12. Chapter Twelve
Chapter twelve
Tristan
We’ve been in our room for thirty minutes and I already have no idea how I’m going to spend the next month with Kennedy. Was it mean of me not to tell her we would be sharing a suite? Probably. But what were we supposed to do? The furniture hasn’t arrived yet for the other rooms. Since the presidential suite features unique pieces of furniture, it was ready first. There was no way of avoiding this situation, so why rock the boat before we even arrive?
Besides, seeing her flustered is my favorite part of the day. Her cheeks flame to a deep red that almost matches her hair, and her hands clench at her waist, as if she’s debating on punching something. But she never overreacts. Nope, Kennedy always forces her reactions down and puts in place this polished version of herself.
One of these days, I’m going to get her true reaction, and it’s going to be a day I celebrate. I know there’s a firecracker waiting to detonate and the real Kennedy Reed will make her appearance.
I admire the design much like the main space as I stand inside the primary bedroom. A four-poster bed sits in the middle, with a clear view of the Caribbean in front of us. The neutral bedding looks soft and inviting, and I’m fighting the urge to take a nap. The stress of the last forty-eight hours is catching up with me. And there’s nothing we can really do about it until Monday when offices open.
Knowing there’s a perfectly good hot tub, I unzip my luggage and dig through the mess of clothes I hastily packed until I find teal swim trunks. After shucking off my dress pants, I slide into the mid-thigh shorts and let out a sigh of relief. Wearing slacks and dress shirts is a hazard to the job, but there’s nothing I love more than a pair of athletic shorts and a fitted tee. Only now, I’m skipping the shirt and heading straight for the hot tub. My muscles could use the heat to relax, even though it feels like the devil’s armpit.
I notice missed calls from my dad and my brother as I place my phone on the nightstand, but decide they both can wait until later. I’ve been in business mode for hours, answering their emails on the flight and giving updates as they come in, which have been few and far between. For the next hour, I need some time for myself. Sliding the glass door open, I’m met with the salty breeze, and I inhale deeply. Smells like serenity.
As I pad over to the hot tub, I catch movement out of the corner of my eye and freeze. Lounging in a chaise is Kennedy fucking Reed. My gaze locks on where she’s sprawled out in the chair, one leg propped up while the other stretches in front of her, her flawless sun-kissed skin glowing in the late afternoon sun. My eyes trail up her oiled legs to the barely-there red string bikini that accentuates her slightly curvy hips, showcasing her toned stomach and her ample breasts that practically pour out of the nylon swimsuit top, if you can even call it that. The vibrant color contrasts beautifully with her copper red hair messily piled high on the top of her head .
The scene is straight out of an ad for the resort, and for a moment, I’m wondering if the heat and exhaustion have me hallucinating her presence. The way she lies there, exuding confidence that’s as intoxicating as it is irresistible, while she’s completely at ease and owning the space around her.
Frozen in time, I can’t peel my eyes off her. My tongue is practically hanging out of my dry mouth.
“Take a picture and it’ll last longer.” She interrupts my blatant ogling, her sunglasses tilted down the bridge of her nose to stare at me.
“Can I?”
“Jesus, Tristan,” she purrs, or at least that’s how I imagine she says it, as she slides her glasses back to their rightful place. “Wait!”
My eyes pop up to where she’s removing her glasses again as she leans forward, which gives me an even clearer view of her boobs. I’m praying she doesn’t have a wardrobe malfunction, because I’m having a hard time fighting an erection as it is. And there’s no way I’ll be able to hide it in these tiny swim trunks.
“Did you reconsider your offer of letting me take a picture?”
Her eyes roll and, suddenly, I’m imagining myself standing over her, having her eyes roll for a whole other reason.
“Is that a thigh tattoo?”
Glancing down at my exposed leg, I look at the black ink as if I’m just remembering I have a tattoo. I find her gaze locked onto my leg as I smirk up at her, and if she keeps staring down there, something else is going to make an appearance. My brain goes to her on her knees, tracing the intricate lines inked into my skin.
“Does that surprise you? ”
She flops back in her chair. “Yeah, it does. I never would’ve imagined that Prince Nelson has ink.”
“Prince Nelson?” I’ve heard her call me by my full name, by Golden Boy–which I hate, and now Prince Nelson. Based on the number of nicknames she has for me, you’d think she’s secretly in love with me, not busy hating me.
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Nah, Firecracker, I’ll leave that to you.”
I send her a wink as I walk past. Climbing up the single stair, I enter the hot tub—or what I thought was a hot tub. Turns out, it’s just a private plunge pool, and I can’t say I’m disappointed. Even though I was looking forward to relaxing against the hot tub jets, the water inside the pool felt incredible.
