8

I couldn't believe she was on the same floor.

Literally across the hall.

She was a set of beige lounge chairs with wooden legs—which were adorable by the way—and two giant potted plants away from me.

It took a three-hour champagne fuelled debrief with Billie and Sarah after dinner to even contemplate going to sleep. I tossed back and forth until Billie threatened to make me sleep on the balcony.

The next morning I woke to Billie stretching her limbs. I jolted upright when the service bell chimed. "What the hell? Did you order more Pringles?" I accused.

"Nope." Billie groaned.

The peephole revealed nobody on the other side, but poking out from underneath the door was a folded piece of paper. It was the same paper used to wish Billie a false happy birthday.

"What is it?" Billie called.

"It's from the conc—" I stalled. The writing, twisting and curvaceous was clearly visible.

"What does it say?" Billie appeared by my side, peering over my shoulder.

"It's Julia's phone number."

"No way." Billie pulled the paper from my fingertips.

"Careful, you'll rip it! "

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror; my eyes were bulging out like a cartoon character. Relax.

"What if I just accidently tripped and it fell off the balcony," Billie joked.

"Then I'd go down and get it." I stuck my tongue out and lunged for the note. Billie pulled it away with her enviable reflexes.

"Too slow." She looked around the room before her eyes settled on the bedside table and more specifically my phone.

Oh shit.

There was a standoff. She edged towards my phone, and I edged towards her legs. Billie would win hands down, no competition. I'd trip over the edge of the bed, whack my knee on the hard tiled floor and end up in A maybe I could get a head start.

"I want to send a text message that will make Julia want to pierce your vagina with her fingers."

"Erm, that sounds painful." I winced.

"Okay, well, you get the point. Can I?" She smirked. I had no choice either way.

"Fine, but I have to approve it."

"Deal."

Billie typed out a message.

Me

Hi Julia ,

It's me, Harper—

"Absolutely not," I said.

"Why not?"

"It's too formal."

Billie huffed. Attempt number two.

Me

Julia, it was great to meet you yesterday.

"I didn't even meet her yesterday, and again I'm not texting my mortgage advisor. Is this how you text your Tinder dates?" I questioned. It would explain why half of them don't work out.

"Okay, I was trying to be polite and not too forward, but if you want me to be a little more casual." Billie typed away for a third time and immediately hit send.

I heard the familiar sound effect of a text message delivering to its recipient.

"What did you just do?"

The look on Billie's face spelt trouble.

Me

I had a dream about you last night.

It turns out it wasn't a dream.

I'd love to see you again.

Dinner, tonight?

"What are those ants doing?" Sarah asked.

She was hanging over the edge of her sun lounger staring intently.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Look." she pointed towards a small hole in the sand where two dozen ants ran back and forth.

"Are they carrying bits of sand?" I edged closer.

"I think so. Look, they've made a little pile," Sarah said. We watched for a short while as one ant after another frantically raced around the sand hills excavating debris from the hole in order to create their living space.

"That's fascinating," I gushed. "Switch beds with me?" I asked Sarah. She obliged, quickly bored with the insects. I spent the next few minutes offering them words of encouragement.

"They're so hard at work."

"You're doing great."

"Why's that one not helping? He's lazy." I gave that one a little nudge with a twig, and he soon got to work.

Billie returned from the pool and hovered her dripping wet body over me.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm watching the ants. That one there is the biggest, and he keeps carrying big boulders from there to there." I gestured.

"Big boulders?" Billie burst out laughing. "It's carrying a grain of sand."

"It's tiny. It's like us carrying a car sized rock. It's impressive." I beamed. I was now the spokesperson for the Mexican ants. It was a role I didn't ask for, nor did I expect to be called upon, but sometimes you have to answer your calling in life.

"I've got so much more respect for them now."

"Okay, weirdo." Billie emptied the pool water from her bikini top onto my back with one quick squeeze.

I spent the next hour baking in the sun, whilst researching how ants created their homes. Apparently, humans aren't the only living creatures with awe-inspiring homes. I learnt all about ant colonies, queen ants, worker ants, and male ants, as well as what their different job roles looked like. The biggest ants go away from the nest to forage for food. They leave a chemical behind so they can find their way home. Amazing.

"Why are you glittering?" Sarah questioned.

I sighed. "I bought the wrong sun cream."

My whole body shimmered, which I wasn't mad about until I realised it didn't come off in the shower.

