Page 25 of Holiday Home 5

“Yep.”

“Then I can’t wait until I find somewhere secluded for you and me to fuck,” Liam promised.

The beautiful redhead bit her lip and nodded. “Same. Mine better be a little longer, though. As a way of apology.”

“It’s a deal,” he said, extending a hand.

Looking at it, then chuckling, she shook it.

Chapter Thirteen

The Classic

At around the time room service came knocking on the bure’s front door, Victoria had also just turned on the deck’s lights. It was a preemptive measure for the impending shift from twilight into early night. Some light cloud coverage, low and distant, had finally connected with the base of the falling sun. Muddled beams of golden-orange light poured through them, doing their best to resist the tug of night. In another thirty or forty minutes, they could finally see their first Fijian sunset.

After accepting their food and drinks—not all of which was alcoholic, as Avril had apparently been talked into checking out a supposedly legendary mango smoothie by another of the resort’s guests—at the door, they all helped carry them backto the towels on the deck. Naturally, Avril took up the task of transporting the undoubtedly expensive champagne and red wine she’d selected. Both buried in ice buckets, they’d become the centerpieces at the center of their circle.

All in all, they ended up with an array of five plump glasses of mango smoothies because, of course, Avril had ordered one for everyone, five tall champagne flutes, and five rotund wine glasses. Between them and the delicious-looking meals sitting on the towels, it was undoubtedly quite a spread.

So, naturally, everyone tried a little bit of everything. Their gourmet room service turned into a bit of a potluck, with bowls passed around, plates slid over, and bodies leaning to dip a spoon or fork into their neighbor’s meal. The soup that Tess and Avril had opted for turned out to be fantastic, and Liam figured it’d probably show up again in front of at least one person at tomorrow’s lunch or dinner. His cassoulet proved to be slightly rich for his tastes, but most of the others gave it high marks. And the touted smoothies proved to be as sweet and creamy as promised. Good, but he and the group sipped rather than chugged.

Having minimal experience with wine or champagne but aware that Avril could probably have ordered some ridiculous cocktails at the restaurant, he gave them both a shot. After Avril showed off her “skills” and popped the cap, the distinct hiss following, she made sure no one was without a bubbly flute of crystalline champagne.

“Everyone, everyone,” she said, raising her glass.

Her captive audience—more literally than figuratively, as she owned the jet—pinched the stems of their glasses, raised them, and brought them together in a jovial toast. Soft clinks filled the air, tittering about. Liam took a mildly brief sip, experiencing an acidic note along the journey. And… not liking it all that much. He knew Avril would never have gone for anythingbut what she considered the best and, therefore, likely one of the most expensive options, so he tried to hide his distaste by keeping the glass to his lips until one or two others had finished their first drink. But he didn’t come back to the champagne.

Contrarily, he found the red wine far smoother and easier to enjoy. It was a Pinot Noir, whichwasa brand he recognized: his mother had a couple of bottles of theirs at home. Avril informed him and Tess—okay, so really just Tess—of the details that the other three women had received at the resort. It was from 2014, had all sorts of accolades, and ought to be worth every penny.

At the very least, it tasted far, far better than the champagne, at least to Liam. More floral, easier to imbibe, it was ripe and fruity on the way down his throat, with spices he couldn’t fully identify mixed in. It was good enough for him to expect to finish a glass over the course of the night. Between it and the smoothie, he was good.

That would tie him at the bottom of the list with Anna. Avril, Tess, and Victoria would all indulge a fair bit more. Of course, he and Anna probably both knew what they were: lightweights. And at leasthewas far from being a connoisseur. He could only guess how often Anna had sampled champagne, wine, and so on at lavish parties. Or how oftenAvrilconvinced her to drink with her at their apartment.

Around when they’d finished off the spread of gourmet food, the event they’d been waiting for arrived. In near-perfect unison, eyes shifted toward the sunset. Finally touching the horizon, dipping its toe into the ocean like a swimmer checking the water’s warmth, the sun cast the very edge of the world in a dazzling but soft gold and orange. It hovered there, reticent to dip itself fully in, but ultimately without a choice.

Throughout the next few minutes, it continued its gradual descent. With it, like a hand reaching out to grab a tablecloth, it slowly tugged the golden hues along with it. As those colorsreceded above them, grays, blues, and even some purples slipped into place. Lower and lower, until finally, the sun would hide itself from them. Its light remained for a while longer, yet the richness of gold on the horizon would slowly fade. Eventually, barely more than a receding sherbert would remain on the horizon, and that too would eventually cede to the shadows of the night—and a dazzling cast of starlight unlike any that Liam had ever seen.

But that was yet to come. For now, after spending a handful of minutes in near total silence, with only the gentle murmur of a calm ocean audible on this secluded beach, they had a game to play. The stargazing would come later.

“Ready for some cards?” Avril asked, voice quieter than usual. It was as if she didn’t want to jolt them out of their trances but slowly help their consciousnesses flow back to the forefront.

Over the next few seconds, the attention cast out to sea drew itself back to the gawkers on the deck. That attention ebbed toward Avril, who quickly held up a deck of cards. It’d been sitting on a towel for a while, waiting for its moment. Much like Avril had.

“What do you want to play?” Tess asked, and Liam knew she was also now remembering the “price” they’d paid for Avril’s earlier aid.

“A classic,” Avril said, then shook her head. “No,theclassic. Here we are, on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, all looking our best.” Like the sunset in reverse, Avril’s smile slowly grew. She didn’t waste any more time on the preamble. “So, lad and ladies, I want to play strip poker.”

“Of course you do,” Victoria remarked.

Nearby, Anna sighed.

Yet, Liam recognized whatdidn’thappen. No one rushed to say no. Flat remarks and sighs, while neighbors on the same block, didn’t live in the same house as immediate denial. Liamglanced toward Tess, wondering how she’d go about “helping” Avril get what she wanted. And whatshemight also want, potentially.

“If not now, then when?” Avril said. “If Fiji isn’t the place to set aside inhibitions, then where? When? Isn’t this the right time to experience something new? Something exciting? I’m mostly referring to you two, Liam, Anna, because I’m sure Tess and Victoria haven’t gone theirentirelives without playing this classic game.”

Neither woman said anything. Neither woman refuted anything.

“If not now, then when?” the redheaded mastermind repeated. “If it’s no fun, I won’t bring it up again. Any future card games, here or later, can be as chaste as a mom’s idea of her teenage daughter.”

---