Chapter 15
Emma slipped out of the room Tuesday morning while Cam was still sleeping, and by sleeping, it was more like snoring loud enough to make falling back asleep impossible. Or maybe that was because whenever she raised up on the couch to throw her pillow at him in hopes of shutting him up, the sight of him sent her heart fluttering this morning.
He had looked serene and peaceful lying there even if he sounded like a dump truck starting up. Suddenly, the snoring didn’t bother her and she found herself wanting to slide under the covers and snuggle up into him, drawing circles on his chest with her finger.
She shut the door to the room as quietly as she had opened it. She needed to put some space between them before she really did crawl into that bed. It didn’t help that the couch was the world’s most uncomfortable thing she’d ever laid on in her life.
Boy, was she in for it though. Wasn’t it a sign or something whenever a guy’s flaws started turning into cute traits? Not that she considered snoring a flaw, but the fact that she found herself staring at him like a cute puppy sprawled out on the bed instead of the source of what rudely awoke her. Yep, she needed a moment to clear her head. It was probably just leftover hormones from last night she told herself.
As she turned around, Emma let out a yelp. “What the hell are you doing just standing there?” She clutched at her chest as her heart settled itself back down.
“Watching you sneak out,” Lulu replied with a smirk.
Emma shook her head and began down the hallway, Lulu following suit beside her. “I’m not sneaking out.” She was. “I’m going to grab a bagel and take a walk.”
“To clear your head?”
Lulu knew her all too well. “Why would I need to clear my head? And why were you outside my room this early in the morning?”
Her friend ignored the latter question. “Uh, maybe because you’re letting your fake boyfriend bang out your brains,” she exclaimed with a squeal of excitement.
Emma’s head snapped toward her in surprise. “Did Lauren tell you that?” Of course she did. What was she thinking? Who else would know? “It’s not what you think.”
Lulu’s face twisted in hurt. “What? You told Lauren about this before me?”
“What? No, of course not. Well, I mean, I would tell her things too, you know that. But no, I didn’t tell her this.” Emma shook her head. “Not that there’s anything to tell. Wait, then how do you know?”
Lulu crossed her arms. “Because I heard the two of you. Hell, I bet everybody did.”
“What?” Emma looked horrified. “We weren’t that loud, were we?” She knew she’d gotten lost in their role play last, finding it much more of a turn-on than she could’ve ever imagined, but surely they weren’t that loud. Lulu’s room was past the elevator at the other end of the hotel.
Her friend let out a huff to say otherwise. Then another set of footsteps sounded from behind them, and Emma turned to see a shirtless Dan in swimming trunks come from the same way they’d just come.
She gave Lulu a questioning look as he approached. Instead of answering, Lulu gave him a serene smile as he neared her, dropping his head to plant what Emma would deem a very passionate morning kiss on her friend before saying, “I’ll see you around,” and giving both women a nod before going ahead to the elevator. Lulu’s only response was a satisfied smile and a self-assured, “I’m sure you will.”
Emma was sure her jaw was on the floor as they stood there halfway to the elevators.
Lulu smiled at her innocently.
“What the hell was that?” she asked.
Her friend shrugged as if it was no big deal. “Our date went good last night, so we decided to follow it up with a late-night swim and some other extracurricular activities.” She wagged her eyebrows.
Emma laughed, shaking her head. “Shit, I could’ve used you as a wingwoman back at the hotel in Dallas.”
Lulu tossed her head back in laughter. “I’d say that all worked out for the best in the end.”
Her words passed Emma without her hearing them as something stuck out. “Wait, why was Dan in Lauren and Asher’s room? Did you guys have plans this morning or something?” It was awfully early for plans, Emma thought, not much of a fan for waking up early on vacation unless it was going to prove to be worth it.
A light dawned on Lulu’s face. “No, no, no,” she said. “We stayed there last night.” At Emma’s questioning look, she continued. “Whenever I was getting ready for my date, Lauren came to my room to see if we could switch for the night. I have the better setup and ocean views,” she added as a way of explanation. “Since they were staying in, she wanted to shoot some content for her social media and my room was better for it.”
That made so much more sense, Emma thought, realizing with relief that her friend indeed could not hear her from across the hotel during her fake sex. Then she burst out laughing as everything came full circle and she realized what she put Cam through for nothing. It wasn’t Lauren and Asher they heard last night, it was the only person who didn’t expect to hear them having sex.