"You bought a sun cream with glitter in it?" Sarah said.

"It's written in Spanish. How am I supposed to know? I just needed a higher factor." I handed over the bottle.

"It literally says sheer touch right there in large swirly writing." She turned the bottle in the sun. "And the bottle glistens!"

I shrugged. If there was one thing in life I could guarantee, it was a laugh at my expense. After waking up that morning and realising the max power of the shower head did nothing to wash away my glittering layer of skin, I embraced it, and uninvitedly immersed myself into the Cullen family.

"Has she texted you yet?" Billie yelled. She rolled over, earbuds half-hanging from her ears in a balancing act; it was a wonder they didn't fall out.

"Shh."

"Sorry." She removed one earphone.

"No, she hasn't." I sighed.

"Oh," Billie said sheepishly.

"Would you text back after that ridiculous text?" I scowled. When an hour passed without reply from Julia; it was too late to take it back .

"You told me to be less formal." Billie poured a glass of water over her legs. Don't ask.

"Yes, but I didn't say be cringey."

It was our first time around the cove pool. We pulled together three regular loungers next to one of the thatched roofed palapas. I liked to have the option of shade even if I pretended I didn't need it. The man-made sand beach surrounding the pool allowed for easy access to the water. We were warned on arrival about the sargassum seaweed effecting the Mexican beaches in the area, so like most we opted for the man-made version.

The hotel Wi-Fi didn't reach the pool area, at least not without hiccups. If I reached my arm behind me at a forty-five-degree angle and flapped it up and down like a bird trying to take flight I occasionally gained one bar. It was hopeless.

The pool staff returned with another margarita every time my empty glass presented itself. I closed my eyes. I watched the splashes of colour and dashes of light dance around on the black background of my eyelids like little fireflies in the night sky. I felt the sun beating down on my face until I sensed a shadow. The light turned to dark, and I was given a brief moment of respite from the tropical conditions; it happened whenever a cloud passed by, but I didn't recall any clouds in the sky.

"I had no doubt you'd look good in a bikini, but wow." Julia said.

My eyes flew open; that wasn't a cloud speaking. Julia had on some tight running shorts and a luminous green vest top. Her hair was wet and wavy in the style girls desperately try to emulate using sea salt spray and a curling iron. I sat upright in the most flattering way I could, pulling the edge of the towel over my body to hide any imperfections. Julia had a bird's eye view of my entire body, and I was extremely thankful the salon managed to fit me in for a last-minute bikini wax.

"Are you okay?" She smirked.

Speak, you idiot.

"Sorry." I shook my head and made up a poor excuse, "I think I was half asleep."

Billie was almost to the edge of the pool dragging Sarah along by the waistband of her bikini bottoms.

"I was wondering." Julia pulled nervously at the strap on her watch. "If you'd like to go to dinner tonight?"

"Yes, I'd love to."

"Are you sure? You seem a little hesitant."

"I'm just a bit confused. Did you get my text?" I asked.

"No. I left my phone in the hotel room. I've been out canoeing with my dad this morning. Why, what did it say?"

"Erm, I asked you to dinner, well—"

"Well, what?" Julia laughed.

"Technically, Billie asked you to dinner because she stole my phone and typed out the message."

"Oh, so you didn't want to go to dinner?" Julia questioned.

"I didn't say that."

"Should I take Billie instead?" she teased.

Fat chance of that. Behind Julia's back Billie and Sarah were wrapping their arms around each other and pretending to kiss. This was prime time mocking material for them. When Julia turned to acknowledge them, they stopped dead. I scowled, ferociously swinging my hand in front of my neck, cut it out , I mouthed. Billie started reaching for something pretend in Sarah's hair. They were so utterly embarrassing.

"Sorry about those two."

"They ride you hard about stuff like this, huh?" Julia waved in their direction, they nosedived, almost in unison, into the water and swam off like a playful pair of dolphins.

"Anything to do with women is a ride hard kind of situation, yes."

"Has there been a lot of women?" Julia raised her eyebrow.

"Are you asking me how many women I've been with? That's deep for a first date, don't you think?"

"Is this our first date? I would've done my hair at least, had I known." Julia ran her fingers through the top of her hair; it wasn't a shampoo advert, the hair was too tangled for that, but she manoeuvred it well enough that it only improved her appearance.

"I would've worn more clothing," I countered.

