One of Them Girls by Cala Riley (the gingerbread man read aloud txt) 📕

“Thank god, I need to pee.” Rebecca sighs.

“You could have spoken up sooner and I would have stopped,” Xavier tells her as he puts the car in park at a gas pump.

“All good, city boy. I would have spoken up at some point,” she says before jumping out of the car. “Come on!” she yells at me.

I grab my purse and get out and follow her in. After doing our business and loading up on snacks, we get back on the road. I don’t know if it’s the people I’m with, but this is the best road trip I’ve ever been on.

“Cassi, wake up. We’re here.” I feel a gentle shake on my arm.

I don’t know when I fell asleep, but it always happens. There is something about being in a car that calms me to the point where I need to sleep.

Maybe my mom drove around a lot in the car with me when I was a baby.

“Where are we?” I groan and stretch.

“Open your beautiful eyes and look.”

I open my eyes and look around. It’s dark, but even in the dark, I can tell we are at the gulf. I smile big.

“Do I get another prize for guessing where we were going?”

He chuckles. “I kinda ruined the surprise, huh?”

“Not at all. I love the beach. Thank you for inviting me.”

He smiles warmly and whispers, “Anytime.”

“You two going to sit in the car all night?” Jack hollers from the door of a beautiful beach house.

“Whose house is this?” I ask as I climb out of the car.

“Jack’s parents own it. It’s their beach house. When he suggested we make a weekend trip, I thought you might want to join us.”

“Aww, you couldn’t picture spending a weekend without me, Avi?”

He shakes his head. “There’s that Texas-size ego, huh?”

I grab my bag, moving past him toward the house. I marvel at how beautiful it is.

The house is up on stilts with parking beneath. As I make my way up the stairs, I smile as I see the porch swing on the deck. I make my way over to the railing and look out over the dark ocean. Taking a deep breath, I savor the smell of fresh salt air.

Closing my eyes, I listen as the waves crash upon the shore.

“I love it,” I say as I feel Xavier come up beside me.

“I’m glad. I wasn’t sure if the beach was your thing.”

“How could it not be? Listen to the waves. Isn’t it the most calming thing you’ve ever heard?”

He’s silent for a moment. “I guess it is. I’ve never thought about it that way.”

“Cassi, this place is gorgeous. Come check out your room,” Rebecca calls from inside.

I smile at Xavier as I pass him, making my way into the house. The inside is as gorgeous as the outside.

There’s tile flooring throughout with warm beach colors painted on the walls. There are photos of Jack and his family lining the walls, but there are also paintings of the beach itself. I peek into the kitchen, smiling at the granite countertops and the hand towels embroidered with the words “Life’s A Beach.”

If I had a beach house, it would look exactly like this. I yawn again.

“Come on, you can look around in the morning. Let’s head to bed,” Xavier says, ushering me upstairs.

He stops and points to a door to my right. “That’s yours.”

“Which room is yours?”

“This one,” he says, walking backward into the room across from mine.

Interesting.

“Goodnight, Adra.” He smiles.

“‘Night, Avi,” I say, shutting the door softly.

Temptation across the hall, however, will I resist?

Xavier

I slide a plate of bacon onto the counter in front of Jack just as the girls come down the stairs.

“Be still my beating heart!” Rebecca proclaims. “Not only is he hot, but he can cook!” she teases.

“I’m more than a pretty face,” I deadpan, making everyone laugh.

Rebecca sits next to Jack while Cassi moves toward the fridge. She takes a bottle of water out and drinks half of it in one go.

“Thirsty?”

“Yeah, I didn’t drink enough water yesterday,” she says as she sets the bottle down on the counter. “This looks good, you make everything?” she asks as she looks at the food.

“All but the cinnamon rolls. Jack popped those in the oven,” I tell her, leaning against the counter.

“I’m impressed.”

“Don’t be,” I tell her, popping a piece of bacon in my mouth. “The rolls came from a can. Hardly any work.”

She leans against the counter, mimicking me, taking a bite of bacon and all. “Still impressed.”

“I aim to please.” I smirk, making her blush. “You sleep okay?”

“I did. What about you?”

“Can’t complain.”

“Jesus, the sexual tension between them is so thick you could cut it with a knife,” Rebecca mumbles shoving food into her mouth, making Jack choke on his food.

Cassi blushes again. Clearing my throat, I straighten, taking the attention off of her.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” I ask everyone.

Cassi shoots me a grateful look.

“I plan on sitting my ass in a chair in my little bikini and not moving until the sun goes down,” Rebecca says.

“Beach day all day, then tonight bonfire.”

“On the beach?” Rebecca asks.

“On the beach,” Jack agrees. “I can make a few calls and see if any of the people I usually hang out with are around or it could just be the four of us. What do you think?”

“Sounds like a plan, big man,” Rebecca says.

“Sounds good to me,” Cassi and I say in unison.

“Let’s get changed and get out there,” Jack says, slapping the counter.

Slowly, I follow the girls up the stairs and watch them break off into their room. I head into the en suite attached to my room and turn on the shower.

God, I thought Cassi was gorgeous before, but seeing her first thing in the morning? She takes my breath away. Stepping into the shower, I hiss as the water pounds onto my back.

What is she doing in her room? Is she taking a shower? Is she thinking of me?

Groaning, I fist my