most beautiful man in the world’s face in front of them.

And if she ever sampled his kisses, I could guarantee that Hazel wouldn’t even remember her own name or have the ability to think clearly about anything.

But of course, I couldn’t tell her that feeling his hard body pressed against me and the sensation of his delicious tongue flicking against mine had turned my brain to mush, so I had to think of something else to say.

Fast.

‘You’re right. I don’t know what happened. I think I was so caught up in the beauty of it all that I didn’t think to check how the photos had come out until it was too late. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.’

There.

Question answered.

In hindsight, there were loads of people taking photos so if I was thinking clearly, I could’ve asked a stranger to send me some images they’d taken and my problem would’ve been solved. But, like I said, it was impossible to think logically when Alejandro was nearby.

Hazel stayed silent for a few seconds before leaning back in her chair.

‘Make sure it doesn’t.’

Phew.

‘Now.’ She slammed her hand on the desk. ‘Remind me why you felt the need to stay at a hotel?’

Looked like I wasn’t out of the woods yet…

‘Because our driver wasn’t able to take us back.’

‘Why not?’

Shit. I wasn’t about to drop Bob in it by saying he was off his head.

‘He seemed tired,’ I said. ‘And we couldn’t locate another licensed taxi driver who would be willing to take the long journey back to our hotel. I know how much the Love Hotel values the safety of its Romance Rockstars, so staying at a hotel seemed like a small price to pay to guarantee our wellbeing.’

Boom.

That was a great answer even if I said so myself. If Hazel argued with me on that, she’d be saying she didn’t care about our safety. And although what Alejandro and I ended up doing together was reckless, that wasn’t our original intention.

‘Very well. However, I noticed that there was onlyonehotel room on the credit-card bill. And that particular room type isn’t large enough to accommodate a sofa. So where did you both sleep?’

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