CHAPTER EIGHT
REECE
I should go back to the room. Every logical bone in my body says so. Because after two days at the Aloha Amour Resort, one thing is clearthis wont be a normal luau. This is gonna be Kais version (or rather perversion) , which probably means fire dancers with dildos or strippers dry humping totem poles or us slow-twerking in hula skirts.
Tiki torches dot the edge of the winding path toward the beach, casting flickering shadows across the manicured lawn. The tropical night air is a light blend of plumeria and the salty sea, until its overpowered by the deliciously charred scent of grilled meat. The smell is intoxicatingdangerous, even. This whole romance-on-steroids atmosphere is pushing me to do something primal, like kiss Cam senseless.
I clench my jaw, scanning the scene. Facing the rolling ocean is an elaborate stage, draped in crimson silk, billowing in the breeze as if its about to host a burlesque performance instead of hula dancers. And with the tables, theres no group seating option, no buffer of extra chairs. Just tiny, candlelit tables for two, each designed for either making out or marriage proposals.
My gut tightens.
Cam starts filming a panoramic of the area. A path of rose petals, she narrates, voice thick with amusement. Wow, you do not see that every day. And next to that is a pulsating volcano statue? She zooms in on the obscenely phallic sculpture with water exploding from the top. Its throbbing, right? Not just me. Thats definitely a penis.
Jesus fucking Christ.
She had to say it.
The word shoots straight to my dick, which is already on thin ice after this morning. That toy penguin and how she blushed when I caught her. It was hothot as hell. The sight of her biting her lip, flushed and trembling. Soft curves spilling out of that purple satin top and her hard-as-diamonds nipples threatening to tear through the material.
Hows a man supposed to focus?
I stare resolutely at a nearby palm tree, willing my cock to behave, when two massive arms wrap around me from behind.
Aloha, love seekers! a deep voice booms. I dont need to look. Its Kai.
Cam swings the camera toward us. So whats the deal with this sculpture?
That, my curious wahine, is transgressive. The piece becomes whatever your subconscious believes it to be! Kai spreads his arms wide, his hair flowing loose around his bare chest, his sarong fluttering erratically in the wind. Perhaps you yearn for volcanic passion, or perhaps
Yeah, I dont have a volcano fetish, Cam says with perfect deadpan delivery.
Despite my irritation, I snort.
Then clearly your spirit recognizes the masculine energy. Kais grin turns predatory. Now come, let me get you properly leid.
I swear to all things holy, I am one inappropriate innuendo away from tackling this guy into the ocean.
Cam doesnt miss a beat, stepping forward with confidence as Kais gaze zeroes in on her cleavage. That green fabric is holding on by a stitch and a prayer, one deep breath from giving up and letting Cams stunning curves bust loose.
The Getting Leid Ceremony is sacred! he proclaims, leading us to a flower-covered station. Each color tells a story of love! Red signals passionate commitment, pink suggests playful availability, and gold
Gold. Well take gold, I interrupt, attempting a quick escape with the flower necklaces.
Kai claps. Ah! Gold! The color of scandal and secret passions! Perfect for forbidden trysts and midnight
Red, I growl. I meant red . I snatch two crimson leis and grab Cams hand, her skin warm against my palm. I distance her from Mr. Sex Resorts knowing smirk.
Enjoy the festivities! he calls out. The performance will begin once the moon goddess is upon us!
Its only when we arrive at the buffet that I realize Im still holding Cams hand. I drop it like its scalding. Then I cross my arms and scowl at the large spread of finger foods. Everything looks suggestive.
Oh my God, Reece, you have to try this. She locks on to some artfully arranged fruit. This ones called the Coconut Kama Sutra Salad.
No.
Come on! How about the Forbidden Fruit Fondue? She angles the lens toward a massive fountain, where dark chocolate and caramel flow in and out of each other like like I dont know what, but it seems dirty. I bet Kai infused it with love pheromones.
Youre enjoying this, arent you? I say, sounding sulky even for me.
