“I get the sense she doesn’t have much of a choice in the matter.” I chuckle, picturing Rod as a big brother.
After we reach the hotel, I’m unsure of where I should go, back to my room or to Rod’s room with him. Maybe he wants some time alone before dinner? Maybe he’s had enough of me for the day? My insecurities rear their ugly heads again. Before I have a chance to say anything to embarrass myself, Rod grabs my hand and silently answers all my questions.
When we walk into his suite, my packed suitcase is there waiting for me. We quickly check the closet and drawers and find Kevin’s belongings are missing. Apparently, our friends decided a swap in roommates was in order without consulting the other two people in this scenario. Rod and I stare at my bag for a moment before turning our gaze to each other. He shrugs one shoulder.
“Works for me. Now I have full access to gawk at your body at any time of the day or night.”
“Funny, I was just thinking the exact same thing.”
“I fucking love that smart, sassy mouth. Come here.” He places the shopping bag on the desk and scoops me up, tossing me over his shoulder with ease.
The mattress hits my back and a sexy muscular body covers my front. When his lips touch mine, my entire body lights up like a Christmas tree. He takes his time moving his mouth over every inch of me. His fingers tease and explore. His tongue licks and flicks. He accepts my every moan as a challenge to elicit another. Every cry becomes a scream. When my entire body is spent and shuddering uncontrollably under his touch, he falls over the edge with me.
When he collapses on top of me, our bodies meld into one. He slides his arms underneath my back and squeezes me closer to him. I’m lying here cradled in his arms, and I know one thing without a doubt.
I’m in way over my head now.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Rod
“When are you and Tracy getting married?” I intentionally throw that unexpected bomb at Kevin during our early morning run to see how he’ll respond.
“Married? What are you talking about?” He stops jogging and his eyebrows lift well over his sunglasses. “When are you and Daisy getting married?”
“We’re not, and you damn well know it. This is a vacation fling—nothing more. I’ve made that clear from day one.”
“So you’ve said. But you’ve been with the same woman for a week now, not even looking at all the other hotties running around here in their thong bikinis. You don’t want to admit it, even to yourself, but you’ve got it bad for little Miss Daisy.”
“Wrong.”
“I’m not wrong. The day Daisy and Tracy went off together and left us out, you were in a foul mood the entire time because you couldn’t get your Daisy fix.”
“Lies and slander.”
He laughs, but it’s the sardonic, I know you better than that kind. “You’re right. There are lies, the ones you’re telling yourself. You’ve been in two fights over her, in the club and at the pool. The only other woman you’ve fought for is Juliana, but she’s your sister, so that doesn’t count.”
“She’s the only woman I love, so she does count.”
“That was true before. But do you know what I think?”
“No, and I don’t want to know.”
“I think you’ve already fallen in love with Daisy, to the point you can see yourself settling down with her for a nice, long life. That scares the ever-loving shit out of you, and you know it.”
I turn to resume our jog on the beach, refusing to dignify that ridiculous notion with a response. He’s quick on my heels, though.
“Typical Rod. Shut down when anything resembling emotions toward another human surfaces. You’re not your father, man. You’ve already proven that. Look at Juliana and Isabelle.”
“What’s it to you? Why do you care so much?” I roar at him, directing my anger and frustration at the closest outlet.
“Because you’re my best friend, Rod. If you don’t acknowledge what’s going on with Daisy, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Losing her will haunt you day and night. The girl is crazy about you, and anyone willing to put up with your bullshit deserves a fucking gold medal.”
“All the more reason for her to get away from me after the next three days end. Actually, it won’t even be that long because you and I have an early flight out on our last day. So, we have a couple of days and some change.”
“What a superb role model you are for Isabelle. You should remember this moment the first time some jerk breaks her heart. When you want to kick his ass, just remember you’re not one bit better than he is.”
“What’s your fucking deal, Kevin? Did Tracy cut you off unless you can convince me to pop the question to Daisy before the trip is over?”
“Don’t bring Tracy into this and try to lay any blame on her. You’re way out of fucking line right now.”
“You’re in love with her, aren’t you? How the hell can you be in love with someone after a week?”
“Yes, I love her, and I tell her frequently. Don’t worry about my relationship with her. At least I have one—a real one. You’ve trapped yourself in the past for so long, you’re emotionally stunted now. The sad part is, you have no reason to be, but you won’t face your own demons. You are not to blame for what happened a lifetime ago. It’s time for you to move on because your sad song is old.”
He doesn’t give me a chance to respond before he turns on his heel and jogs off in the opposite direction. His words sting more than anyone else’s would because he’s been my best friend since middle school. He knew me way before my company’s success launched me into the stratosphere of multi-million dollar business contracts, writing software programs for some of the top Fortune 50 companies, and expanding to a full staff of five hundred employees just to keep up with the demand.
He was my biggest supporter when I taught myself the various programming languages as a teenager because that was the only way I knew how to support my family. Today, I’m the president and CEO of my own company. He’s my vice president, a position he earned on his own because of his work ethic, brilliant mind, and innovative ideas.
