Vacation (8 page)

"Hi girls. Just wanted to stop by and
let you know that we're having ladies night at
Halla
every night this week." He pulled a card from his back pocket and dropped
it on the table. "Hope to see you there."

"You just might," I mumbled,
getting lost in the beauty of his eyes. They had to be the lightest blue I'd
ever seen. He smiled and walked toward the next table as Casey picked up the
card.

I took a bite of the taco and closed my
eyes briefly, letting the flavors roll over my tongue as I identified the
ingredients. I opened my eyes and jotted down a quick description of the taco
and the experience it provided.

"My turn." Casey reached for the
taco in my hand, and I gladly gave it to her.

"It's delicious, but a little
hot."

"I like them hot." She wagged
her eyebrows. "Like I like my men."

"Brother..." I picked up another
and moved through the rest slowly, taking time to enjoy each of them. My dream
of being a food critic wasn't something I could see in my near future, but I
had a hard time giving up on it. I'd wanted it for far too long.

We finished our meal and cleaned up,
depositing our trash by the door before walking into the cool, late afternoon
weather. I wrapped my arms around myself and glanced back at Casey.

"I can see why people love that
place. It was delicious, fresh and authentically unique."

"You have such a way with
words." She slid her arm back into mine. "Tell me about your folks.
How are Linda and Mark?"

"Same as the last time I visited.
They're still living together, but I can't imagine either of them going on like
they are for much longer. It's so weird too..." I paused, trying to get a
hold of myself. I didn't want to be emotional. Our day had been too fun to ruin
it with tears. "They used to be the epitome of a love story, you know?"

"Yeah. I remember thinking your dad
was dreamy, and that if I could just have what your parents had, I'd be
set." Casey released me as we walked into the lobby of the hotel.
"What happened? Any clue?"

"No. I don't know. I haven't asked my
mom about it, and she hasn't offered any information. Everything changed
earlier this year though. I would assume one of them cheated on the other, but
it's a thought I just can't entertain." I shrugged and turned, stopping
dead in my tracks as Easton walked off the elevator and our eyes met.

"That's because you're going through
something like that now. I'd not wish that on anyone. I just can't imagine Mark
hurting Linda." Casey stopped a little ahead of me and turned around.
"You coming? What's up?"

"Fate, I think," I whispered
under my breath, not quite sure how I felt about the handsome businessman being
a part of my day once more so soon.

"Vivian. Casey." He stopped
beside Casey and smiled. "Sorry I haven't called yet. It's been crazy and
I'm working all week while I'm here. Looks like you guys found the beach by the
burn you’re both sporting."

His smile was warm and sexy, though he
probably had no idea. His dark hair a little disheveled and his green eyes only
for me.

"We did. It's beautiful out
there." I glanced around. "Don't tell me you're staying here with us.
I'm going to label you as a stalker soon."

He chuckled. "I was going to say the
same thing."

"We're going to change and then have
a drink in the lobby. You
wanna
join us?" Casey
asked him.

"I'd love to, but really, I have a
hundred things to do in the next few days and almost every minute is filled
with something." He glanced at Casey for only a moment before turning his
gaze back to me. I hadn't been in the dating game much over the last few years,
namely due to being with Jackson since junior high, but something told me that Easton
was stretching the truth in order to not hang out with us.

"No worries. Have fun where you can
this week. Hope you get all of your stuff done." I moved toward Casey and
tugged her with me. "Come on. Shower, change, and liquor."

"And boys," she mumbled, her
head turning back toward him. She was ballsy and wanted him to know that she
found him attractive.

I, on the other hand, would have melted
into a puddle of embarrassment had he known just how tight my stomach was
thanks to his presence alone.

"Damn," Casey grumbled as the
elevator doors closed behind us. "He's perfect for you, and yet I can't
help wanting him for myself."

"Have him. I'm not interested in
chasing a man, and he's obviously not interested in me." I shrugged and
leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes and letting the image of him
steal my thoughts. "He is beautiful though, right?"

"Insanely so," she whispered all
dreamy-like.

Chapter
8

Easton

I was almost too tired to meet with Brian,
La Mage's hospitality manager, but if I shifted my schedule even a little, I
wouldn't get in all of the meetings I had booked that week. The idea of having
a little bit of fun was still very much on my radar, but it would have to be
later. The beautiful girl that I'd once again bumped into out in the lobby was
exactly the type of woman I wanted that fun to happen with. Her beautiful skin
was lightly dusted with sand, and her slight sunburn only accentuated the radiance
of her crimson locks and blue eyes.

My heart raced as I watched her go, but it
was best for me to leave things be. We would run into each other over the
course of the week, no doubt. Maybe by Thursday I would let my guard down a
little. If she kept presenting herself in tiny bikinis it would be sooner than
later. It took me twenty seconds of splashing cold water on my face in the
bathroom to calm my libido down. It'd been a little too long since I'd taken a
woman to my bed. It never worked out well for me to have a one-night stand.
Either I wanted more, or they did, but never both of us at the same time.