"Oh no, don't do that," Julia flirted. This was a different woman. My ill-judged impression of her seemed unrealistic now. There weren't many women, in fact, a total of four women, technically three if it was specifically narrowed down to both parties being "involved". There were only two if mutual orgasms were a factor in the overall statistics.

"How about we call this a pre-date warm-up, and we pull out all the stops tonight for our real date?" I suggested.

"All the stops?" Julia said.

"Yes." I shied away from her intense eye contact. The sun shining against the side of my face made it difficult not to squint. I wasn't great at flirting. I struggled via text, and I struggled in person. My whole body was in flight or flirt mode, and the latter wasn't promising .

"Well, look, tonight is on me. Seriously, don't bring your purse; you won't need it. I'll get you all the drinks and all the food your heart desires." Julia winked.

"I get it... because it's all-inclusive. That's funny." Usually, all flirtatious banter was lost on me, but not this time. Mexico had its perks.

She pointed towards my phone. "I will text you the details."

The moment Julia left, the two dolphins I called my best friends came racing towards me. They emerged from the pool like a female James Bond and his less coordinated sidekick, that being Billie. She stumbled and had to use every limb available to stop herself from collapsing in a heap at the foot of a fellow guest.

I burst out laughing. Man, I adored them.

The last I heard from Julia:

Julia

Meet me outside the French restaurant at seven thirty.

Julia

Bring flip-flops.

Julia

And a snorkel.

Julia

Joking, but not about the flip-flops.

The French eatery had the best reviews of the eight à la carte restaurants in the resort. None of the reviews mentioned flip-flops, so I still couldn't decide if she was joking, but I'd placed a black pair in my bag just in case.

My stomach felt all the range of emotions. Sarah told me on five occasions to, "Take a chill pill." Which didn't help chill me in any way whatsoever. I'd originally decided to wear a skin tight nude dress, but the air was so humid my body's perspiration and the dress officially became one. I needed something lighter and less suffocating. I switched the nude for a dark mauve coloured rib dress with a ruffled neck. The material was instantly more forgiving. I layered on top a small silver diamond cross, which would 1000 per cent get stuck in my hair at least ten times, but it elevated the outfit, so it was a minor sacrifice to make.

The restaurant was in the distance. I had my trusty resort map to guide me—yes, I was that person. When I arrived, there was no sign of Julia by the booking desk.

"Harper, over here," Julia called. It took me a few seconds to realise she wasn't sat in the restaurant; she was sat directly across from it, over the walkway and out on what looked to be a private extended platform. There was a solitary table for two overlooking the pool. It was breathtaking.

"What is this?" I gasped when I saw the ten-plus lanterns with live burning candles surrounding the table. "This looks incredible."

Julia walked around to my side of the table and pulled the chair out. "Very chivalrous." I smiled.

"I try."

I took her in for a moment as she eased back into her seat across from me. The auburn tone was more prominent within her blonde curls. She wore a white ribbed vest tucked into a pair of black linen trousers. The outfit was accessorised with gold jewellery and a brown cross-body bag. She looked so effortlessly beautiful.

Julia pointed towards the margarita glass. "I hope you like it. I asked for a sugar rim, instead of salt; that's your order, right?"

How did she know?

"How?"

"I overheard you order one at the Mexican restaurant," she clarified. Of course, a much more reasonable explanation than what my mind was conjuring.

"I didn't expect this."

"Is it too much?" Julia asked.

"No, it's really beautiful, thank you."

The occasional guest entering the main section of the French restaurant looked our way. I chuckled nervously. It probably looked like a proposal scene from an outside perspective; little did they know it was a first date.

The waiter arrived with a cup even smaller than an espresso size.

"This is a cauliflower and truffle soup," he informed us.

There was a frothy white liquid on top. It felt strange at first drinking the soup consistency from a cup like it was coffee, but after the first sip I could understand the appeal.

"Mmm." I licked my lips. "How good is that?"

Julia nodded in agreeance. "I forgot you haven't been here before."

"You have?" I asked.

"We've been to this resort a couple of times, so I've had this same seven course meal we're about to have maybe three times before. "

"It must be good then?"

"It's the best restaurant by far; you'll love it," Julia said with confidence. She looked radiant. Her sun-soaked skin against the white vest top was powerful on the eye. The indents in her forearms were prominent each time she reached for a drink.

"How did you know about this setup? Do you always meet girls on holiday and bring them for a romantic meal?" I teased.

