Chapter 3
Connor
“You’re sure this guy doesn’t mind?” I ask as we step into the elevator and press the button for the fourth floor. “I feel guilty for invading his space like this.”
“There are no other rooms, dude. What else are you going to do?”
“I don’t know, dude,” I mock, lips twitching. “Camp on the beach, maybe.”
“Yeah? Did you bring a tent?” He glances at the single bag slung over my shoulder.
“I’ll make a sand igloo… a sandgloo.”
“That’s a good way to wake up with crabs.”
“You’d know,” I counter, then yelp when he punches my arm. We both chuckle, and I rub my hand over the faint sting as the elevator doors ding open on our floor.
“Tai is Cho’s cousin. I’ve only met him a few times, but he’s a really chill guy. You’ll get along fine.”
Cho stands in a doorway farther down the hall, her attention split between whoever she’s talking to inside the room and our approach. Once we reach the door and exchange quick hellos, my ears catch the soft pad of light footsteps behind me.
I turn, and my attention snags on a fair, slender frame wrapped in long, ebony hair.
Holy fuck, she’s pretty.
I’m momentarily speechless, until their gaze lifts from the floor and I realize it’s not a she at all. Cho looks at him with open fondness. “Connor, meet Tai, your roomie for the week.”
“Hi,” he says, his gentle voice melodic and smooth, just a touch breathy as his eyes travel slowly up to my face. His lips tilt into a half-smile that lights up his entire face.
He’s… well, he’s undeniably attractive. Gorgeous, even. High cheekbones, a slender nose, and waist-length black hair that’s slightly damp. He has a lean build and pale complexion, though his skin is flushed into a soft pink that comes from spending too much time in the sun.
But it’s his eyes that truly pull me in. They’re warm brown, the exact color of sunlight shining through a glass of cognac.
Despite my first impression, he isn’t overly feminine. He has a defined jaw and a prominent Adam’s apple, and his hands are surprisingly large, with elegant fingers that look almost as long as mine, only thinner.
My cheeks burn when I realize I’ve been staring too long. I hurry to return his greeting. “Hi.”
Not exactly poetry, but it’s something.
I step forward and offer my hand, and his palm is soft against the rough, abused skin of mine. The contrast feels… nice. Really nice. The room smells like blueberries and mint as he releases my hand and steps aside to let me pass.
“You’re sure you don’t mind me crashing here?” I ask, glancing at him over my shoulder. “Honestly, I feel terrible about it. I know you were probably looking forward to having the room to yourself, and if this is a huge inconvenience, I can—”
“Hey,” he interrupts gently, placing a soft hand on my forearm. The touch calms my building spiral and draws my attention back to his face. “Really, it’s fine. It isn’t your fault.”
“I’m an easy houseguest, I swear.” I drop my bag onto the empty bed with a heavy thud and immediately cringe at the noise. Grace and poise have never exactly been my areas of expertise.
Cho chuckles from the doorway. “He was just relieved to hear I wasn’t setting him up with a frat boy.”
“Oh, god, no way,” I insist quickly. “Honestly, I’m pretty dull if you want the truth.”
Tai’s shoulders relax at the reassurance.
A spark of humor dances in his eyes as he gestures toward my torso with a small tilt of his head.
“You don’t look very dull to me. I doubt a dull man would wear that.
” We both glance down at my favorite Bigfoot shirt and break into matching grins when we look back up at each other.
Andrew clears his throat from the hallway. “We’ve got to head downstairs for dinner, but you two have a few minutes to unpack and get comfortable. All good here?”
“All good,” Tai replies in a way that almost feels like a song.
“Alright, see you both shortly.” Andrew nods, and he and Cho wave goodbye before they disappear down the hall.
Quiet settles between us, edging toward awkward as I glance around the room. I fidget, uncomfortable with the stillness the way I always am, and scramble for something to say. “So, did you, uh… get some sun?”
He flashes me those straight white teeth in a way that’s unexpectedly charming. “Yeah, I accidentally fell asleep on the beach earlier. With this skin tone? I’m lucky it isn’t worse than this.”
My gaze drifts toward the windows, lingering on the rolling water and its white-capped waves that sparkle like gemstones under the sun. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen the ocean.”
“Let’s go, then,” he says, gesturing toward the breathtaking view. “The ocean is right outside your doorstep. Take advantage of it.”
