by Lyssa Layne
Sloan
After spending the entire night watching Smitty sleep, I finally get out of bed and pull on his t-shirt and boxers when the clock reads six. I kiss his forehead and close the door quietly behind me. While I tiptoe down the hallway and avoid eye contact with the staff already on duty, my mind won’t stop thinking about what he wants from me. Is it something I can give or is it too much, even for just a week?
I want to give it to him. I want to be his paradise girlfriend, but I’m so scared of my own emotions. I mean, it’s obvious that he’s trying to use me as a replacement for someone who broke his heart so I really shouldn’t look more into it. And I wouldn’t, if it was any other man, but… I don’t know. There’s just something about him that I’m drawn to. Maybe it’s his lost soul and my desire to try to save everyone around me. Maybe it’s his rock hard body and how quickly he gets me off. Maybe it’s his desire to take care of me. I don’t know, but I can already feel my emotions getting confused and I’m worried what they’ll be like at the end of the week.
Looking up, I’m standing in front of my hotel door. I pat the shorts I’m wearing and remember I left the key in Smitty’s room. I sigh and turn to walk back to his room when I’m face to face with my father.
Swallowing hard, I manage to squeak out. “Morning, Daddy.”
His face is emotionless when he speaks. “Family meeting in your mother and my’s room.”
I nod. “Okay, let me change—”
He shakes his head. “Now.”
Feeling like a teenager caught sneaking in, I slump behind him as I follow him to his room. When he opens the door to the suite he and my mother are staying in, the strong scent of Jamaican coffee hits my nose. Following the smell, I walk into the living room to see my sister, brother, and mother all enjoying a cup of Joe.
“Oh…my…gosh! Sloan got laid!” Sissy squeals and stands up, running to me and throwing her arms around my neck. “Lolo, I’m so happy for you! Was it good? Worth waiting?”
My cheeks are the color of Smitty’s sunburn and I pull away from her, nervously running my hands over my, err Smitty’s clothes.
“Cicily, don’t speak like that,” my mother scolds then turns to me with a smile. “You are glowing this morning, dear. Have a good night?” she asks, trying to be more subtle.
Sitting on the edge of the couch, Gavin hands me his cup of coffee. “You didn’t call.”
I take a long drink, stalling. “You knew where I was. You saw me help him in the shower and I didn’t have anything other than my swimsuit so I borrowed some of his clothes. Once I got him situated, we both fell asleep and that was it.” For the most part, all of it is true.
“Honey, what you do on your own time and with whom is none of our business. We just want to make sure you’re safe and that you don’t get hurt. It’s been almost five years since Cooper’s accident and this is the first man you’ve shown any interest in. Are you sure Smitty’s the one?” My mother speaks for the whole group, just like she normally does. The rest of my family avoids eye contact with me but nod their heads.
I throw up my hands. “I know all of that, Mother. I know it’s been four years, ten months, and ten days since the last time I saw Cooper. Yes, I find Smitty attractive and enjoy his company. Is he the one? The one to take my mind off the misery I’ve been in for the past five years and remember for one week that someone can actually be attracted to me, make me feel wanted, hell, even needed, yes, he is. Now, I appreciate you all being worried about me, but I fully intend on spending the rest of my time here with him, doing whatever the hell I want. Besides, the focus of this vacation is Sissy and Will, so please stop being concerned about me. That’s all you’ve been since Cooper left, but this week isn’t about me. Please, for one week, let me be normal and forget the past.” My chest is heaving as I finish, the pent-up anger from the last few years finally being released.
My mother stands and walks to me. I watch her closely, unsure of what she’s about to do. When she wraps her arms around me, I’m shocked, but move one hand to pat her back.
“Of course, Sloan. If that’s what you want, we’ll respect your wishes. I only ask that you bring him around so we can spend some time with you as well.”
Over her shoulder, Sissy is smiling, but both men are clearly not happy. I pull away from my mother and walk over to my father who is staring out the window at the ocean. Lightly, I touch his shoulder. “Daddy, what’s wrong?”
