Blissful Hook by Hannah Cowan

Chapter 10

One Year Ago

I slip my rounded sunglasses back over my eyes and lean against one of the many colourful lounge chairs spread out along the infinity pool. The sun is hot against my tanning oil lathered, pale skin, making the frozen drink in my hand more noticeable as it melts into more of a slushy.

Ava gave me a hard time about using such a hefty amount of tanning oil before I came down, considering how impossible it usually is for me to turn any colour other than red when it comes to lounging in the sun. Still, if there's one thing I was going to get from this trip, it was a freaking tan.

It is just after lunchtime and the resort is packed full of bikini-clad women and shirtless men. A sight I can't say isn't the least bit enjoyable.

Back in Vancouver, all there is to look at are guys in white tees with rolled sleeves and chinos, or fancy business suits that have short-legged pants to show off their ugly socks covered with pot leaves. I much prefer glistening washboard abs and brightly coloured swim trunks.

The five of us have been in Mexico for two days now which leaves me with only five days left to drink as many complimentary alcoholic beverages as possible and kiss as many random half-naked beach bums as it takes to forget about all of my petty problems back home.

It had been way too freaking hard to convince my new boss to let me take this week off, so I think I deserve not to worry about a damn thing for a few days.

When I first started working for Cleo at her small dance studio, I half expected to only be standing off to the side if she needed someone to cover for her or help the odd kid remember a missed step. I didn't expect her to throw all of the routines for our upcoming recitals onto me.

I wasn't new to the world of dance or to creating my own routines. I had been a dancer for all my life for Pete's sake. But I had never come up with a complete performance, top to bottom for someone else—let alone multiple little ones with overly involved parents ready who had their pitchforks ready in case f I embarrassed their children.

I guess I should have been looking at the situation in a more positive light: It would give me experience with something I had never done before, but the stress was already building up, and with my unwanted anxiety rearing its ugly head whenever possible, it seemed like more of a chore than a learning opportunity.

"You couldn't have worn a bathing suit with a bit more . . ." I hear Oakley mutter as he comes up on my left and sits in an empty chair. "Actual suit?"

Ava follows shortly after, a large sun hat flopping in her eyes and an adorable white one-piece with criss-crossed straps covering her lean body.

"Oh leave her alone, babe." She swats his arm and sits down on his lap. "I think she looks beautiful."

"And that's why you're my favourite." I shoot her a grin before wiping away the beads of sweat that have collected on my warm forehead. "What took you guys so long? I'm going to burn if I stay out here for much longer."

"You don't want to know," Oakley says smugly with a smirk on his lips, no doubt. I don't look to find out for sure.

I shake my head and wrinkle my nose as Ava snorts and shakes her head, but I can still see the blush on her cheeks. "I told you not to put so much oil on. Been there done that, Gray." she chuckles. She reaches into the large bag resting beside her chair and pulls out a pair of sunglasses and a bottle of sunscreen. She slides her sunglasses on and holds the sunscreen towards Oakley. "Heads up, babe."  

As my brother reaches forward to grab the bottle, a stray hand pushes him away and swipes the sunscreen from him.

"Thanks, Ava. I left mine upstairs," Tyler says teasingly, joining the group of us with a beautifully rare and relaxed grin.

Oakley scoffs and shoots his elbow back, hitting Tyler above the band of his swim trunks. A pained groan slips from his lips as I become way too easily distracted by the hand that's begun rubbing at the two deep lines leading to what hides beneath his trunks.

"Asshole," Tyler mutters and smacks the back of Oakley's head on his way to the empty chair beside mine. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

I immediately swap my gaze to the pool that is filling up with vacationers at a remarkably fast rate and chew on my lip, praying that nobody's paid attention to my horny gaze.

The legs of the chair squeak as Tyler flops down, his heavy ass nearly collapses the whole thing. I look carefully over from the corner of my eye and see him watching me, his head tilted, the ghost of a smirk tugging on his lips.

"You know, if I wasn't such a confident guy, your staring would have made me self-conscious."

The teasing whisper has my eyes bulging as I gulp air like a coma patient who just woke up for the first time in years.

"I wasn't staring," I say, my voice wavers, betraying me and it fails to sound as confident as I had hoped. He arches a brow and leans towards me, elbows resting on his knees, his fingers mere inches from my thigh. "No? Because I was."

I twist in my seat and stare, open-mouthed, and struggle to get my tongue to stop flip-flopping in my mouth.

"Pink is your colour," he murmurs. His eyes trail over my almost naked body, lighting my skin on fire as if he was the sun above us with each second. "I didn't know I have a colour. I thought I looked good in everything," I reply with a false sense of bravado. My heart thumps against my ribcage the second his eyes meet mine. His eyes stare on mine for a few seconds before his gaze lazily falls somewhere else. I empty my lungs and sneak a look at my brother and Ava. They stare at each other, completely locked in their own world. Neither of them are paying any attention to us, stuck in their own world.

"Are you searching for another compliment, Gray? Because I'm all out," he turns to face me again, his mouth set in a tight line. He spreads his legs wide, and the urge to get up and stand between them overwhelms me.

"I don't need one." I shrug. "There's already so many written across your face. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get out of this sun before I combust."

I stand confidently and immediately feel a rush of pride for not letting Tyler get the better of me like I usually do. Turning my back to him, I reach down and grab my beach bag, smirking when I hear the sharp intake of breath behind me. Sliding my bag to rest on my shoulder, I tighten my ponytail before turning back and raising my brow.

"You know, if I wasn't such a confident girl, your staring would have made me self-conscious," I tease and turn to walk away before he can reply.