Chapter Ten
Rainbow Sands was a tropical oasis nestled into a secluded cove facing an endless, pristine ocean.
A few massive cruise ships sailed by, and there was the distant speck of another island, no doubt full of the same wide-eyed tourists as this one.
The resort itself had the typical multistory hotel, all gleaming white plaster and massive, glittering windows.
What made it different from other resorts Kayla had seen was the clusters of smaller buildings.
Compact, four-unit bungalows that featured huge balconies instead of windows and then, as the beach faded from soft sand to craggy cliffs, cozy individual villas for the rich guests and honeymooners. Skye had one of those.
Kayla used their morning run as a sort of reconnaissance mission.
She needed to find where Skye was staying to keep a better eye on her.
She knew it was a long shot. While she and Mack had developed a ritualistic—maybe even obsessive—schedule of daily runs, Skye always said she preferred her workouts to be either practical or horizontal.
Practical as in racing her mountain bike, snowboard, or BMX bike, whichever was the flavor of the month.
Horizontal as in sex. Kayla hadn’t objected to helping with her workouts during their nine years together, but she really hated that habit now.
How was she supposed to win her ex back if she never left her love nest?
Despite adding an additional thirty minutes so they could scout more, their run was a bust. No sight of Skye anywhere on the resort grounds, and they circled them in their entirety on the extensive trails that cut between buildings and through the small tropical forest. The next best shot to bump into Skye was at one of the many restaurants the resort had to offer.
There were eleven in all, but only two served breakfast, so her odds were a little better in the morning.
If she could find them during breakfast, it would be simple to convince Skye and Dr. Wife Stealer to spend the rest of the day with them.
Then Kayla could really put her plan into action.
A quick shower and change, and they were right back out of the room again.
Kayla had chosen her skimpiest bikini for day one.
Skye hadn’t seen the goods in over a year, so she might have forgotten how blessed Kayla was in the breast department.
No time like day one to remind her. Shock and awe was the name of the game if she wanted the Plan of Seduction to work.
Of course, the resort had a dress code, so she threw on a short cotton dress as a coverup and a ridiculously large sunhat.
She wanted to stand out. To be unforgettable.
Speaking of unforgettable, Mack looked amazing in a sports bra-style bikini top and loose royal-blue board shorts.
She wore a cream short-sleeve button-up dotted with tiny palm trees, open to reveal her impressive abs and topped it all with a straw fedora and a pair of aviators.
The best part was that she knew she looked incredible.
The way she sauntered down the sidewalk, her hands in her pockets and a half-grin on her face, Kayla could tell she was feeling her oats.
It was actually really wonderful to see.
Mack had never appreciated how attractive she was.
When they were kids, she called herself an ugly duckling, and sure, she had her fair share of teenage awkwardness, but everyone did.
But age and her unrelenting fitness regimen had done that ugly duckling a lot of favors, and she had become quite the handsome swan.
When the third woman turned to follow Mack with her eyes, Kayla couldn’t hold back her laughter. Mack turned to her, eyebrows scrunching into a little crease over her nose. “What?”
“You.”
“What about me?”
Kayla smiled and poked her in the side. “One of these women is going to fall into a pool if you aren’t careful.”
Mack looked around, clearly confused. The woman who had been ogling realized she’d been caught and whipped back around, nearly knocking her husband into a housekeeper’s golf cart as it trundled past. Mack watched the near collision and shrugged. “What did I do?”
Kayla laughed and pulled her along, their flip flops slapping against the stone pavers. “You’re a weapon of mass destruction, and you don’t even know it.”
“Did I bump into her or something?”
“No, but she would have loved it if you had. Come on, you know how hot you are. You’re strutting.”
“I’m not strutting.”
“You’re totally strutting, and you have every right to. My best friend is kinda hot.”
Mack blushed again. Kayla was getting seriously addicted to the little dopamine hit of making that happen.
Mack had always been unflappable. She was a force of nature, and the most confident woman Kayla had ever met.
Kayla, on the other hand, was impulsive and flighty at times and, as her response to her breakup with Skye illustrated, also prone to falling apart.
