Take Me To Paradise

CHAPTERTWELVE

That wasn’thow I intended to spend my second to last night at this resort. Once Rae took her leave of us, Fraser and I went back to his room for a drink. We sat on his deck, looking at the stars in shared contemplative silence.

“So you really think this thing would work?” He signaled between us and pointed toward the direction where Rae’s cabana was with the top of his beer bottle.

“I don’t know if it would or wouldn’t, but we live too close to one another to not see where it could head.” I shrugged, sinking back into one of the lounge chairs.

To be honest, I felt as confused as Rae looked when we’d said goodnight. I should be with her right now. Sitting on her deck. Laying in her lounger. Cuddling her. Smelling her sensually floral shampoo. Tickling her satiny skin. Chatting with her about who the fuck cared. Whatever we chatted about would be perfect.

I wanted to respect her request for space, but also wanted to force myself into her space so she could see at least one of us was ready to fight for whatever it was we had.

“Maybe we get back home, meet up once or twice and this just… fizzles. Not on anyone, but we realize that the heat we felt on vacation was just that. A vacation thing. And we float out of each other’s lives. Or maybe we get home and holy shit, what we have dials up to a thousand and we can’t get enough of one another.”

“And you see yourselves like this?” He motioned between us. “You’d be comfortable at your fancy dinners with clients introducing me and Rae as your partners? You’re fine going to dinner at Alinea with the two of us? People looking on wondering if we are all together-together.”

“Well,” I laughed, “First, Alinea is way out of my price range. I’m more of a Gibson’s Steakhouse kind of guy. But I don’t give a shit what people think about me. And if they wonder if we’re together-together? Fuck that. Let them think. I don’t live my life for other people.”

“I guess it would be a good thing that your boyfriend’s price range does suit Alinea well—and you clean up too well to not be dressing you up and parading you around town.”

I couldn’t tell if he’d said it to freak me out of what I’d just said or if he truly was considering what a relationship would look like.

“I’m always up for anything. Parade away.”

He huffed into his bottle and shook his head as he took a long gulp from his drink. “You’re full of shit. It’s so much easier to say those kinds of things while we’re in this ridiculous bubble.”

Instead of replying, I grabbed him by the neck and kissed him. It started violently. A fight for control. Teeth clacking, lips getting in the way, brawny arms pushing, pulling, and doing battle. At some point, the kiss morphed. Softened. The front assault became a sensual exploration. A slow journey into the fit of our mouths against one another. A lazy dance of tongues. Waves of desire softly lapping at my bloodstream, pushing feelings of tenderness and passion through my bloodstream.

“That can’t be faked.” I said when we eventually came up for air. “You can’t deny the truth in that kiss, Fraser. We may have intended for this week to just be a gluttonous feast on every carnal desire. But somewhere this week—we’ve changed. The three of us. From the moment I played Rae’s cherry—this entire trip feels fated.”

Rather than say anything, Fraser turned toward the ocean once again. I saw him run his tongue along his bottom lip, exploring the divots my own teeth had imprinted there. After a few minutes, I couldn’t take the silence anymore. I pat him on the shoulder and unfolded myself from his lounger.

“Things changed Fraser. Rae and I both see it.”

He said nothing. He didn’t even turn when I opened the door to see myself out.