Grocery shopping will never not be hilarious now.
I scan the food spread, searching for somethinganythingthat wont try to seduce me. Crispy Climax Tempura. Swallow Me Whole Oysters. Sizzling Man Stick Meat Skewers. Of course, the mousse couldnt be just mousseit had to be called Midnight Moan.
I reach for what appears to be a harmless sushi roll, but before I can grab it, a server materializes. Sir! We encourage guests to feed their partners. It enhances the sensual dining experience
Not happening, friend of Kai. I pop the bite into my mouth, chewing with more aggression than necessary.
You know Cam lowers the camera. Being this grumpy at a luau is a felony in Hawaii. Pretty sure the punishment is aggressive hipshaking in a coconut bra at spear-point.
Im going to our table.
Fine, run away from the sexy spread. Ill catch up after I capture some top-tier food pornthis papaya wants a mouth on it, and this mango is serving take-me-now energy.
I make my way through the sea of tangled limbs and love-sick couples, finding a table as far from the feasting as possible. Every pair here looks ready to conceive triplets.
I drop into my chair as if my strings have been cut. Heart-shaped fire pits dot the beach, while palm trees drip gold like theyre part of Kais personal fantasy. Even the damn cutlery wants to get laidengraved with sayings that read Taste the Desire and Let Passion Melt on Your Tongue.
I need a beer. Or a bottle of tequila. Or a meteor to hit this exact spot.
My eyes track Cam subconsciously at first. As she films, she moves with purpose and natural gracefirst getting wide shots of the ambience then shooting close-ups of the ridiculous decorations. The silk canopy is an ivory wave rippling overhead, casting a soft glow that makes her appear heavenly.
Not that shes ever anything less than gorgeouswhether shes rocking a ponytail and cargo pants, weighed down by filming gear, or strutting her stuff like in that killer swimsuit from yesterday. But tonight, shes next level. That dress is making her look so desirable, I want to sweep her off her feet.
I couldnt handle Gordon berating me again todaynot in front of her. And he wouldve unleashed on her next.
Its my fault we are bombing these videos. And I will never, ever allow someone else to accept the blame for my mistakes.
I exhale sharply, dragging fingers through my hair. So fucking tired. Not just physically. Im exhausted from all of it. From performing every second of my goddamn life.
Just done.
Yo! What up, my guy! This party is straight fire!
For fucks sake.
Blaze bounces into the chair across from me like an ADHD kangaroo who discovered Red Bull, grinning as if the two of us are still best friends like he didnt help torpedo my life forty-eight hours ago.
What the hell do you want?
Yo, checking in, bro. You seem stressed out lately.
Ya think? I lean forward. Blaze, what the fuck is going on?
Were on vacation at a sex resort. Its awesome!
I grip my side of the table as an alternative to strangling him. Im really trying to understand here. What the actual fuck is happening with you and Astrid?
Bro, I was confused too! But after the wedding, I found her like Gordon said to, and she laid it out. Told me about your guys plan to break the internet. Damn, man, you did it!
Blaze, there was no plan.
Yeah huh! Astrid said it was top secret. Not even Gordon knew. Only you guys. He leans in, whisper-shouting, And that I was supposed to pretend to be her new boyfriend.
I stare at my idiot best friend, wondering if all those years of stunts have scrambled his last remaining brain cell.
I take a breath, my eye twitching. What else did she say?
His face scrunches up as if hes trying to divide by zero. Then, after a solid ten seconds of deep contemplation, he shrugs.
I cant remember because then she got naked and ordered me to eat her out, which I did. She kept talking while I was doing it. Some of the stuff she said was like orders of how I was doing it wrong. Man, apparently I do a lot of stuff wrong. Who knew?
I grip my temples, massaging slowly. Alrighty then. I think were done here.
Wait, let me try to remember better He grabs two dinner rolls and starts motorboating them while making slurping sounds. First she said to go up and down, but then she was all Circles, Blazey, circles! He starts rotating the bread in a trying-to-buff-a-car motion. Then she got real specific about tongue pressure. He drops the yeast rolls and spreads his fingers in a V-shape, his tongue darting between them like a demented windshield wiper.
