Chapter 39 #2
She laughs softly and taps in her passcode. I quickly type my number in, call myself, then slide her phone into the bag slung over her shoulder.
“There,” I whisper. “Now you have no excuse not to text me.”
She spins in my arms, presses a lingering kiss to my lips, and slips out of the door all within ten seconds. And I’m left standing there with a ridiculous smile on my face and a very obvious problem tenting in my shorts.
I shake my head, still grinning. Yeah… I’m in deep. And I don’t want to come up for air.
My phone buzzes in my pocket seconds later. I pull it out, half expecting it to be a text from Sienna, already missing me and my hands on her. Instead, it’s Ethan. My brows furrow instantly.
Ethan:
Aria just abandoned me for the day. Mani-pedis with the girls. She said, “girl time,” and left me here like a sad puppy.
We should go to the pool and wait for our girls to come back. Misery loves company.
Bring snacks. I’m already bored.
I snort and type back quickly.
Me:
You’re pathetic. But fine. I’ll meet you there in ten.
And I’m not bringing snacks. You can suffer with me.
Ethan replies almost instantly with a string of crying emojis and a middle finger.
I shake my head, smiling, and gather everything I need before heading to the pool.
Dropping onto the lounger beside Ethan, the sun is already warm on my skin. Jax and Ryan are already there, stretched out and talking about everything from tonight's football game to college memories.
Jax nudges me with his elbow the second I sit down. “So… you and Sienna. You two looked pretty cozy last night. And that proposal? Ryan showed me the videos. He won’t shut up about it.”
“Wait, you were there?” I ask. I guess I was so caught up with Sienna that I didn’t consider who else was there. All I could focus on was her.
Ryan leans forward, grinning as if he’s been waiting for this exact moment. “Claire and I walked in just as you were on one knee in that ridiculous propeller hat and a flamingo floaty. You looked so loved up, Reyes. I thought you were actually proposing for real.”
The guys laugh, and Jax claps me on the back. “Ryan said you had full heart eyes the whole time. Said Sienna screamed ‘yes’ and jumped on you like it was the real deal.”
I feel my ears heat, but I keep my expression casual. “It was just the dare. Part of the bingo card.”
Ryan snorts. “Sure. Because when I fake-propose to someone, I always look at them like they hung the moon and the stars. You were gone, Reyes. Totally gone.”
“And when have you ever fake proposed to someone?” I quirk a brow.
He fumbles over his own words. “Well… I… never. But—”
“Ryan’s not wrong, you know,” Ethan interrupts, chuckling. “You two have been glued together all week. And the way you look at her… it’s not ‘just fun’ anymore, is it?”
I take a slow sip of water, trying to dislodge the lump in my throat. “We’re having a good time. She’s… easy to be around.”
“Easy to be around?” Ryan raises an eyebrow and snorts. “The way you were with her last night, that wasn’t ‘easy to be around.’ That was ‘I’m down bad and not coming up for air anytime soon.’”
“She’s different, is all.” I say finally, keeping my voice even.
Ethan studies me for a second, then grins. “Different enough that you can’t stop thinking about her?”
I ignore him because I don’t have an answer. He’s right, as always. I can’t stop thinking about her. Not after this morning. Not after I wanted to bend her over the kitchen table and fuck her senseless.
The conversation drifts to other things, but my mind keeps drifting back to Sienna. I wonder what she’s talking about with the girl right now. Whether she’s laughing. Whether she’s thinking about me the way I’m thinking about her. Whether she’s as tangled up in this as I am.
“He’s daydreaming about her now,” Ethan teases, nudging my shoulder with his elbow. “Look at him. Totally zoned out and in Sienna land.”
I grumble and throw a crumpled napkin at him. “Shut up.”
Ryan leans forward, wiggling his brows. “You’re thinking about her, aren’t you? Admit it, Reyes.”
Jax joins in, laughing. “Yeah, Reyes. Admit it. You’ve been staring at your phone every five minutes like you’re waiting for her to text you or something.”
“Or thinking about what he’s going to fly her in next.” Ethan grins, clearly enjoying himself way too much.