Seeing Mack wear her emotions on her sleeve—or at least her cheeks—was oddly comforting as much as it was fun.
Before Mack could respond, however, they arrived at the restaurant next to the main resort pool.
It was open air on three sides, with dozens of two and four seat tables scattered between the curves of the winding pool, and massive columns supporting the roof above.
Most of the tables were occupied, and there was a staggeringly long line at the buffet.
Mack nudged Kayla and pointed toward a corner table. “There she is. And look, they’re seated at a four-top. Lucky for you.”
Kayla couldn’t help but agree. Skye was practically glowing.
Her eyes were hooded in that nonchalant way she had, and a smile lazily draped across her lips that matched Mack’s in its self-awareness.
A flutter of desire rippled through Kayla’s belly at the sight of her.
A dozen memories bombarded her at once. The sexy confidence of their first meeting.
The glitter in her eyes as they exchanged their first I love yous.
The feel of her arms around Kayla. The taste of her kiss.
She was nearly overwhelmed with the desire to be inside Skye’s bubble again. To feel the intensity of her love.
Kayla stiffened her spine. She focused on the gravity of each vertebrae lining up with the one below and above it.
Her muscles tightened as she pushed her shoulders back.
Game time. She could do this. She would do this.
If there was one thing Kayla knew about herself, she was a winner.
She wanted Skye back, so Skye would be hers.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Kayla said as she stopped beside their table.
Skye and her fiancée were deep into a conversation that had Skye’s eyes twinkling with mischief. Kayla’s heart clenched at the sight. She should be the one making Skye sparkle like that. Before the end of this week, she would be.
In the split second before they turned to look, Kayla remembered to grab Mack’s hand. She tried to entwine their fingers, but Mack jumped at the unexpected intimacy and nearly knocked over a chair. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like Skye had seen.
Skye hopped out of her chair, her smile a megawatt spotlight. “Kayla! Hey. So good to see you.”
She leaned in like she might hug Kayla, but then seemed to think better of it.
She tried to sit back down, but Kayla was quicker, wrapping her in a tight, one-armed hug.
As their bodies settled against each other, they seemed to click back into place.
Kayla’s eyes fluttered shut. Had her heart clenched earlier?
It was nothing to the way it squeezed now inside her chest. She had missed this so much.
Skye was a well-worn sweater. A favorite pair of jeans.
The feel of her was familiar and comforting and exciting all at once.
How many times over the years had they held each other?
How many times had their bodies melted into one another?
As she held Skye now, her resolve strengthened.
She needed this familiarity. She needed Skye.
After just one beat too long, Kayla released Skye and stepped back into Mack’s space. It was a calculated move, designed to make Skye yearn for her and then immediately snap into jealousy. If Skye’s rigid features were any clue, it had worked.
“McKensie,” Skye said, her jaw so tight the name had to snake through the little gaps in between her clenched teeth.
“Skye.” Mack’s voice was just as rigid and dripping with disdain. This was going perfectly.
“And I don’t think we’ve met, I’m…”
Kayla’s words trailed off as she turned to Dr. Wife Stealer. What had she expected? Beautiful? Of course. Skye had sky-high standards after all. She had steeled herself to see a gorgeous, shapely stranger. Instead, she saw a gorgeous, shapely acquaintance.
“Hi, Kayla. Sorry, I didn’t tell you who I was at the hospital. I didn’t really know how to explain, and since you and Skye hadn’t talked yet… Well, I wanted her to be the one to tell you.”
Dr. Amy Neilsen. The hot blonde doctor who Kayla had been so sure was flirting with her that day at the hospital.
And hadn’t they run into each other a few times in the weeks leading up to this trip?
Not exactly run into each other—more like seen each other across the busy lobby or just leaving a patient room.
She’d thought Amy was avoiding her because she was embarrassed that Kayla hadn’t flirted back.
What a fool she’d been. That first day Amy, had been scoping out the competition.
She’d played up the interest in Kayla’s personal life because she’d been spying on her fiancée’s ex.
Well, the joke was on her. Kayla would be the one leaving this island with Skye on her arm, and Dr. Wife Stealer would be the one left at the altar.
