Chapter Twenty-One
Kayla showered first and hurried through dressing while Mack sang Chappell Roan songs off-key over the sound of the spitting shower head.
She laughed as she tied the bikini strings behind her neck.
Between the neatly-folded pile of dirty clothes in the corner of the closet and the terrible shower singing, it could have been a normal morning back in her house when they were both teenagers.
How had Mack changed so little and so much in all those years?
She was still the stalwart friend who punched Becky Chambers in the right eye for calling Kayla a slut during gym class, but now she was also witty and confident and strikingly sexy.
No wonder everyone was falling into the pool when she walked by.
No wonder her tender hug still fixed ninety percent of Kayla’s problems. Now she was helping Kayla get her future back—to get Skye back.
By the end of this week, Mack might turn out to be the one who could fix all her problems.
The water shut off in the next room, taking with it a blessed end to the brutal murder of “Pink Pony Club.” Kayla marched over to the bathroom door and called through it. “I’m headed down to breakfast so you can change out here.”
“Why? You don’t have to do that.”
“Mack, your elbows are permanently bruised from trying to change in that tiny bathroom.”
“Okay, that’s true.”
Kayla laughed at the hesitant admission. “I’ll see you down there.”
The scraggly tortoise shell cat was waiting on their balcony railing, but she scampered away when she saw it wasn’t Mack there to greet her.
“I like you, too, you know. You could at least accept my pets even though I’m not her.”
The cat ignored her with the disdain typical of the species, but Kayla shrugged it off.
She loved all animals, but this aloofness was why she preferred her dogs.
She scrolled through the pictures Tara had sent of the boys as she walked down to the poolside restaurant.
Mr. Pebbles looked like he’d already gained a few pounds, probably from all the junk food crumbs, but other than that, they all seemed happy enough.
Before she could get too mired in missing them, she dropped her phone into her pool bag and focused on her mission.
The Plan of Seduction felt like it was stalling out, but this morning’s developments were definitely a positive sign.
Skye had always been a passionate person and any spike in emotion was a good sign.
This morning’s jealousy had led to flirting, then hand-holding, and a kiss.
Okay, sure, the kiss had been on the cheek, but Kayla was patient.
She had been the queen of the slow build play on the soccer pitch.
That’s what she was doing with The Plan of Seduction, too.
She would never score on her first touch of the ball.
She had to sit back, make a few passes, fake out a defender, then, before Skye knew it, she would leave part of her goal exposed, and Kayla would score.
Success clearly bred success, because when Kayla arrived at the restaurant, it was to find Skye and Amy already there, seated at a four-top table. Without hesitation, Kayla invited herself to join them.
“Good morning, you two,” Kayla said as she arrived behind an empty chair.
To her annoyance, Amy was the first one to look up with a massive and seemingly genuine smile. “Good morning, Kayla. Please join us.”
“I’d love to. Thanks.”
As she sat down, Skye avoided her eye and only mumbled a greeting.
Kayla did her best to hide her smile. Clearly, she was correct, and this morning’s showdown had moved the Plan of Seduction forward.
Skye’s nervousness was proof of that, and it was about time.
The wedding was in two days, so Kayla had precious little time.
Amy asked, “Where’s Mack?”
A stab of annoyance probably showed on Kayla’s face. What did Amy care where her fiancée was? Fake fiancée. Not real. Why did Kayla have to keep reminding herself? “She’s just finishing up her shower.”
Amy nodded and turned back to her breakfast, clearly not interested in Kayla unless she came attached to Mack. Typical. Skye examined her plate like the meaning of life might be etched into the porcelain.
“Is that coffee? I’m in desperate need.” Kayla poured herself a mug from the carafe and added cream but no sugar. Then poured a cup of black for when Mack arrived. “This one’s empty now, but I’ll go get some more. Skye, do you need a refill?”
Skye had been staring at her but jumped like she’d been asleep. “Yeah, but I can get it.”
Kayla stood and put a hand on her shoulder. “No need. I remember how you take it.”
To her immense pleasure, Skye swallowed so hard at the obvious seductive note in her voice that Kayla could actually see her throat move.
She practically skipped to the server’s station for a new carafe and a mountain of sugar.
Skye still couldn’t meet her eye when she returned with the refill.