I slam my forehead onto the table.
Hard.
Cmon, Reece. Knock yourself unconscious, and this will all be over.
Blaze pauses mid-lick, staring at me as if Im the one with problems. Oh! And then we got on a plane! And I asked if you were gonna be there
He stops, thinking again.
Blaze snaps. Yeah! Then she told me that I had to act really mad when I saw you.
Excuse me?
Blaze leans forward, hopeful. How am I doing at that, by the way? Its tough to act like Im mad at you, bro. Oh, and she gave me a blowjob.
I gape at him.
There are so many things wrong with what hes saying. Where to start?
I do the only thing I can.
I put a hand on his shoulder, look him dead in the eye, and accept the fact that my best friend is a complete moron. Im about to I dont know, comfort him , when Astrids shrill voice hits my ears.
BLAZEY-KINS! Where are you? You need to feed me the orgasm oysters!
Blaze bolts upright.
Gotta go to work, bro. He winks, salutes, and books it. Love you!
Astrid is a bigger bitch than I thought. Manipulating my closest pal? Turning my personal life into a content farm? Diabolical. She needs to pay for this, but I dont have the energy to keep making more viral bait nonsense videos. Why do millions of people watch this fake crap anyways, knowing its all staged? Its worse than reality TV, but its also the only thing that gets views nowadays.
Im tired of it.
The channel.
The brand.
The bullshit.
I want to fucking quit.
I wish I had a choice.
***
There are a lot of things I hate in this world. Paper straws. Astrids existence. Filming shameless hot garbage for views.
But seriously, nothingI repeat, NOTHINGcould have prepared me for the deep, visceral, soul-sucking hatred I feel the moment Kai struts on stage. Hes clad in nothing but a minuscule brown leather thong, his erection blatantly displayed in its snug leather sheath.
Welcome to a tale as old as passion itself! His voice booms across the beach. Tonight, we witness the eternal battle between the gods of love and lust!
One by one, muscular Hawaiian behemoths join him onstageeach looking fresh off the set of a movie with gladiators, where the director answered more penis to every actors question on their motivation. Tribal tattoos ripple across oiled biceps, their matching leather thongs leaving so little to the imagination that several elderly women in the front row have already fainted.
We are the warriors! Kai proclaims. Sworn to protect lovers and defend every persons sacred right to orgasm!
The muscled men let out a warped battle cry that sounds exactly like a mating call.
And thenbecause this night clearly needed to get weirderKai attaches a rope to the front of his thong. At the end dangles what appears to be a drum mallet.
A massive drum wheels out center stage.
The fighters begin to chant. Grun. Grun. Grun.
Kais hips start to gyrate, the rope circling as he hypnotizes the audience with his pelvis. The lasso mallet spins faster and faster until
BAM!
It strikes the drum, and the stage explodes in synchronized lightning effects.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The effect makes it seem like Kai is using his massive dick to beat that drum into submission. As Im searching for an exit strategy, Cam is entrancedlike she cant get enoughprobably holding a tight close-up as she captures the erotic circus.
My brain flatlines.
God of lust! the emcee of my nightmares roars. My gargantuan war tool is at your disposal!
Suddenly, Cam bursts out laughingactual snorting laughterand clamps her hand over her mouth. She stops filming, her shoulders shaking. Oh my God, I cantI just cant anymore with this guy.
I blink. Wait. Youre not into his monstrous weapon?
She snickers. Oh, its massive, but what its attached to should not be taken seriously.
Really? Something in my chest loosens. I thought you were wanting to, what was it? Climb him like a coconut tree?
Dont be jealous. This morning I got a pretty clear idea that you could be up there swinging your own mallet.
I choke on my own tongue. Excuse me?
Her eyes go wide. Mierda! I didnt mean to say that.
I lean closer, suddenly very interested. So tell me, Morales, did something else happen while I was sleeping? Besides the waddling penguin, of course.
