“See?” I shout. “This is what I’m missing out on!” I laugh because she’s ridiculous, but at the same time, it’s funny to hear.
“The moral is: talking and screwing at the same time is totally normal.”
“Good to know,” I tell her.
As it turns out, no one showed up to take Lincoln’s class, which means he will probably continue sitting on the ledge of the pool across from me for the next ninety minutes the class is scheduled for. He keeps doing this thing where he traces the tip of his tongue along his bottom lip. Therefore, I’ve spent most of the last thirty minutes staring at his lips from a distance. That kiss earlier made me feel like there was a massive display of fireworks erupting in my stomach. Screw the butterflies, I’m going for the fireworks again.
Grace and Macy are ordering food so I take the moment to wade across the pool. “No one showed up for your class?”
“No one likes me, I guess,” he says, forcing a pout to his plump lips.
“I like you,” I tell him, “But, not enough to learn how to scuba dive.”
“I can teach you something else,” he utters.
“What’s that?”
“I don’t know. I was trying to sound sexy, but had nothing to follow my line up with,” he says, covering his hand over his face.
“I’d opt in for learning how to kiss the way you kissed me earlier. Do you have a class for that?”
“No, but I can put a word in with the hotel manager. They’re always looking for new activities to offer the hotel guests.”
We both laugh, but the heat … it’s almost too much to bear.
“So, just for peace of mind, will you be in your room later tonight if I happen to get lost again?” I can’t believe I just asked him that. I just forfeited our challenge.
“Yeah, but, I got to be honest, I know what hotel room you’re in now, and I’m not sure I can sleep on a chair a second night in a row.”
“Who said anything about sleeping?” I ask.
Lincoln bites down on his lip. “You’re making me think dirty thoughts, Alexa, and I’m usually pretty good with self-control. You’re pushing buttons I didn’t know I had.”
I press my fingertips to his waxed, bare chest and run my fingernails across the width. “Well, maybe I’ll see you later,” I tell him, trying to regain some of the power I had earlier.
“No, no, no, no, you can’t—you can’t just,” he tries to argue.
I turn around, walking backward in the pool. “I can’t what?”
Lincoln pulls his legs out of the pool and stands up. “I have to show you something. Come with me.”
He isn’t asking. He’s demanding, and I’m following him.
10
I have been following Lincoln for the last five minutes around small sections of the hotel that aren’t attached to the main building. He brings me to a botanical garden area I didn’t know was on the property. He’s taken my hand and we’re walking fast, down a set of worn wooden steps.
“This is beautiful,” I tell him, feeling breathless.
Lincoln doesn’t respond. When we reach the bottom step, we take a sharp left and I see an exquisite waterfall, gushing over pebbles. “This is a hidden gem,” he says.
My heart is pounding. I know why he brought me down here.
“Are you okay with getting a little wet?” he asks.
Now, I’m the one biting my lip. I shake my head, telling him I’m not afraid. Before I have a second to rethink what he might have truly meant, we’re walking through the cascading water, and I’m spun around until my back is against the rock. Lincoln has his hard body flush against mine and his hands cup my cheeks. Though the water is no longer falling on us, I’m still having trouble catching my breath before his lips crash against mine. This kiss is different from the last two. This kiss has purpose and meaning. It’s like he’s trying to get it out of his system now before the chance is gone. His tongue touches mine and he tastes like mint.
A groan seeps through my mouth, unintentional, but unavoidable. When our lips part, I lean my head back against the rock. “I really really freakin’ like you, Lincoln. This isn’t fair. There’s a country between us and tomorrow is my last day here.”