Shaking her head, Sydney changed into a pair of loose trousers and a tank top. This time, she remembered to coat herself with a liberal application of sunscreen. After pulling her hair back into a ponytail, she peered into the mirror and decided to add a bit of lip-gloss. A glance at the time told her she’d better head back to the lobby to catch the bus. She gave the room one last glance and left a decent tip as an apology to the chamber maid. On her way out, she flipped the sign to Please Make Up Room. She hoped the maid would arrive in the middle of Jesse’s next conquest. Smiling at the thought, she headed out to meet the bus.
The countryside was beautiful and the tour guide was drop-dead gorgeous. Sydney congratulated herself on her choice of an activity for the day. She tried to divide her attention between the stunning scenery of deep valleys dotted with palm trees, the turquoise water of the coast, and their dark-haired, dark-eyed tour guide. They were due for a stop at a lookout that promised stunning views of the island. Maybe she’d have a chance to talk to him there. Just talk, she promised herself. A little harmless flirting. She wasn’t really the harmless flirting type. Still, a little practice wouldn’t hurt. She needed to adopt some of Jesse’s laid-back attitude. Then she could have her holiday, feel like she’d gotten herself a back in the game a little, and go home with new confidence.
The bus pulled over at the promised lookout and the view was as spectacular as advertised. A rocky shore gave way to crashing waves. The ocean sparkled in the sunlight like a sea of diamonds, and the day was so clear, she could see all the way to the other nearby islands. Their tour guide offered a tour to the other islands tomorrow on small plane, but she couldn’t afford the price.
She should talk to him now, she decided. Ask him about other tours, ask him anything. But his attention was taken up by a pair of blondes wearing bikini tops and shorts. In her long, loose trousers, she could have passed for their mom. Thwarted, she got back on the bus.
The market offered a dizzying display of brightly-colored goods. Hats made from green palm fronds, wraps in vivid pinks, yellows, and blues, wooden picture frames bearing carved palm trees on the sides. Sydney selected a straw hat with a wide brim. Finding room for it on the plane might be a problem, but it would keep the sun off her face at the beach. She tried it on and realized she couldn’t see much beyond the brim. Pulling it down would offer her some privacy and stop her from searching for Jesse at every turn.
Again, she searched for their tour guide and found him deep in conversation with the blondes. Oh well. She’d have another chance to practice her small talk at tonight’s party. It didn’t matter how it went, she simply had to try. Jesse might have called a truce, but he’d broken their agreement by hooking up with Brittany. The competition for room privacy was back on, she decided. May the best person win.
The bus arrived back just in time for dinner. Sydney returned to the room to stow her large-brimmed hat and freshen up in time for the beach barbecue.
The chamber maid had obviously been in to clean the room because the bed was made and the couch folded up. She’d likely decided folding Jesse’s clothes was a futile exercise because the mountain on the back of the chair hadn’t been touched. But the dirty towels had been removed and clean ones put in their place. Little bottles of shampoo and soap were lined up on the vanity.
Whether Jesse had returned during the day, she couldn’t tell. She didn’t see a wet bathing suit anywhere. Maybe he was still at the beach. Maybe he’d gone on his own outing. Either way, she had to stop thinking about him.
Sydney pulled her hair from its ponytail and left it loose. She applied some more lip gloss and decided to forgo adding any more makeup that would only fade in the high humidity. Her sunburn had faded, giving her more of a sun-kissed glow.
She took the sundress she’d been wearing yesterday out of the closet and frowned. It was hopelessly creased from being slept in. And the last thing she needed was a reminder of last night. Not while she was trying to make a new start. Wearing a bathing suit and cover up seemed like trying way too hard, so she left on her loose trousers and changed into a tank top with sequins around the neckline. That would have to do.
After one last look in the mirror, she headed for the beach barbecue.
Tiki torches dotted the beach. The setting sun left a crimson streak against the indigo sky. A few early stars had started to appear. On the first one she saw, she made a wish to have a great holiday.