He’s the only person I would trust to run the billion-dollar enterprise in my stead.
Despite all that, for some reason, I can’t bring myself to take his word about my current predicament.
For the next thirty minutes, I sprint as hard as I can in the sand, weaving around people enjoying the bright sunshine, warm water, and white sand. I’ve seen more fucking couples in love in the last half hour than the rest of my days here combined. Everywhere I look, they’re smiling, touching, kissing, or taking a stroll with their fingers laced together as a public declaration of their love. I never wanted this bullshit. All I wanted was a fun vacation on a tropical island with a beautiful and sexy lady warming my bed at night.
When I stop, I yank my phone out of my pocket and drop on my ass in the sand. Before I lose my nerve and change my mind, I call Juliana.
“Rod? What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Sick? Should I have the National Guard deployed to come get you?”
“Hi, Juliana. I’m fine. Not sick or hurt. And the National Guard wouldn’t come to a foreign country to get me. I need an honest opinion and realized no one knows me as well as you do.”
“All right.” She draws out the syllables as confusion kicks in. “Tell me what’s going on, Rod. What happened?”
She listens silently while I fill her in on all things regarding Daisy. From the first day we met, her spunky attitude, my reaction to the dudes who try to flirt with her, how I completely ignore every other woman on the island. The only sound she made was a sharp gasp when I admitted Daisy has been sleeping in my room every night … and we spoon. I finish with the argument Kevin and I had a few minutes ago.
“That’s it. That’s the complete story. What do you think?”
“Rod, you know how much I love you and appreciate everything you’ve done for Isabelle and me. There’s no man in the world I trust the way I do you. So, w
hen I say this, know that I mean it with all the love I have in my heart.”
“Okay.”
“You’re a complete and total dick to women. You have a full jar of hearts you’ve broken over the years. I’ve had to ask a dozen or so women to leave your house because you didn’t want to face them the morning after. Unfortunately, I think I’m the only one who knows what a great catch you are. The ugly truth is, I’m afraid you’ll end up alone and miserable because you’ve pushed every woman who has cared about you out of your life. From what you just told me, I’d say you’re doing it again.”
“This time with Daisy wasn’t supposed to be anything more than a short vacation fling, Juliana. Nothing more. Why am I the terrible guy suddenly? She came to a singles resort in the Caribbean. Did she really expect to meet the man of her dreams here and live happily ever after? That’s like going to a club every weekend thinking the men are just waiting for their true love to walk through the door. It’s ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous or not, you’ve never spent more than a night or two with the same woman. You’ve never asked about her life, what she’s passionate about, or anything else remotely resembling a genuine interest in her as a person. Even if it wasn’t supposed to be more, it is more. What’s so different about Daisy?”
With a heavy sigh, I reply with the first thing that pops into my head. “Everything.”
She covers a giggle with a fake cough. “Can you be a little more specific?”
“All the usual characteristics you’d imagine. She’s beautiful, smoking body, sassy mouth. She’s also funny and thoughtful and genuine. She helps underprivileged kids every summer. She spends her time gathering corporate sponsors to give these kids a fighting chance, even though she doesn’t have much herself. She has enough backbone to call me on my shit and she makes me want to protect her at the same time. Something about her is so familiar, I feel as if I’ve known her forever. But she does not know who I am or how much my company is worth. It’s refreshing.”
“Big brother, I don’t know how you could ask for a better sign from the universe that you two belong together. Everyone isn’t after your money, Rod. If she was a heartless gold digger, you would’ve figured that out already. You haven’t told me anything that would make her seem like that type, though.”
“I don’t think she is. We had a run-in with one woman who recognized me and wanted to sink her claws in for the kill. If Daisy’s lying, she deserves an Oscar for her performance.”
“How about you try the opposite of your usual approach this time? Try trusting her until she gives you a reason not to, but not a second before then.”
“It’s not a matter of trust—”
“The hell it’s not. You don’t trust anyone enough to keep them around. You have Kevin, Isabelle, and me. I’m not counting Hunter and Jace. They’re hopeless cases. There’s no one else in your life. Take it from me, finding someone you love and who loves you back is a veritable miracle. Don’t make the mistake of thinking she’ll always be there, waiting for you to decide.”
“I hate it when you’re right.”
She laughs out loud. “Yeah, I know you do, but get used to it. I know what I’m talking about. Worrying about you being sad and alone keeps me up at night, Rod. You deserve to be happy. You won’t make the same mistakes he made.”
She doesn’t have to define who “he” is. We both know all too well.
“You shouldn’t lose a wink of sleep over me, baby girl. I’ll be fine. Besides, maybe I’m making a mountain out of a molehill. We have a couple of days left here, but she hasn’t mentioned continuing anything once we leave. She may not have any desire to see me again.”
“Don’t start making up excuses to hit the self-destruct button, Rod. Please. For me. Just this once—let it ride and see where the chips fall on their own.”