Without turning to look at me, he shakes his head and says in his low, deep voice, “If I could take all your pain away, Sloan, I would. I never wanted any of my children to hurt the way you have. I’m so sorry.”
I can hear the tears in his voice and I wrap my arms around his waist from behind. “It’s not your fault. You’ve all done a great job pulling me through that awful time. I may not be ready to move on entirely, but for one week, I’m going to try to forget everything and just have fun.”
My father pats my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it. “If that’s what you want, Sloaney Bologna.”
My whole family laughs at my father’s nickname for me. The three other Talbotts move around us and gather us in a bear hug. Despite all the hardships in life, my family has always been by my side.
CHAPTER 8
Smitty
The sun is just peeking out over the ocean, creating a gorgeous scene of orange and red across the water, but the view in front of me is even better. Twenty yards ahead, Sloan is jogging in a pair of neon pink short running shorts and matching sports bra. I’ve never been a morning person, but good god, Sloan is making me love the early hours of the day. The past two mornings since our “deal,” she’s had us up and running before day break. She told me I didn’t have to join her, but there’s no way I was going to let her run by herself.
She turns around to face me and yells, “Come on, slow poke!”
I laugh and take off sprinting in her direction. Things with her are easy. There’s no thinking, no worrying, just laughing, and lovemaking. It’s the perfect kind of relationship except that I know it’s not and two days ago, when I thought I could walk away from her without a second thought, well, that’s already proving to be difficult. I shake my head, I don’t want to think about what will happen in four days.
Reaching her, I snake my arm around her waist and lift her up. She giggles as her arm finds my neck and I cradle her in my arms. Her smile is infectious, I haven’t stopped grinning since she came back to my room two mornings ago. I lean down and kiss her softly, setting her feet back on the sand. Our lips don’t move away from each other’s as the sun rises behind us.
My hand moves to her taut tummy and I slip one finger under the band of her sports bra. Sloan doesn’t pull away, she never does. Instead, she moans in my mouth, her way of telling me to go on. I smile as my lips move to her jaw then down to her neck and she tilts her head back, giving me full access. We haven’t known each other long, but it’s like we both already know each other inside and out…and yes, I mean that literally.
I don’t even look around when I push the bra up and expose her perky breasts. I knead them gently, taking one nipple in my mouth and rolling it between my teeth until it’s fully erect before I move my attention to the other one. Sloan’s hands move my baseball cap off my head and she slowly begins to massage my scalp. It’s oddly arousing the way she does this and I can feel myself jumping for more of her touch.
I press my hips against hers so she knows exactly what I want. She tilts her head back up and smiles. “You know we’ve already used half that box of condoms you brought. We may have to pace ourselves.”
Pulling her bra back down, I take her hand and walk us quickly toward the resort. “Nah, I’m sure we can find more.”
We get back to my room and I pull her into the bathroom. Since our “deal,” we haven’t left each other’s side, including in the shower. Sloan stands behind me and I feel her finger start to move on my back as she’s writing me a message.
“B
-A-L-C-O-N-Y,” I repeat as she writes the letters on my skin. I turn around to face her and grin. “Sounds perfect to me.”
Scooping her up in my arms, I step over the heaps of both our clothing and suitcases, grabbing a condom off the nightstand as I make my way to the balcony. Sloan leans over the lounge chair, turning her head and flipping her hair seductively. I waste no time putting the condom on and slipping into her from behind. Definitely not my position of choice, as I’d much rather look into her eyes, but I’m not going to stop the amazing feeling she’s sending through my body with a simple flick of her hips.
I brace myself with one hand above her while reaching the other around, rubbing between her legs so she can experience the same bliss I am. Sloan slides one hand behind her, digging her nails into my ass and sending me over the edge as I let out a primal grunt. She turns her head so that I can kiss her. Anytime I’ve ever slept with a woman, I’ve always felt the need to kiss her, connect with her as I hit my orgasm. I’ve never told any of them that, not even Caroline, but in the short amount of time that I’ve been with Sloan, she picked up on it right away.