"You think this is romantic then?" Julia countered.

"Shut up; just answer the question." I finished off the last of my truffle soup; the waiter was quick to remove it and replace it with the second course. A slice of soft warm bread and a selection of butters.

"We have a truffle butter, a garlic butter, and parmesan with black pepper. Enjoy." The waiter was so sweet. He had a soft voice and kind eyes.

"This is like heaven." I put a small spread of all three butters on the one slice of bread. They were probably meant as choices, and the way Julia looked at me with her wrinkled nose confirmed this.

"What? I want to make sure I get the full experience."

"I'm not judging, come to think of it, I think that's a great idea." She proceeded to add the other two butters to her bread.

"So, you didn't answer my question," I prompted.

Julia chewed her bread painfully slowly whilst she considered her answer. I didn't mind watching her jaw's range of motion. Even the way she ate was attractive. Whilst Julia ate with poise and grace, I was conscious I didn't drop crumbs in my lap or leave butter trailing across my chin; either were a possibility.

"In all honesty." She wiped at her lips with the napkin. "I booked this twelve months ago."

"Oh."

Now I was confused.

"Yeah, I erm, I was supposed to come here with my ex. We broke up three months ago, and my parents jumped on the trip last minute, so I didn't come alone, but this little dinner was prebooked. I forgot all about it until we arrived, and the concierge reminded me."

"Oh. I'm sorry." I reached for the water in the centre of the table at the same time as Julia; our hands clasped around the bottle, her fingers layering over the top of mine. "Sorry." I smiled.

"Allow me." She poured us both a small glass. I admired her honesty, but it felt strange knowing she should've been sat there with someone else.

"This must feel weird for you then."

"No, I thought it might, but I like the company." She maintained eye contact. Her head was slightly downturned and her grin lopsided. She truly intrigued me.

"Why did you break up? If you don't mind me asking."

"She cheated... with my best friend." She shrugged.

"Oh, shit. That's awful."

"It was tough, but that's life I guess."

"Do you still talk to them?" I asked.

"No, I haven't spoken to either of them for a couple months, but she's here—"

I looked around. "Your ex is here?"

"No, my ex best friend, she's here in the resort. The night you saw me in the elevator was the night I bumped into her."

It all made sense now.

"Seriously? How? Why? "

"I asked myself the same question. I didn't stick around long enough to get the details. It was raw for me seeing her. We were best friends for ten years. Her betrayal hit me harder than Natasha's did." Julia manoeuvred her glass so the waiter could take away our plates. The next course arrived promptly.

"This is white chocolate and cauliflower mousseline with asparagus and parmesan cheese," the waiter explained. The bowl was immaculately presented. The base was a thick white buttery substance with three pieces of asparagus in the middle and small pieces of hardened white chocolate sticking out around the edge.

"Aren't you worried you'll bump into her again?"

"Yes. I am actively avoiding anyone that looks like her." Julia pointed her spoon towards the dish. "This will be one of the nicest things you'll ever taste in your life, trust me."

"That's a big statement to make, Hanlow." I smirked.

"Trust me."

We allowed the conversation of betrayal and exes to fade into the distance. I appreciated her honesty. The remaining courses satisfied my pallet with so many new and exciting tastes. I felt immersed in the French culture, and each small but delicious dish allowed room for the course to feel appreciated. I revelled in the artichoke filled ravioli and mushroom broth dish. It turned out to be the best pasta I'd ever experienced in my life, and I was a pasta connoisseur.

The desserts were presented to us on a small wooden board; there were only three to choose from, but the second one down gave me no reason to observe the rest.

"Oh my God, they have crème brulée."

"You love crème brulée?" Julia's eyes widened.

"Yes, it's my favourite dessert. "

"Mine too!" Julia blurted.

We decided to share one after the waiter informed us the dish, unlike the first six courses, was well portioned.

"We saved the best until last." I grinned.

There was nothing in the whole entire world that could beat the two luscious contrasting layers of a crème brulée. The vanilla cream buried underneath a crackly caramelised sugar were a match made in heaven.

Julia reached for a spoon and scooped up the first serving. She held her arm across the table. "You first."

Instantly, I was conscious of scraping my teeth against the spoon. There was no way to gracefully be fed food, especially not food that required a level of expertise to avoid the dreaded lipstick smudge. I attempted to remove the dessert from the spoon with as much elegance as my mouth would allow.

