Buttons and Lace (Buttons 1)

“I’m the new account director of an investment company.”

“Ooh...fancy title.”

“I start on Monday.”

“That’s great. You deserve it.”

“The pay is great, and it comes with benefits.”

“Even better.” I eyed the bag in his hand. “What’s that for?”

“Well, I thought we would go on a vacation before I start work.”

A vacation? Wow. I really liked this new side of him. “I’m always down for a vacation.”

“How about the Bahamas? They have great weather in the wintertime, and the flights are pretty cheap.”

Going on a vacation of any kind sounded perfect to me. Jacob and I hadn’t gone anywhere in a year. The last vacation we took was to Florida, but that seemed like a lifetime ago. “The Bahamas?” I couldn’t hold back my excitement. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.” His eyes finally held signs of life. He was animated and happy. It was a stark contrast to the lifeless man who’d been walking around the apartment for the past few weeks. “We’ll stop at a few islands. First is St. Thomas.”

I jumped into his arms and wrapped my body around his. “This is going to be so much fun.”

His arms immediately circled my body, and he pulled me close to him. He reacted to me immediately, and slowly, his lips found mine. He gave me the first kiss I’d had in weeks. And it felt so good—just the way it used to.

His arms lifted me from the ground, and he carried me into the small bedroom we shared. Clothes were dropped, and our naked bodies wrapped around one another. He was inside me a moment later, and we moved together on the bed. I hadn’t gotten action in so long I knew I would come immediately. It had nothing to do with his performance. I was just that tense. And I was right. I finally had an orgasm that washed over me and cleansed me. It was just what I needed after those weeks of hell.

Exactly what I needed.

Chapter Two

Pearl

The resort was beautiful. Our drinks were always full. The sand felt perfect underneath our bare feet. The sunsets were even more beautiful than the sunrises. It was everything anyone could ask for.

It was a great opportunity for Jacob and me to rekindle our dead relationship. When we first moved in together, we were madly in love. We were one of those couples who couldn’t keep our hands off each other. But as time passed, the romance died and we became roommates. The sex was mediocre—if that. I caught Jacob masturbating in the bathroom a few times. I pretended to be only partially offended.

But maybe this vacation would turn everything around.

The sex was never the kind I read about in books. When the guy actually knows what he’s doing and how to make a woman come. But if I rubbed my clit during sex, it usually did the trick. I wasn’t going to complain because he couldn’t make me come on his own. At least I was getting some sex.

We stayed at the resort most of the time. It had everything we needed because the place was all-inclusive. We had unlimited cocktails and food, and of course, unlimited sun.

“I made reservations for this place near the dock. I heard it’s nice.”

“Off the resort?” I asked.

“Yeah.” He buttoned up his collared shirt even though it was eighty degrees outside and humid. “It has great reviews. It’s near the shipping dock where they have the cruise ships. I’ve never seen one in person before. It should be cool.”

I always heard bad things about the dock area. It’s where the tourists left their ships and ventured onto land. It’s also where beggars and thieves corralled unsuspecting people to donate change or steal their wallets. Basically, it was a tourist trap.

“I’m excited.” He smiled at me before he examined himself in the mirror.

Since he was looking forward to it, I decided to swallow my protests. We would stick together, and everything would be fine. I would leave my passport and driver’s license at the hotel so no one would be able to snatch those things. If someone really wanted my cash, then whatever. It was just money. “Me too.”

***

Jacob didn’t want to spend the money on a cab, so we walked to the restaurant. I thought it was a stupid idea, but he insisted it would be fine. I could always burn a few extra calories, but I’d rather spend a few extra dollars for convenience.

Hand in hand, we reached the restaurant without any problems and had a nice meal. We had a table near the window so we could see the ships in the harbor. Palm trees swayed in the wind, and the water glistened from the light of the moon.

The restaurant specialized in seafood, which was one of my favorite things to eat. I ordered mahi mahi along with a glass of wine the waiter recommended. Jacob ordered a seafood platter, and of course, calamari. It was his favorite thing to eat. If any restaurant had it, he always ordered it.