Chapter 9 Riley
NINE
RILEY
“I can’t believe we’re finally here.” I step out from the shuttle with the rest of the group and stand in front of the resort.
Warmth flows over me, the sun pouring onto my skin. A resort employee greets us with a tray filled with margarita glasses: bright orange inside the wide salt-lined glasses.
Beau’s the first to grab one, saluting it to the man.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Hailey chimes.
Addie, Rowan’s sister, squeals. “I’m so excited to do absolutely nothing. All I need is a mojito in my hand, and I’m in heaven.”
“All I need is to forget what’s waiting for us back at home.” I take a gulp from my drink. Sour and sweet coat my tongue with a citrusy, wonderful taste.
“We’re not talking about Mom.” Hailey huffs and grabs her phone from her black tote. “In fact, I’m gonna mute mom so I can relax on this four-day weekend.”
Addie nods. “You should do that.”
“What if there’s an emergency?”
Hailey scoffs. “Like what? She broke a nail?”
I snort and shake my head. “Okay, fine.” I hit the mute button under Mom’s contact and show them the screen.
“Guys,” Ellie shouts from inside the lobby, waving us over to her.
The guys are huddled together, bickering about who gets what room. All I hear is “ocean view” and “balcony.”
“You’ll be too drunk to enjoy a view like that.” James fixes his hat on his head with annoyance written all over his face.
“Seriously? Don’t be such a dick.” Beau splays his arms out.
“I’m not. We know how you get on vacations.”
I watch James cross his arms while widening his stance. The pose screams I’m your big brother, and you’re gonna listen to me.
He continues. “If there’s anyone who gets to have that room, it should be someone who would actually use it for their enjoyment, you know? Like someone who will drink a cup of coffee and enjoy the sunrise. Not wake up on the balcony.”
“Beau.” Rowan puts a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, but I agree with James.”
James gives his brother a smug look and a wide grin.
“You know who should have it?” Rowan says.
“Me,” James says with confidence.
“Our boy, August.” Rowan gestures his head to the side.
“What?” Beau and James exclaim.
“Guys, it’s only fair. He’s doing a great job handling The Surf Shack by himself. On top of everything else.”
August isn’t paying any attention when I peek at him. He’s scrolling on his phone, waiting until someone tells him what room to go to. Oblivious to the conversation happening.
I’m standing behind him, and I can’t help but want to be nosey. I crane my neck and stand on my toes to look over his shoulder. Is he really looking at photos of women? Typical man.
He turns his head, and I drop down to my feet and look up at the ceiling.
“What are you doing?” He tucks his phone in his back pocket and smirks.
“Hm? Nothing?”
“You weren’t just trying to look at my phone, were you?”
I squint at the stupid smirk on his stupid, cute face.
Stupid.
“I have better things to do with my time than watch you look at photos of models.”
He crosses his arms and gives me a perplexed look. “What? I wasn’t looking at models.”
The corner of my lips pulls into a smart-ass grin. “August, it’s fine. You’re a guy. I don’t expect anything less.”
He tips his head back and laughs at me like I’m a crazy woman. Maybe I am. The idea of August looking at other women makes me—jealous. I hate to say it, but it does.
He pulls his phone from his pocket and unlocks his screen.
“What are you doing?”
When he turns the screen over to me, there’s a photo of a beautiful redhead wearing a bodysuit for surfing. Her hair is wet and slicked back while her high cheekbones reflect gold shimmer. She’s stunning.
“Is that your flavor of the week?” I bite the inside of my cheek the moment those words leave my mouth.
“Ashley? No.” He shakes his head and puts his phone back in his pocket. “We’re working with her to promote new gear for the shop.”
I try to swallow past the lump in my throat and feel my chest become hot. “Oh.”
“Trust me, she’s not my type.” August smirks, his cheek pushing up one side of his glasses, and winks.
“Okay, guys,” Ellie shouts. “Here are your room keys.”
After I grab my card from Ellie, I check the number on it. “Are we all on the same floor?”
“I tried getting our rooms next to each other, but there’s a wedding party here that took up two blocks.”
“Well, well, well. Looks like we’re neighbors for the next four days.” August slings his arm around my shoulder, and my spine straightens.
I immediately take a step away from him, narrowing my gaze. “Great. Hopefully, the walls are thick, and I don’t need to listen to your bad pickup lines while you try to get laid.”
“Aw, don’t worry. I only save my best lines for you, sunshine.”
I let out a small groan.
“Alright, guys,” Ellie says, “let’s go settle in and then get ready for dinner.”
Everyone splits up, going their separate ways to their rooms, but I pull Ellie to the side. “Hey, can we switch rooms?”
“Why?”
“Just switch with me, please.”
“Riley, I got the couples suite for me and Rowan. I’m not switching.”
“But I’m next to your brother.”
“So?”
“He’s annoying.”
Ellie tilts her head and scolds me with her eyes. “Seriously? You’ll be fine.”
“You ready, babe?” Rowan places his hand on Ellie’s waist.
“Yeah, let’s go.” She beams at her fiancé before turning to me. “Riley, you’ll be fine. We’re here to have fun. Now go to your room, unpack, and get ready. I’ll see you in an hour.” They turn and walk away.