The texture hit the roof of my mouth, "Oh, wow."

"Good, isn't it?"

"Unbelievable," I pronounced every syllable.

"Have you ever been to France?" I asked.

Julia shook her head. A small piece of hair fell in front of her face. I resisted the urge to tuck it back away.

"It's on my bucket list of places, but us Americans don't tend to travel to Europe. I think we're allergic to the long-haul flights." Julia allowed me the first spoon after picking up her own. I'd only ever shared cutlery with two people in my life, Sarah and my dishwasher.

"You're missing out," I declared.

"Have you been?" she asked.

"I've been to Paris and Nice. They're both amazing places to visit." I was often jealous of people living in America; they had so many different states to explore, one completely contrasting to the next, but I failed to realise how lucky I was to have beautiful European countries all around me. It doesn't mean I wouldn't have loved to be a mere four-hour flight away from the Caribbean, but I couldn't have everything in life.

"I would love to go one day. I picture getting married in a European country," Julia confessed.

"You do?"

"Sure. I'd like to spend my honeymoon travelling around Italy, or France, or both."

"It would be amazing. My boss got married in Barcelona, and it was so beautiful. The pictures looked incredible." I scooped up the last section of caramelised goodness on my side of the bowl. The crackle of hard sugar against my teeth left me wanting more.

"Sounds bellissimo ." Julia grinned.

"Is that Spanish?"

"It's Italian actually." Julia laughed.

"Are you ready for part two of the date?" Julia asked.

"Is this where the flip-flops come in?"

"They're just precautionary."

Julia led the way, and I eagerly followed.

The conversation continued to flow naturally as she led me down to the beach. We spoke in depth about our respective upbringings. They were quite opposite; she had the two-parent household suburban dream, and I had a badass single mum and microwave meals, but I wouldn't change it.

We spoke about our favourite subjects at school, pets we had growing up, family members and their quirks, the most notable being her Aunt Evelyn, who was so far gone on the homophobic scale she didn't understand the need for Gay Pride. She would also not be invited to the future wedding Julia had already referenced on two occasions.

I took off my sandals when we reached the beach. There was no better feeling than the softness of my feet sinking into the sand. The only light illuminating the beach came from the restaurant. It was empty now, as the waiters cleared the last of the tables.

"It's so beautiful."

"I know it's dark, but there's something so soothing about the sound of the sea at night," Julia said.

"The smell as well." I inhaled the fresh scent of salt and seaweed.

"I come down here every night. It's the perfect star gazing spot. Here, I want to show you something." Julia led the way.

We traipsed through the sand, past an abundance of daybeds, hammocks, and several of the circular nests that each covered a set of sun loungers. The beach was filled with tropical greenery, a lot of it untamed, which allowed the area to have a more natural feel.

Julia's arm brushed against mine. She lifted her hand to navigate my forearm with her fingers. "Over there," she whispered softly.

It looked like a private bar area. We stepped up onto the grey stone paving slabs that made up the floor. The washed stone continued up on the face of the bar area and the four pillars at either side. The bar top consisted of a thick wooden slab. It couldn't have had anything more than a natural matte stain because it almost looked untreated. The back wall of the bar had a light and airy aesthetic style. The mix of open and closed shelving with wooden accents added an earthy touch. It was the type of bar I would expect to find in Kim Kardashian's house .

There were no bar stools, only four swings with chunky wooden seats suspended from the ceiling by thick rope.

"This is unbelievable." The swings were low enough that I didn't have to risk embarrassing myself to get on.

"What is this place?" I asked. I could see Julia more clearly as she took the swing to my left. The lighting from the bar accentuated her cheekbones in a way that no highlighter could ever.

"It's a private bar area. People hire it out for weddings and events, but it isn't open to hotel guests, so a lot of the time it just sits empty." She pushed herself off with her feet, just a little, so I joined her.

"I didn't see this in any of the pictures, and I checked all of the five thousand Tripadvisor reviews."

We started swinging back and forth. I slowed my movement to match Julia's. We were completely in sync.

"You checked almost all of the reviews?" Julia laughed.

"Well, yeah, I didn't manage to get down to the last few hundred."

If I was for some reason uncontactable, there was a high possibility I could be found one thousand reviews deep with a bar of chocolate and a glass of wine. It required some imagination, but it could be just as entertaining as Netflix.

"So, you're a review kind of girl?"