As Lulu stared at her like she was losing her mind, Emma doubled over, unable to stop laughing, tears now spilling down her eyes.
“Stop it,” Lulu whisper-shouted. “You’re going to wake people up.”
But that only made her laugh harder.
Finally, she somewhat found her bearings and started for the elevators again. “Walk with me,” she said to her friend who was now the one looking confused. “I’ll catch you up.”
◆◆◆
Lulu’s laughter was scaring the birds away from their morning exploration of the sandy shore as Emma finished telling her the reality of what she overheard last night. She couldn’t help but laugh along with her after hearing how absurd it all sounded out loud.
“I don’t think I can ever look at him the same,” Lulu said, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Emma swallowed her last bite of bagel as they continued to walk. “You better! I don’t think he’ll be happy with me if the trainer can’t make eye contact with him at his next work event.”
“Oh, I’ll be able to make eye contact,” Lulu amended. “I just won’t be able to envision anything except that sexy man doing dirty, dirty things.” She grinned. “Although my version will include less clothing.”
Emma gave her a little push on the shoulder. “Stop fantasizing about him.”
“Oooh, is someone becoming territorial?”
“No, of course not.” She just didn’t like the idea of Lulu thinking about Cam like that. Okay, so maybe a little.
Lulu gave her a knowing grin. “Well, if it helps, I doubt Lauren will want her old room back, so at least you won’t have to pretend anymore if you don’t want to.”
Emma laughed. “I don’t see her wanting to sleep in that room after what I overheard.”
It was Lulu’s turn to give her a shove. “Don’t be jealous because my orgasms were real.”
“Oh, I know they were. Each and every one.” Emma mocked last night’s sounds, Lulu’s insistence for her to stop doing no good as they were both cracking up.
“Are you planning to see him again?” Emma asked of Dan.
“I have a feeling we’ll still bump into each other a time or two this week.” Lulu winked.
Emma slid her arm between her friend’s and linked them at the elbows. “This is quite the eventful week for us both it should seem.” She felt Lulu look at her.
“Should I expect to need earplugs the rest of the week?”
Emma stopped walking. “No, why would you even ask that?”
Lulu gave her that don’t-be-stupid-face. “You said so yourself, it was hot. It affected you enough to have you out here before the morning joggers to think it over.”
She chewed on her lip in thought. Letting out a sigh, she said, “It’s unexpected. Cam is unexpected. I was so focused on trying not to think about this trip and then not exposing my lie while here, that he kind of just snuck up on me. One moment, I’m holding on to him for dear life to save face and the next I feel like I can’t breathe properly when he looks at me.”
A sweet smile spread across Lulu’s lips. “You like him.”
Emma let out a loud exhale. “I don’t know. What if it’s toying with him that I like? He comes off as such a nice and sweet guy, the total friend-zone type, but then he looks at me with those puppy dog eyes and I realize he’s a pit bull disguised as a golden retriever.” She grinned down at the sand. “He gets my blood going, and I’ve not felt anything like it. And I know that sounds stupid,” she held up her hand so that Lulu couldn’t comment. “I know it’s nothing more than lust, but there’s this small part of me that feels relaxed around him in a way that I don’t with others. Like I can open up and simply be me.”
“I wasn’t going to comment on the lust,” Lulu responded. “And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to jump someone’s bones that you find attractive. What matters is that you find a connection with him, too, and I think you do.”
Her friend’s words were spoken softly and supportive. Emma looked up and smiled at her. “I think I want to have fun with it and just see where the week takes us.”
Lulu nodded, though concern tinged her face. “I respect that. But be careful, okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Casual is all fun and games when it’s intentional, but if either of you catch feelings, which I think you already are, it could get messy.”
Emma waved her hand. “I don’t think he’s catching anything,” though she wasn’t sure if she believed it even as she said it, “And I didn’t say we would escalate anything. I have no plans. I’m simply staying open to whatever this week brings.”
“If you say so,” Lulu replied, though she didn’t sound convinced.
“By the way, you never did tell me why you were in the hallway this morning. Especially if Dan was still in there.”
Lulu gave her a winning smile. “I was sneaking out, too. I didn’t want him to get any wrong ideas.”
They broke out in laughter as they headed back in the direction of the hotel.