This will not be good.
Standing in front of my mirror in the hotel room, I look at the black dress I’ll be wearing to dinner tonight. It flows down to my feet, the cotton material hugging my body in all the right spots.
“My ass is incredible,” I say to myself.
I wrapped my hair in a low bun and went for a more natural makeup look. Except for the red lipstick. The bold color makes me feel hot and powerful. A feeling I could really use right about now.
Is it possible to be turned on by your own reflection?
I’m also ovulating, so men, beware. I should probably be locked up like a wolf during a full moon. Put me near a man with a slutty little necklace, and I’ll dig my claws into him.
I need to force myself to step away from the mirror, or I’ll be here all night.
Rowan decides on a Mexican restaurant in the resort, and the cheesy enchiladas sound incredible. It would be wrong not to have authentic Mexican food when we’re in Mexico. That’s like buying McDonald’s in Paris.
Grabbing my black clutch from the bed, I head to the elevators, deciding to get a drink by myself.
When I hit the button for the elevator, the doors open right away. This is great customer service. When the golden doors fully open, I’m faced off with the one person I don’t want to be alone with.
August is a gorgeous man. There’s no denying that. His chestnut-colored hair is pushed back, a thick strand with a slight curl, hangs above his thick, dark eyebrows. He’s chosen solid black glasses tonight, instead of the tortoiseshell ones I’m used to seeing him wear.
My eyes betray me and continue to roam over his body, down to the black button-up shirt that has the first two buttons undone. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, showing off the veins in his forearms. That’s paired with black, sleek pants and a belt.
He looks sinful and delicious.
I force myself to blink a couple of times and snap out of it. We’re on the tenth floor; we have a long way down.
“Aren’t you a little overdressed for dinner?” I utter.
His large hands go into his pockets as he gives me a devilish smirk. The silver watch on his wrist reflects the light. His smoldering eyes sweep over my body.
“Always dress to impress, sunshine.” He gives me a wink.
Dropping my expression, I give him a tired look as I walk into the elevator. He hits the button to close the doors and shifts his eyes to me before he stares at our reflections through the elevator doors.
We stand in silence, keeping our distance. I may be pushing myself against the wall, but the scent of his cologne makes my knees want to give out. The scent is unfamiliar, something new, and I can’t put my finger on it.
It smells like I want to be picked up by this man and thrown on the bed.
I need to get laid.
“Why were you in the elevator anyway? Your room is next to mine. Have you met someone already?”
He grins. “Is that what I need to do to get you jealous?”
“I don’t get jealous. You know this.”
He huffs out a laugh and nods his head. “I wanted to check out my sister's suite. Is that alright with you?”
“Now that is something I’m jealous over,” I mutter.
“How do you like your room?” August breaks the tension between us.
“It’s a room with a bed.”
“Well, mine has a balcony, and I’d love to show you.” His voice runs over me like silk. “Who knows what could happen?”
When I peer at him, I let out a snort. “August, honey, sweetie—I’m not a random woman you’re trying to get in bed with. That doesn’t work on me.”
It totally works on me—at least with him—but he will never know that.
He swipes his tongue over his bottom lip, and suddenly, I’m face-to-face with him. I watch him place a hand just above my head while I’m still pressed against the hard wall. I will myself to keep it together and to not get a taste of him.
“Riley, honey, sweetie,” he purrs, and suddenly I’m not wearing any underwear. “You know you want me.”
The sound of screeching tires goes off in my head. Panic erupts in me. Can he read my mind? Am I giving off some sort of scent that he can pick up on my wants and needs?
I clear my throat and stand straight, ready to retort, but he holds up a finger.
“Why are we going to keep denying the chemistry between us?”
“Are you high?”
His lips turn downward, and he shrugs.
“You’re so annoying. You know that, right?”
“But you love me.” He bops me on the tip of my nose.
“Shut up.”
“Make me.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“What can I say? I love being dominated by beautiful women.”
The elevator door dings as it slides open, and we keep our eyes locked on each other. The doors start to close, but August places his hand on the door to stop it. He straightens himself, those crystal eyes still gazing into mine.
August gestures through the doors. “After you.”
I keep my eyes on him when I step out and take slow strides past him. He smells like bergamot and lemon, and I want to dig my face into his chest.
“You look beautiful, by the way.” August’s compliment makes my cheeks warm.
Stopping in my tracks, I turn to look at him and his lopsided smile. Hearing those words from any other man would have me rolling my eyes; I knew what their true intentions were with a compliment like that.
But when it comes to August, there’s meaning behind it. Feelings that I know are there, but I’m too afraid to touch. And no matter how many times he says it, a part of me will always disagree and say otherwise.
“Thank you.”
He hikes a thumb over his shoulder and asks, “You wanna get a drink while we wait for everyone else?”
If I spend any more time with this man, I’m afraid of what could happen. It’s dangerous when it’s just the two of us alone. There’s no buffer. His company at the bakery was enough for me to get my fill for the rest of the year.
“Thanks, but I need to decompress a little. What better way to do that than by sitting alone with a cocktail? I’ll see you at dinner, though.”
August gives me one last look before we go our separate ways.