Fully released, I pick Sloan up with one hand and move so that I’m sitting on the lounge while she lies on top of me. My hands lazily roam up and down her body while her head rests perfectly between my shoulder and cheek. It’s as though our bodies were made for each other. Finally, my left hand finds her breast, happy to play with it while my right hand slips between her legs. I’ve come to find that Sloan likes to enjoy her orgasms so I’m in no hurry.
She kisses my cheek and nuzzles my neck. “What do you think about staying in paradise forever?”
My heart skips a beat and my fingers briefly pause before they begin pressing harder against her sensitive spot. I don’t want her to lose that thought. If she seriously was asking that question, I’d say yes without even thinking about it.
Sloan
Smitty sings along with Big Bamboo, the same song we listened to as we rode to the resort together. I smile as I dig through my suitcase. Smitty insisted I bring it back to his room after our first day together when I made four trips to my room. I pull on a pair of cutoffs and a black and white striped, lightweight long-sleeve shirt that hangs longer than the jeans and over my hands.
I can tell Smitty’s shaving from the smell of the shaving cream. Pulling my hair up into a messy bun, I lay back on the bed, relaxing. It’s the first time I’ve actually laid in the bed alone and even though Smitty’s only a few feet away, I don’t like it. I sigh. This is why I knew this situation wasn’t a good idea.
His iPad sits on the nightstand and I pick it up. We took some pictures yesterday and we both got sidetracked before we had a chance to look at them. I open the app for the photos and scroll through them, I smile as I see Smitty flexing and acting goofy. The next few pics are of me making duck lips and putting on my “game face.” Then the next picture comes on the screen and I suck in my breath.
It’s her. The one that broke his heart. Her dark brown hair is curled loosely and you can see from the twinkle in her eyes how happy she is. I should put the iPad down, but curiosity has the best of me, despite having told myself that I didn’t want to know about his past. The next picture is of Caroline and some guy, probably the one she left Smitty for. The pair are kissing and even though I can’t see either of their faces, from the curve of their cheeks, it’s obvious they’re laughing and in love. I sigh, recalling that feeling I once had so long ago.
“Damn, I was hoping you were still naked,” Smitty jokes, forcing me to tear my attention away from the iPad. I toss it across the bed as though it’s electrifying me.
Smitty raises his eyebrows and I shrug, trying to play it off. “Just looking at pics from yesterday, I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course.” He moves to the bed, taking a seat beside me. “It’s not mine. Shit, please tell me you didn’t see naked pics of Jules and Bentley on there.”
I shake my head, clearly confused. “Jules and Bentley?”
He nods again. “Yeah, Jules is my best friend’s little sister. Well, she’s my best friend, too. She’s the one that forced me to come here. Packed my bags for me, including the condoms and forgetting the sunscreen. At the airport, she gave me her iPad to use, too. God, I’m sorry if you saw them doing anything—”
I kiss him to get him to stop talking and also to keep from asking what he meant that she forced him to come on this trip. An odd feeling washes over me, not because of Jules, but this eerie feeling that there’s so much more to his story that I’m afraid to ask. His tongue traces over mine, distracting me from my thoughts, and I have a feeling I’m going to be naked again before we meet my family for breakfast.
CHAPTER 9
Smitty
It’s well past breakfast time when Sloan and I finally crawl out of bed and get dressed. It was more her idea than mine, although both of our stomachs are growling and neither of us want any more room service. Holding my hand, Sloan has a slight bounce to her step and we both wear matching smiles. I haven’t had a chance to Skype with Jules since Sloan and I have been inseparable, but I owe her big time for demanding I take this vacation.
I pull this sexy woman to me and she giggles as she turns around to face me. “God, woman, you are gorgeous,” I tell her with a kiss. “Remind me why we aren’t still in bed?”
Sloan smiles, her arms wrapped around my neck. “Because we’re both starving and my family will begin to wonder if they don’t see me at least once a day.”
