Page 8 of Beauty
Two songs in, I heave myself up and storm through the open double doors, causing the sheer turquoise curtains to fan dramatically. I snag the book on the coffee table and dig my journal out of my suitcase, then head back outside.
With a mission in mind, relief washes over me. I’ll peruse the activities the resort offers, check out the room service menu, andmake plans for the weekend. If I sit here any longer, staring at the ocean, I’ll lose my mind.
And when I’m done with all that, I’m going to draw.
Just as the sky is turning a vibrant red, room service knocks on my door with the bottle of Sirah and the cheese platter I ordered. “Where would you like it?” he asks, as if there’s any question of what my answer will be.
The view outside my villa is incredible. The sight of it from here causes design idea after design idea to spark to life in my mind. I guide him outside to the table and two chairs. Yes, two. Because who stays in a place like this alone?
Life is meant to be spent in twos. Or so the world tells us.
There’s never been a person to occupy that second chair in my life. Not a person I wanted there anyway.
Though right now, I don’t need anyone. I’ve got my sketchpad, some sustenance, and a gorgeous view to keep me company.
Once I’ve tipped the man and he’s gone, I cut a piece of the creamy white cheese and smear it onto a cracker. As I’m adding a little apricot spread, the doors to the villa beside mine open.
Two male voices discuss where to put the food one must be delivering. After athank youand a farewell greeting, I’m blanketed in silence again.
Nosy, I pop the first bite of my dinner into my mouth and shift in my seat to get a look at my new neighbor. When I realize it’shim, I practically choke on the cracker.
Familiar black glasses and light brown hair. It’s messy, like he just woke from a nap. His face is shadowed in a way it wasn’t this morning, reminding me that he’s at least a few years older than I am.
And the man is shirtless. Damn. Every inch of muscle I imagined when he first walked onto that plane is on full display.
But my imagination has nothing on the real thing.
It hits me as I soak in the sight of all his bare skin, covered in a few tattoos, just how underdressed I am myself.
As if he can sense my scrutiny, he turns in my direction. Clearly he’s noticing just how little I’m wearing as well. Though I’m still wearing the sheer skirt, I suddenly feel naked. My skin heats as he takes me in, his eyes scanning every inch of me as if I’m a mirage and he’s worried I’ll vanish.
Emboldened by the desire in his gaze, I clear my throat and put on my proverbial big-girl pants. “Third time’s a charm, right?” I stand and sidle over to the white metal railing separating his deck from mine. “I’m Sienna. It seems the universe really wanted me to tell you that.”
That does it. The man’s lips tip up into a half smile, and my stomach swoops. “The universe, eh?” He holds out a hand in greeting.
The moment our fingers touch, electricity zaps through me. He feels it too, if the way his eyes drop to our hands and his jaw hangs open are any indication.
His palms are rough, his calluses brushing against my soft, smooth skin, sending a shiver through me.
“Canadian?” I ask as I let go.
He scans my face, his brows pulling together. “Uh, no, but I play hockey with a few of them.”
Amusement flares inside me and a snort escapes before I can stop it. Of course he’s a hockey player.
My reaction has the lines on his forehead deepening.
Cringing, I shake my head. “Sorry. It’s just that the second I saw you, I clocked you as an athlete.”
This makes him smirk. “Oh yeah, and what was it about me that screamed athlete?” He folds his arms across his broad chest.
It’s impossible not to ogle him. Damn, he’s gorgeous. “Muscular arms. Abs for days.” I lift my chin, gesturing to his face. “Scar above your eye, though you must have had good plastics, because I’m just now noticing it.”
His lip curls in a hint of a smile, and those blue eyes practically sparkle, but he doesn’t say a word.
So I go on, dragging my focus to where his thighs are covered by a pair of gray shorts. “Incredible thighs and…” I press my teeth into my bottom lip. “Fuck, could you turn around for a sec?”
He chuckles, his brows arching high, but he does what I ask.
