Page 187 of The Vacation Mix-Up
I’m about to tell him to go ahead, when he does so anyway.
“Just so you know, love, I wanted in your panties too, but my man here really digs you. Has since day one.” He swigs his drink, then wipes his mouth. “Told me to back off, because he was biding his time.”
My brow lifts. “He did, did he?”
Ben scoffs. “Yeah.”
“This really isn’t the time nor plac?—”
I press my finger to Riley’s lips. “Shush.”
Ben continues, “Said you were off limits.”
“Off limits?” I drawl.
Smirking, Riley removes my finger and covers my hand with his. “You are… now.”
I narrow my eyes and try desperately not to return the smirk.
“So, I backed off, love. Not because I wanted to, but because my man had first dibs.”
“First dibs?” I choke out, turning to Riley. “First. Dibs?”
“Uh-oh,” Hugo murmurs.
I try to tug my hand back, but he holds it firmly in place. “That sounded a whole lot worse than what it was.”
I blink. “You think?”
“I told him to just fuck you,” Ben continues, “but he’s a gentleman and doesn’t?—”
“Okaaay!” I lay my napkin on my lap. “Thank you, Ben. I’ve heard enough.”
He shrugs, turns his head, and surveys the room.
“The only thing you should take out of all of that,” Riley says, turning my head to give me a chaste kiss, “is the word gentleman.”
I pat his cheek a little harder than necessary. “We’ll see about that.”
Our waiter sets our meals in front of us, and something catches Ben’s eye, the corners of his mouth lifting as he raises his glass in a salute. Leaning back in my seat, I follow his line of sight to where Whitney is eating dinner with Brittany, her eyes downcast as she mutters something behind her hand. Brittany twists to look at us, then quickly twists back around, neither of them acknowledging Ben, even as their Tiffany bling glitters from around their wrists and necks.
He frowns and sets his glass down, his shoulders slumping.
Anger settles in my chest, my heart pinching for him. Despite the way he goes about seeking a partner, he deserves better than to be used for his money. “Hey, Ben!” I say, dipping my spoon in my soup. “Maybe you and I can catch a game together when the season starts up again.”
Riley snaps his head to me, and Hugo almost spits out his salad.
Ignoring them, I challenge Ben with an eyebrow waggle. “It’ll be fun. Knicks and Lakers, what do you say?”
He glances around the table, then straightens his back with pride. “It’s a date, love.”
It’s not, but I’m looking forward to it all the same. I haven’t been to a game in years.
After saying goodbye to everyone,Riley and I stroll the deck, hand in hand under the moonlight, before spending our last night together, hearts, minds, bodies, and souls passionately locked between the sheets. He worships every inch of me, and I do the same, committing to memory the lines and grooves of his muscles and how they feel flexed beneath my fingers. We move in unison, breathe in unison, neither of us mentioning the following day or what’s to happen next. We simply share the moment,livethe moment, and eventually fall asleep in each other’s arms until the sun casts its rude awakening at dawn.
Clasping the handle of my suitcase, I pull it up and take one last look at our cabin as a sob escapes my lips.
“Don’t,” Riley says, hugging me to him while kissing my head. “Not yet. We still have a full day together.”
