Page 45 of Secret Offer
Which is flattering. And under normal circumstances, I’d probably be interested in getting to know the guy better. He isn’t hard on the eyes, and we had a great time talking baseball the first time we met at the beach bar. But these aren’t normal circumstances.
Right now, the only man I want to spend my time with is Sebastian.
My phone buzzes again.
Should we pick you up from your room on our way to the restaurant?
Dear God, no. Anything but that.
Frantically, I scan my suite, as if I can find a place to hide from my parents. Instead, I spot the room service menu on the desk across the room.Hallelujah. There’s my excuse. I rush over to grab it and flip it open, quickly zeroing in on what sounds like the perfect vacation breakfast.
After I dial room service to order the Fire Engine—a spicy beef and veggie hash served over buttery grits—with fried sweet plantains and starfruit salad, I grab my cell and text my mom back.
Would love to join, but already ordered room service. Maybe next time?
I set my phone down and go into the luxurious marble bathroom to take a shower. Room service said my food would be here in about thirty to forty minutes, so I have time to get ready for the day.
Sighing under the relaxing pulse of the hot water, I glance down at my wrist and smile at the coin bracelet that Sebastian bought me. Every time I look at it, I feel a burst of butterflies in my stomach like some lovesick teenager. Not that I actually love the guy. I barely know him. I just really, really like him. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I can really, really like the person I’m having a summer fling with, can’t I? Or am I already in too deep?
My heart sinks. Even more proof that I’ve crossed a line.
I finish my shower, then jump out and throw on the plush hotel bathrobe so I can dial Brooke for help. If anyone has answers to all these pesky questions I’ve been asking myself, it’s my best friend.
“Pick up, pick up, pick up,” I chant as I walk over to pull open the balcony doors, breathing in the fresh ocean breeze that caresses my face.
“Hey!” she says breathlessly. “I just got out of the subway. Everything okay?”
“No, everything is definitely not okay,” I admit, sinking into one of the lounge chairs on the balcony. “How much time do you have?”
“Enough for you to tell me what’s going on,” she says. “But if you need more time than I can give you on my walk to work, I’ll sneak into the meditation lounge in an hour and call you back.”
I laugh. “Wow, meditation lounge? Bougie. Sounds like the new job’s working out great.”
“Itisgreat. And I’d love to talk about how great it is. Right now, though, I need to hear all the details of your not-okayness. So spill.”
It only takes a few minutes to give her the rundown on what I’ve been up to with Sebastian. When I tell her the part about him being one of the resort’s owners, she lets out a gasp.
“Scandal!” she teases. “So wait, is he like…in his forties or fifties? Blair! You naughty girl.”
“No. He has to be in his early to mid thirties. He’s not, like, my dad’s age.”
“Still. Older men are hot. I bet he really knows what he’s doing in bed. I’m jealous.”
My face goes hot. “I’m not going to deny it. Definitely way better than any of the guys I dated at Stern. And his tongue. Jesus, Brooke, you have no idea.”
A shiver goes through me at the memory.
She cackles. “Okay, okay, so…let me just recap. Super-hot older guy with fire bedroom skills is pleasuring you at every free moment, including on his freaking yacht. You enjoy each other’s company, you’re using condoms, and both of you are aware that it’s a temp situation. Please tell me what I’m missing here, because I do not see a problem with anything you just told me. Is he married?”
“No! Or at least, I don’t think so. He doesn’t wear a ring or have a tan line for one.”
“Okay, then what is it?”
Taking a deep breath, I say, “I think I like him too much.”
It takes a moment for Brooke to respond. “Are you joking right now?”
“You know what I mean! I’m afraid I’ll get emotionally attached. Actually, that’s a lie. It’s too late. I’m already attached. Why do I have to live in New York? Ugh.”
