Chapter 7
SEVEN
TALLY
Excitement fluttered in my stomach as I stood in the bright, airy lobby of Tranquility Bay Resort. Even inside, the air smelled of the sea, and through the windows, fluffy white clouds floated in a sky as blue as the cerulean waters we’d flown over before our flight landed an hour earlier.
I hadn’t been sure what to expect of the resort. The photographs on the website had made it look lovely, but I knew better than to trust images that could easily have been manipulated or were simply out of date.
I’d been wrong to suspect them of misleading customers though. Even from what little I’d seen of the resort as we’d pulled up outside and handed our suitcases over to a bellhop, I could tell that the buildings were modern but had character and the exterior was lush with greenery.
Dare I hope I might even enjoy my time here?
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Alec said from beside me. We were lined up at a large wooden desk, waiting for the receptionist to check us in.
“I’m excited to see the other side.” I hadn’t been able to tell from the website whether the coast adjoining the resort was sandy or rocky.
“Me too.”
Nearby, there was a ping and the elevator doors opened. A couple stepped out, the woman’s sandals slapping against the patterned vinyl floor. My brain glitched, refusing to fully register what I was seeing:
Coral, in a pretty, wrap around dress, with a white plumeria flower tucked behind her ear and glossy pink lips.
Beside her, Thad, in Hawaiian print board shorts and a white open-collared shirt, a lei around his neck.
Fuck my life. I’d been hoping to have more of a reprieve before coming face-to-face with them.
Their fingers were intertwined. They looked good together, I couldn’t deny it. They fit in ways he and I never had.
Something touched my back and I flinched, relaxing when I realized it was Alec. He wound his arm around my waist and pulled me against his side. My hand instinctively came to rest on his chest so I could steady myself, and my eyes widened slightly at the firmness of the muscle beneath my palm.
Don’t get used to him holding you like this, I warned myself. Don’t creep on him either.
Thad spotted us first. He set a course straight for us, dragging Coral with him. She resisted, trying to tug him the other way. When he refused to be budged, her shoulders slumped, and she rolled her eyes and let him lead her over.
“I heard that you two had gotten together,” Thad said, his dark gaze flicking between us. “I figured people must have gotten it wrong.”
Alec’s arm reflexively tightened around me. “Not only are we together, but we’re solid.” His lips brushed my temple and I barely resisted the urge to melt into his embrace. “I’m not stupid enough to repeat your mistake and lose her. I know Tally is precious and I’m man enough to hold onto her.”
Thad glowered. “Masculinity has nothing to do with it. I saw a better option and went for it.”
I tried to meet Coral’s eyes, wondering what she made of all of this, but she was making it impossible to catch her gaze. She was obviously uncomfortable. My instincts were to smooth the situation over, but my lingering hurt and bitterness stopped me from taking any steps to do so.
Coral had created this awkwardness. She deserved to experience it fully.
“Better?” Alec snorted. “‘Better’ people don’t stab their family in the back.”
I wondered if I should open my mouth and say something about how we could all just be nice and get through this week peacefully, but my lips remained sealed.
Apparently, I had a petty streak.
Thad started to stalk away, his hand still joined with Coral’s, but strangely, she hesitated.
“Tally, I…”
“Don’t worry about it.” I shook my head, dismissing her. I’d been silly to try to catch her gaze. Now that she seemed to want to talk, my chest was so tight that I didn’t think I’d be capable of getting anything out.
“No, really, I—”
“Just go!” I snapped, losing my cool.
She flinched and slunk away, as if I’d been the one to hurt her and not the other way around.
“What was that about?”
I started, realizing we were now at the front of the line. The receptionist waved us over, his eyes sparkling with interest.
“That was my ex,” I explained, grimacing. “He’s here with the same wedding party as me. The girl with him is my cousin, who he cheated on me with.”
His golden forehead creased with sympathy. “Oh, honey. I’m sorry. That’s rough.”
“It’s fine,” I said, trying to come across as breezy but I had a suspicion I was falling short. “I’ve got my new man here.”
May as well start the act now, right?
“So you do.” He grinned and thrust his hand across the desk. “Alec Wright, right?”
Alec blinked in surprise. Hesitantly, he shook the man’s hand. “Yeah. That’s me.”
“I’m such a fan.” The receptionist held onto him for a few seconds longer than necessary, unable to tear his eyes from Alec’s face. “The Dragons are my favorite team.”
