“Breakfast remember?” He gave me a nod of his chin. “Met a couple of real honeys at the gym first thing this morning. Polish. They’re ready to party. Let’s…”
I waved him off. That wasn’t happening.
“Knock yourself out, man. I’m spent.”
Mack scoffed. “You shittin’ me, D? Here, check this out.”
With that, he reached for his phone and began thumbing away, offering it to me a split second later.
“That’s some Grade A right there.” He finished that off with a grunt. “Mmm!”
I took it from him and spun it around. He wasn’t kidding. They were fine, all right. Hell, twenty-four hours earlier, I would’ve jumped at the chance, but unless he needed a wingman, he could count me out. I was in no rush to overwrite my memory banks and wipe them clean of the night I’d shared with her.
Not yet anyway.
With a nod and an exhale, I offered him the phone again.
“That’s all you.”
“Losing your edge, Destroyer?” Mack took the phone from my grasp. “Shit, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you fell in love last night.”
I took another hit of the dark, smoky liquid and looked up at him through a veil of steam. Part of me wanted to tell him to fuck right off, but damn if there wasn’t a sliver of truth in those cutting words of his.
Love.
The closest I ever came to something like love was for my SEAL brothers - guys like Mack. After the service, though, my work filled that void. It was the only thing I could trust unconditionally. Unlike love’s fickle nature, it would never let me down, always giving me the only thing in life that I could rely on, purpose.
But whatever, I needed to diffuse his nonsensical ramblings, and quick.
“Quit busting my balls.” I stood and stretched, taking one last hit. The only place I was going was the goddamn bed. “I’ll rally, just not today. Now, you need help with these babes or what?”
“Negative.” Mack clicked his tongue. “Go on Sleeping Beauty.”
A little while later I lay there, relaxing into what was probably one of the priciest mattresses on the Mediterranean. When I’d wandered into the room, I had no doubt a restful sleep wouldn’t be far behind. But a half hour in and there I was, still wide awake, rolling the sea glass back and forth between the tips of my fingers.
“That’s enough of that.” I exhaled a deep breath and placed it on the nightstand next to me, making a half-hearted promise to throw it back in the ocean the first chance I got.
After, I grabbed my phone from beside me and swiped it on, bringing up a selfie we’d taken together. I looked at it for a few seconds, further testing my rapidly dwindling resolve.
I fucking knew better.
If I didn’t get rid of it, like now, I’d keep looking at it, over and over, not wanting to let go of the way it made me feel. But, it was no way to live, and I wasn’t about to ruin three weeks of hedonistic possibilities over a single night.
No way.
My finger hovered over the tiny icon shaped like a trash can. It was a distraction, and one I didn’t need.
I blew out a breath through my nostrils and pressed it. “See ya, Sparkle.”
With a snap of my wrist, I tossed the phone to the floor.
Now that she was gone for good, I thought maybe, just maybe, I could finally get some fucking sleep.
8
Reality Bites (Taylor)
Thirty-One Hours Later
I held on to my satisfied feelings until the wheels touched the runway and jarred me back into awareness. Glancing out of the double-paned plastic portal, I watched the runway rip past, just like the last eighteen months had, before the jet eased to a slower pace and made the turn for the terminal.
When I’d left Idaho a year and half earlier, I never expected to return feeling anything but satisfied, maybe even proud. No one I knew had done anything like it. They’d all headed off to college, gotten a job or whatever, and made the headlong leap to the lifelong grind of adulthood. After what I’d experienced, I wouldn’t trade places with any of them.
Looking back, I could’ve done without all the drama with Matteo though. Before things turned sour, I had fun, but I hated that I’d let myself be so foolish.
After last night, I knew one thing for certain - no more boys for me. Being in their inexperienced arms would never come close to the feeling of being taken by a man like him.
I’d never had a one-night stand before and each time the thought occurred to me, I fought back a smile. I literally glanced around at the people sitting next to me as if they could read the sinful thoughts still swirling in my mind.
While it still astonished me I’d done it, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little relieved that’s all it would ever be. I mean, one walk of shame was more than enough. What happened between us would live safely in my memory where it belonged. Because as hard as I fell for Matteo, I worried even one more night in Dalton’s presence could do far more damage.
Yeah, no thanks.
The plane rolled to a stop and an ear-piercing ding in the cabin sent passengers into a frenzy. It was a whirlwind of activity as people unbuckled their seatbelts and shot to their feet, as if they were going anywhere in the next ten minutes. I didn’t bother standing but looked around at the frazzled, harried expressions etched deep on face after face. Most of them were dressed in business attire, heads bent over and eyes unblinking as they thumbed away at their phones. I’m sure their minds were consumed with work projects they’d never remember in even a few months’ time.
As for me? I felt lucky. I would never forget this day.
Over the next few minutes, the long line thinned as people exited the cabin.
I sighed when I stood.
It was officially over. The trip of a lifetime, ending in a final night of unbridled fantasy - literally the best sex ever.
But that was all behind me now.
Back to reality.
The walk from the plane to get my luggage was a fuzzy jumble of noise and humanity. It wasn’t until I saw Mom jumping and waving near the baggage claim that my focus returned. I felt a smile coming to my face as our eyes met and I hurried to greet her, dropping my carry-on at her feet.
“Oh my God!” she exclaimed, spreading her arms. We shared a long, warm hug before she leaned away, beaming a smile back at me. “You look so beautiful!” She covered her mouth briefly, doing her best to stifle her tears. “Ohh, I almost don’t even recognize you.”
I shook my head. “Mom, we Facetimed every week for a year and a half.”
“It’s not the same!” She pulled me into her again.
I looked around with a frown. It’s not like I needed to ask, but I did it anyway.
“Where’s Dad?”
“Oh, you know your father.” She exhaled dryly and flicked her wrist. “He can’t stand paying for parking.”
I wouldn’t say Dad was tight with money, but if I had a nickel for all the cheap jokes I’d heard about him my entire life, well, I’d have a shitload of nickels. Growing up, there weren’t any expensive ski vacations in Aspen or beach getaways in the Caribbean. I lived in one house my whole life, my parents drove used cars and never met a coupon they didn’t like.