Page 60 of Places I've Never Been

Brandon hit Flynn in the arm. “You drive.”

“See you all later.” LT saluted them with a half wave and took off walking toward the Big House.

“Have agoodtime,” Flynn said with a wide grin.

“Dude, you look creepy when you do that,” Brandon said.

“Whatever. At least somebody’s getting laid. Let’s go.”

The two of them hopped into the cart on the right.

Flynn waved at them. “Later.”

Adam gestured to the one on the left. “I’ll drop you off.”

Flynn drove in front of them like a drunk at a NASCAR rally until he reached the turnoff for Brandon’s villa. They shouted something rude that he hoped Mattie didn’t understand and followed the cutoff to the right.

Adam kept going, grateful for the sudden absence of anyone who could say anything incriminating.

He pulled up outside of Mattie’s villa and stopped. He wanted to kiss her again. Did he see desire in her eyes, or was it something else. “See you for dinner?”

“Sure.” Mattie seemed on the verge of saying something, then appeared to think better of it. She gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head and got out. “I had a…it was a nice day.”

“Very.”

She hesitated, then gave him a little wave. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Anytime.” He waited until she disappeared through the living room into the bedroom, then went on to his own place.

He took a long shower and lost himself in a replay of their kiss in vivid detail. He could still smell the scent of her coconut sunscreen mixed with fresh sea breezes, and the taste of her, honey and spice and intoxication, still lingered on his tongue.

That one kiss opened a floodgate of desire that he absolutely could not show her. Not yet. He had to keep it together.The way she’d looked at him after Tina had outed them had been full of promise but hidden by embarrassment and something else. He refused to believe it was regret.

The whole situation left him frustrated. He wanted to sweep her off her feet and tell her how fascinating and beautiful she was, but he didn’t want her to reject him again. It was a freaking tightrope he was walking between showing his interest but not overwhelming her, and if it went on much longer, he was going to lose his mind.

He spent so long fantasizing about what might have happened after the kiss that he had to take another shower. This time, it was ice cold.

“Get a grip, man.” He shook his head at his reflection in the mirror and finished getting ready for dinner.

When he stepped out of his bedroom into the living room, he found the band—minus Cooper—lounging in his living room with beers in their hands and smug grins on their faces.

He narrowed his eyes at LT. “I thought you were riding horses with what’s-her-name.”

“Nah.” LT looked proud of himself. “I was just getting out of the way so you two could have alone time in the buggy.”

Flynn leapt up and held a hand out for Adam to slap. “Dude, well played! We thought it got messed up when Tina pulled her little stunt, but Cooper told us lip-lock was achieved.”

LT clapped his hands together in slow applause. “It’s not a roll in the hammock, but it’s a start.”

Brandon put his beer down and high-fived Flynn. “We are masters oflooove.”

“How was it?” LT asked.

“Yeah, sweet and sassy, or hot and dirty?” Flynn wiggled his eyebrows. “I bet it was dirty. I mean, Tina said you were rolling in the sand.”

Adam held up both hands in surrender at the onslaught. “We werenotrolling in the sand.”

Brandon and Flynn peered at him with suspicion.

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