Five
HOLLIE
Matt, Beau, Lacie, and I laze by the pool until well after sunset, drinking, laughing, and talking shit. It’s the perfect afternoon and the more time I spend with Beau, the more my feelings grow. It’s crazy how quickly I’m falling for him.
When they close the poolside bar, we make plans to meet back up in an hour for dinner, drinks, and dancing.
Saying our goodbyes, Lace and I link arms and make our way back to our bungalow. The door hasn’t even shut and Lacie pounces. “Okay, spill!”
“Spill what?” I play dumb, but by the way she’s eyeing me right now, I know what she’s referring to, hell, a blind man would know what she’s referring to.
“Fine,” I concede as a smile breaks free.
“I really like him, Lace. Like really really like him.” She’s now grinning like a carnival clown.
“I’ve never felt a connection to someone like this before.
We haven’t even kissed but when he’s around, my skin buzzes—”
“And the air crackles,” Lacie interrupts, waggling her eyebrows at me.
“Yeah, that too,” I agree. Flopping back onto my bed, I stare at the ceiling before I turn my head to look over at my bestie. “What am I going to do?”
“Have a shower, dress sexy, and have the night of your life with that sexy as sin man.”
Sitting up, I cross my legs and process her words.
Is it that easy? I’ve never done anything like this before.
I’ve always been the “have to be in love with someone to sleep with them” but so far that hasn’t led me to my Prince Charming, maybe it’s time I try something different.
“Lace, do you really think that I, Hollie Merlin, can do that?”
“I think you can do anything you set your mind too and, babe, that boy is hot, hot, hot for you.” And I’m hot, hot, hot for him.
Dropping back to the mattress, I focus on the ceiling above while my mind drifts to Beau.
Deep down, I know she’s right, he’s feeling what I’m feeling, but I don’t know how to take it further.
I’m not a virgin, but I’m also not a slut.
Do I really want to go that far with a stranger?
My inner ho is yelling, “Yes, Hollie Merlin, you want to go that far with a stranger. You want to climb that man like a tree and you want him to ravish you in the sand.” Biting my lip, my cheeks heat as I think about all the dirty, naughty, sexy things I want to do with Beau.
I’m so lost in my dirty, naughty, sexy thoughts that when Lace taps my arm and says, “Babe, your turn in the shower,” I scream like a banshee.
“Holy fucking shitballs, you scared the life out of me.”
“I was calling your name but clearly you were off in Eroticaland.”
“Eroticaland, really?” She nods. “I was not in Eroticaland, I was just … chillaxing.”
“Yeah, chillaxing in Eroticaland and don’t even try to deny it, the redness in your cheeks says otherwise.” Lifting my hands, I cover my face to hide my smile. “Ha, I knew it,” she chortles. “You were in Eroticaland, population Hol and Beau.”
Sitting on her bed, she rubs moisturizer into her legs, legs which are a lovely and tanned shade already. Looking down at my legs, I sigh dejectedly. They’re red and slightly burnt and I know that tomorrow, they’ll once again be pearly white.
Lacie looks over at me and furrows her brow. “What’s up, Buttercup?”
“As usual, you’re rocking a lovely tan, and me? I’m red and by tomorrow, I’ll be ghostly white again.”
She stands up, grabs her beach bag, digs inside, and pulls out an orange bottle, tossing it to me. “Two words, Bondi Sands Protect and Tan oil.”
“That’s six words.”
“Potato. Pahtato. Use this tomorrow and I guarantee you a sexy tan will be in the works.”
Taking the bottle, I flip open the cap and inhale. “Oh my God, that smells like heaven.”
“It feels like heaven on your skin too. Trust me. We’ll use this tomorrow and start ‘Operation Tan Hol,’ and you’ll be a sexy tanned gal in a few days’ time.”
“You’re the best friend ever.”
“I know,” she replies, and it’s not cocky at all because it just is.