Dropping down into the water, I tip my head back to the cloudless sky and release a moan. “This feels incredible.”
“Mind if I join?” she asks, startling me, and when I glance over, I find her standing on the step, waiting for me to answer. Biting my lip, I try to think of anything else besides Kennedy in that scrap of fabric.
Words won’t form on my tongue. Instead, I gesture for her to join me and reach out my hand for her to hold. She slides her delicate hand into mine, and I swear I could combust from the connection. Every time this woman touches me, a shot of electricity slices through my body. How can she not feel this?
Once inside the pool, she moves to the opposite corner, where a moan escapes her lips as she sinks her shoulders lower into the water. “I don’t know why I thought this was a hot tub.”
A laugh escapes. “I thought the same thing. Didn’t you design this, though? ”
“Yeah, I did.” A chuckle leaves her lips, and I decide that I want to hear it more often. “That’s why I was so surprised. Clearly, I forgot about that suggestion.”
Stretching my arms out to the sides, I rest them against the side of the pool and soak in the silence. It’s weird being one of the only people on this property. Of course, workers and security guards are milling around the property, but there aren’t any guests.
No one is splashing in the pool, no chatter down below us where lounge chairs line the property and, best of all, no street noise from cabs honking and endless sirens.
It’s peaceful, with only the rustling of palms and birds chirping.
Hell, I could get used to this. Maybe I can just tell my dad running Nelson’s Signature isn’t for me and that I’d like to run the operations here on the island. He’d laugh in my face and tell me to grow up. That’s always been his go-to. Whenever I wanted to feel like a normal kid and play sports or go out with my friends, he’d tell me I needed to grow up and focus on the bigger picture. It’s Dennis Nelson’s life and I’m stuck living in it.
A stream of water hits my face, and my eyes snap to the opposite corner, where a burst of laughter comes from. A wide grin stretches across Kennedy’s face as I wipe the droplets from my eyes.
“Did you just splash me?”
With a cocky head nod, she shrugs. “Yeah, I did. What are you going to do about it?”
I shake my head and flash her a mischievous smirk. In seconds, I’ve pushed through the water and wrapped my arms around the curve of her hips. Without hesitation, her arms circle my neck as she holds on with all her might .
“Tristan Lawrence Nelson, don’t you dare dunk me!” she squeals, her slick body rubbing against mine as she wraps her legs around my waist. The death grip she has on me has me laughing.
“Oh, I see how it is. It’s okay for you to splash me in the face, but I can’t return the favor?”
She pulls away until we find ourselves nearly brushing our noses. My eyes get lost in her emerald greens, the joking pushed aside as we realize how close we are to each other.
Sleep deprivation plus humidity isn’t a good mix.
Clearing my throat, I snap us out of the trance. My hands snap away from her hips at the same time Kennedy releases her legs from around my waist. Pushing off my shoulders, she finds her spot in the corner again.
Heat blooms across her freckled face as I move back to my spot, needing a moment to tuck the erection, she no doubt felt, into the waistband of my shorts. Settling back on my side of the pool, my gaze can’t help but land on her. She’s staring off to the side, and I watch her watch the ships pass by.
The ringing of my phone interrupts our moment. Letting out a sigh, I shake my head. I thought I had put the stupid thing on silent but, apparently, I forgot.
“Do you need to get that?”
“No,” I snap without meaning to. “Sorry— ”
“It’s fine.” She stands from her spot and glides through the water toward the edge of the pool. “It’s probably best we stop whatever that was between us and go back to being colleagues.”
“Colleagues.” I scoff, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “After all these years, that’s what we are to you?”
With her out of the pool, I can only see from her stomach up as her hands land on her hips. “Yes, Tristan. Colleagues, rivals, the competition. That’s what we are. Nothing more, nothing less. In fact, for the next month, we are merely two people sharing the same space while working together to solve whatever problems we need to in order to get this resort up and running. Then we can both go back to New York, and I can try to find someplace else to work.”
“Woah!” I stand, moving to the edge so that we’re face to face. “What the hell do you mean ‘find someplace else to work’?”
“Nothing,” she replies, shaking her head. My phone ringing again interrupts our conversation. “You should probably get that.”
And with that, she turns her back to me. Swim bottoms hug her curves, accentuating her toned ass. The firm contour is a testament to her cycling classes and has me unable to take my eyes off her.
While watching her walk away, I spot a tiny turtle tattoo below the string of her bikini, right on her ass cheek.
Fuck my life.