25. Chapter 25 #2
“I always overpack,” I explain. “Like if I’m going for a week, I bring twelve pairs of underwear, so for three weeks, I brought thirty-six pairs. Just to be safe.”
Reno’s hands over our bags to the attendant, his forehead crinkling in confusion. “Safe from… what?”
I widen my eyes. “What if I pee in my pants?”
He leads me to a small bar near the security area, and we wait in front of the hostess stand for the woman to finish seating another couple. “You do that often? Are you a secret pants-pee-er, Juliette?”
“No, but what if I’m out having an adventure and have to pop a squat in the woods?”
With a shake of his head, he says, “I don’t understand. ”
I take his hand and pat it in mock patience. “You see, girls and boys have different anatomy, Reno.”
His lips twitch at the corners. “You don’t say.”
“I thought I taught you a thing or two these past weeks, but maybe you weren’t paying good enough attention.”
He loops an arm around my waist and hauls me close, whispering in my ear. “Juliette, I know your anatomy better than my own balls at this point.” A shiver runs through me, and he squeezes my hip. “I’m going to need a more thorough explanation of the peeing situation though.”
The hostess returns and seats us at a booth in the corner. The tabletop is a sunny yellow, and we both squeeze into the same side of the booth. Reno uses the tabletop device to order us both a mimosa.
“Okay,” I begin. “Guys can just whip out their equipment and let ’er rip, but girls have to squat. Depending on positioning and the fullness of the bladder, sometimes a little pee gets where it shouldn’t. That’s why I bring extra socks and shoes too.”
His lips press together, fighting a smile, and he nods. “Okay, I see your point.”
“And it’s not just the pee situation. I also bring extras because if I take a swim in the afternoon, I’m not putting on the same panties I had on that morning because… gross.”
“Reno?”
We look up to find a woman standing beside our table, her brunette hair cut into a classy, asymmetrical bob. It’s before seven in the morning, but she has on a full face of what looks like professionally done makeup.
“Leia?” Reno asks, his body stiffening.
Oh shit. Leia? As in his former fiancée, Leia?
Her mouth morphs into a smile worthy of a toothpaste commercial. “What are you doing here, darling?”
His lips tighten at the pet name. “I’ve been staying on the island the past three weeks.”
Her smile falters a little. “At the Pineapple Island Resort?” I’m sure she’s trying to figure out what exactly he did there.
“Yep,” he replies curtly.
“Oh.” Her blue eyes flick to me and then back to her ex, her over-fluffed lips pursing into something resembling disapproval. “I thought you weren’t into sharing.”
She’s been here for all of thirty seconds, and I’m already done with her shit.
“Oh my goodness,” I drawl, inching so close to Reno, I might as well be in his lap.
But I’m feeling a little possessive. “I would never share my man with anyone.” I gaze lovingly up at him and see the hint of a pleased smirk on his lips.
“I knew once I found someone as perfect as Reno, there’s no way I could let anyone else touch him. I’m Juliette, by the way. And you are?”
I hold out my hand and Leia hesitates before giving it a limp, one-pump shake.
“Leia,” she replies shortly. “I’m sure you’ve heard about me.”
Oh no this heifer didn’t .
Tapping my chin with my forefinger, I tilt my head and pretend to think about it. “No, I don’t believe Reno’s mentioned you. Are you a cousin or something?”
Leia appears to have sucked on a rotten persimmon, her gorgeous face revealing her insult at the thought of Reno not going on and on about her.
“No, we were engaged,” she informs me with a curl of her lip.
I grace her with my sweetest smile and deliver the quintessential southern barb wrapped in sugar. “Awww. Well, bless your heart for letting this one get away.” Translation: You’re not very smart, are you?
As I curl my arms around Reno’s bicep and squeeze, he covers his snicker with a cough before piping up with, “So where’s Jeffrey?”
Leia’s blue eyes dart to the wall beside Reno, her discomfort obvious. “We’re, uh, not together anymore,” she mumbles before inching her chin haughtily. “Apparently, I’m high-maintenance. ”
“Shocking,” Reno says flatly. “So sorry about that.”
His sarcasm seems to go right over her perfectly coiffed head because she flashes that toothpaste commercial smile again and touches his arm. I resist the urge to smack it away. Barely.
“I decided I deserved some fun, so Daddy sent me on this little vacay.” Leia bats her eyelashes. “Are you arriving or leaving?”
“Juliette and I are leaving,” he replies, resting his hand on my thigh.
“Oh.” Her smile fades a bit before going full-wattage again, her voice turning into a catlike purr. “You could stay, Reno….”
I note that she didn’t include me in the invitation, and my nerves sizzle with trepidation.
Here she is looking like a freshly picked rose in an elegant ivory dress, and I’m in a tank top and shorts with a haphazard braid and no makeup.
And I was just discussing peeing on my own shoes.
I’m not exactly feeling like the winner in this situation.
But Reno’s sitting beside me and his hand is on my leg, so that reassures me a bit. Still…
“I don’t think so, Leia,” he replies, further soothing my nerves.
“Hmm,” she says, unimpressed. “Well, if you change your mind, you can stay in my cottage.”
Bitch.
A man in an orange-and-white striped uniform that resembles the outfits worn by inmates at our county jail approaches with our drinks.
Reno speaks with semi-politeness. “It was nice to see you again, Leia, but our breakfast is here.” He turns away and takes a casual sip of his mimosa, effectively dismissing his ex.
“It was great to meet you,” I pipe up sweetly. “Make sure to try the hammocks while you’re at the resort.”
Reno snorts, and some of the bubbly drink goes up his nose, tossing him into a coughing spell. He reaches for a couple napkins to control the dribbling as I pound him on the back. By the time he’s recovered, Leia is gone.
Good riddance. I hope she has raging diarrhea in that ivory dress.
“Did you really bless her heart and then suggest she try one of the hammocks of death?” he asks in a cough-rasped voice, though he’s grinning.
I pick up my glass and smile smugly over the rim. “I did. She needed some heart blessing.”
Reno falls asleep on the plane as soon as the wheels leave the ground. Poor man must be worn out from all our extracurricular activities last night.
I suppress a giggle and stare at him like a lovesick puppy. He is one gorgeous man. His eyelashes are completely unfair. How the hell does a man have such perfectly thick eyelashes that rest on the cheeks of that perfectly proportioned face?
Though I was up all night as well, I can’t seem to find sleep. I’m too busy planning what I’m going to say to him once we reach Miami. We both have layovers before we fly to our respective cities, so we’ll have at least two hours to hash out a plan.
The flight attendant brings me another mimosa, and I whisper a thank you to her from my window seat. Reno continues his deep slumber while I sleep stalk him.
After almost an hour of me gawking, I notice his brow crease into a frown, his hands tightening on the armrests. He releases a noise from the back of his throat, and I’m about to wake him when he utters a name.
A few seconds later, he murmurs, “I pucking love you.”
My blood turns into ice in my veins, and I can’t quite feel my fingers and toes. As I watch, his mouth curves into a brilliant smile, and my previously soaring spirit crashes into a fiery heap.
Because the name he said wasn’t mine. It was…
Leia.