Her face goes nuclear red.
Please. Lets talk about literally anything else.
For now. I grin. But we will be circling back. Especially the part about my impressive equipment.
She groans, burying her head in her hands.
On stage, Kais war tool continues its percussion performance, but I barely notice. Im too busy watching Cam blush and wondering what other secrets might slip out.
You wanna get out of here and go for a walk?
She peeks at me through her fingers. No talk of penguins.
I grin. No webbed creatures of any kind.
When she smiles at me, a weight lifts off my shoulders. For the first time in days, I can breathe.
***
So how did you end up promoting the worlds horniest resort? Cams bare feet leave perfect imprints in the wet sand as we walk. Her dress flows around her curves as if its personally trying to drive me insane. Did you pitch it yourself, or did Kai strap a dildo to a dolphin with his request and let it swim to LA like a raunchy carrier pigeon?
The mental image blindsides me, and I laughan actual, genuine laugh that feels weird coming out of my mouth. When did I last do that?
The ocean stretches black and endless ahead of us, waves curling white at our feet. The distant thump-thump-thump of Kais dick-drum performance carries through the air, but thankfully its muted enough that I can stop picturing it almost.
I grab a piece of driftwood, throwing it into the surf. I dont handle sponsor deals. Thats Gordons territory. Usually brands reach out, and then we negotiate based on whether theyre a good fit.
And was this a good fit?
I let warm water lap at my feet, considering. Im still deciding.
Moonlight catches in her hair, silvering her skin, and fuck me if she doesnt resemble some kind of dangerous siren sent to dash my heart against the shore. A gust of wind sweeps hair across her features, and my fingers itch to brush it away. To trace the curve of her cheek. To
She catches me staring.
Though clearly, I say quickly, I didnt expect this place to be so off the deep end.
Wait, so you didnt demand to have Kais penis featured in every video?
I roll my eyes. Believe it or not, I did not agree to becoming a human prop in Kais sex swing battle of the dicks.
Cam howls with laughter. She bends forward at the waist, shoulders shaking, full-body laughing as if I told the funniest joke ever. And shitI like it.
Id let Kai beat me with his drumstick dick a hundred more times to keep hearing that laugh.
What the hell is wrong with me? Two days ago I was wallowing in my failed wedding disaster, and now Im thinking about ways to make Cam laugh? I might need a head scan. Maybe Blaze isnt the only one with brain damage from all our crazy stunts.
Wow. She tilts her head toward the stars, a scatter of diamonds on black velvet. Theyre beautiful. You never see actual constellations in LA.
I follow her gaze, andholy hellthe celestial lights are insane, burning like a million tiny supernovas against the night sky. The black tapestry is vast and open, bigger than anything should be.
Her camera comes up instinctively, but when she reviews the footage, her nose scrunches. Nope, you cant capture that kind of beauty.
Let me try. I drop to one knee in the sand, taking the camera. Its all about perspective.
I press Record , and in place of the sky, I frame her. The stars are a mere background to the real phenomenon. Shes the centerpiece of it all, lips parted slightly as she studies the stars, her hair flowing in the breeze, and her eyes reflecting a million lights.
I hold up the screen so she can see.
She edges forward, her fingers grazing mine, and damnmy body aches to pull her close. To feel her warmth seep in and wrap around me like a slow-burning flame.
You gotta know what to focus on, I say quietly. And you you enhance the skys natural beauty.
She snorts. Yeah, right. This place is getting to you. If youre handing out compliments, I think we need to check the sea air for hallucinogens.
Huh? Im not following.
You told me I belong behind the camera, remember? So I already know you dont actually think Im camera-worthy.
The reminder of my earlier asshole comment feels like stepping on broken glass. That came out wrong. I didnt mean it as an insult. Youre a talented videographer.
Ha! Two compliments? She scoffs. Did you eat something weird at the luau? Was it the pineapple? Quickhow many fingers am I holding up?
Im being serious, Morales. I step closer, sand shifting under my feet. Youre really gifted.
