7. Tori
For the first time in a long while, I don’t wake up to my alarm or social media notifications. Instead, I’m wrapped in warmth, the gentle but constant whooshing of waves against sand bringing me back to life. I shift slightly, trying to snuggle into the covers, but I realize something heavy is draped over my waist, something that tightens and pulls me back into a firm chest.
I stiffen, but then relax as a soft purr sounds from the space directly behind me. As I breathe deep, the salt of the air mixes with spearmint and berries. Spencer. But I remember falling asleep with at least two whole feet between us. Now, our legs are tangled together, the sheets pulled back so the whisper-soft breeze can caress the exposed skin of our calves and feet.
“In my defense, you nearly pushed me out of bed trying to burrow into my back. I did what I had to do to reclaim mattress space,” Spencer mutters into my hair.
I scoff and roll my eyes, which sets him to laughing out loud. When I turn over to face him, the light filtering through the slatted shutters to our left highlights his sleepy grin. He lost his shirt sometime in the night, it seems, and as he stretches slowly, the defined muscles of his arms and chest twitch.
“Oh, what a burden, cuddling with me,” I drone sarcastically, brushing some of my hair back from my face.
Spencer goes serious for a moment before sitting up on one of his elbows. “Never a burden. A privilege,” he says, staring deep into my eyes.
My cheeks grow hot, and my stomach flips. His ocean orbs flick down to my lips, like he’s considering kissing me, but he doesn’t move, playing chicken. A game I would most assuredly win if my bladder wasn’t bursting at the seams. So, to his visible disappointment, I back off and roll over to the edge of the bed, rushing to the en suite.
I take my time, stopping to address my bedhead and finding my toiletries to brush my teeth. Not because I’m nervous about going back to bed with Spencer. Hygiene is important. And once I go back to the bedroom, I do my best to ignore the disappointment settling into my lower belly as I realize Spencer didn’t wait for me.
Instead, I find that the wall of shutters has opened, exposing the bedroom to the courtyard and pool area. I didn’t get to take it in fully when we arrived, but now I’m struck by how stunning the view is beyond the edge of the infinity pool. There’s a gate at the bottom of a short set of stairs that opens onto a worn path leading down to the empty white-sand beach and the ocean.
I’m pulled away from the view by the creak and rattle of doors, and I look to find Spencer opening the massive glass doors to the living area. Once the curtains are pulled back, I catch more movement from within the building—Eli and Oli based on the builds. I look down at the sweats and baggy t-shirt I’d worn to sleep, already feeling the heat of the day creeping up. So I find the suitcase the boys packed for me and hoist it onto the coffee table in the bedroom, unzipping it and bracing for the worst.
But I’m pleasantly surprised as I realize they didn’t just pack me lacey underwear and string bikinis. There are swimsuits, but they are cut in vintage silhouettes, with thick straps on the tops and high-waisted shorts-style bottoms. And everything appears to be coordinated so I can mix and match to my heart’s content. I slip into one of the suits and throw a breezy sundress over it for now, fully intending to shed it soon and take advantage of that crystal-clear pool.
But first: food. A girl can’t swim, sunbathe, and get frisky with hockey players on an empty stomach.
Eli is the first to notice me as I make my way to the living area. He’s leaning back on the kitchen island, a cup of hot coffee in one hand, the other tucked into the pocket of his swim trunks. He straightens as soon as he sees me, a smile spreading across his face from one ear to the other. Oli and Spencer catch on a moment later, stopping mid-sentence as they look up from the platter of meats, cheeses, fruits, and pastries that’s appeared on the kitchen counter overnight.
“Good morning, sunshine. Aren’t you looking absolutely stunning,” Eli gushes, his eyes taking in every inch of me from the top of my head to my bare feet and back up.
I flush but try not to let on how much his compliment and attention make my heart race. Keeping my head high, I round the island, aiming for the fridge. But as I pass Oli, his arm darts out and pulls me to him. His chest rumbles with a weird mixture of a growl and a purr, his other hand finding my hip and fisting into the material of my sundress.
“You look good enough to eat,” he murmurs into my ear, low enough that I’m not sure the others heard it.
I giggle, attempting to wriggle out of his grip. “I need to eat, or you’re going to have to deal with a very hangry omega.” Pushing against his chest, I turn toward the breakfast spread.
Wrong move. The hand on my waist slips below the material of my dress, diving to the apex of my thighs to press hard at my core, even through the material of my swimsuit. I stumble slightly, taken aback by the bold touch and the zing of pleasure ricocheting around my body. But then Spencer steps up and shoves Oli back a step or two.
“Keep it in your pants, Ace. We just woke up,” Spencer snaps.
There’s a tense moment when I don’t dare look behind me to figure out what silent exchange is happening. Thankfully, it seems to pass as Oliver sidesteps, leaning in only briefly to kiss my hairline.
“I’m sorry, princess. That wasn’t right of me,” he says softly.
Giving his bicep a squeeze, I smile up at him. “We’ll get there. Just need fuel before you fuck my brains out,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.
Oli’s pupils go wide, swallowing the glowing amber of his irises even as they catch fire. But he doesn’t respond to my jab; the smirk he gives me tells me he will absolutely be following through with that plan later.
“Did you see what they put up for us?” Eli interjects, sliding a small plate to me, which I catch deftly and start to fill with fruit and cheese.
Eli gestures to another overnight addition. An artificial palm tree, made of the same sort of plastic fringe you’d normally see fake pine trees made of, wrapped in twinkle lights with little red and green baubles hanging from the fronds. A pristinely wrapped gift sits alone under the tree, most likely put there by the same people who erected the tree and provided the food.
“That’s so sweet of them.” I smile fondly.
“We were going to put our gifts under it before you woke up, but I wanted you to see it like we did before that,” Eli says, leaning forward toward me over the island.
I shouldn’t be surprised that they also got me presents on top of organizing this vacation, but I still focus on each of them in turn, waiting for someone to speak. Eli is just smiling like a kid on, well, Christmas, Spencer’s smirking, and Oli is still looking at me like he’s ready to pounce the moment I take my last bite. I sigh and shake my head, still at a loss for words.
“We’re going to spoil you whether you like it or not, sugar,” Spencer says with a shrug.
Or not is the more likely outcome. At least I know it should be. I should be denying the gifts and attention, playing it cool and not giving in. But instead, my instincts are just tickled pink and would have me prancing around like a prized pony if I let them win. So, I just take another bite of strawberry and walk away, heading toward one of the lounge chairs by the pool.
That’s a problem for me to address when I’m not on a tropical getaway. I can ignore the growing pile of things future me has to deal with. Especially when present me has sun to soak up and relaxation to be enjoyed.