Chapter 21
Jess
Imet Brodie on my way back from the pool. He was coming down the main stairs dressed in dark trousers and a crisp white shirt. Hair damp. ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I didn’t think to go looking for you before going back to the room. I thought I’d use the shower before you came back.’
I felt flustered and unkempt in flat sandals and a long shirt over my swimsuit. ‘I fell asleep on a lounger.’ I felt like such a sloth. Normally I was busy at weekends, doing stuff with Tash or volunteering at community events. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had nothing at all to do.
‘It’s cool, you are meant to be relaxing,’ said Brodie. ‘I’ll see you on the terrace for drinks?’
I nodded and rushed back to the room. I had a glorious shower and liberally used the luxury beauty products, then put on a bathrobe and looked at my clothes, plucking out the dress I’d brought for this evening.
Brodie’s masculine, crisp scent lingered in the the room and his things were strewn around the place. It felt absurdly intimate to have noticed his damp towel on the rail in the bathroom and to see his washbag nestled alongside mine.
My phone vibrated. A text from Tash. Please tell me there’s only one bed. This is just too tropetastic.
I rolled my eyes but dutifully sent her a photo of the bed.
Tash was an avid reader of romances. The kind featuring orcs and fey women. And one bed. Or cave, whatever they had in those stories. I fired off a text. But nothing is going to happen. It’s not a good idea.
Tash: Tell that to him. I saw the way he looked at you when he arrived this morning. Scorchio.
I rolled my eyes again, but couldn’t deny the pulse of awareness down low. I sent back: We have nothing in common. And then the conversation in the car came back to me. My skin prickled. Actually, we did have stuff in common.
Tash: You don’t need stuff in common. You just want to use him to have some mind-blowing orgasms like the one he already gave you.
I scowled. I’d told her too much.
Then she completely took the wind out of me when she texted: It’s OK to have fun, Jess. You deserve it. x
I’d pulled on the dress during our texting and now sat on the edge of the bed. Tash had a theory I was intent on living some kind of ascetic life of service because of Callum. As if I had survivor guilt because I was living my life and his had been arrested so young.
My brother Jamie had had it too, except his version of it had been to work in remote, dangerous locations as a cameraman, almost willing the universe to do its worst with him. He’d got appendicitis in a jungle and had almost died.
Tash made it sound so easy. Could it be that easy?
There was something very seductive about indulging in a completely transparent, no-emotions-involved tryst. Going method for our fake date.
I’d seen condoms in Brodie’s washbag. The man was probably always prepared.
After all, he had a reputation to uphold.
Except, I knew that was no longer a fair assumption to make.
He hadn’t had a condom with him that first night. I had.
He was still a corporate property shark, but maybe less of a playboy.
But the truth was that the thought of seizing something for myself for the sheer pleasure of it – seemed so provocative and outrageous that a little rebellious spark lit within me.
Would it really be so bad? After all, I’d learnt from my past mistakes – it wasn’t as if I’d ever fall for a guy like him. ..