Page 37 of Before You Say I Do
Abby closed her eyes as her heartbeat slowed in her chest. Her clit twitched, but she ignored it.
She had to snap back into being a normal bride.
Whatever that was.
Today was the yacht trip. A boat ride out into the ocean with music, fun, and a free bar. She should take it easy on the free bar, she knew that already. Thankfully, her head was clear for today, as she hadn’t gone completely overboard last night. Enough to blurt out some stupid things to Jordan, however.
She shook her head as she remembered telling Jordan about sleeping with a woman. Telling her that perhaps she was meant to be with a woman.Fucking hell.
She had to get her head in the right frame of mind for today. Had to focus on why she was here and what she should do. She glanced down to the pool area, right below the terrace. She couldn’t hear anybody else. Abby checked her watch. 7.15am.
Would an early morning swim help to work off some of her sexual tension and excess energy? It had to be better than staying in her room and fretting.
She went to her suitcase and got out her black swimsuit. The one that wasn’t built to get attention. She’d save her more sexy attire for the yacht, when she had an audience.
Abby walked into the kitchen, its shiny white floor showing some long, dark hair. That’s what happened when you had a gaggle of women in a house. She went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, drinking some as she did every morning. She loved this time, when the day was still there to be written. Later on, there were sure to be dramas about hair, make-up, clothing, and itinerary. But for now, the day was unsullied.
She left her bottle of water on the side, then strolled through the sunroom, and drew back the large glass doors. She stepped out onto the ground-floor terrace. The view was magnificent. Terraces and pools stepped down the hill below the villa to the sea. Dazed sunlight caught the water’s surface.
“Good morning, Cannes.” She couldn’t help the grin that split her face as she stretched her arms high up above her head, her muscles waking up one by one. For a perfect moment, she forgot all her doubts. Now, it was just Abby, the sunshine, and the view.
She threw her head back, and shook her dark hair out behind her. She walked over to the pool, the concrete warm under her feet. It was what she always loved about being outside the UK. Heat made her happy. The pool’s surface rippled as she dipped her toe, then drew back. It was colder than she’d thought. But she should just dive in, take the plunge.
A little like she should do with this weekend. Decide to be the bride she wanted to be. Self-assured.
She nodded. That’s just what she was going to do. Starting right this second, by jumping in the pool. Project-Manager Abby was coming out. Only, for this weekend, the project was her.
The shock of the cold water woke her system, and it was all she could do to hold in her scream. She just about managed it. As her head broke the surface she flailed a little. But then, after a few deep breaths, she spread her body long and began to swim. She’d made the right call. The water was cleansing, and as she began to pump her muscles, her worries started to melt, too.
Abby swam ten lengths, loving the dimmed morning sun on her face. She reached out and clutched the edge of the pool, and stroked the baby-blue tiles.
When she and Marcus were married, would they come back here? Marcus had said the family who’d lent them the villa were close friends. The thought of returning regularly filled her with calm and happiness. They could do couples yoga, like he’d been trying to get her to do. She glanced up at the cloudless sky.
She and Marcus were going to be exactly the same. Cloudless.
Someone clearing their throat nearby made her look. She squinted.
Then she did a double-take.
Because there at the side of the pool, wearing a red bikini that left little to the imagination, was Jordan. Just as she had been in her dream.
So much for working it out of her system.
Now, instead of that, her dreams were coming true. In the worst and best possible way.
“Nice stroke work.” Jordan walked around the pool to where Abby was still clutching the wall, frozen in time.
Stroke work? Seriously? Jordan had no idea. “Thanks. I didn’t realise I had an audience.”
“Great minds think alike. I thought I’d get down here before there was too much of an audience and wake myself up. How is it?” She dipped a toe in the water, then recoiled. She hunched her shoulders and made a face. “Yikes. Colder than I thought.”
Abby took a deep breath and regained her composure. She could totally do this. “It is at first, but it’s gorgeous when you get in. Just go for it. It certainly woke me up.”
Jordan raised an eyebrow that told Abby she didn’t believe her.
Abby tried not to stare at Jordan’s flat, tanned stomach. Exactly as it had been in her dream.
Nope.
