Page 52 of The All-Inclusive

The holy gospel, as far as my parents are concerned.

But I didn’t feel like fighting her from afar. Not while I’m here in the land of soft, sloshy waves and white sand and shame-free sex. Instead, I pretended to get another call. “I need to take this, okay? Give my love to Dad.”

Now, as I struggle to focus on this call with my friends, I try not to think of my parents. “When are you back on the island, Camille?”

“Late next week,” she says. “It’s a bummer to miss you, but Iset up my Portland appointments to coincide with your wedding. I couldn’t cancel at the last minute.”

“I totally get it.” Cancelling’s not easy. Just ask all the wedding vendors I’m still haggling with. At least Trent’s holding up his end of the bargain by paying for all of it. “I still don’t know where this is going.”

“What do you mean?” Eve asks.

I shrug and look out at the pool. Two women stand in the shallow end kissing while a man massages the shoulders of one of them. I’m not even sure who’s a guest and who’s a consort, but I’m wildly curious about everyone’s sex life these days. Even the waiter who walks by with nachos and a gleam in his eye leaves me wondering if he recently got laid.

“Obviously, I’m sleeping with Trent.” I find myself smiling, replaying our soapy adventure in the shower this morning. “And I’m having sex with Logan today.”

“No way!” Camille hoots with astonished delight. “Oh, he’s a sweetheart. And I hear he’s very talented.”

“Can confirm.” Eve laughs, brushing her hair off her face. “He’s who I did the DVP enchantment with.”

“That’s right, I forgot.” I knew she slept with Logan, but I couldn’t recall which enchantment it was. “I already know he’s good at the oral thing, and our chemistry just felt right, you know?”

Look at me, talking about chemistry like a woman of the world. It was only four weeks ago that I sat through a lecture from my mom about “performing your wifely duty” on the honeymoon.

“Chemistry’s important,” Eve says. “Especially when you’re adding a third to the bedroom.”

“Or fourth,” Camille adds with a smile. “Trent’s okay with it?” She winces and I watch her replay her words. “Scratch that, honey. Please strike that from the record.”

I must’ve missed something. “What do you mean?”

“I mean this trip is aboutyou, Sar. Trent shouldn’t be the one calling the shots or approving of anything. I was just wondering where he fits into all this.”

I’m wondering the same thing, honestly. “He wants to watch.” I nibble my lip, eager for it to be four o’clock already. “I want that, too. And I’m dying to know what another dick feels like inside me.”

Two women on a sunbed glance over from the other side of the pool. One of them smiles and my rush of embarrassment turns to something that feels more like pride.

Here at the Jilted Brides Honeymoon Club, I’m one ofthem. Not Sara the virgin, but Sara the vixen. Sara the sexually adventurous.

Sara the bride who isn’t sure anymore whether she’ll marry her groom.

“Sweetie?” Eve’s brow furrows. “Is everything okay?”

“You got kinda quiet just then.” Camille leans close to the screen like she’s peering inside my brain. “Are you feeling unsettled about where things stand with you and Trent?”

“Kinda.” I hate to admit it, but yeah. “I love being free and untethered while I’m here. I’m embracing the sexual Sara. Trent and I agree there’s no point returning to the real world before we have to, so we decided not to discuss it for a bit.”

Eve and Camille trade a look. It doesn’t appear they agree with me.

“What?” My gaze swings between them. “Is that bad?”

“Not bad,” Camille says carefully. “That’s a judgment word, and judgement has no place in the bedroom.”

“Especially at Crystal Bliss,” Eve adds quickly.

“But?” I prompt, watching Camille as she chooses her words with care. “What are you worried about?”

“Just be careful,” she says. “Communicate with each other as clearly as you can. The last thing you want is each of you operating with different goals.”

I hadn’t considered it that way. “I don’t really know if we’re on the same page. I still want to get married and have kids someday. That part hasn’t changed, and I don’t think it ever will.”

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