Haden passed her on his way to the bar. She offered him a friendly “Hi,” on his way by. He nodded politely and moved on. She couldn’t blame him, really. She’d kind of dumped him for Jesse last night. And look how that had turned out. She could chase after him and apologize. Maybe he’d give her another chance. But that would only make her appear pathetic. No, what she needed was another victim, er target.
She picked up a glass of punch with a slice of pineapple on the side to use as a prop and surveyed the crowd for someone new to get to know. As her gaze sifted through the partiers, she realized she’d been searching for a familiar blond head and white t-shirt. Jesse wasn’t her target, she told herself sternly. Keep looking. But she couldn’t help noticing Jesse wasn’t anywhere on the beach.
A familiar high-pitched laugh cut through the snatches of conversation. Sydney glanced up to see Ethan, Lucas, and Josh standing together in a group. Brittany hung wobbly from Ethan’s arm. It appeared as though the gang had spent the day exactly as they’d planned, partying on the beach. By their sunburned faces, they appeared to have caught more rays than they needed. And if they caught up on a bit of sleep beneath the palapas, they’d returned to partying soon after.
The men wore crumpled t-shirts and board shorts. Brittany still donned her cover-up, which was sliding from one shoulder, exposing the bikini top beneath. All four went barefoot in the cooling sand. They’d commandeered a pitcher of the potent punch for their own use and borrowed a plastic table to put it on. The pitcher was mostly empty, Sydney noted.
Ethan said something Sydney couldn’t hear and Brittany laughed uproariously, prompting Ethan to squeeze her tightly against him. It wasn’t a gesture made by a stranger, Sydney thought with a sinking heart. It spoke of something far more intimate. And completely wrong for a man who was supposed to be getting married in a couple of days. But if the groomsmen noticed, they gave no sign of it.
She pictured the wedding taking place on the beach at sunset and tried to imagine Ethan flanked by Lucas, Josh, and Jesse watching his bride walk down an aisle made from rose petals. Could they really all stand up for him knowing what he’d been doing before his bride arrived?
She stole another glimpse of the group partying as if nothing at all were going on. Apparently they could.
Still, Jesse wasn’t a part of it. That she knew of. If he and Brittany had really had a fling last night, wouldn’t he be here? Unless he had had a fling with Brittany and she’d dumped him for Ethan come morning.
Another glance around the partiers told her Jesse still hadn’t shown up. She wondered where he’d gotten to. She could go check the room and see if the Do Not Disturb sign was hanging from the doorknob. Sydney took a deep breath of sea air. No, she had to stop stalking Jesse. She’d done a good job of occupying herself for the day. She had to find some way of having fun tonight without thinking constantly thinking about Jesse.
And if she was constantly thinking about Jesse, what did that mean? She thought about the kiss they’d shared. A kiss that set her whole body aflame with desire, where Haden’s had merely generated a spark of interest. Their kiss would have led to so much more if it hadn’t been for Brittany’s drunken arrival. But then Jesse had left with Brittany. If Brittany hadn’t arrived, Sydney would have spent today in an entire different way. One that likely involved room service and breakfast in bed.
With that reluctant thought in mind, she wandered back over to the beach bar, where she could sit and survey everyone who came and went. The bartender offered her another drink, but she held up her punch instead. She d
idn’t want to make the mistake of drinking too much too soon and ending up like Brittany. Then again, she reminded herself, Brittany had taken Jesse back to her room.
“Anyone sitting here?” asked a voice behind her. She turned to find a tall blond man about to slide onto the bar stool beside her.
“No,” she answered automatically. Then she really looked at him.
He was tall, even taller than Jesse. He wore a light-colored shirt that draped over his muscular frame in a way only silk could and a pair of darker trousers. Everything about him screamed money and grooming. His sandy-blond hair was the only thing out of the control. The tips of it curled in the ocean air. He stood the seat beside her and held out his hand.
“Thomas.”
He had an accent. British, Australian maybe. It sounded exotic in such a tropical setting.
