Chapter 49
Laying on my stomach, I exhaled a sigh of contentment as a pair of strong hands slowly slid from my shoulders down my back. The sound of the ocean from outside the curtained cabana and the masseur’s skilled touch lulled me into a perfect state of tranquility.
It didn’t last long.
“I wonder what Wes and Lucas would think if they knew some hot beach boys had their hands all over us, Callie,” Loralei tittered.
My eyes snapped open and met the white shoes of my masseur through the opening of the face-down pillow. The tranquility all but vanished.
Callie, Grace, Haley, me, and Loralei were on the private beach outside of our hotel in Monte Carlo. We were secluded inside of a concealed cabana for massages I had scheduled for us.
Loralei’s impromptu addition to the trip had thrown me for more than one loop.
After originally declining Callie’s invitation, Loralei called Wes late the night before departure to let him know her plans had changed and she’d be attending after all.
It threw everything into a frenzy. Lucas had to update the flight manifest at the last minute to include the extra passenger.
The girls were staying in a different hotel the first few days, and we had to call to get an extra room.
And everything I scheduled in advance had to be rearranged to add her on.
It also threw a wrench in my plans to try to talk to Wes. No, I had no intention of saying anything about my feelings, but talking to him about everything else wasn’t something I wanted to do with his girlfriend there.
We spent the last two days catering to Callie…well, Haley, Grace, and I did. Loralei, however, had spent the entire time on her damn phone or complaining.
The shopping we did was too boring for her.
The food at any restaurant we went to wasn’t anything she liked.
The bars and clubs we visited were too noisy or crowded.
And if she asked one more time when we were going to finally see the guys so we could “liven this trip up,” I was going to scream.
It was our third and final day by ourselves before we planned to head to our rooms at Casino Diamant du Soleil, Lucas’s hotel and casino, and finally meet up with the guys tomorrow night.
“Speaking of, have you heard from Lucas?” Loralei asked Callie. “What are they up to today? What time are we meeting them tomorrow? And where?”
“Haven’t you talked to Wes and asked him all of this yourself? You’ve been on your phone the entire time we’ve been here,” I snapped.
“What?” Loralei asked with a giggle. “I can’t hear you down here.”
I lifted my head at the same moment the other three did, meeting their gazes; I was on the far end of the cabana with Callie, Grace, and Haley in the middle and Loralei at the other end.
Callie and Grace looked at me with rueful smiles. It was no secret to them that I was struggling—they both knew the truth about me and Wes.
Haley, who didn’t know, fought back a laugh at my comment. That was her brother, and I wasn’t about to go down that road and rope her into this mess, but if I learned anything over the last few days, it was that she wasn’t the biggest fan of her brother’s girlfriend.
“Nothing,” I said a little louder. I shook my head as I sat up and pulled the sheet with me to cover myself, holding my hand up to signal the masseur that I was done. I dropped my voice to just above a whisper. “I’m gonna…” I trailed off, pointing to the back of the cabana.
I had planned to take off a little early anyway, needing to check in on some things for our final hoorah that night.
The other girls all nodded. “We’ll meet you back in the hotel,” Callie said quietly.
After slipping on the complimentary robe, I tipped my masseur and left.
We were standing inside a brewery in Monte Carlo—Lucas loved beer as much as the next guy. As best man, I planned our portion of the trip, and one of the things I scheduled was a private tour through one of their breweries.
“I need to get some of this to take home,” Lucas said before finishing off the rest of one of the samples they’d given us. “Shit…that’s good.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I wonder if they sell it by the barrel. I could put it on tap in the bar at the new house.”
I snorted. “Jesus Christ.”
Blake looked over at him. “You’re just gonna drop some cash on a barrel or two?”
Lucas shrugged. “I’ll have to pay duty bringing it back to the States, but yeah, I’d buy a couple.”
“Well, I’d say this part of the trip was a success then,” I said with a chuckle.
“I don’t get the hype. It’s just beer.”
Lucas, Blake, Gabe, and I all glanced over at Chad, who sat on a stool in the taproom of the brewery. “Well, good thing it’s not about you,” I quipped.
“I’m just saying, it tastes like any other beer to me.”
“You’re entitled to your wrong opinion,” I said.
“It’s damn good beer,” Lucas said before looking back at me with a grin. “Thank you. This was definitely worth the visit.”
We’d spent the past few days enjoying the best of what Monte Carlo had to offer, eating and drinking our weight in food and drinks while exploring. This was the last tourist stop before our final outing tonight. Then, we were meeting up with the girls tomorrow.
I’d also spent the past few days trying—and failing miserably—not to think about Morgan.
I knew I shouldn’t be, especially with Loralei there, but I couldn’t seem to help myself.
Anytime we were out, I half expected to run into them, but even with our hotels just down the beach from one another, we’d managed to avoid each other’s groups.
We were all meeting up tomorrow night, however. And I couldn’t help but feel guilty.
Because I was looking forward to just being able to catch a glimpse of Morgan more than anything else.
Lucas and Callie arranged for everyone to meet at the club overlooking the beach where Casino Diamant du Soleil was situated.
When we arrived, Lucas snagged us a VIP section.
Neon lights and music filled the club, and we ordered a round of drinks as we waited for the girls to arrive—they made it to the hotel just after we left.
“There they are,” Gabe said as he peered over the railing.
We all glanced down to see a staff member leading them through the crowd toward the stairs. When they reached the top, Lucas made a beeline right for Callie—you’d think they hadn’t seen each other in ten years.
“Brother,” I heard Haley say as she approached.
“Hey, kid.” I draped my arm over her shoulder. “Been having fun?”
“Yeah,” she said with a grin. “Callie, Grace, and Morgan know how to have a good time.”
I noticed the lack of her mentioning another name, but she got distracted before I could ask about it. I saw her looking oddly at someone, and I tried to follow her line of vision, but Loralei stepped in front of me, abruptly blocking my view.
“Hey, you,” she cooed.
“Hey.” I dropped my arm away from my sister and slipped my other one around Loralei’s waist. “How were the last few days?”
“They were fine. I’m glad we’re with you guys now, though.”
Haley scoffed beside me through a laugh before walking away.
I greeted Grace while Loralei stepped away to say hello to the other guys. As some of the others dispersed and started to sit on the velvet sofa lining the VIP section, I finally met Morgan’s gaze.
We stared at one another for a moment before I took a few steps towards her. “Hey.”
Morgan offered a smile, albeit small. “Hi.”
“Glad to see you actually joined us,” I quipped, earning another small smile from her. I was so used to her not showing up back home that I half-expected her not to come. “How’d your side of the trip go?”
“Good.” She nodded. “Callie seemed to enjoy herself. How was yours?”
“I’d say it was a success,” I replied. “And thank you…for letting Lora tag along.”
“Yeah, uh…no problem,” she said with a nod. “She was a delight.”
I swore her voice held a hint of sarcasm, but I couldn’t tell over the loud music.
An awkward silence fell between us as we continued to stare at each other until Loralei pulled me out of my daze and tugged my hand. “I need a drink!” she hollered over the music.
I gave Morgan one last glance before I was pulled away.