Garrett’s Destiny by Anna Blakely

Chapter 5

Two days later…

From behind his dark lenses,Garrett glanced at the cabana-style lounges and other beach chairs lining the water’s edge. He told himself he wasn’t looking for Avery, but his subconscious knew he was full of shit.

Just admit it. You were hoping to see her again.

Hell yeah, he was. Especially after last night’s dream.

He’d survived the first two nights on the water, falling asleep to the ship’s rhythmic beat as it moved across the Northern Atlantic. The recurring nightmare plaguing him since his return from Syria had only woken him once these last two days.

A definite improvement from previous nights.

Even better was the dream Garrett had after falling back to sleep last night. One that included Avery.

He hadn’t seen her since their shared pizza and drinks to toast their departure. Yesterday, during their first full day at sea, Garrett had caught himself looking for her within the ship’s bustling crowd. Everywhere he and Colt went, he’d hoped to find her.

But he hadn’t.

Asking for her room number had crossed his mind more than once that first night. Especially after learning they lived in the same damn city. But he hadn’t wanted to come off as a pushy bastard, so he’d held back.

Now here he was, kicking himself for not growing a pair and asking.

Flashes of last night’s dream replayed through his mind as he continued walking the length of the beach.

It had started with a knock on his door. When he opened it, Avery was there. The beautiful brunette had come to his room. And she’d been wearing a black dress and fuck-me heels.

In the dream, he’d reached for her hand. The two hadn’t spoken a single word, communicating solely through touch.

His hands on her soft skin. Her lips pressing whispering kisses along his jaw and neck.

Even now, fully conscious and aware, Garrett could almost feel the way Avery’s body had fit perfectly with his. As if he were an unfinished puzzle, and she was his final piece.

It was by far, the best dream he’d ever had. And it had left him with a raging hard-on, and Avery’s sultry smile burned into his mind.

So here he was, searching the beach like a heartsick teenager desperate to find his first crush.

What is it about this woman?

Garrett wished he had the answer. All he knew was the connection he’d felt with her had been instant and fierce. That they lived mere miles from each other only added fuel to his need to see her again. He may not understand it, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to fight it.

Garrett scanned the tropical area again.

Sunset Cay, the private island owned by the Sunset Adventures cruise line, was the first of their ship’s two scheduled stops for the week.

In addition to the white sandy beach and incredible turquoise water, the tiny strip of land housed gift shops, jet ski and snorkel rentals, and a handful of two-story houses that passengers could rent for the day.

There was also a bar in the shape of a pirate ship at the top of the hill. Of course, Colt had taken off in its direction the second they’d stepped foot onto the beach.

Garrett, on the other hand, had immediately began his search of the crowd for the brown-haired beauty he couldn’t stop thinking about.

Five minutes later and still no luck. Maybe they’d missed each other in passing.

Or maybe she’d had enough of the crowds and decided to stay on the ship.

It didn’t take a genius to realize Avery was a bit of an introvert. Hell, she’d admitted as much when they’d had dinner together. But when they’d parted ways after the ship had set sail, she’d mentioned looking forward to having a day at the beach.

Maybe it’s for the best.

For once, the voice in his head—the fucker—was wrong.

After damn near getting his ass shot off, Garrett spent several days rethinking his life choices. Things he wanted. Things he didn’t.

And Avery Webb was something he most definitely wanted.

“Look who I found!” Colt’s raised voice filled his ears.

Turning his head, Garrett spotted his brother…and Avery…walking toward him. For the second time in as many days, Garrett couldn’t seem to catch his breath.

Holy Mother of…

Avery was wearing the same floppy hat she had on when they’d first met. The sundress, however, had been replaced with the most mouthwatering bikini he’d ever seen.

Or maybe it was the woman wearing it who had his eyes bugging out from behind his sunglasses.

The two-piece she had on was white with bright pink flowers. Keeping her most intimate parts hidden—damn his luck—the silky-smooth material molded perfectly to her luscious curves.

God, what he wouldn’t give to see what was underneath.

Laced together in the center and secured with a bow, the top’s triangular cups hugged a set of perky breasts exquisitely proportioned to her petite body.

Garrett’s fingers twitched at his sides as he imagined himself reaching up and pulling that bow loose. He envisioned her breasts spilling out, filling his palms while he—

“Hi.” She smiled up at him from beneath her tortoiseshell frames.

