Page 73 of Paradise in Progress
“Oh, Miss Kennedy, Mr. Nelson, I’m sorry to interrupt,” one of our housekeepers addresses us. Kennedy ducks her head, and I take the opportunity to push her embarrassment.
“Allow me to be the one to apologize. It turns out Kennedy can’t keep her hands off me.”
With a flick of her wrist, Kennedy lands a soft smack to my stomach, and I watch both women’s cheeks flare with a matching deep blush. “Ah, young love. Enjoy it, you two.”
Tucking that same loose strand behind her ear, Kennedy smiles at the older woman. “I tried really hard to make the beds, but it turns out, I’m terrible at it.”
I knew she would be. But Kennedy’s big heart wouldn’t let her sit around while the staff were busy working to get the rooms ready.
“Nonsense. Thank you for offering to help.”
We bid the woman farewell and step out of the room, hand-in-hand.
“I can’t believe you said that.” Shock laces her words as I smirk down at her.
“What? It’s true.”
I push the button to call the elevator as I take in a new angle of the resort from the third-floor window. Purple flowers blow in the wind next to the sidewalk, which leads to the private pools. The property has four pools on the ground—the main one, two smaller ones for the first-level rooms, and a medium-sized pool for guests who don’t want to be near the crowded main pool.
A ding has my attention turning toward the elevator as the door slides open. Kennedy steps in, with me on her heels. She hits the button for the main floor, and as soon as the doors close, I’m pressing her against the wall.
“Tristan.” My name leaves her lips on a gasp, her eyes locking onto mine with hunger I already feel.
“Fuck, Kennedy, I can’t get enough of you.” Our tongues dance their sweet rhythm. Gliding. Tangling. Tasting. Peppermint from hergum hits my tastebuds, and I deepen the kiss even more, wanting to feel all of her that I can. Her hands slide over my hips, down my thigh, before cupping my growing erection. As she palms my dick, squeezing it just right, I let out a strangled noise.
A light chuckle leaves her lips, and we separate when the doors notify us that our ride is over. Reaching for her hand, I pull her behind me as we exit the guest quarters.
“C’mon, Firecracker, it’s time for dinner.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Is this like a legit dinner, or am I the dinner?”
Stopping in my tracks, Kennedy’s front runs into my shoulder as I take in her blazing eyes. “Are you offering yourself?”
She rolls her eyes, and I want to be rolling them for a whole different reason. “No, Golden Boy, take me to dinner.” She glances down at her Smartwatch, brow pinched. “Trist, it’s not even five o’clock and we’re having dinner?”
“I have a whole night planned with you.” I tug her closer to me as I place an arm over her shoulder. “And I was planning on ordering cheesecake and snagging a bottle of champagne for later.”
“Now I can get behind that plan.”
Dinner at Lullaby Lagoon was delicious, just like it has been every time we’ve dined there. I need to make sure the marketing team reaches out to a few food bloggers to get them to sample the food. There’s no way they’ll leave here without feeling satisfied and writing us a raving review.
As we move through the dimly lit resort, I revel in the feel of her soft hand in mine. I’m captivated by Kennedy Reed, and I hope that at the end of this, she doesn’t hate me. I don’t know how I’ll go back to a world where Kennedy views me as her enemy.
Call me selfish, but I’m not ready for our time to end—not tonight, and not on this island. Tightening my grip on her hand, I glance down and find Kennedy already smiling up at me.
With my free hand, I place a finger under her chin and tilt her face. Her green eyes sparkle in the night light.
“You’re beautiful,” I whisper as I lower my face to hers. Before I know it, I’m groaning into her parted mouth as she grips the hair at the nape of my neck. Forever the impatient girl, Kennedy has pulled me down to hers as our lips collide in a heated kiss.
Bodies relaxing, our hips meet, and I feel her subtly grinding against me. Blood pumps powerfully through my veins as I deepen our connection, stroking her tongue as she seeks friction. My girl is turned on. She’s starved for my touch, and that thought alone has me wanting to take her right here on this vacant sidewalk.
I invade her mouth like I’ll never kiss her again, consuming, taking everything she throws my way.
I crave her, and no amount of tasting will satisfy my hunger.
She’s everything I’ve been searching for, even when I didn’t know what I was looking for.
The crack in my heart becomes a gaping hole as I pour my love into her. I pray that love gets us through what’s to come.
