Page 21 of Billionaire's Fantasy
Chapter 5
High Altitude Adventure
Amber
AsIwasstandingin front of Jackson’s hotel room door, my heart was racing. I felt like I needed to make it up to him for avoiding answering his questions earlier. The people-pleasing in me could not just let me rest.
I paced back and forth, trying to come up with something to say when I remembered that he had mentioned growing up in Texas. That was when an idea hit me—an idea spurred into whatever half-assed plan this was that had me once again in his room.
“You were saying something about horse riding?” Jackson interrupts me from my reverie.
“Uh, yes. Sorry.” I take another sip of my cold Corona.
Sitting this close to him was doing some incredibly sinful things to my train of thought. One minute I was contemplating how hard a life he must have led in whatever places he had served, and next I was wondering if I licked his chest, would it have tasted of salt or his incredibly sexy body wash. Like I said, insane things.
“Go on, Amber, you don’t give me much information. You have to work a lot harder on your pitch.”
I chuckle. This man honestly gives me whiplash. One minute he is berating me like I am a teenager then the next minute, he is being this flirty version of himself.
“Well, I have a guided trip to the beach on horseback, and I thought I would invite you. But I would rather not go with the tour guide all on my own. I wanted to invite Liv, but I haven’t seen her since we arrived.”
“So, what I am hearing is,” he pauses, “I am a second choice.”
“No!” I almost scream, and before thinking too much of it, I wrap a hand around his wrist—his very tan, very muscular arm—and the contact alone has goosebumps rising up and down my spine.
“Okay. I am doing this all wrong.” I place the bottle on the floor to avoid dropping it and turn to face him. “Let me try again.”
He lifts his brow at me, and I feel my goosebumps prickle at his undivided attention. What the hell is wrong with me?
“Do you happen to know how to ride a horse?”
He chuckles. “Yeah, I do. Actually, it’s a big part of my childhood. Why do you ask?”
“I was thinking maybe we can go horseback riding tomorrow. I’ve never done it before, and it would be a fun way to spend a morning in Cancun.”
Jackson looks at me, his expression softening. “That sounds like a great idea, Amber. I’d love to join you for a morning ride. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
I let out a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lifted off my shoulders.
“How’s six a.m. for you?” Will that be enough sleep for either of us? Screw it. I can take a nap after.
“Perfect. I will be ready by then,” he tells me.
“Great.”
“Great.”
I sit down next to him, feeling the warmth of his body against mine. We sit in silence for a few moments, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” I say, breaking the silence. “I didn’t mean to make things awkward between us.”
“It’s okay,” he says, turning to look at me. “I just didn’t expect to share something like that.”
“I know,” I say, feeling the weight of his confession.
“I’ve never really talked about it with anyone before,” he adds.
We sit in silence again, the tension between us crackling. I want to reach out and touch him, to comfort him in some way, but I’m afraid of how he’ll react. We have had a lot more negative interactions than positive ones, and I would rather not jinx us.