“Damn, you know me far too well. I need to change up my tactics to keep you on your toes.”
“Go get the girl, big brother. Don’t come home without her.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Hey, before I forget, Isabelle and I are staying at your house for a few nights while you’re gone. Your house is closer to her school than mine. I can forward my work phone line to your house since I’m eyeball deep on a big project. It’ll be the munchkin and me when you get texts from your alarm company, so don’t worry.”
“That’s fine with me, you know that. Make yourselves at home.”
We chat for a few more minutes about what she and Isabelle have been doing since I’ve been away before we disconnect. Then I stay planted on the beach, watching couples frolic in the water or families build sandcastles. Regret fills me, flooding my senses, when I think about the hundreds of millions I’ve made, the days, nights, and weekends I’ve spent working, and the time I’ve lost with my family along the way.
In the years since my business took off, we could’ve had annual family vacations and seen the world. Instead, I dedicated my life to the almighty dollar, even after I’d made more than enough to sustain us. Dissecting my reasons will take more time and effort than I’m willing to waste this morning, but I have a sneaking suspicion this won’t be the last time it comes up.
My jog back to the resort is slower than the race I ran getting away from it, but I have more time to think about what both Kevin and Juliana said. Their depiction of me is eerily similar, too much to consider it a coincidence. In the late hours of the night while Daisy was in my arms, we talked about so many things and I’ve gotten to know her much better than I ever planned. When she asked questions about my life, I found ways to steer the question back around to her instead.
If she has noticed my tight-lipped nature, she hasn’t mentioned it, and I have to wonder why. The thing is, I know how clever and inquisitive she is, so the most likely explanation is she’s giving me the space and privacy I’ve insisted on since we met. While she bares her soul to me. Without fail, the topic returns to the summer camp she coordinates and the kids who have touched her heart. Her passion is contagious and makes me want to sign up as a camp counselor.
But what endears her to me more than anything is how unpretentious she is about the selfless work she’s doing. She runs it as a true nonprofit, only taking enough money in donations to keep the doors open and the lights on. Every penny she takes in goes to the kids in some form or fashion. During one conversation, she let it slip that she’d bought clothes and shoes for one girl using her own money because the camp didn’t have the extra money to spare. The others had made fun of the little girl for wearing the same clothes a few days in a row when she didn’t have a choice.
I’d never been so glad to have the lights off. I clamped my eyes shut, rested my forehead against the back of her head, and fought back the demons trying to take me back to my childhood. It didn’t work.
One day when I picked Juliana up from elementary school, I heard a couple of little snot-nosed girls making fun of her off-label clothes. They laughed and pointed at her tattered jeans and out-of-style shirt. Her bottom lip quivered, and she was so ashamed she wouldn’t even make eye contact with me. Maybe it was wrong of me, since I was sixteen at the time and they were much younger, but I shut them up when no one was looking. A little rough talk and a threat of public humiliation resulted in two scared former mean girls.
Looking back on it now, I wonder if I only made the conditions at school worse for Juliana, only she never told me out of fear of what else I’d do. The truth today is the same as it was back then, there’s not much I wouldn’t do to protect my little sister. But I wonder what Daisy would think of me if I shared the deep secrets of my heart the way she has. Would she find the honorable man she thinks I am?
Or would she see the real me?
The man who pursued success more out of vengeance than passion. The selfish side of me that simply wants to live my life with no one expecting anything, without additional obligations or responsibilities on my shoulders. The guy inside who screams to have the young and carefree life I
was robbed of when I was only fourteen. I had no choice but to grow up, literally overnight, and I’ve resented that for as long as I can remember, despite how much I love Juliana.
Do I expose Daisy to the real Rod Stone, or let her live with a lie of a man?
For the next couple of days, I’ll keep those thoughts to myself and maintain the happy go lucky fantasy world version of my personality. If she mentions seeing me again after this trip is over and we’ve returned to the real world, I’ll slowly introduce her to the parts of me that aren’t so attractive or appealing.
Then I’ll watch her run away as fast as she can, because no one wants to be around that guy.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Daisy
The sun soaks my skin in its warmth as I relax on beach chairs closest to the water at our luxe resort. We have front row seats to the most beautiful scenery on the island, oceanfront with a light breeze. Tracy lies beside me, snoring after complaining she didn’t get enough sleep last night. Rod and Kevin got up early for a run on the beach, which woke Tracy and me earlier than we’d prefer while on vacation. Rather than waste the sunlight, I dragged her lazy ass out of bed to spend time with me.
I got about five minutes of girl time out of her before she dozed off.
More beachgoers emerge from the resort, claiming the surrounding chairs and chatting about the various water sports they’ve reserved for the day. Since my partner in crime wimped out on me, I lean back and close my eyes, enjoying the quiet time. My black shades provide just enough cover to shield my eyes from the rising ball of fire in the sky. Sleep tugs at my senses, pulling me under its warm blanket with help from the sound of waves lapping at the shore.
All I Want: Rod & Daisy (All Of Me Duet Book 1) Page 14