Chuckling, my hands slide to her ass and I give a tight squeeze. “Fine, but all I want to do is worship your body.”
She leans in and runs her tongue across my lips. In a low, seductive whisper, she says, “There will be plenty of time for that later.”
Sloan spins quickly and walks ahead of me, making me lose touch with her body. I frown and pick up the pace so I can have my hands on her again. I come to an abrupt stop when I see Mr. Talbott. Keeping my distance, I watch the two of them interact. Sloan pushes off her tip toes to hug her father, who is easily six inches taller than me and I’m six feet. Adoringly, he hugs his daughter and it’s obvious that she’s his little girl. Just like Caroline…
Shaking my head, I quickly look away, trying to get my ex out of my mind. When I turn, I almost run into Mrs. Talbott. She grasps my arm to steady herself, laughing softly. “Whoa there, in a hurry?”
My face turns red. “No, ma’am. Are you alright?”
Mrs. Talbott wraps her hand above my elbow and points to a table. “Join us, won’t you? It’s not fair that Sloan keeps you all to herself.”
I nod and walk us to her table, mainly because I don’t have any other choice. Using my best manners, I pull out her chair and wait for her to be seated. When I excuse myself to go to the buffet, Mrs. Talbott grabs my hand. “Sit down, Smitty. Sloan will get something for you.”
I glance up at the buffet line where Sloan is filling a plate high with food. The male staff is blatantly flirting with her, trying to get her attention. She tosses her hair back, laughing at their jokes, and jealousy starts to creep over me until I see Sloan look my direction. Our eyes meet briefly and she gives me the smallest wink that makes me feel like I’m the only man in the room. Satisfied, I take a seat and try to relax, but don’t take my eyes off her.
Mrs. Talbott clears her throat. “I see you only have eyes for my daughter.”
Forcing myself to look away, I apologize. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Talbott. I just wanted to make sure she was alright.”
She pats my hand. “Please, call me Elaina and I appreciate that. Sloan does attract lots of attention from men. It always worries me, although she always tells me not to.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Oh? Does Sloan have lots of male friends back home?”
Elaina laughs. “That’s not what I meant at all. I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to make you jealous.”
I wave my hands, trying to act like that’s not how I took it, although that’s exactly what I was feeling.
“I simply meant that Sloan is a beautiful, young woman. Men vie for her attention and my daughter is too polite to brush them off. She tries to make each of them feel special without leading them on. It doesn’t always work though and that’s what has me concerned.”
I clench my fists at the thought of someone trying to take advantage of or hurt Sloan. In the few days I’ve known her, her kind heart is apparent, not just with her family, but everyone she encounters. My eyes move back to Sloan as she makes her way to the table and I start to relax, knowing she’ll be safely within my reach soon and I can protect her from anyone that would do such a thing.
“But you, Smitty,” Elaina continues and I look away from Sloan to her mother. “You are something special. She’s showered you with her attention and she wants yours in return. It’s actually quite shocking for the entire family, including Sloan herself.”
I start to ask her to explain herself, but instead of speaking, a strawberry is placed in my mouth. Sloan’s smile appears beside me and I bite into the fruit when she pulls it away.
“Is that not the best strawberry you’ve ever had?” Sloan asks, finishing it off. She sets the plate of food filled with fruit, pancakes, bacon, and more on the table in front of me.
Sloan tugs at her chair to take a seat, but I pull her in my lap and look in her eyes. She yelps in surprise, laughing as I do. I run my finger over her lips, taking in every feature of hers, including the tiny scar on her chin that I would have never noticed before if I wasn’t so close. Slowly, I lean down, crushing her lips with mine, our tongues swirling together.
“Woo!” her sister cheers, causing us both to start laughing and end our liplock.
“Get a room!” her brother grumbles. Sloan tilts her head up, narrowing her eyes at him. She takes the seat next to me and I help her sit down. Sloan playfully hits her brother as she reaches for another strawberry.
Elaina clasps her hand on mine and I look at her. She speaks softly and pats my hand. “You’re definitely someone special to our Sloan.”
