Key West by Lacey Alexander (top android ebook reader .TXT) 📕

had been awfully quiet, still ruminating over the encounter with his best friend, trying to let himself absorb it and put it in that place you put events you were ready to stop thinking about. “No,” he said, then offered a light laugh and repeated something she’d once said to him. “Just a little weirded out, I guess.”

She appeared as cheerful as he’d ever seen her. “I don’t see how this is any different than me fooling around with Shay.”

“I guess it’s not. But you know how we guys like double standards, and that’s one we definitely like. We like to think girls should get into that, but that we don’t.”

“Well—surprise.”

He chuckled again. “Yeah, a big surprise.”

“Are you okay with it?” she asked as they reached the street.

He gazed down at her, still astounded that she’d actually talked him into fooling around with another guy for her. Of course, maybe “fooling around” was too strong a phrase for what they’d done—but they’d certainly done something. “Yeah, I think. Or I will be.”

She gave him a playful, pouty look. “I’m sorry if you didn’t like it.”

He let out a breath, giving an uncomfortable half-smile. Time for the truth. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it.”

“Ah,” she said, leaning her head back, then—wisely—she changed the subject. “What’s up for tonight?”

He sighed, feeling as disappointed as he knew she would be. “I have to work. I have a sunset snorkeling cruise leaving at six, then I have Lizard duty ‘til close.”

She shrugged. “That sort of sucks.”

“I know. Sorry, angel. But I called up Jake this morning and asked him to take my Party Barge shift tomorrow night, which means I have the whole day and night free.” Neither of them said it, but he knew they were both very aware that tomorrow was her last day on the island. He intended to make the most of it.

“Actually,” she said, tilting her head so that her emerald eyes sparkled in the sun, “that puts it in a new light for me.”

“What puts what in a new light for you?”

“Well…would it be silly of me to say I’m actually relieved it’s not a Party Barge cruise you’re going on tonight? I mean, I know it doesn’t really matter, but I guess while I’m here, while we’re spending so much time together, I’m just glad…”

“You don’t have to explain, angel,” he said when her voice trailed off. “I get it.”

“Do you think I’m stupid?”

“I think you’re sweet as hell.”

They exchanged a smile that turned him inside out, making everything inside him feel twisted and strange, and he sad, “Could I ask you a favor?”

She offered a merry, trilling laugh. “Given that you kept up your end of the deal, I think a favor’s the least I can give you.”

He rolled his eyes teasingly. “About that deal, I think I was tricked.”

“Believe it or not, I didn’t have any devious plan in mind when I suggested the deal—things just happened to turn the deal to my advantage much more quickly than I could have guessed.”

He only gave her a playful smirk, still not quite believing she hadn’t carefully orchestrated the whole thing.

“So what’s the favor?”

He tilted his head softly and hoped he looked more cute than pathetic. “Well, the fact is, you’ve totally worn me out this week and I’m exhausted. I know it’s only, like, three in the afternoon, but is there any way I could talk you into taking a nap with me at my place before I head to work?”

She smiled up at him as they crossed Duval Street, heading back toward his place. “I think I could manage that.”

“Good.”

I like falling asleep with you.

And waking up with you.

He liked those things an insane amount, in fact, which is why he chose to keep them inside. As much as he didn’t want to think about it, in forty-eight hours she would be gone—headed back to her other life. No need to turn things any more emotional than they already were—it would just hurt them both worse in the end.

* * * * *

“What a funky little place,” Carrie said as she perused the breakfast menu at Blue Heaven, one of Chris’s favorite out-of-the-way Key West eateries, on Saturday morning.

He’d known she’d enjoy it—it was a one-of-a-kind place where the tables set under trees draped with sails to provide shade, chickens ran beneath your feet while you ate, and a huge rope swing gave kids something fun to do. “Glad you like it, angel.”

“So you recommend the pancakes, huh?”

Having promised they were good, he nodded. “Filling, but that’s okay, because I intend to wear you out today, so eat up.”

She raised her eyebrows playfully over the menu. “Is that so?”

He laughed. “I didn’t even mean sex, believe it or not, although I’m sure we’ll work in some of that, too.” He was taking her to the beach, which, on Key West, wasn’t the hottest attraction if you weren’t a local. Even though the island had several beaches to choose from, people came for the nightlife and the snorkeling. And despite the fact that he’d been all for a threesome with Scott yesterday afternoon, on this, their last day together, he wanted it to be him and her, alone.

God, she looked beautiful sitting next to him, her bikini top hugging her gorgeous breasts, her smile lighting him up inside.

An hour later, when they were both stuffed with pancakes, they hopped on his motorcycle and headed to the island’s southeastern shore, his angel’s black sarong flapping in the wind around her thighs. It felt so good to have her wrapped around him from behind—too good, he thought. He’d put off thinking about her departure tomorrow, but it was getting hard to avoid it. He’d only had her for a week, but he feared life without her was suddenly going to seem damn empty.

He didn’t like admitting that—part of uprooting his life and moving to Key West had been a firm decision toward permanent bachelorhood.