“Hey.”

Hey? That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?

“I was heading down here with our drinks when we ran into each other,” Colt explained. “Literally.”

Avery’s cheeks turned a deep shade of pink. “I may have been texting my sister and not paying attention to where I was walking.”

“Lucky for you, big brother”—Colt handed him a frozen drink in a yard party cup—“I have cat-like reflexes and was able to salvage these.”

“Lucky me.” Garrett studied the ridiculously tall beverage. “What’s the matter? Didn’t they have a bigger size?”

His brother rolled his eyes. “You’re hilarious.”

An adorable snorting sound escaped the back of Avery’s throat, making him smile. Christ, everything about this woman set him on fire.

At the risk of sounding like a psycho stalker, Garrett kept his tone aloof. “I didn’t see you around yesterday.”

“I spent a lot of time in my room. Not hiding out,” she quickly assured him. “I just got caught up in a book I’ve been wanting to read and couldn’t put it down. So I sat on my balcony most of the day.”

“Sounds nice.” He took a drink of the concoction Colt bought for him. It wasn’t as good as the ones on the ship, but it was okay. “You enjoying it here?”

“Oh, yeah.” She glanced out over the swimming area. “This place is incredible. I mean, I’ve seen water like this in pictures, but I always assumed the photographers photoshopped the color to make it look bluer and more vibrant. I had no idea it would really look this way in person.”

Her awe-struck tone made him smile. “You been in yet?”

“Figured I should get some water since it’s so hot out.”

He nodded. “Staying hydrated is important on days like today.”

Garrett wanted to roll his own eyes at that one. Jesus, he really needed to step up his game.

Colt’s low cough and hidden smirk emphasized that very point. “I’m, uh…gonna go find a chair to relax in. Or maybe I’ll check out the jet skis.” He tipped his ball cap as he walked off. “Nice to see you again, Avery.”

“You, too.”

Subtle, little brother. Really fucking subtle.

“So, what are you—”

“Would you like to—”

Garrett and Avery laughed as they began speaking at the same time. With a smile, he motioned for her to continue. “Ladies first.”

“No, you go.”

“I was just going to ask if you wanted to go for a swim.”

“Oh, uh…” She bit her bottom lip and glanced out at the water. “Sure.”

Doing his damnedest not to think about how badly he wanted to bite that lip, Garrett grinned. “Great. I’ll find a chair to set my towel and shoes on, and then we can—”

“You can put them on mine.”

“Okay, then. Lead the way.”

It turned out to be one of the best requests Garrett had ever uttered.

With Avery walking in front of him, he had the perfect opportunity to appreciate all of her other…assets.

Christ Almighty.

Thicker at the bottom, her heart-shaped ass tapered upward into a small, svelte waistline. She was petite, but not too thin. Which was perfect, since Garrett preferred women with a little meat on their bones.

From what he could see, Avery’s body was soft in all the right places.

Just like in my dream.

His cock jerked and swelled inside his shorts. Remembering the crowd around them, Garrett inconspicuously positioned the tall plastic cup in front of his crotch.

As he continued following Avery to her chair, he prayed the boxer briefs beneath his trunks were tight enough to keep his raging hard-on at bay. Yes, he was physically attracted to the enchanting woman. But what he felt went much deeper than that.

It made no sense. Like, at all. He barely knew anything about her. But rational or not, the connection he felt with this woman was real.

“This is me.”

Avery set her half-empty bottle of water onto the towel folded neatly on the lounger. Removing her hat, small purse, and sunglasses, she placed the purse with the other items, laying the hat over all to help keep it hidden.

“You can set your stuff wherever.”

After taking a big gulp of the watered-down drink, Garrett set the cup in the sand next to the chair. Dropping his towel next to Avery’s, he removed the black slides off his feet, nudging them under the chair. Next came his ballcap and sunglasses.

Grabbing the hem of his shirt, Garrett pulled the t-shirt up over his head, tossing it with the rest of his things. Avery sucked in a sharp breath.

“Oh my gosh!” Her wide eyes zeroed in on his chest. “What did you do?”

Fuck. He’d been so focused on her fine ass and luscious curves, he’d forgotten all about his bruise.

Quick on his feet, he didn’t skip a beat when he rolled out the first excuse that came to his mind.

