you leave? I’ve got one hell of a hangover and I might bite any maid who
wakes me up.”
Christine
agreed and did just that. She pulled out her tote bag for the beach, knowing
she’d claim that cabana early. She showered and pulled her hair up in a
ponytail, then put on her bikini. When she came back into the room, Fiona
appeared to be sound asleep again. She moved quietly to keep from disturbing
her. She tied a sarong around her hips, packed sunscreen, water and a book,
then went down to breakfast.
She
wanted to dance in her anticipation.
Noon
couldn’t come soon enough.
* * *
Jake
was early to the breakfast buffet, partly because he had been awake half the
night thinking about Christine and partly because he was ready to see her
again. To his surprise, he wasn’t the first of their group to turn up for
breakfast.
Ryan
and his buddies were there, looking exhausted but jubilant.
“So,
did you score?” Mark demanded when he saw Jake.
“Me?
No. I figured I was just contributing to your winnings by joining the betting
pool.”
“It
was close,” Mark insisted, holding up a finger and thumb. “But she outsmarted
me.”
“Not
too tough when you’ve had ten beers,” Kade said quietly.
Jake
refrained from saying it wouldn’t have been too tough to do when Mark was
sober. The guy was not the brightest light. He caught Ryan’s twinkling gaze and
knew that man was thinking the same thing.
“It’s
not like you could have done much other than fall asleep in her snatch,” Steve
added.
“Maybe
that’s why she went for the windsurfing instructor,” Ryan said. “You know, picking
a live one.”
The
guys erupted into a lively discussion about Mark’s abilities and his condition
the night before, which was easy for Jake to ignore.
“Aren’t
you holding out on us?” Mark demanded of Jake. “I’d have to think you’d be able
to close the deal with Christine after that tonsil hockey in the airport.”
“Champagne
in business class,” Steve said with a roll of his eyes. “Unfair competition,
that’s what that was.”
“Hey,
you got an asset, you gotta use it,” Mark said, nudging Jake. “So?”
“So,
maybe I don’t want to talk about it.” Jake had to make sure that he kept
control until one of these guys won the bet. He didn’t want Christine to have
any doubts about his motivation—or that of her secret lover.
“Excellent!
He didn’t score, we’re still in the running!” The guys high-fived each other
and Steve went for more bacon and eggs.
“Hey,
here comes the ball and chain,” Darren teased, poking Ryan.
Ryan
swore. “Think she noticed I stayed out all night?”
Jake
took one look at his sister and knew she had. His mom was with his sister, her
expression filled with concern.
Christine
practically floated into the restaurant from the other side, her expression so
jubilant that Jake’s gut tightened in pleasure. She was wearing that bikini
again, this time with a bright sarong. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and
she looked luscious.
How
would he last until noon?
Christine
smiled at Jake, which reminded him that she’d called him by name the night
before. She knew—but part of her fantasy was that her lover was
mysterious. He had some work to do to disguise his identity from her.
Because
he sure wasn’t going to let her down, in any way.
Mark
looked between Christine and Jake, then jabbed an elbow into Jake’s ribs. “You
putting us on, man? Did you already win the bet?”
“No!”
“Liar!
Yo, he nailed her in one night!” Mark laughed, then gave Christine an
appreciative glance. “Maybe I can be next in line.”
Jake
saw trouble coming, and had to short circuit it. He leaned close to Mark on
impulse. “Hey, would you do me a favor and say that I was with you guys last
night?”
“You
dog!” Mark said with a grin. “You’re hedging your bets, aren’t you?”
“A
guy’s got to do what he’s got to do,” Jake said and the younger man
wakes me up.”
Christine
agreed and did just that. She pulled out her tote bag for the beach, knowing
she’d claim that cabana early. She showered and pulled her hair up in a
ponytail, then put on her bikini. When she came back into the room, Fiona
appeared to be sound asleep again. She moved quietly to keep from disturbing
her. She tied a sarong around her hips, packed sunscreen, water and a book,
then went down to breakfast.
She
wanted to dance in her anticipation.
Noon
couldn’t come soon enough.
* * *
Jake
was early to the breakfast buffet, partly because he had been awake half the
night thinking about Christine and partly because he was ready to see her
again. To his surprise, he wasn’t the first of their group to turn up for
breakfast.
Ryan
and his buddies were there, looking exhausted but jubilant.
“So,
did you score?” Mark demanded when he saw Jake.
“Me?
No. I figured I was just contributing to your winnings by joining the betting
pool.”
“It
was close,” Mark insisted, holding up a finger and thumb. “But she outsmarted
me.”
“Not
too tough when you’ve had ten beers,” Kade said quietly.
Jake
refrained from saying it wouldn’t have been too tough to do when Mark was
sober. The guy was not the brightest light. He caught Ryan’s twinkling gaze and
knew that man was thinking the same thing.
“It’s
not like you could have done much other than fall asleep in her snatch,” Steve
added.
“Maybe
that’s why she went for the windsurfing instructor,” Ryan said. “You know, picking
a live one.”
The
guys erupted into a lively discussion about Mark’s abilities and his condition
the night before, which was easy for Jake to ignore.
“Aren’t
you holding out on us?” Mark demanded of Jake. “I’d have to think you’d be able
to close the deal with Christine after that tonsil hockey in the airport.”
“Champagne
in business class,” Steve said with a roll of his eyes. “Unfair competition,
that’s what that was.”
“Hey,
you got an asset, you gotta use it,” Mark said, nudging Jake. “So?”
“So,
maybe I don’t want to talk about it.” Jake had to make sure that he kept
control until one of these guys won the bet. He didn’t want Christine to have
any doubts about his motivation—or that of her secret lover.
“Excellent!
He didn’t score, we’re still in the running!” The guys high-fived each other
and Steve went for more bacon and eggs.
“Hey,
here comes the ball and chain,” Darren teased, poking Ryan.
Ryan
swore. “Think she noticed I stayed out all night?”
Jake
took one look at his sister and knew she had. His mom was with his sister, her
expression filled with concern.
Christine
practically floated into the restaurant from the other side, her expression so
jubilant that Jake’s gut tightened in pleasure. She was wearing that bikini
again, this time with a bright sarong. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and
she looked luscious.
How
would he last until noon?
Christine
smiled at Jake, which reminded him that she’d called him by name the night
before. She knew—but part of her fantasy was that her lover was
mysterious. He had some work to do to disguise his identity from her.
Because
he sure wasn’t going to let her down, in any way.
Mark
looked between Christine and Jake, then jabbed an elbow into Jake’s ribs. “You
putting us on, man? Did you already win the bet?”
“No!”
“Liar!
Yo, he nailed her in one night!” Mark laughed, then gave Christine an
appreciative glance. “Maybe I can be next in line.”
Jake
saw trouble coming, and had to short circuit it. He leaned close to Mark on
impulse. “Hey, would you do me a favor and say that I was with you guys last
night?”
“You
dog!” Mark said with a grin. “You’re hedging your bets, aren’t you?”
“A
guy’s got to do what he’s got to do,” Jake said and the younger man
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