Reece, I have worked for you for two years, and in that time, you have nevernot oncegiven me a compliment.
That cant be true.
Oh, you want receipts? Remember the Can I Land a Jet Ski on a Moving Boat video?
Blaze convinced me that, yeah, obviously I could flip off a jet ski and land neatly onto the deck of a moving speedboat.
I set up all three camera angles for that shoot. Had to anticipate your trajectorywhich, lets be honest, even you didnt knowso I could capture the stunt, the splash zone, and the inevitable rescue. Do you remember what you said to me after?
I exhale, bracing for impact.
You described my footage as shaky garbage.
The waves crash behind us, but theyre nothing compared to the storm of guilt building in my chest.
Or that Sandboarding Down a Mountain Handcuffed to Blaze video. The one where I risked my life, strapped a camera to my own damn helmet, and chased you down the sand dune at thirty-five mph.
I grimace.
You saidshe drops her voice lowThe footage is decent, I guess. But maybe next time, try not to breathe so loud in the mic. Its called cardio, Morales.
Oof.
Oh! And my personal favoritethe underwater shark cage stunt. I got scuba certified in two days, learned how to handle an underwater camera rig while actively not becoming shark bait... and you told me my cinematography sucked.
Fuuuuuuck.
I deserve to be punched in the dick repeatedly. By her.
The closest thing to a compliment from you was before your wedding, when you mentioned my camera angle was alright. Which, Im pathetic enough to admit, felt good. I almost called my mom.
Cam, I am so
Its fine. She cuts me off with a defeated wave. And I think maybe youre right. Im not meant to be on camera. And maybe my work is just I dont know, average.
The shame hits like a tsunami. All this time, Ive been using criticism as a shield, trying to maintain professional distance because I couldnt handle being attracted to her. And what did I accomplish? I made this talented, vibrant womanthis woman who took every insane risk to make me look gooddoubt herself.
When it comes to Camila Morales, I cant stop fucking up.
Im sorry. The words feel pathetically inadequate. I am a prickwad douchecanoe.
Groundbreaking realization Wait, where did you hear that phrase?
Ive seen it pop up on your phone a couple times. I assumed it was about me.
My friends and I also call you assbag prettyboy fuckhole.
Also deserved.
That earns me a slight smile. The air feels a little lighter after a few moments of silence.
I have no right to ask, but Im curiouswhy are you so confident holding the camera, but not when its pointed at you?
She shrugs, digging her toes into the wet sand. Not sure.
Okay, then what makes you worried when the camera is on you?
Cam goes quiet for so long, I almost think shes not going to answer. But then
People will judge me. Decide that I dont really have anything interesting to say. She inhales, as if forcing herself to continue talking. That Im basic. Or maybe talentless and stupid. And being on your channel, millions of people will catch on.
The way she says itso raw, so certainknocks the breath right out of my lungs.
I turn to her, but she wont meet my eyes. Instead, she keeps her gaze fixed on the stars.
Nothing about you is basic. Not one fucking thing.
Cam is the most talented person Ive ever met, and the fact that she doesnt see that? That she thinks people will look at her and find her lacking?
It makes me want to wreck shit.
I want to tear apart every insecurity thats ever been planted in her mind by me and burn them to the ground.
I move into her eyeline so shes forced to see me. And who cares what people think? Blaze is dumb as a rock, and he doesnt give two shits. Hes the happiest person I know.
A reluctant smile tugs at her lips. I cant actually argue with that.
The way you capture the world through your lensits not only skill, its art. Passion you can see in every frame. I should have told you this sooner, but youre the heart of the channel. Without you, it wouldnt exist. Honestly, I wouldve quit.
Really, Reece. I dont need you to be nice for my feelings. Im used to it.
Man, I royally fucked up. Like monumentally.
Ive spent the last two years picking apart her work, acting like nothing she does is good enough. And now?
Now she thinks shes not enough.
Thats on me.
The thing I know for damn sure is that I need to fix it.
Starting now.