“No, simply a statement.” I nodded with a smile. “Enjoy the sun.”
With each step away, my pulse thumped in my ears. I felt his stare on me—or maybe I wanted it to be true. When I reached my chair, I turned back to the bar and grinned. His stunning gaze was still on me as I sat. Lifting his drink in the air, he mouthed “cheers.”
With my empty glass, I returned the gesture.
“Your menu, señora.”
Chapter Five
Chandler / CJ
The treadmill faced the window, giving me a panoramic view as the sun rose slowly, creeping up from the horizon. There had been only one other person in the resort gym when I entered. Gauging by the music and voices that I’d heard from my balcony going on into the early morning hours, many of the guests were now still blissfully asleep.
As the pitch of the treadmill climbed, I concentrated on my footing.
Right. Left. Right.
Pumping my arms, I neared the crest of the imaginary hill.
Higher and higher.
My shins tightened as I pushed harder and faster.
This I could do. I could push myself, punish myself to the brink.
It would ultimately give me a small bit of satisfaction.
Yesterday was a bust.
Whether for relaxing or moving on, being closer to the equator didn’t accomplish either.
After a few hours at the pool bar, I retired to my suite, ordered room service, and sat alone on the balcony with my dinner and a bottle of Blanton’s.
Maybe I had forgotten what it was like to have fun.
Back in the gym, sweat dripped from my brow and from my pulled-back hair. The stench of day-old whiskey emanated from my perspiration. There was a likely possibility that I’d had more than my share last night.
The only thought that pulled me away from my wallowing about Architech was that of the woman at the pool bar yesterday afternoon. Damn, her seductive smile infiltrated my thoughts. As if she were truly present, as the night progressed, her image became clearer—her dark auburn hair shone under the star-filled sky. The way her bathing suit covered enough of her sexy curves to make me wonder what was beneath was imprinted in my mind. I heard her breathy tone, “Oh, I prefer to be the aggressor, not the prey.”
During the afternoon, one hundred times or more, I contemplated going over to her lounge chair and speaking to her.
Once she was fully seated, my view was only of her toned legs, bronzing in the sunshine. By the time I had my courage up, or maybe my alcohol level, she was gone.
What the fuck was I going to do, wow her with my big cash-out?
It was hard to wow someone with something you regretted.
The treadmill to my far left now had a jogger.
As the sky lightened, I turned to my left.
The woman was probably my age. There was no way those tits were real.
Her lips turned upward when she caught me looking her way.
With a bit of a grin, I turned away, becoming engrossed in the dawn of the morning sky before me. With her light-colored hair and bouncing boobs, she could be exactly what Colton meant for me to find. The thing was, I didn’t want to find a woman like that. The only thing she lacked was a neon sign saying she was ready and willing for a vacation tryst.
Wasn’t that what Colton meant?
As the gym filled with more people, I began to think about taking my run out onto the beach. It was as I started my cooldown that the treadmill between bouncy-boob lady and me came to life. The slender fingers pushed the buttons like a professional. My breath caught as I turned.
Her big hat was gone, but in a second, I knew she was the woman from the bar.
Wiping my forehead and neck with the towel, I smiled her direction.
“It’s you,” she said.
Without her sunglasses, I could see the soft shade of brown in her eyes. Her hair was curled in ringlets. She was wearing a sports bra and stretch shorts, enough to cover her, but little enough to show the tone of her body. Toned with the perfect amount of softness.
A grin spread across my lips. “The predator, right?”
Her gaze glistened. “When necessary.”
“You know, the thing about predators, or you said aggressor yesterday…there is always a greater predator. The bear is king in the west, but take that same bear to the safari and” —I shake my head— “he’s up against tigers and lions.”
She began walking briskly before turning my way. “You do realize the lioness is the hunter.”
“My name is CJ.” I offered her my hand.
“I don’t recall asking.”
Taking my hand back, I smirked at her spirit. The lioness was playing with her next meal.
“Touché. You didn’t ask. I offered.”
She continued to look straight ahead, but I could see her uplifted cheeks and grin in the reflection of the glass.
I went on, “I offered because you are the lioness. I prefer to stay on the good side of predators such as yourself.”
“And you, CJ, are you a predator or prey?”
“Lately, I’d say predator.” I took a breath. “Though to be honest, I’m not too thrilled about it.”
Just as her walking began to speed up, she turned to me with a smile. “Lena.”
As my cooldown slowed, a quick look behind me let me know there were people waiting for my machine. Another wipe of my face and neck. “Lena, would you like to join me for breakfast by the infinity pool?”
Her eyes opened wide before she grinned. “CJ, I think it’s better if I say no.”
Ignoring the people behind us, I nodded. “I respect that. I disagree, but I respect it.” I looked at my watch. It was only 6:15 a.m. “I’ll be waiting at eight thirty, table for two, coffee and mimosas. The menu is filled with delicacies for carnivores and vegetarians alike.” In actuality, I had no clue what was on the menu.
I shot her my best smile. “After all, even lionesses need to eat.”
“Do you know who I am?” she asked.
“You’re Lena. The woman from the bar who I’ve been thinking about since yesterday.”
Pink filled her cheeks as her shoulders squared. “I’m not that simple.”
Bowing at the waist, I nodded. “Good. I’m supposed to spend this week relaxing, and to be honest, it’s boring as hell. I could really use some complication.”
Her pert breasts pushed forward as she inhaled. Finally, she nodded. “Eight thirty. I’ll ask the hostess for—"
“C.J.” I grinned. “I’ll be waiting for you, Lena.”
With one last look back at her tight round ass in the stretchy shorts, I walked away. It wasn’t until I got back up to my suite that I allowed myself to think about what I’d just done.
This was crazy. I should have spoken to the woman with the boobs, not that Lena didn’t have boobs… It was that the other woman didn’t attract me. Lena—oh hell yes.
Last night on the balcony and really, ever since I saw her yesterday, I’d been thinking about her. Now I knew her name. I’d seen her smile and heard her voice. The fantasies I’d concocted while under the influence of whiskey were sparking to life in my thoughts, small connections setting off explosions that had my entire body on edge.
In the bedroom, I kicked off my tennis shoes and socks, stripped away my sweaty t-shirt and shorts. Before dropping my boxers, I checked to be sure there wasn’t anyone else in the suite. With the coast clear, my boxers joined the mix on the floor in need of laundering.