"You must be Mr. Parks." A tall
gangly guy extended his hand to me as I walked into the conference room to my
left.

"Call me Easton, please. I assume
you're Brian?" I shook the man's hand and took the seat he offered me.

"I am. I've heard a lot about you.
We're glad to have you back with us. I've kept up with most of your articles.
You have quite a way with words. Ever thought about being a novelist instead of
a resort critic?" He sat back in his chair and clasped his hands over his
stomach.

"Not really. I love finding the good
and bad in places and people. I don't believe that anything is black or white.
It's the gray I'm searching for." I pulled a pad of paper from my
briefcase and opened the list of questions I'd prepared back in New York for
the meeting.

"I like it."

"Thanks. Tell me about the models at
the door. Why are they there and when were they implemented?" I focused on
my interviewee, though my mind continued to move far from the room. I could
appear to be attentive over the next few minutes with Brian, but then I needed
an hour to myself. Something about the fact that I kept running into Vivian was
bugging me. Was I supposed to ask her out for a drink? Was she supposed to be
part of my future?

We wrapped up the meeting, and I shook the
hospitality manager's hand once more before walking out the door and turning to
make a beeline for the elevator.

"East," Kevin called to me, and
I turned, not surprised at all that the portly bastard had two drinks in his
hands and three girls around him, giggling about something.

"Hey buddy." I didn't move
toward him, but gave him my attention. "Day go good?"

"Great. I love this place. Go change
and meet me down here for a drink?"

The blonde on his left waved at me
playfully as her brunette friend stepped out of the small crowd. "Yeah,
come down and have a drink with us. You're cute."

"There's plenty to share." Kevin
lifted his eyebrows at me.

"Right. I'll think about it." I
turned and pressed the button on the elevator, ignoring the girls grumbling
about my lackadaisical response. If I wasn't spending the night across a table
with Vivian, I sure as hell wasn't doing it with some giggling stranger.

She's
a stranger. Right. Why doesn't it feel like it?

I got off on the top floor and pressed the
code to the penthouse, inserted my key, and kicked off my shoes the minute I
was inside. Why was I being so stiff about having a drink with her? I liked her
company for sure, and was rather disappointed when she went to sleep on the
plane instead of talking with me.

"Your career comes first. This never
works out for you." I moved to the balcony and glanced out at the city as
the sun started to make its way behind the clouds.

The remembrance of seeing her in her tiny
bikini rolled over me and my body responded violently. The delicious swell of
her breasts above the black triangles that covered her was only outdone by her
curves as she walked away from me.

I brushed my hand down the front of my pants
and groaned, closing my eyes and pressing my head to the glass in front of me.
"One night. Would she give me one night?"

Somehow I figured the answer might be yes,
but a huge part of me knew that I'd be a bastard for asking for it, and one or
both of us might end up scarred by it.

I shook off my need and changed into a
pair of jeans, boots, and a soft cotton button down before checking my hair and
making my way back down to the bar.

Kevin was thankfully alone as I approached
him.

"Where's your posse?" I slid
onto the barstool beside him and gave him a cocky grin.

"Fuck you, Easton. You have it easy
with your good looks and youth. At my age, I
gotta
work for attention from women."

"You need to get married and have
some kids." I gave him a sideways glance before turning to the bartender
and ordering a beer. "Is that not something you want for yourself?"

"Yeah, but with all this traveling,
it's not exactly easy. I'll be forty soon, and I really thought I would have
found someone by now, you know?"

A pretty woman with short black hair moved
up on the other side of me and pressed her forearms to the bar top as she
glanced over at me. "Hi handsome.
Me
and my
friend noticed that you didn't have a girl beside you. Want one? Or two?"

Kevin scoffed as I shook my head. "My
girl's back home, but thanks for the offer. Hope you find someone worth your
beauty tonight."

She gave me a cute frown and walked away
as Kevin made a sound of disgust.

"See? I swear it's your dark hair and
tan. Girls go wild over that." He ran his hand over his bald head and took
a long drink of his beer as I turned to watch him.

"I think it's more about the way you
carry yourself. You act like you're owed something, and you're not." I
took a drink of my beer and turned to scan the room, praying like hell that
Vivian would show up. Fate was playing games with us, and though I knew it
wasn't at all something I should desire, I wanted to dare it a little where the
bombshell was concerned.

"You know that our position comes
with an air of authority and confidence. People love our work; they praise us
and beckon to us. It's hard not to let that power go to your head." He sat
his beer down and let out a sigh. "Especially when it's all you got."

"I guess, but maybe you should start
looking for other things to fill up your life. A hobby, a friend, your
faith...something."

"Maybe, but for now, I'm just going
to stick to good food and beautiful women. Take your sense of reason and shove
it." He glanced at me before getting off of his barstool. "I'm going
to mingle. Care to come?"

"Nope, and don't bring anyone over
here either. I'm not interested." I pinned him with a warning stare before
pulling out my phone.

He chuckled sardonically. "And you're
giving me relationship advice. Please."