Kayla carried the boost of that all the way to the buffet, where she loaded her plate with fruit and pastries and made Mack a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage.
By the time she returned to the table, Mack was just arriving.
“What great service. Thank you, sweetheart.”
There was no awkward pause for the endearment, and Mack pulled Kayla in for a kiss.
It was nothing more than a chaste peck on the lips, but the firm press of Mack’s palm against the small of her back was enough to send her heart rate through the roof.
How was Mack constantly able to do that to her?
Maybe Kayla was touch starved after so long apart from Skye, but Mack certainly had a way of captivating her.
In fact, she was so distracted by the small sign of affection that she nearly missed the scowl Skye threw Mack’s way.
Yet another positive tick for the Plan of Seduction.
Mack dropped a book on the table next to her plate as she sat down, but Kayla couldn’t quite see the cover. She eased into her own chair, silently but sternly telling her body to chill the fuck out.
“What’s that?” Kayla asked.
Mack gave her a wicked smile. “Well, I’ve been told I haven’t been relaxing enough, and since you banned my work tablet from both the pool and the beach, I had to come up with an alternative. I borrowed a book from Amy.”
For some strange reason, Kayla’s non-cooperative body reacted just as strongly to that statement, this time with a surge of jealousy.
Amy said, “I finished it on Monday. I’m on my third book this vacation. Don’t you just love sitting on the beach and reading in the sun?”
Kayla said, “I do, but I didn’t think Mack did.”
Mack winked over her coffee cup. “I’m full of surprises.”
Kayla’s stomach did a pleasant little flip, and she averted her eyes before she did something stupid like flirt with her best friend again.
Amy said, “It’s a sapphic romance novel. An extra spicy one.”
She gave Skye a flirty look that made Kayla want to leap over the table and strangle her. Instead, she craned her neck to peer at the cover. Although she hadn’t read this title, she knew the author well, and she had no doubt Mack would be riveted.
“I didn’t know you were a romance reader,” Kayla said.
“Oh yeah, I can’t get enough. There’s a lot of downtime in hospitals, so I always have a book nearby.”
“Just romance or do you like any other genre?”
“I’ll read anything, but I always come back to romance. Who doesn’t love a happily ever after, right?”
Amy turned then to smile sickeningly at Skye, but rather than be upset by it, this gave Kayla hope.
Skye wasn’t exactly romantic, and she hated all those mushy little moments, especially in public.
While she returned Amy’s smile, it looked strained at best. As she and Amy continued to chat, Skye looked increasingly uncomfortable.
She fidgeted in her seat and only picked at her food.
“Anyone want anything from the buffet?” Mack asked as she stood.
Amy requested a pastry and then went right back into conversation with Kayla about their favorite authors and books.
It was actually a wonderful conversation, which should have annoyed Kayla immensely.
Instead, Amy was worming her way into Kayla’s good graces.
If they’d met under any other circumstances, she could see herself and Amy turning into good friends.
Unfortunately, Amy was using the seductive guile she learned from the books they both loved to steal Kayla’s future wife away, so that was a tiny obstacle in any future friendship.
As they were discussing the merits of friends-to-lovers versus enemies-to-lovers tropes, Mack returned with a full plate.
Watching her walk back to the table, Kayla couldn’t help but notice she was wearing a different suit today.
The board shorts Kayla was used to. She had noticed on their first day how the mid-thigh length was just long enough to highlight her well-sculpted quads.
Today’s set was a lovely sage green that paired well with her deepening tan.
The difference was the swim top. It looked a lot like the string bikini tops Kayla preferred, but Kayla had never been able to fill hers out like Mack.
How had Kayla never noticed how deliciously round and voluptuous Mack’s breasts were?
Not to mention how the top showed off her washboard abs and heavily muscled shoulders.
If it had been anyone other than Mack walking toward her looking like that, she would be fantasizing about climbing her like a tree.
Except, of course, Kayla was definitely fantasizing about climbing Mack like a tree.
Hanging onto those shoulders. Pressing her aching core against the flat plane of her stomach.
“Kayla, are you okay?” Amy asked.
“Huh?”
“I thought you might be choking on your coffee. You made the strangest sound.”
“Oh. Yes. I, um, choked on my coffee. But I’m fine now.”