She offered her own hand. “Sydney.”
“First time here?”
She didn’t know if he meant first time at the resort, or first time at Singles Week, but yes seemed like a good answer to both. “First time.”
He surveyed the beach party. The tempo of the music had picked up and people were heading out to dance on the wet sand.
Thomas held out his hand. “Dance?”
Sydney cast one last glance around for Jesse. Instead, she found Ethan and his posse and in the tight knot of their own party within a party. They weren’t looking her way.
She took Thomas’s hand. “Sure.”
He led her out onto the hard-packed wet sand surrounded by the light of dozens of Tiki torches. It had a magical feel to it, the fresh ocean air, the darkening sky, and the first dotting of stars overlaid by the tang of barbecue and the citrus scent of rum punch. Not to mention the attention of a very handsome dance partner.
Thomas turned out to be an excellent dancer. He led her in a swirl of light and laughter. She could spend the rest of the week like this. And still that thought didn’t lift her spirits. Her musing kept leading her back to Jesse and last night.
Last night had ended with Brittany, she reminded herself sternly. No amount of thinking would change the situation. The contest was back on. No matter what Jesse did, she intended to win that contest. If Jesse wanted some time alone with Brittany, he could indulge himself in Brittany’s room.
She glanced over her shoulder as Thomas twirled her again, catching a fleeting glimpse of the tight-knit group of Ethan and his friends. It appeared that if Jesse wanted time with Brittany, he was going to have to steal her from Ethan. Which totally might be his plan considering Ethan had stolen Gracie from him.
****
Jesse stood on the outskirts of the party, watching Sydney dancing with someone new. Immediately, he hated the guy. Which was irrational. Even he had to admit last night looked suspicious. But if she’d let him explain, there would still be time to work it all out. He cast another glance their way. Sydney hadn’t seen him, so he lingered in the shadows watching the party.
It didn’t take long to spot Ethan with Josh, Lucas, and Brittany. That was a new development. One he hadn’t seen coming. They could simply be having fun, but he knew for certain if Gracie had been there, Ethan would be acting with a lot more decorum. Still, Ethan shouldn’t need Gracie or anyone else to police him. If Ethan truly loved Gracie, he wouldn’t be spending so much time with Brittany.
That thought tightened the knot in his gut. The wedding was only two days away. What should he do? Talk to Ethan? Talk to Gracie? Either way, he ran the risk of appearing like a jealous, jilted ex. As if that weren’t complicated enough, now things were messed up with Sydney.
How was he going to straighten this all out in two days?
He had to talk to Ethan, he decided. He glanced at his friend. But not right now. Once the rum haze wore off, Ethan would be a lot more reasonable. Even Ethan was bound to take a day or two off from partying to get ready for his wedding, wasn’t he? And surely once Gracie arrived he’d be reminded his wedding was imminent and to clean up his act. And Jesse didn’t know for certain anything had actually happened between Ethan and Brittany. They might merely be indulging their common love of partying.
Tomorrow, he decided. Which left tonight to somehow patch things up with Sydney.
He found her still dancing with the new guy. Sydney seemed to be enjoying herself. As the music changed tempo to a slower dance, they had their heads together, engaged in conversation. Sydney laughed at something the guy had said. Had she laughed like that when she’d been with him? He remembered her straight-faced, pretending to be a rocket scientist, and smiled. Yes, she had laughed with him like that. And he’d given up trying to prove something to her and decided just to be himself. Then Brittany had shown up.
What had he ever seen in Brittany? When he’d first arrived, steeling himself for Ethan’s wedding, Brittany had seemed like a welcome diversion. He would have done anything not to think about Gracie walking down the aisle with Ethan. Even if he had come to terms with the fact that things were never going to work between him and Gracie, actually taking part in their wedding was a sobering thought. Brittany had a right to be angry with him, he realized. He’d used her to soothe his aching heart, until Sydney had shown up.
