Chapter1
The palm treesswayed lazily in the bright afternoon sun against a backdrop of bright blue sky and puffy white clouds.Steel drum music floated on the breeze from the opposite side of the five-star Westerly Resort adults-onlypooldeck.
“Do you want another?”Ted, my best friend,asked.
I looked down at the pina colada, smelling the rum and coconut and feeling just relaxed enough to stop panicking over work.This was a vacation after all.“Yes, please.And maybe some of those conchfritters?”
“Definitely fritters,” he said with a determined nod.Ted wore his colored Ray Bans and an ultra-white, panty-melting smile in a way few men could pull off after college without looking sadly immature.If he weren’t essentially my brother I might think hewascute.
Except no.Not ever.My skin crawled just thinking about it.Our relationship wasn’t—and never had been—like that, no matter what anyone else thought of a man and a woman being best friends.I mean, I understood why there was confusion.It was natural for two people who were close to take that friendship to the next level.But when you grow up together, sharing the shit we had, romance isn’t on the table and I wouldn’t want it to be.If I ever fell in love I didn’t want it to be tainted by the past the way my relationship with Ted always would be.I loved him—but notlikethat.
“I’ll have to run for an extra thirty minutes a day the week we get back,” I said betweendelicioussips.
“But it’ll be worth it...” he cooed.“You know I can see you watching him,right?”
I snapped my attention away from the shirtless cowboy I’d been eye-fucking for the last fifteen minutes.“I don’t know what you’re talkingabout.”
Which of course only made Ted chuckle.“You might want to wipe the drool off your chin before you lie to menexttime.”
Crap, there really was a little bit of drool in the corner ofmylips.
But seriously?The man was gorgeous—and not in the Hollywood way I was used to.This man was rugged and imperfect, he was...well, he was unmistakably male and that was such aturn-on.
“He’s hot,” Ted said, matter-of-factly.
I rolled my eyes and sipped the last of my drink, setting the empty glass aside.“You are an unreliable narrator when it comes to men.Your radar only works on leggy blondes with breastimplants.”
“It does not.I’m an equal opportunity lover when it comes to breasts.Fake or real, I’ll enjoy them just the same.”His eyes locked onto a pair in a hot pink bikini drifting past us.“And while I may not be attracted to men, I know what good looking is versus average Joe and that man is noaverageJoe.”
No he was not.The faint farmer’s tan was nearly obliterated by the tropical sunshine, but it was there—evidence of what I imagined were hours of physical labor.His light brown hair was on the longer side but meticulously manicured around his ears and neckline.Instead of Ray Bans he wore the significantly more practical Costas with one of those straps that wrapped around his neck.His chin was covered in at least three or four day’s growth and nearly obscured what appeared to be a scar on his chin.His body was long and sculpted as it disappeared into his orange swim trunks, but not from a gym.No, his muscular perfection was the resultofuse.
He was completely different from the fake tanned, plastic surgery adjusted, gym perfect stars I worked beside everyday—and I liked that differenceimmensely.
“Okay fine.I’m staring, but I’m on vacation.I’m allowed to enjoy thescenery.”
The waiter returned with our refills and fritters, setting the items on the round table that stood between our loungechairs.
“I’m simply hoping that your enjoyment of the scenery will transform into physical enjoyment in thebedroom.”
Ted always found as much “physical enjoyment” as he could on our vacations and I had to admit that I was restless and a little bit jealous of Ted’s ability to have fun.The stress of the last couple of years had taken a toll on me.I never used to be this uptight.I used to be the carefree, everything-will-work-out, let’s-enjoy-life, gypsy.But that girl had gone M.I.A.and Imissedher.
The cowboy stretched his arms above his head and I really thought it would be bad form if I didn’t take another moment to enjoy the view across from me.Especially since he couldn’t see me looking at him as long as he had his head back, looking up atthesky.
He’d been sitting there as long as we had, alone.Beside him sat a laptop bag he hadn’t touched.It seemed at odds with the well-worn cowboy hat on his head.Did he work outdoors or in an office?Were those bright orange trunks that hugged his slim hips used for frequent days at the beach or was this a rare occasion?And why was he all alone?It was true that he wasn’t perfectly handsome like a model, but he was unmistakably sexy, even from over here.His imperfections only seemed to contribute to his sex appeal, not detract from it.A man like him probably had women throwing themselves at his feet allthetime.
I was certainly entertaining the idea and I was not the kind of woman who ever chased any man.But it was vacation and Cowboy was the kind of guy who gave a woman secondthoughts.
“What about you?”I changed the subject before Cowboy caught me.“I haven’t seen you with a single woman and we’ve been here nearlyfivedays.”
He shrugged.“Meaningless sex hasn’t held the same attraction lately.I think I’m getting old.”At twenty-nine Ted was not old.Not by a long shot.“I just can’t stomach the drama.Why is it so hard for some people to distinguish between sex and a relationship?I’m clear.This is just sex.One time...okay sometimes three or four...but nothing more.No dinner.No cuddling.Just physical release.When I want a relationship I’ll let theuniverseknow.”
Too bad we weren’t attracted to each other.It would be so convenient—best friends who satisfied and went back to beingfriends.
Wait no...that was aterribleidea.
“I think you’re in the clear, Ted.We’re only here two more days.Even if you found the neediest lover in the world we’ll be on a plane to LA in forty-eight hours.Alone.”
“Goodpoint.”