Page 2 of Room Twenty-Three: Tangled & Teased

“Come to Ibiza. It’s guaranteed that you’ll get laid,” Lia says, wiggling her eyebrows.

“I want something more meaningful than sex on the beach. Anyway, I can’t afford it.”

“You work for your father, you’re okay,” Lia says, nudging me with her elbow.

“You’ve surprised me,” I say. “After what happened...”

Lia looks ahead at the waves, a moment of contemplation crosses her face. “It’s because of what happened to me. Life is too short. I haven’t told many people, but I thought I was going to die that night.”

“I get it. It makes you appreciate things more.” I take her hand. “I wish I could travel with you, but I can’t.”

Her chest rises when she inhales a deep breath. “Okay, but that means we have to make tonight count. This might be our last night together for a very long time.”

I sigh as I soak it all in. She’s right. We need to make the most of tonight. Just a few more hours of singing and dancing on the candlelit sand.

And it’s hours later when Lydia comes staggering back for the third time, with a tray of cocktails to devour. Tentatively, she places the tray on the small table.

“That one is yours.” She points to the glass with the peach-colored liquid, a red cherry and a piece of mint sitting on the top.

I smile before I take a sip. It has enough alcohol to send me to sleep, not dance. “Thanks.”

“I’m talking to a guy over there,” Lydia says, taking her lipstick from her purse, before swiping a layer of pink color over her lips. She rubs her lips together and smiles. “He’s quite the catch.”

I gasp and hold my hand over my chest. “I’ve come all the way from England, and you’re going to dump me for sex with a stranger?”

“Only if he has an enormous cock,” she replies and winks. “He might have a friend for you, or maybe more than one friend.”

“More than one,” I parrot.

Lydia chuckles. “Just making sure there is at least one for you.”

“What if I can’t choose one?” I waggle my eyebrows. As if that would ever happen. I can never find one man, never mind two... or three.

“Then don’t choose.” Lydia picks up her drink and leans closer. “I had this fling with Daniel, my roommate at university. His friend, Ryder, always came to our place to play a stupid computer game. Well, one day, I was laughing as I watched them curse and berate each other...” She hesitates and looks around and whispers, “Until they looked at each other and smiled. Then the two of them turned to look at me, and...” She nods her head.

Keep talking!

“What happened?” I whisper-yell.

“It wasn’t long before the three of us were joined,” Lydia laughs, picks up her drink and strolls away as I stare at her back and then turn to Lia.

“OMG, did she just say what she did?”

Lia laughs. “As long as everyone consents.”

“I might go with her.”

“Go for it.” Lia holds her hand up. “But don’t go hunting for a man for me. I’m not interested.”

“Are you secretly in love with one of those guys in England?” I whisper into her ear.

“No way they’re all gorgeous, but they’re also in their late thirties.”

“Oh, I like an older man,” I say wistfully. Not that I’ve had an older man, but I do like the thought of having a man with experience to show me the way.

Just talking about older men has my body shivering with nervousness but hopefulness. I’ve had a thing for older men since my father employed Adrian O’Connor. But then he really is older, forty-five years old, and a true silver-fox. Pity he’s married and totally in love with his wife.

Which means my love will always remain unrequited.

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