When Mack cleared her throat, Kayla realized she’d frozen in place for too long. She pasted on a wide smile and shook Amy’s outstretched hand. “Nice to see you again. So glad you could get time off from the hospital.”
“Oh, they’re really good to me. The nurses even threw us a joint bridal shower.”
Amy turned a sickly-sweet smile on Skye that made Kayla want to barf.
“That’s sweet.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Mack.”
It seemed to take some effort for Amy to peel her eyes off Skye, but she did a double take when she finally looked up at Mack.
Kayla knew, just from Amy’s glazed expression, that Mack had turned on one of her megawatt half-smiles.
A burst of pride exploded in her chest. Mack knew she needed a win, and she provided.
Skye didn’t immediately react, but the seed had been planted.
“Looks like you have a couple of empty chairs here. Mind if we join you for breakfast?” Kayla didn’t wait for acceptance and dropped into the chair in front of her. Dr. Liar Wife Stealer would have to look like the rude one and tell her to leave.
Amy, however, didn’t bat an eyelash at the intrusion.
It probably helped that Mack dropped into the chair opposite Kayla and scooted her chair just a hair closer to Amy.
Were their knees brushing under the table?
Probably not. Mack would know to play it as cool as possible for right now. She really was the perfect friend.
Skye snatched up her coffee cup and turned her full attention to Kayla. “What a coincidence that you two decided to get married here the same week we did.”
“Oh, you know, when I called to make plans, they mentioned what week you two would be here. I thought it would be fun for us to hang out as a foursome. Don’t you think that would be the best?”
Skye and Amy shared a look that clearly said they’d had at least one fight about this.
Excellent. That wedge was a major point in the Plan of Seduction.
Make them fight early and often, especially about Kayla.
Skye hated confrontation more than anyone Kayla had ever known.
When she fought with Amy about this, Kayla would look like the reasonable one, and Amy would be the problem. Everything was coming together.
Even though breakfast was sprinkled with long silences and awkward small talk, it went perfectly with the Plan. While they all picked through individual plates of cut fruit, Mack engaged Amy in conversation about traveling, and Kayla saw her first opportunity.
She leaned in closer to Skye and spoke in a low, soothing voice. “It really is beautiful here, isn’t it?”
Skye turned those sharp green eyes on her, and Kayla’s breath caught. It had been so long since she’d been the full focus of Skye’s attention. She craved it like a flower craves the sun. It didn’t carry the intensity it once had, even for her, but she knew that would grow over time.
“It’s great, yeah.”
“I’m really glad we both get to see it, even if it isn’t what we planned all those years ago.” Kayla worked hard to keep the longing out of her voice. Instead, she pretended their relationship was a pleasant memory she would always treasure.
She must have hit the mark, because Skye’s posture softened like she’d released tension from her shoulders.
Had she been expecting a fight? If she’d thought Kayla was going to be some unhinged ex, she would see something else entirely.
She would see a relaxed, happy Kayla. A Kayla she wanted in her life.
“I’m glad, too.” Skye held her eyes for a beat too long, then smiled and looked at her plate. “It wasn’t that long ago, you know.”
“Wasn’t it? I guess it just feels like a long time. So much has changed since then.”
Kayla forced herself to turn her wistful gaze on Mack. To her surprise, Mack returned it, and Kayla’s heart beat extra fast of its own accord. Damn, no wonder women swooned over her. Mack could charm the paint off the walls with nothing more than a look.
Skye cleared her throat, and her words became a touch more clipped when she spoke again. “I guess you’re right.”
Kayla smiled wider, keeping her eyes focused on Mack. Was that annoyance in Skye’s tone? Perfect. She stood and said, “Mack and I were headed to the wedding coordinator now. Have you two talked to her yet? We could all go together.”
Skye and Mack wore matching scowls, but, annoyingly, Amy seemed unfazed by Kayla’s insistence that they do everything together. She hopped to her feet. “Sounds like a great plan.”
Kayla led the way, satisfied with another win.
If they visited the coordinator together, she would know exactly when Skye and Amy’s ceremony would be.
That would tell her exactly how much time she had to break up the wedding.
Everything was falling into place, and the sun had barely climbed over the horizon.