Never Say Never (The Ladies Who Brunch 1)

After surviving a long day in the sun and coming in a respectable second place to Cal—who ended up coming back from behind and beating us all—the men gathered at one of the bars for drinks and cigars as a toast to the night before the ceremony.

I haven’t seen Charlotte all day since the girls were out exploring the island, and part of me wishes we could just take off to another resort and enjoy the rest of this trip alone. It would be far more enjoyable than making small talk with a bunch of old white men who are so far removed from normal society that it makes me even more grateful that I moved away from that environment.

“What are you drinking?” My father comes up to me, holding a glass of bourbon, probably. That was always his drink of preference.

“Just a beer.”

“Beer? That’s not a real man’s drink. Let me get you a bourbon, Son.”

“No thanks. I’m good. I don’t want to feel like shit tomorrow, Dad.” Tomorrow’s ceremony needs to go off without a hitch, and I want to have my wits about me so that it does. We’re almost home free, and nothing needs to wreck that.

He shrugs and then takes a drink. “Suit yourself. I figured you’d want to celebrate beating your old man today.”

“Ah…is your ego bruised?”

He scoffs. “Hardly. Our little tiff got in my head is all. Didn’t take you for one to use psychological warfare, but it definitely helped you out today. Although I’m sure you perfected that with Charlotte as a kid, so I guess I should be impressed.”

“Wow. Okay, Dad.” I drain the rest of my beer and then proceed toward the bar for a refill.

“How about a rematch?” he asks as he comes up beside me.

“I’m not playing golf in the dark with you just so you can feel better about yourself.”

“Not golf.” He looks around the bar. “How about darts? You know I can kick your ass in darts.”

“Oh, really? Well then, sign me up,” I reply sarcastically as the bartender slides me my beer.

“Too afraid to lose?” he asks, slurring his words a little.

I turn to face him head-on. “No, I just have no need to compete against you to prove a point.”

“Man up, Damien,” he bellows, drawing attention to us as he grows angrier. This is usually how our fights would start when I was younger. And when he’s been drinking, I know he has no problem putting his hands on me to prove who the alpha male is.

Well, I’m not the same boy I was back then, and I’m also not about to engage in this dance with him tonight, especially in front of all of these people.

“Sorry to disappoint you, Dad, but I’m not gonna man up for anything. But you should have another drink. Clearly those are bringing out the best in you.” I tip my glass against his and then walk away, leaving him there seething because I didn’t play into his game—and damn, does that feel good.

* * *

“Charlotte?” I call out as I open the door to our suite and find soft light coming from around the corner. When I make my way further into the room, I find her lying on her side, facing the windows with one lamp on, on the nightstand on her side of the bed. And as I go around the bed, I see her eyes closed and her mouth slightly parted, those luscious lips of hers calling to me.

Without hesitating, I lean down and press my lips to her forehead and then to her mouth, causing her to stir and blink her eyes open slowly as she stares up at me. “Damien?”

“Hey, Char.”

She props herself up and then looks around the room. “What time is it?”

“A little after nine. What time did you get back?”

“About an hour ago. I laid down for just a minute to let my feet rest and must have passed out.”

Pushing her hair from her face, I sit on the edge of the bed and stare down at her. “Did you have a good day?”

“Ha. No.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

Her eyes bounce back and forth between mine before she says, “Not really. I don’t want to talk right now.”

I arch a brow at her. “What do you want to do?”

She reaches for my shirt, pushing the fabric up to reveal my stomach to her, and then she leans forward to press her lips to my abs. “I want you to fuck me.”

My dick stirs from her words, but I know something must be really bothering her since she’s avoiding talking about it. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” she says between kisses, pushing my shirt up higher so she can access my chest, circling her tongue around my nipple. “I just want you.”

And those four words, they’re like music to my ears.

Knowing that being with her right now would help soothe my soul after my day as well, I oblige her request, stripping her bare as I do the same, and making her forget her day right alongside mine, reaching our release together before passing out in each other’s arms.

* * *