I ignored him and stared at Viv's number,
trying to think through the future as if I had a crystal ball. I couldn't offer
the girl any more than a few fun nights and maybe an afternoon of playing on
the beach together. While it sounded like bliss to indulge in just those few
moments, I knew myself far too well to press the send button and call her.

I'd fall in love like I always did, and
wake up quite disappointed a few months later when my lifestyle had effectively
pushed the pretty girl away from me.

"No thanks," I mumbled. It had
been three years since I'd had a girlfriend, and the last one was just a
passing bit of fun in college. Nothing had developed between me and the girls I
dated post-college other than a bit of hot, sweaty passion.

I took another long drink of my beer and
shook away the need to over-analyze the situation. We were both grown adults.
If I invited her down for a beer and we ended up making love, then it would be
consensual. Or maybe we could just talk the night away.

"Dangerous," I mumbled and
glanced up as the old bartender eyed me. "Talking to myself. Sorry."

"It's alright, son. We all do
it." He moved in front of me and wiped the bar-top down. "About a
woman, no doubt?"

"Yeah. I bumped into a pretty girl at
the airport today, literally, then she ended up being in the seat right next to
me on the flight."

His eyes widened a little. "Oh,
that's interesting."

"Then I saw her in the lobby here a
few hours ago. She's just so beautiful, but I'm not ready for another
relationship. Women are too damn complex and I don't have time to hand-hold
someone through my life." I shrugged, realizing how fucking cynical I was
becoming.

"Three times in one day?" His
eyebrow lifted. "Sounds like something is brewing in the background
whether you want it to or not."

"I'm thinking you're right." I
lifted my phone and glanced down at it. "Now I'm just trying to talk
myself out of calling her to come down here. Nothing good can come of it."

He chuckled. "You think far too much
for your own good. Call the girl. Nothing bad can come of it either. A little
bit of fun, or a drink and a good conversation does the soul good. When was the
last time you had either?"

"It's been a while." I put the
phone down and took another drink of the beer. "Do you have a food menu?
I'm starving."

"I do, but how about you invite your
new friend down here for a quick drink and ask her to dinner? No reason to eat
alone when it doesn't sound like you have to." He tapped the bar top, and
I nodded.

"Maybe you're right. A drink, dinner,
a conversation. It doesn't have to be anything more than that."

"Exactly. No wedding bells. Just the
dinner bell." The old man smiled and I couldn't help but chuckle at his
openness.

"Thanks." I dialed Viv's number,
not quite sure what I was going to say, but it was now or never.

"This is Vivian." The subtle
sexiness in her voice couldn't have been on purpose, and yet it shot an arrow
straight through me.

"Hey, Viv. It's Easton. We met on the
plane today." I held my breath, praying that she wouldn’t be a bitch about
making me explain who I was, as if our three chance encounters meant nothing to
her.

"Hi, Easton. What's up?"

"I was having a drink in the bar
downstairs, and I thought I would see if you were interested in joining me. My
meeting ended earlier than expected. I'm sure you have plans, but I wanted–”

"Sure. I'll be down in thirty minutes
or so. I just need to shower and change."

"Great. See you when you get
here." I dropped the call, sat the phone on the bar and drained my beer.
"I need another one of these."

The bartender took the empty bottle and
laughed. "Nervous?"

"For some ungodly reason, yes. This
girl is far beyond my paygrade." I brushed my fingers by my lips and tried
to ignore the images of her naked and soapy in the shower. It wouldn't take
much for me to be fully turned on by her, which wouldn't benefit anyone. I'd
have to hold myself to my two-beer limit. Any more than that and I'd be a
little more aggressive than she might appreciate.

"Those are the fun ones. Good luck
and have fun, kid." He handed me the beer and moved down to help someone
else.

I turned to watch the crowd and ignored
the stares I got from various women around the room. There was beauty
everywhere, but it was usually a facade for the angst underneath. Vivian didn't
strike me as a bitch, but hopefully I would figure that out tonight.

Best to know what I was getting myself
into before offering her a few more dates later that week. I rolled my eyes and
released a breath I didn't realize I was holding. An hour ago, I was discarding
the thought of calling her at all, and now, I was planning out the week with
her stuck right in the middle of it. Why did attraction turn the most logical
people into blubbering, wishy-washy idiots?

Why was it doing a serious number on me?

I glanced up a few minutes later as she
stopped at the door to the bar, her hair down and covering her shoulders, her
dress white and feminine as it hugged her thin waist and flared out over her
hips. Bright blue sandals and a little bit of jewelry and the woman was
stunning.

Lifting my hand, I caught her attention
and prepared myself for a battle that was soon to be fought deep inside of me.
My pulse had quickened, my heart contracting, my body aching.

"Hey. Glad you changed your
mind." She stopped beside me and gave me a shy smile.

"Me too. Come have a beer with
me." I patted the seat next to me and tried hard not to breathe in the
aroma of her perfume. It wouldn't help any of the insanity pumping through me.
What was it about her that drove me toward wanting her so badly?