Graduation and Gifts (Untouchable Book 8) by Heather Long (best books to read for beginners TXT) 📕

“You’ll see,” Archie teased, and I groaned at him, but you know what? I didn’t care. We could stay at a motel by the airport, and I’d be happy. I was with my guys and we were going to go to the best damn place ever, and I couldn’t wait.

The drive out of downtown took us through sunny Orlando. I had to laugh at the road construction. There was so much of it, and the traffic thickened then thinned. We passed literally dozens of hotels. “You know, I read somewhere that the majority of jobs in this area were in the hospitality business.”

“Of course you did,” Coop teased. “And you wonder why we waited to tell you where we were going.”

“There’s nothing wrong with researching a place,” I told him primly, and Jake snorted a laugh.

“Not a thing at all, Baby Girl.”

When we passed the sign welcoming us onto the property itself, I swore my eyes must have grown huge. That sense of vibrating in my soul seemed to expand everywhere. We were here. We were really going. I tried to catch the names on all the exit signs to get a clue for where we were going.

The hotel was the same one that was located right on the edge of the savannah. The whole place just radiated happy energy, and the music set the mood with the rhythm and the colorful outfits. I don’t think my eyes had ever been this big.

I barely heard anything as we checked in to one of the fancier suites on the club level. The view from the room itself was incredible. I had the door open and I was out on the patio as Archie put in a call for lunch and drinks. My stomach rumbled in appreciation, but nothing could dissuade me from staying out here when a giraffe wandered by. I spotted some okapi, and there was a zebra.

The birds… There were so many birds.

Jake slid his arms around me. “You happy?”

I leaned back against his chest. “Deliriously.”

“Not thinking about anyone else’s dicks?” The tease as he nipped my ear with teeth just sharp enough to make it hurt had me bursting out laughing all over again. One of the okapi lifted their head and stared up at me like they wanted to shush me, and I clapped a hand over my mouth.

“I promise,” I stage-whispered. “I was never thinking about anyone else’s anyway.”

“Good,” he murmured. “I’ll let you make it up to me later.”

I snorted, head back against his shoulder. “Only if you make up to me the fact you won’t get a piercing.”

This time, he bit my throat and sucked against the spot to bring the bruise up. Damn hickey monsters. “That’s for being a brat,” he said with an unrepentant grin.

Twisting in his arms, I hopped up, trusting in the fact he’d catch me. Jake didn’t disappoint, cupping his hands under my ass and lifting me as I hitched my thighs to his hips. I nipped his lower lip with a kiss before returning his hickey with one of my own. The stubble of his beard reminded me that he hadn’t shaved in a couple of days. Not that I minded it.

He looked good all rough and tumble. His chuckle as I sucked at the hickey made me smile. “Is that for me being a brat too?”

“Yep.”

“Come on, lovebirds,” Coop called as he tugged the door open. “Lunch is here, and then we’re planning what parks we’re hitting first.”

“Yay!” I let out a squeal and slid down Jake with a little more contact than necessary. His eyes sparked, but I escaped around Coop before Jake could retaliate. As it was, I climbed right over Ian to use him as protection.

Lunch was all kinds of appetizers along with burgers and fries. Staples. No arguments here. Archie had out his phone and a series of brochures for the different parks. “Frankie, pick a park, any park.” He fanned them out like they were cards, and I chewed my lip.

I wanted to see all of them. At once.

Four hours later, I was hoarse from screaming my way through a ride. The roller coaster in the dark, twisting and turning, was terrifying enough. The fact there were actual stars and planets to look at meant I couldn’t close my eyes. Not if I wanted to see everything. Worse, there was no way to sit next to anyone. So I had to ride in the single seat sandwiched between Coop and Archie.

Coop took the front and Archie the back. I actually reached forward and put a hand on Coop’s shoulder, and Archie had his hands on mine. It was the only thing that kept my freakout in check. Of course, I totally wanted to do it again, and this time, I rode with Ian in front and Jake behind me.

I caught almost all the stars.

We only took a break to grab some ice cream and bless them for having a Starbucks right there too. Then we were off to more adventures. We swung into every gift shop. We all had new shirts—hell, we were going to end up with new wardrobes. We each had gotten character watches, and I had to laugh when Archie bought me a brand-new charm bracelet. My old one was getting full, and this one was already sporting new charms to mark the occasion.

I elected for matching hats rather than ears, because not all of the guys would wear the ears. Brats. But I did get some glittery ones to wear, and we stopped at every picture spot in the place and took all the photos. By the time we found a spot to watch the fireworks, I was torn between elation and exhaustion. The ground was hot, so Jake pulled me over into his lap, while Archie and Ian went to buy stuff for us to sit on.

“This is the best vacation ever,” I murmured as I stared up at the