24. Chapter 24
It’s finally tomorrow.
Not gonna lie, it was difficult getting through the seafood feast last night when all I wanted to do was scoop Alyssa up in my arms and kiss her again. But knowing I get to clear the air with her today and tell her everything I’m feeling leaves me with anxious jitters.
Alyssa must have snuck out earlier while I was still sleeping, so I quickly get ready and head out to grab a quick breakfast sandwich and coffee and head to the spa, since that’s what was on the schedule she sent me before the trip.
My heart beats faster when I spot Alyssa sitting on a bench outside the spa.
“Good morning.” I extend the iced toasted-coconut coffee I bought toward her.
She smiles up at me. “You didn’t have to get me this.”
“You said you could drink one every day for the rest of your life.” I wrap both hands around the coffee sleeve on my cup. “I’m doing what I can to make that happen.”
She dips her head. “Thanks.”
“You were gone pretty early. How’d you sleep?”
“Good. I decided to go to a reformer Pilates class they were offering.”
“Was our friend Felicity there?” I tease.
She laughs. “Thankfully, no.”
I take a sip of my coffee. “I can’t believe you call that torture exercise.”
“I think reformer Pilates is easier than mat Pilates since you have the machine helping you in a way, but not everyone may agree.”
“Are you inviting me to a class?”
She shrugs. “I’m not sure your body is built for that kind of core workout.”
I pull my shirt up and glance at my abs. “I think I’m good.”
Alyssa’s eyes dart to my stomach before she takes a few large gulps of the iced coffee. I don’t miss the way a slight blush covers her cheeks. I try to stay humble, but her staring at my abs like that just gave me the reassurance I needed that she feels something for me too.
She stands and walks toward the door. “We should head in.”
I hurry and grab the handle, opening it for her.
“Thanks.” The floral aroma from her perfume hits as she steps past me like a sweet summer breeze. I close my eyes and breathe it in before following her inside.
“Can’t say I’ve ever been to a spa before,” I whisper.
“Get ready for the best three hours of your life,” Alyssa says before stepping forward and greeting the receptionist. “Hi, we have a nine o’clock for Alyssa Cartwright and Austin Bradford.”
She trails her finger down the list. “Ah, here you are. The couples massage.”
Alyssa’s eyes bulge. “Is there any way for us to get individual massages?”
The receptionist’s smile falls. “We’re all booked up, hun. I could get you in for an individual massage tomorrow?”
Alyssa purses her lips. “We have the wedding tomorrow.”
“Oh, you’re getting married here?” She places a hand over her heart. “I didn’t want to say anything, but I can just feel the romance between you two.” She leans in closer. “I have a sense for these things, and I can tell you’re the real deal.”
Alyssa blushes. “That’s not—”
I sling my arm over her shoulder. “Thank you so much”—I glance at the woman’s name tag—“Marjorie. We’ll stick with the couples massage. It’s only bad luck to see the bride on the day of the wedding, right?” Alyssa pinches my side, and I grin.
Marjorie’s bright smile returns. “Exactly.” She moves around the desk and motions for us to follow her.
As we walk through the hallway of rooms, I lean down and brush Alyssa’s hair back.
I don’t miss her sharp inhale as my fingers graze her neck.
“If you really don’t want me in the room, I can make an excuse and leave.
But if it’s just about lying on the tables next to each other, I promise I won’t look. ”
She smacks my arm. “You’re not helping.”
I drop my voice even lower. “So you want me to look?” Alyssa shoots me a look. “What?” I play innocent.
“This is your room. You’ll want to disrobe and lie down on the massage table.
There’s a sheet at the foot of each one that you can cover yourselves with.
” She gestures to the robes hanging on a wall.
“You can put these on after, and your masseuses will escort you to the sauna and private pool area.” Marjorie turns, her wrinkled face beaming as she takes us in.
“Oh, you two are the cutest. I wish you a lifetime of happiness.”
“Thank you.” I place my hand on the dip of Alyssa’s waist and pull her close. “We appreciate it.”
She leaves as we step into the room. As soon as the door closes, Alyssa turns on me. “Why did you do that?”
“Marjorie seemed so excited. I didn’t want to ruin her day by correcting her.”
Alyssa shakes her head, but there’s a hint of a smile on her lips. She points to the wall. “Turn.”
“What?”
“I’m not undressing in front of you.”
I run a hand over my mouth and do as she asks. “Right, sorry.” I wait until I hear her slide onto the table and the sheet rustle before asking, “You good?”
“Yeah, go ahead. I’m not looking.”
I quickly take off my swim trunks and shirt, placing them on the bench near the door. “Am I supposed to, uh, take my underwear off?”
Her quiet laughter floats through the room. “Please leave it on.”
“Gladly.” I lie face down on the table next to her and slide the sheet over my bottom half.
There’s a knock at the door. “Are you both ready?”
“Yes,” Alyssa responds.
I close my eyes, ready for the massage and the conversation to follow.
I stretch, feeling a thousand times better than I did this morning. “I’ve had the team’s massage therapists work on me before, but that was something else.”
“Make sure you drink lots of water. Your muscles are typically depleted after a massage, so you need to rehydrate,” Alyssa explains.
I glance over, wondering when she suddenly learned so much about the topic. “Do you get massages often?” She shakes her head. “Then how do you know so much about them?”
She slurps up the remaining iced coffee from her cup. Right when it’s empty, a resort worker comes over and takes it from her. “That’s some quality service.”
“Lyssa.” I shoot her a look.
Alyssa sighs. “I might have researched it this morning to make sure it wouldn’t impact your body too much for baseball.” She shifts in her plush lounge chair uncomfortably. “Can’t have you feeling anything other than one hundred percent for your game this weekend.”
Her thoughtfulness warms my heart. “That was sweet of you. Thanks.”
“Anytime.” She smooths her hands along her robe.
I turn to face her. “Are you ready to talk about things?”
She huffs out a laugh. “Yes and no.”
“Just talk to me like you always do.”
Alyssa stares down at her lap. “It’s not as simple anymore. Things are different between us now.”
I nod. “That tends to happen when people kiss.”
“It’s not even that.”
I lean over and take her hand in mine, lacing our fingers. “Then tell me what it is.”
Alyssa looks toward the private pool. “Can we talk out in the water? Maybe get a lemonade?”
As long as I’m with her, figuring things out, I’m down for anything.
I’d even do Pilates again. “Whatever makes you comfortable.” I stand, pulling her up with me.
I shrug out of my robe and pull off my shirt before tossing my mostly empty coffee in the trash.
I step into the outdoor section of the spa just in time to watch Alyssa drop her robe, revealing her bikini.
She looks amazing in anything she wears, but she’s downright gorgeous in this sky-blue bathing suit.
It matches her eyes perfectly, making them pop even more.
The contrast between her curled blonde hair and the blue is also stunning.
Like the color was made specifically for her.
She peers over her shoulder at me with a smirk. “Are you going to swim or keep staring?”
I chuckle, walking the rest of the way to the chairs she’s claimed. “Can I do both?”
She sits on the edge of the pool and gracefully slides in. I follow her into the water, and what I lack in her gracefulness I make up for in my ability to cause a small wave in the pool.
I slip into the water, relishing in the cool temperature in this Caribbean heat. When I come up for air, I run my fingers through my hair and find Alyssa watching me.
From this level in the resort, I can see the beach and ocean behind her, along with the mountainous greenery surrounding us on the island. A striking backdrop for an even more striking woman.
“Beautiful,” I breathe.
She turns and looks behind her. “The water is so blue it almost looks fake.”
“I wasn’t talking about the view.”