“Really?”
The guy laughed. “I know; it’s not very Hawaiian of me to like ice hockey, but my Dad is from Montreal, and he’s obsessed. He loves the Canadiens, so of course, I had to pick a different team to support. It drives him crazy that I chose one from the U.S.”
“Sounds like you’re a man of good taste,” I said, relieved at him for offering such an easy change of topic from the shit show that was my former love life. “Who’s your favorite player?”
He pursed his lips. “Promise not to hold it against me if it’s not Alec Wright?”
Alec chuckled. “My ego isn’t that massive.”
“Phew!” He pretended to wipe sweat from his brow. “I love Badagova. He’s such a machine.”
I was impressed by his choice. A lot of people overlooked the defense and tended to favor the goal-scorers, but Davi Badagova was a total badass.
Someone cleared their throat behind us, and the receptionist straightened.
“Anyway, sorry to take up your time,” he said briskly. “Let’s get you all sorted then.”
Five minutes later, we had two key cards in hand and our new receptionist friend wished us luck as we headed for the elevator. Our room was on the third floor, so I swiped the card and pushed the button to take us there.
I half-expected Alec to ask me if I was okay after our run-in with Coral and Thad, but perhaps he’d decided it was best not to mention anything that might ruin my mood, because he stayed quiet.
We followed the directions to room 324 and I pressed the card to the electronic reader by the handle, waited for the green light to flash, and opened the door.
Through the window opposite us, the ocean glimmered turquoise as it stretched into the horizon. Gauzy curtains softened the view, but it wasn’t the riot of greens and blues that captured my attention.
It was the bed.
Singular.
As in, there was one bed.
The bottom dropped out of my stomach. It was at most a queen, with just enough room for a couple who didn’t mind getting nice and cozy but not at all enough space for a woman who was trying her hardest not to be enticed by her absolutely gorgeous best friend.
It certainly wasn’t large enough for him to feel comfortable with the situation.
Oh god, would he think I’d done this on purpose?
“I’m sorry.” I turned to him, tears stinging my eyes. “I swear it didn’t cross my mind that we might have to share a bed. I’m so stupid. I should have called and asked to change my room to a double. Now we’re stuck and the sign out front said no vacancy.”
“Hey, cocobug. Take a breath.” Alec guided me to the bed and I perched awkwardly on the edge of it. “It’s all right. We’ll manage.”
“But this is all my fault. If I’d been thinking clearly, I’d have remembered to plan ahead, but I just…
I just…” I squeezed my eyes shut, so angry with myself for being overwhelmed and failing to do something as simple as changing the room booking so Alec wouldn’t feel obligated to share a bed with me.
“It’s not a big deal,” he said quietly.
But it was. At least, it felt that way to me.
I looked around, desperately searching for a solution. There was no pull-out couch. We could potentially ask for one at reception but what if someone overheard and then our whole deception fell apart?
“I’ll sleep on the ottoman,” I declared, grateful to the idea for springing into my mind. It wasn’t as good as a couch, but it would do.
He snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
I glared at him. “I’m not. I’m trying to fix this.”
His expression softened. “We’re adults. We can share the bed without it having to be a big deal.”
Could we? Because honestly, it seemed like a big deal.
Alec was sexy. Right now, he was serving as my white knight. I could retain a shred of control over myself while I was conscious, but once I fell asleep, there was every chance I’d wrap myself around him like an octopus.
“What if I cuddle you in my sleep?” I asked. “I’m a cuddler. I can’t help it.”
There. I’d set up a little plausible deniability in case I found myself drawn to him while asleep.
His lips quirked with amusement. “Tally, it isn’t as if we haven’t cuddled before. I’m sure we’ll survive.”
Perhaps, but would my heart emerge unscathed?
“Would you like me to sleep on the ottoman?” he offered, and the guilt settled inside me like a leaden weight.
“No, of course not. You’re a professional athlete. You need a proper bed.” Not to mention that he was doing so much for me already.
“I won’t sleep in the bed if it’s going to cause you this much stress.”
I sighed. “I’m being dramatic, aren’t I?”
He held up his thumb and finger an inch apart. “Only a little.”
“Fine,” I relented. “We can share the bed.”
But I couldn’t shake the feeling that our ruse had gotten off to a rocky start, and that this might be an omen of things to come.