41 - Joanna

41

Joanna

I grabbed a sandwich from the resort cafe for lunch. While leaning on the counter waiting for it to be made, someone came up behind me and wrapped their arms around me.

"Hey there, gorgeous," Landon said.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Just trust me," he whispered into my ear. "Act natural."

I was surprised, but trusted him enough to go with it. His arms enveloped me in a hug, his crotch pressing firmly against my ass. He gave me a soft kiss on the back of the neck, which made the hairs on my arm stand up.

"What did I tell you?" Danicka suddenly said as she joined us. "True love! You two are the loveliest couple here. Don't tell Bradyn I said so."

"You're embarrassing us, Mom," Landon said.

"Oh, stop being so stuffy . You're on vacation at the beach! Enjoy yourselves without worrying about what I think."

She placed an order, and Landon continued holding me closely. He felt good. Really good, like a warm wall of muscle. His breath stirred my hair and tickled my cheek.

And he was definitely enjoying it, based on the rapidly stiffening portion of his swim trunks.

For a few moments, I surrendered to his embrace. I didn't need to pretend we were something; he was just a handsome man holding me in his arms, and I was a woman who wanted to be held. There was nothing wrong with that.

Intrusive thoughts slipped into my mind. Landon kissing my neck some more, moving lower. Sliding my cover-up off and then unclasping my bikini top, cupping my breasts before the cool air could hit my bare skin. Pushing me forward, bending me over the counter the way Theo had bent me over in the hot tub…

"Your sandwich, ma'am," the cafe attendant said.

I took the package and slipped out of Landon's embrace. Danicka was still there at the counter, just a few feet away. I leaned forward and brushed my lips against Landon's, then said, "See you back at the beach."

When he returned to our chairs with his sandwich a few minutes later, he said, "Sorry if that was too much. After what Marisa told you yesterday, I'm worried about looking like a genuine couple."

"Not too much at all," I replied. "I'd hate for our cover to be blown this late in the game."

Landon sat down and unwrapped his sandwich. "And sorry for my… ah…"

I immediately knew what he was trying to say. "Forget about it," I replied, eyes flicking down to his crotch for a millisecond. "You can't help it. Honestly, I'd be offended if you didn't get hard while grinding against my ass."

"I didn't grind," he said, pointing with his sandwich.

"You ground against me a little," I replied. "Let's just drop it. You don't have to apologize."

He bit into his sandwich and rested back in his chair.

At precisely two o'clock, I left our spot and walked up the beach to the activity shack. There were three others waiting there: Marisa, Bradyn…

…and Austin.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Signing up for another jungle hike?"

He ignored the jab and said, "Danicka asked if anyone wanted to parasail for free. I've never been, so I figured I'd give it a shot."

"It's better than hiking all day in the jungle!" Marisa exclaimed.

"Yeah," Austin said, narrowing his eyes at me. "It is."

The four of us boarded a boat and zoomed out onto the water. Marisa was having trouble with her life preserver, so the activity coordinator pointed at me and Austin.

"You two are going first."

We glanced at each other. "We're going together?" I asked.

"Two people per flight," he replied. "Follow me…"

Austin let out a sigh, which annoyed me. Why was he upset that he had to share with me?

They strapped us to the parasail rigging: Austin went first, and then I was hooked onto the line directly in front of him. Fortunately, there was a sizable gap between us.

The boat zoomed forward, and the sail caught the wind and lifted us into the air. My stomach lurched in a thrilling way as we soared higher and higher.

There was just one minor annoyance: once we were in the air, hanging underneath the sail, the gap between us disappeared. Austin was directly behind me now, our bodies constantly rubbing together.

Thank goodness the life preserver provides a buffer , I thought. But I was enjoying myself too much to worry.

"This is fun!" I shouted over the wind.

"I might've eaten too much at lunch," Austin groaned.

"If you throw up on me," I said over my shoulder, "I'm going to cut your line and let you fall to your death."

"Probably wouldn't die from this height," he replied smoothly. "You'd better wait until we're another hundred feet higher."

It was peaceful once we reached the maximum height; we drifted along, high above the ocean, with a sprawling view of the Jamaican coastline and the inland jungle that rose up in rolling hills into the distance. Austin's body was pressed up against mine firmly.

"You know, you're the only person who hasn't asked about my ankle," I said.

We were so close together that I could feel him shrug. "Figured everyone else is harassing you about it. Didn't want to be one more annoyance. Besides, you seem like you're walking just fine."

"How are your blisters?"

