course. The clothes still packed are what I would have packed anyway. All I need are a few dresses for the pre-party and ceremony. After throwing in a couple formal dresses, a few casual summery dresses, and two pairs of sandals, I’m rushing out the door.
As I exit the building, I find Chase waiting for me outside a town car. Paul hands my suitcase and garment bag over to the driver as Chase helps me in.
“Hello, beautiful,” he says as he sits down next to me.
“Hi,” I mutter, displeased. I should be ecstatic that I’m being flown to a tropical island, but I hate surprises.
“Don’t be mad,” he murmurs against my neck, trying to seduce me into forgiving him.
“I’m not mad, just annoyed.”
As the car begins to move, Chase nibbles on the nape of my neck. “Don’t be annoyed,” he whispers as he nips at my skin.
“I hate surprises.”
“I know, I’m sorry. It was unavoidable.” He makes his way up my neck to behind my ear.
“I know it was.” I begin to soften. It isn’t his fault there was no real good time to tell me. I tilt my head slightly.
“Wait until you see where we’re staying. The island is beautiful.” His breath tickles my ear, giving me chills. Kissing my cheek, he pulls me tight against him, holding me close. I snuggle against his side, relaxing for the ride to the airport.
Just after eight-thirty, we land at Providenciales International Airport. The flight was smooth and fast, getting us there before our scheduled arrival. Once again, there is a car waiting for us as we exit the plane. Chase and I are ushered into the car, then driven to a shuttle boat. Once aboard, it is a quick thirty minutes to our destination island: Parrot Cay.
Stepping off the boat, another car is waiting to take us to our hotel, the COMO Shambhala Retreat.
“We’re meeting up with Justin and his newest bimbo at the hotel bar.”
“Okay, I’m hungry anyway.”
“Me, too.” I turn to see he’s looking at me with those can’t-wait-to-get-you-to-bed eyes.
“You are insatiable,” I tease. He nods his head, a devilish smile crossing his lips.
We walk up a grand staircase, surrounded by lush tropical flowers toward the lobby. Our concierge informs us that we are to bypass the lobby and check in at the Terrace bar. Around a quick corner, smiles and tropical drinks greet Chase and me. If the rest of the hotel is as grand as the lobby, this will be an amazing experience.
“We’ll grab a quick cocktail here while our bags are brought to our room, then we’ll meet up with Justin and whoever at the poolside bar.”
“Another bar?” I ask as I sip on the large cocktail: green at the bottom, fading up to yellow, and then brown, garnished with a pineapple.
“One of many,” he quips.
Chase gives our name to the bartender for check-in. Once finished, he takes my hand and guides me to The Lotus Bar.
As we walk through the gorgeous grounds, our concierge tells us a little about the resort. There are several different cottages—some suites with ocean views, and some with garden views. Our room—apparently not a room at all, but a large villa—is closer to the beach and much more secluded than the rest of the resort.
We finally arrive at The Lotus Bar and a moment later, Chase’s name is shouted from the direction of the pool. Lying on a lounge chair is his friend Justin. Next to him is a very well endowed brunette in a bikini. Chase’s lips twitch up into a smile as he shakes his head in disbelief.
“Yo, Chase! Over here, buddy.” Justin gets off the chair and jogs over to us, leaving the bimbo behind.
“Justin, you remember Olivia?”
“Of course, your hot babe from the beach.”
“Hi, Justin,” I say, smiling in an effort to hide my discomfort.
“Damn, she’s even hotter than I remember,” Justin says with a smirk.
Chase puts his arm around me. “Off limits, Justin,” he says in a playful tone, but I’m not so sure.
“Who’s your friend?” I ask.
“That, is
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