Knowing I need to start getting ready, I climb off the bed and walk toward the bathroom. “Pick something for me to wear,” I call over my shoulder as I close the door behind me.
Reaching into the cubical, I turn the faucet on and while I wait for the water to heat, I strip off.
Pulling my hair up into a messy bun, I step under the spray and moan when the hot water hits my skin.
I’m one of those people who has a scorching hot shower—if your skin isn’t fiery red when you get out, it wasn’t hot enough.
First, I wash my face and then my body. My palms brush over my nipples and between my thighs thrums, I’ve been a horny mess all day thanks to Beau Roberts.
When I clean between my thighs, that sensation intensifies.
Pulling my hands out because no one likes soap in their vagina, I rinse off the suds and move my soap-free hand back down.
Spreading my lips, I circle my clit before I begin to slide my finger up and down my slit, circling my clit on the upward pass. With my other hand, I massage and pull on my nipples.
Leaning against the tiles, I close my eyes and imagine Beau is here with me. It’s his fingers pumping in and out of me. It’s his hand massaging my breast.
Out of nowhere, my orgasm slams into me with the force of a Cat 5 hurricane. I cover my mouth to muffle the animalistic sounds coming from my throat. My body goes limp and I slide down the tiled wall and sit on the floor of the shower. Water beats down on me as I sit here and catch my breath.
Reaching up, I turn the faucet off, climb out, and wrap myself in one of the scratchy towels.
Why can’t hotels have soft fluffy towels?
With my towel wrapped around me, I emerge in a puff of steam from my super-hot shower, but I stop mid-step when I see Matt and Beau out on the front deck with Lacie.
Beau looks up and grins when he sees me only in a towel. My cheeks darken when I remember what I just did, and they darken further when he raises his eyebrows at me. Does he know what I just did?
In embarrassment, I spin on my heel and race back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. Leaning against the door, I rest my head against the wood and close my eyes. My heart’s racing. My palms are sweaty. What is this man doing to me?
A knock on the door startles me. “Hol, it's me. Open up.” The sound of Lacie’s voice calms me somewhat. I crack it open and look at her with one eye. “Yes?”
“Let me in,” she says and without giving me a chance to answer, she pushes her way into the room, causing me to step back as she slips into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
“Sorry, I was taking them outside, and then I was coming back here to tell you they were here, but you came out and beat me to it and—”
“It’s fine,” I interrupt her, and it is fine but I’m not fine. I’m a freakin’ horny nervous bundle of nerves. What if they heard? What if they know what I did? What if he thinks I’m a sexual deviant and doesn’t want anything to do with me now?
She eyes me in the way that only my best friend can.
“You sure? Because you look like you’re about to tip over the edge.
” I nod my head and sigh. Lacie takes my hand and squeezes.
“What’s up, Buttercup?” She looks at me intently, studying my face.
“I know that face and sigh, something’s eating at you. ”
Of course she knows, she’s my sister from another mister. She knows me better than I know myself sometimes. “What’s with the ‘what’s up, Buttercup?’”
“I read it in my blind date book and it's awesome to say so I’m trying it out. Now stop avoiding, what’s up? And are you okay?”
“I … I don’t know, Lace. This guy is doing things to me, and I don’t know how I feel about it.”
“Good things?”
“Very good things.” My cheeks heat as I think about what I did in the shower. Since when did I become a blusher?
“So, what’s the problem?”
“I … I don’t know how to act around him.”
“Just keep doing what you’re doing—”
“But—”
“Nope, no buts, unless you’re into that stuff.” She waggles her eyebrows and chuckles at her own joke. “But jokes aside, that guy is gaga for you, Hol.”
“You think?”
“I don’t think, I know. Now, slip on this dress.” She hands me the dress I didn’t realize was in her hands. “Slap some lip gloss on those kissable lips of yours, and let's go have a fantabulous night with two sexy as sin guys.”
Nodding, I take the dress, well, scrap of material that passes for a dress, and I do as she said. Then we do as she said and I have a fantabulous time with a sexy as sin man.