"Aren't you? How would you know if something is suitable otherwise?"

"Sometimes I like to leave it as a surprise."

The thought gave me instant anxiety.

"You don't check the reviews?" I pulled my feet along the floor to bring the swing to a halt .

"I check that it doesn't have a three-star rating, but that's all. I don't need to know if the room has an iron."

I felt personally attacked. "You don't?" I gasped. "Oh, no, I don't know how you live like that."

Julia shook her head. "You're crazy."

"I like to think of myself as quirky, not crazy." I stuck my tongue out.

We had a lengthy conversation about our friends. She had a small group of close friends. Her best friend since high school sounded similar to Billie in many ways, which sparked a humorous conversation about all the embarrassing things our respective friendship groups had gotten up to over the years. She won hands down.

"We all went to a theme park for my twenty-second birthday. We made a beeline for the biggest rollercoaster first. You know they have the cameras that blind you halfway around, right? Usually at the scariest part for maximum effect. Well, my best friend lifted her top and revealed her boobs just as the flash lit up the carriage."

"No, she didn't!" My hands flew to my mouth.

Julia was laughing so hard she could barely finish the story. "When we went to the photo booth afterwards, there she was, on the big screen. The other forty people on that ride and all the staff got to see her boobs in HD. My face was a picture; I only had a split second to realise what she was doing, so my hand looks like it's reaching to grab her boob. It's honestly to this day, the funniest experience of my life."

Julia pulled out her phone to reveal said photo; it'd been set as the profile picture for their friendship group, but the nipples were now covered with small pride flags.

We slowly shifted our weight back and forth on the swings long enough for Billie and Sarah to text .

Billie

Where the hell are you?

Sarah

Have you been abducted?

Billie

Reply in five minutes or we're coming to find you.

Normally my eyelids would give me a clear indication it was way past my bedtime. They obviously liked Julia too.

"Is everything okay?" She nodded towards my phone.

"Yes, I should probably go."

"Yeah, me too. I have to be up for work early in the morning." She winked. It was a delicate wink, very smooth, she had just the right amount of confidence to pull it off. The problem wasn't the wink. The problem was how goddamn sexy I found the wink. I held my breath to the point of collapse.

Breathe you idiot.

Julia was staring at my mouth. She wasn't staring at my nose, or my hair, or looking me directly in the eye, no; she was staring at my mouth, and she was edging closer.

"I've had a really nice time tonight," I mumbled. The words were barely audible.

"Me too," she whispered. Her hand gripped the rope of my swing and pulled it slowly towards her own.

Julia placed the palm of her hand against my cheek; the length of her fingertips flirted with the hair behind my ear. Her hand felt smooth against my face.

"Do you moisturize your hands? "

Julia smized. "Yes."

It was enough to turn me on. I liked well moisturised humans. A little self-care went a long way.

Julia's lips were so close to mine. My whole chest was about to implode from the weight of my feelings. I hadn't kissed a girl in a long time. I was petrified of making a fool of myself. It's the reason I didn't go on dates. I watched Julia's lips part. The cute freckles around her mouth were visible up close, and the small indent on her right nostril indicated a previous piercing. She was beautiful.

I closed my eyes right before I felt the warmth of her lips on mine. The tingling anticipation coursed through my veins. It felt electric. Every goosebump. Every shiver. I felt every single sensation as her tongue searched for mine. The kiss was gentle and delicate as we explored each other.

It was nothing like my most recent kisses. A first kiss for me had always been frantic and messy but not with Julia. No, she took her time. I manoeuvred my head to the right, which allowed the kiss to deepen. I traced my fingers down the length of Julia's taut arm that was eagerly pulling the nape of my neck into the kiss.

I could feel my chest burning, and the clenching sensation of my lungs as I struggled to regulate my breathing. My brain released a chemical cocktail that far outmatched what any alcohol could replicate. This woman, who I wrongly accused of being the devil in disguise was anything but that. She was sexy, confident, endearing, intriguing, and all the ings . That wasn't the crazy part. The main reason I was on the verge of hyperventilating was—she was kissing me , and she was good at kissing me .

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. The vibration was nearly as powerful as the current running through my body; it was causing every last hair to stand on end. Julia retreated slightly, letting her teeth linger on my bottom lip as she pulled back.

I wasn't ready to reminisce about what she tasted like; the real thing was too damn good. Billie and Sarah would just have to wait.