“I’m on our company’s softball team. Took a line drive to the chest at our last game.”

“Ouch.” Her face scrunched together in an adorable-as-fuck way.

“Yeah.” He laughed it off. “Hurt like a bitch, but it looks worse now than it feels.”

“That’s good, at least.”

She bought it!

“Yeah,” he agreed. Removing his glasses, Garrett bent over to tuck them under his towel. “You ready?” He stood and turned around in time to see her eyes flying back up to his.

“Yep.” Avery spun on her bare heels, facing the water while she waited.

Her stiffened spine and tight voice sent Garrett’s lips curving upward. She’d been checking out his ass, and from the tension in her body, he was confident she liked what she saw.

I’d be happy to show you the rest.

Garrett stepped closer to her. So close he could feel her body’s heat. Avery’s breathing picked up, and the pulse point on her neck thumped harder than before.

At first, he thought maybe he was scaring her. Needing to be sure, he lifted his eyes for a glimpse at her beautiful face.

Her lips were parted slightly. Her soft cheeks flushed. And when he glanced down at the pointed peaks of her hidden breasts, he knew she felt it, too.

“Garrett…” His name escaped with a low rasp.

Leaning inward, he was about to kiss the side of her neck when he remembered where they were.

Not wanting to embarrass or make Avery feel uncomfortable in any way, Garrett forced his raging need for this woman down and repositioned the angle of his head.

Letting his lips whisper across her ear, he told her, “Last one in’s a rotten egg.”

Then he smiled and ran toward the water.

“Wha…hey!” Avery took off after him. “That’s cheating!”

Reaching the water before her, he stopped when he was ankle deep. Jesus, that’s cold. With the slow, lazy waves caressing his feet, he turned and waited as Avery closed the distance between them.

Garrett’s cock twitched again when he saw her breasts bouncing with every step. If she wasn’t careful, she’d fall right out of the skimpy top.

If they were alone, he’d be all for it. But the idea of all these other people seeing his woman’s breasts made him want to grab the nearest towel and wrap her up like a fucking burrito.

She’s not yours, dickhead. Not even close.

No, Avery wasn’t his. Not yet. He still had a few more days to change that.

Garrett was standing there, thinking of all the ways he could achieve that goal when Avery ran straight past him in a blur.

“I win!” She wore a smug smile, splashing him as she moved deeper into the swimming area.

The cold water left his breath hitching. “No way. I got here first!”

Avery kept running. “You said last one in.”

“I am in!” He hollered after her.

“Feet don’t count!”

Since when?

Garrett opened his mouth to ask the question, but he was too late. As if it were nothing, Avery had braved the frigid water, diving head-first beneath its clear blue surface.

“I’ll be damned.”

Not wanting to come off as a pussy, he did the same. Then he came back up, shivering and sucking in air.

“Holy shit!” He rubbed a hand down his face. “I wasn’t expecting the water to be so cold.”

With her long, wet hair cemented to her head, Avery laughed as she rubbed her arms and bobbed up and down. “It is a bit chilly.”

“You think?” He frowned. “And since when do feet not count?”

“Since always.” Her expression became serious. “For you to be the first one in, your entire body must be completely submerged before the other person’s.”

For a second, Garrett wasn’t sure how to respond. Then he saw her lips twitch and realized she’d pulled one over on him.

“You tricked me into going under.”

“Yep.” She didn’t look the least bit sorry.

Then it hit him. “You’ve already been in the water today, haven’t you?”

“Maybe.” She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling.

“So you’re the cheater!” With a playful swipe at the water, Garrett splashed her.

Avery screamed and turned her head, her arm flailing in a blind attempt to get him back.

After a few lucky shots, he decided to take things a bit further. Diving under the water, Garrett reached out and wrapped his arm around her center.

He could hear Avery’s high-pitched scream as he lifted her in the air and tossed her a few feet away. She landed with a giant splash.

Garrett laughed, but when Avery came back up, she was coughing and struggling to breathe.

“Oh, shit.” Garrett swam over to her. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to—”

He got a face full of salt water.

“Two can play at that game.” An arched brow topped off her defiant expression. “It’s game on.”

Avery splashed him again. Wiping his face, Garrett watched her swim gracefully away.

Oh, it’s definitely game on, sweetheart.

And this was one game he intended to win.