“Yeah, okay, that sounds—” The alarm from my phone cuts me off, and I groan when I realize Andrew wasn’t exaggerating when he said we had a few minutes. It’s already time for dinner.
“How about after we eat?” I suggest. “We could go to the beach later… together, if you’re not too tired? I mean, only if you want to. You don’t have to come…”
Fuck. When did I get so awkward?
“No, no, I will,” he says quickly, his fingers toying with the button on his shirt for a moment before he lets his arm drop loosely to his side.
“I love the water. That was pretty much my entire plan for the week, actually—just to relax by the ocean. Or maybe read in here while listening to the waves. Maybe have a few drinks—”
“Let me guess… by the water?” I interrupt.
“Pretty and smart,” he teases, then immediately flushes and catches his lower lip between his teeth.
And he thinks I’m the pretty one?
I bump his shoulder lightly with mine, catching a soft whiff of blueberries. “Come on. You won’t think I’m so pretty once you see my horrible table manners.”
“Think you can scare me off that easily, huh?” he teases as he bumps me back.
As we make our way down to dinner, a peaceful silence settles between us, and for once I resist the urge to fill it with chatter.
When we step into the restaurant, Cho and Andrew wave us over to the long table where the rest of the bridal party is already gathered.
Cho grabs Tai by the arm and drags him toward the chair beside hers.
He tosses me an apologetic glance over his shoulder as she pulls him away.
I take a seat on the groom’s side and chuckle at the sight of all the girls swooning over Tai. He’s completely unfazed by the attention, that serene demeanor never cracking even as they fawn over his long hair and gush about how stunning he’s going to look in the lilac suit for the wedding.
A slow grin spreads across my face as I picture him in it. If anyone could pull that off and look incredible, it would definitely be him.
Conversation gradually picks up around me, beginning with the kind of awkward small talk people exchange when they have nothing else in common.
Andrew and I have been close since college, but everyone else at the table is a stranger to me.
Still, I’ve never had much trouble making friends, and by the time dinner is served I’m already engaged in two separate conversations with the men seated on either side of me.
Across the table, Tai’s eyes meet mine a few times, and each time he offers a small, sweet curve of his lips before turning back to the bridesmaids beside him.
Whenever he looks away, my gaze drifts down his chest and along the smooth line of his arm.
As I watch, the redhead to his left leans closer and grabs his wrist, and Tai stiffens.
A hot surge of protectiveness hits me, recognizing the signs of someone on the wrong end of an unwanted touch. My fists clench beneath the table, and I’m already pushing my chair back before I fully realize what I’m doing.
Tai’s eyes lock onto mine across the table, a clear command shining in them. Down, boy, they seem to say, and I force myself to listen. With one fluid motion, he gently disentangles his arm from the woman’s grip, his polite exterior never wavering for even a second.
And then he winks at me and makes my brain go fuzzy.
I sink back into my seat, shaking my head at myself. He is a grown man who can clearly take care of himself. Why am I letting my hero complex kick up to treat him like some damsel in distress?
Dinner unfolds in three courses, ending with a slice of rich caramel cheesecake that leaves my pants sitting noticeably snug around my middle. Once a polite amount of time has passed, I catch Tai’s eye and give a subtle nod toward the door.
Relief washes across his face as he nods in return.
When he leans over to whisper something to Cho, I turn to Andrew.
“Hey, man, the drive really wiped me out, so I’m going to call it a night if that’s okay.
I’m thinking it’ll be good to recharge by the water, stretch out for a while, and walk off some of these calories. ”
“Yeah, of course,” Andrew replies, pulling me into a lazy one-armed hug before I stand and head toward the door. As I pass the bar, an idea sparks. I scan the room to make sure no one is watching, then reach over the counter and swipe the first bottle my fingers close around.
The evening air is a touch muggy as I step outside under the covered patio, but I only have to wait a minute before Tai joins me. “I didn’t pull you away before you were ready, did I?”
He falls into step beside me, the corners of his mouth lifting in a small smile. “Nah. Honestly, I was glad to escape. Girl talk isn’t exactly how I was hoping to spend my first night of vacation.”
“Can’t say I blame you there. That crew was vicious.”
He glances sideways at me. “Noticed that, did you? I was starting to run out of polite ways to say ‘please stop touching my hair’ without sounding like a total asshole.”
“Fair enough. I promise I won’t touch your hair… unless you ask nicely.”
Tai bumps my arm lightly with his. “Careful. I might hold you to that.”