It’s silent for a beat. Two. Three. Then the questions start pouring in.
“What do you mean fly her in?” Jax suddenly sits up, pushing his sunglasses onto his forehead. “What did you have flown in for her, Mr. Billionaire?”
Ethan, the traitor, leans back in his lounger with a smug smile and takes a sip of his beer. “She mentioned a pair of heels once. Just mentioned them. And he had them flown in from the same store where she saw them in New York.”
Ryan blinks, mouth hanging open. “You’re fucking with us.”
“Nope,” Ethan replies cheerfully. “Tell them, Milo.”
I roll my eyes, but I can’t stop the smile tugging at my lips. “You’re all assholes.”
Ryan lets out a low whistle. “Whipped doesn’t even come close to what he is. Reyes is so far beyond whipped it’s insane.”
Jax shakes his head. “Man, I’ve seen you close million-dollar deals without blinking, and you’re out here flying in shoes because a girl mentioned them once? That’s next level. What is this vacation doing to you?”
“It wasn’t a big deal,” I mutter, even though it kind of was. I’d seen the way Sienna’s eyes had lit up when she talked about them. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. “She liked them. I wanted her to have them.”
Ethan snorts. “He says it wasn’t a big deal like he didn’t have his assistant fly them in so they wouldn’t get lost. Reyes, you’re down bad.”
Ryan leans forward, elbows on his knees. “So what else have you done? Private helicopter rides? Bought out a jewelry store? Renamed a yacht after her yet?”
I throw a crumpled napkin at him. “Shut up. It was just shoes.”
“Just shoes,” Jax repeats, laughing. “Said the man who once told me romance was ‘inefficient.’ Look at you now.”
I groan and lean back in the lounger, covering my face with my arm. “I hate all of you.”
“No you don’t,” Ethan says cheerfully. “You love us.”
The guys burst out laughing again. Even I can’t help but crack a smile. They’re relentless, but they’re not wrong. I do love them—these idiots have been my best friends since we were eighteen, and I wouldn’t trade their friendship for anything.
“Oh my God, wait a second!” Ryan suddenly turns toward me, his eyes lighting up. “How much was the ring you got her?”
My cheeks instantly heat, but I don’t respond.
“Milo!” Ethan gasps, sitting up straighter. “You didn’t.”
Ryan’s jaw drops. “Fuck me sideways. There’s whipped… and then there’s whipped. And you, my friend, are fucking whipped.”
Jax lets out a low whistle. “Man, I knew you had it bad, but flying in shoes and buying a real ring for a fake proposal? That’s next-level.”
“It wasn’t that expensive.” I mutter, knowing full well it was.
Ethan snorts. “He says that like we don’t all know he doesn’t do anything halfway. You probably got her a rock the size of a golf ball just to ‘make it convincing.’”
I crumble another napkin and throw it at Ethan again. “It was supposed to look convincing. That’s the point of the dare you gave us.”
“Sure,” Ryan drawls, grinning. “And the way you looked at her while you were on one knee had nothing to do with it. Heart eyes, Reyes. Full motherfucking heart eyes.”
I roll my eyes. “Fuck off, Ryan.”
Ethan stands and stretches dramatically. “Okay, enough roasting. Let’s get in the pool and cool down before Reyes explodes.”
I stand too, a grin forming on my lips. “Good idea. Maybe the water will cool off your big mouths.”
Before Ethan can respond, I give him a playful shove—just hard enough to send him stumbling back toward the pool edge.
He windmills his arms, eyes wide with panic, but it’s too late.
He hits the water with a massive splash, disappearing beneath the surface for a second before popping back up, sputtering and laughing.
“You’re an asshole, Reyes!” He yells, wiping water from his face, but he’s grinning ear to ear.
The guys burst out laughing. Ryan doubles over, clutching his stomach, while Jax points at Ethan, nearly crying with laughter.
I stand at the edge, arms crossed, smirking. “That’s what you get for calling me whipped.”
Ethan swims to the edge and hauls himself out, dripping everywhere. “You’re going to pay for that later.”
“Bring it,” I reply, still laughing as I step back from the edge.