Once he’d met Sydney, Brittany seemed overly brash. It wasn’t her fault. Nothing had changed between them, except he’d found something in Sydney that actually did soothe his heart in a way Brittany couldn’t. He watched Brittany in the tight knot of Ethan’s group. Their little party was loud enough to be heard from where he was standing, lurking like a ghost in the shadows. The ghost of fiancées past. He uttered a short bark of bitter laughter.
He couldn’t keep standing there all night. Sooner or later, someone would spot him. He should go back to the room, pull out the couch, and catch up on the sleep he’d missed last night. Last night when he’d been crouched in the bathroom watching Brittany puke and worrying about what Sydney must have been thinking back in the room. Then, once she’d rid herself of all her overindulgences, Brittany had gotten up and gone back out to party. And Jesse had walked back to his room to find Sydney already asleep and his night ruined.
Sydney had assumed the obvious. He couldn’t blame her. He’d think the same thing in her place. His gaze tracked back to where he’d seen her dancing, but he couldn’t find her. He searched the makeshift dance floor on the beach. No, she wasn’t there.
Jealousy burned hot and urgent. Had Sydney gone back to the guy’s room? His gaze combed through the crowd on the beach and his envy raged hotter. A development like that would make the next few days unbearable. He tried to imagine what it would be like sharing a room with her, knowing she’d come from another man’s bed, and found the thought intolerable. And then he heard her laughter.
Sydney and the blond guy had returned to the bar. Jesse watched Sydney’s date try to entice her to try a blue blender drink concoction. It came with a veritable fruit salad hanging off the side, but Jesse knew it had to be liberally laced with rum. A bad sign. He didn’t want her to get drunk and leave with that guy.
Then, as if in answer to his prayers, a stunning blonde woman sat down beside the blond guy. In horror, he watched as the blond man’s attention turned to the newcomer. He asked her to dance, leaving Sydney sitting alone.
Jesse watched a deep sigh ripple through her. She took another sip of the blue drink and then surveyed the dancers. Then she picked up her drink and got ready to leave.
Jesse made his move.
Chapter Six
Sydney stared into the depths of her blue drink. The ice-cold drink had given her brain-freeze, and while she’d been recovering from the sudden shock of pain, a new woman had moved in on Thomas. It seemed during Singles Week that was all it took.
Tonight had started promising enough. Thomas seemed nice. Nice enough to risk dancing and nice enough to spend some time with. But it didn’t seem like she’d be getting any more of Thomas’s attention.
With a sigh, she picked up her drink and got ready to head back to the room.
And nearly ran down the man coming toward her.
Holding her drink high to avoid anything spilling on either of them, she looked up at the newcomer.
“Hey.”
Jesse.
“Hey,” she said, then nothing more.
He indicated the bar stool she’d recently vacated. “I could really use a drink, and I need to tell you about last night.”
He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to protest. “Please, Sydney. Have a drink with me, and if you don’t like what I have to say, you can go back to the room, and I’ll…”
“You’ll what?”
“I’ll find somewhere to bunk for the rest of the week.”
“With Brittany?” She winced at how shrill and accusing she sounded.
“No, I meant, like, with Lucas or Josh.”
“I doubt you’d get much sleep in their room. Not that they’re in it much.”
“No, they’re not. I doubt they’ve had a full night’s sleep yet.”
She snickered. “I’m sure they haven’t.”
She should go back to the room and let him crash with Lucas and Josh, but if she allowed herself to admit it, she really did want to have a drink with Jesse. And to hear what he had to say.
Sydney climbed back up on the bar stool and picked up her drink. “Okay, let’s hear it.”
He drew in his breath. “I took Brittany back to her room last night because she was so drunk I was afraid something bad would happen to her. It’s Singles Week after all, and a lot of guys would take advantage of an inebriated woman.”
“A lot of guys might. Question is, did you?”
“No,” he said simply, but sincerely.
Sydney felt the vise around her heart loosen a little. Could she believe him? She wasn’t sure. “What did you do, then, to take so long?”
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