Page 70 of Simmer Down
ME:I’ll meet them next time, promise.
I take a deep breath, thankful that I don’t have to look her in the face when I tell her the next part.
ME:The manager here comped me a room tonight as a thank-you for serving dinner last-minute, so I’m going to stay here and drive home in the morning, okay?
MOM:Sounds fine. Have fun, love you
I text “love you” just as Callum walks back out. He takes me by the hand. Warmth coats every inch of my skin. It’s like I’m standing outside, eyes closed, face turned up to the sky, soaking up endless rays of sunlight.
Hand in hand, he leads us through the back entrance to the ocean-facing bungalows. A gust of salty sea air washes over me. Closing my eyes, I breathe it all in. This time, I enjoy the slight burn of the salt in my nostrils, how it glides down my throat and to my lungs. The guilt disappears, and I’m smiling once again.
•••
“What the... Whoa.”
My eyes scan the room, like I’m the Terminator trying to slowly process all the images around me. This bungalow is the single most luxurious space I’ve ever set foot in. Honey-hued bamboo floors and furniture set give off an elegant yet tropical feel. I walk over to the sliding glass door, which takes up nearly the entire opposite wall of the room. When I pull it open, the crash of waves echoes softly through the room. The deep blue ocean rests against the indigo-hued evening sky, making this a tranquil nighttime scene. But it’s the plush king-size bed calling my name. I fall into the center of the impossibly soft sheets, burying my face in the softness and moaning.
The soft buzz of Callum’s phone hits my ears. “Speaking of ‘whoa.’” I twist around to gaze up at him. He holds his phone up. “Ted just offered us a job.”
I sit up in the bed. “He what?”
Callum stares at his phone screen, his eyes sparkling as he grins. “He asked if we’d be interested in cooking dinner one night a week at the resort together.”
Callum glances up, his wide smile the most joyful I’ve ever seen it.
“Um, hell yes!”
I jump up and down on the bed while Callum looks on, chuckling. “Before you break what is most certainly a several-thousand-dollar bed, do you want to see the hot tub?”
I jump off the bed and onto the floor. “There’s a hot tub?”
Callum points to the balcony, and I dart through the open sliding glass door.
“Holy hell, there’s a hot tub!” I gaze up at him, smiling through my dropped-jaw shock. “This is... Oh my God! Okay, screw the bed, I’m taking a dip in there right now.”
Shedding all my clothes, I step into the tub, which is thankfully secluded from all of the surrounding rooms by the line of palm trees crowding this end of the balcony. I hold Callum’s gaze as I grip the sides and slowly lower myself in. I hum at the shock of hot water hitting my bare skin, how it instantly soothes my sore muscles.
For a tiny second my mind slips, and I wonder if Callum has ever shared a hotel room like this with anyone else before, but I push it away. That’s not relevant to us or to this moment. I need to enjoy this for what it is: a sexy night with a sexy friend.
Callum turns back to his phone. “I’ve relayed our acceptance to Ted.”
He glances up, his eyes snagging on my bare chest. A second later, his stare glazes over. I give myself an imaginary pat on the back for how well I’ve captured his attention.
When I’m all the way in, I tilt my head at him, giving my besttaunting stare. “You’re not just going to stand there and gawk, are you?”
Seconds later, his jeans, T-shirt, and boxer briefs are in a heap on the deck and he’s slowly lowering himself into the hot tub. I relish the slow movement the water forces him to take, because it allows me to gaze at his naked body longer. He lets out a groan as he settles across from me.
Bracing my hands along the edge, I lean my head back and sigh. “Your friend Ted is my new favorite human being.”
A splash hits my ears, then his hands land on my body. I glance up just as Callum settles me onto his lap. I bite my lip, positively giddy at the opportunity to straddle him naked. I moan at the feel of our hot bodies against each other, our slick skin making the movement impossibly smooth. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I press my forehead against his.
I close my eyes. “If someone told me the day we met that we’d eventually share a hot tub together, I would have laughed in their face.” Opening my eyes, I lean back to get a proper look at Callum. “I thought you hated me.”
He flinches. “Nikki, you know I—”
I rub the back of his neck with my hand. He closes his eyes and moans.
“It’s okay. We’re good now.”