"They itch like all hell," he replied with a laugh. "But they're fine."

"Good."

"Listen," Austin said slowly. "I'm real sorry for making you quit your job and come on this trip. Seems like the family is driving you crazy, and you weren't prepared to pretend to be Landon's girlfriend for this long."

"Want to know something funny? I'm actually having a great time," I replied. "I really needed a vacation, and I did want to quit my stupid job. I wasn't planning on admitting this, but I ought to thank you."

"Okay, go ahead."

"Go ahead and what?" I asked.

"Thank me," he replied simply. "You said you ought to thank me. Well, I'm here, and we have some privacy. Nobody else has to hear it. Hit me with your best."

"Thanks for manipulating me into coming on this trip in order to torture me."

"Hey now, that's not fair," Austin protested. "I manipulated you into coming on this trip for my own amusement."

"Oh, that's totally different."

"In any case, you're welcome."

Laughing, I twisted to look at him behind me. "Hey, being real for a second? I'm sorry about signing you up for the jungle hike. It seemed like a funny prank at the time, and I was pissed about what you did the night of the wedding. But I've felt kind of bad about it since then."

"You feel bad about it because I saved your rear yesterday when you rolled your ankle."

I opened my mouth to argue, but he was right. That was why I felt guilty. "And the way you reacted to the guy who tried to drug me."

For the first time since I'd met him, Austin looked uncomfortable. "Aw, hell. I would've done that for anyone, even someone I hate. Forget about it. I pranked you, and you pranked me right back. We're even."

I nodded, then remembered we weren't even. Austin was still receiving non-alcoholic drinks because of what I had told the resort manager. New guilt flooded into my body, spoiling the exciting flight like a film of grease on a pool of clean water.

"What's that face for?" he asked.

I turned back around so he couldn't see me. "There's something else…"

The boat below must have hit a wave, because suddenly we experienced a moment of weightlessness, followed by the line jerking us downward. Fear took over and I screamed, my hands scrambling to grab the harness and hold on tight.

"I got you," Austin said, wrapping his arms around me. "You're fine. Shh. It's all right. It was just a bump."

I hyperventilated for a few more seconds, then calmed down within his grasp. I felt safe while he held me… surprisingly similar to the way I'd felt in Landon's arms at the cafe.

"Thanks," I said, now hyper-aware of Austin's arms pressing against my chest. "I think I'm good now."

He let go and didn't say another word.

The boat reeled us in, and then we returned to shore. Austin pointed out every minor undulation in the sand, warning me not to twist my ankle again because he didn't want to have to carry me. I stuck my tongue out at him, which only made him laugh harder.

When I glanced over my shoulder, Marisa was smiling knowingly at me. Shit. Couldn't a girl be friendly to a member of the opposite sex without the interaction being scrutinized?

Landon was on the phone, pacing the beach when we reached our chairs. Conscious that Marisa was watching, I gave him a hug from behind, pushing up against his butt just like he had done to me.

"Hey, sexy."

"Not now," he muttered, escaping my grasp and pacing some more.

"What's his problem?" I asked Theo, who was propped up in a chair with a Kindle in his lap.

He shrugged. "Not sure. He got a call a few minutes ago and has been arguing with someone ever since."

"You're reading?" Bradyn asked Theo. "Teddy, I don't know if I've ever seen you open a book. Not even during finals week in college."

"You're right: I haven't opened a physical book since I was a boy," Theo said with an easy smile. "I forgot to return Jurassic Park to the library in fourth grade, and I've been afraid to go back ever since."

"Seriously?" Marisa asked. "You're afraid of the library?"

"Hey, librarians are terrifying!" Theo replied. "Except the sexy ones in porn." He winked at me.

"Good for you for reading," Bradyn said, shaking his head. "Teddy reading a book? I never thought I'd see the day."

Theo laughed it off, but I was annoyed on his behalf. They were acting like he was an idiot! I didn't know why he kept up this dumb charade.

Landon hung up the phone and rejoined us. I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a kiss. I was determined to throw Marisa off the scent, even though Theo was watching just a few feet away.

And, strangely, I was aware of Austin's eyes on my back while I kissed my fake boyfriend. For some reason, I cared what he thought now.

But Landon barely kissed me back. He pushed away from my embrace with a serious look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"There was a big scandal at DefTec," he said. There was something unusual in his eyes. It took me a moment to realize what it was.

Fear.

"What happened? Did you lose your job?" Bradyn asked.

"No," Landon replied, though he was still looking at me. "But they instituted a hiring freeze."

Oh.

Oh no .