Never in a million years would I have thought he’d put together something like he had last night. It wasn’t really him making dinner reservations that I was thinking about. Anyone could do that, but the thinking ahead to order the wine I liked and remembering the water and ice in a separate container and the effort he’d put into perfecting the pitch. The lengths he’d gone through to prove he could get it right and the hours that must’ve gone into getting it to where he had it now.
I sighed, absently listening to the girls babbling around me as I drank in his form from behind. He’d let go of Colt, but both of them, along with Reese, Marley, and Josh, were leading the charge to the beach. They cut five powerful, tall silhouettes in the front, but what was interesting was that they walked shoulder to shoulder, a united front to seemingly everything in life.
I envy him for that, for having friends like them.It made me realize that I was sorely lacking in that department and I resolved to do better from now on.
For now, though, I had him—in a way—and it felt good. He looked good, too. So good that it made it difficult for me to keep seeing him only as a client and maybe a friend.
His rich auburn hair had a glow to it under the light from the street and the moon. Broad shoulders and torso accentuated by the fitted T-shirt he had on, it took everything in me not to follow the natural curvature of his body down to stare at his tight ass.
Shaking my head at myself, I sneaked a few glances and laughed when Agatha caught me and called me out on it. “Well, at least we know the spark is definitely there. I don’t blame you, girl. Have you seen Josh’s ass in those trunks? I love low-hanging swim pants. They’re a designer’s gift to women everywhere.”
“Absolutely,” I agreed, feeling the statement even more once we reached the beach and I saw how insanely sexy he was when illuminated by the flickering flames of the bonfire. He kind of looked like he belonged here, on a Hawaiian beach, wearing swimming attire at night while drinking and dancing around a fire.
Almost as soon as the female luau performers started, one of them approached him and used the lei she placed around his neck to coax him out of the crowd. “You move well. Come learn some of our dances from the boys.”
He winked at me, then nodded at her and paused only long enough to pull off his shirt. The male dancers handed over a skirt for him to put on, and he joined the line-up of hot dudes entertaining the rest of us.
It wasn’t long before Colt and Marley joined them too, but I hardly even noticed any of them. My gaze was glued to Parker, my mind conflicted about what was sexier—the way he was dancing or how it looked like he was having the time of his life doing it.
His gaze suddenly landed on mine as his hips rolled and his muscles flexed. I decided it was definitely the dancing. Reaching up to fan myself playfully, I laughed when he shook his ass and did a ridiculous dance all the way over to me.
“It looks like you’re getting pretty hot over here,” he teased. “Or is it just because you think I’m hot? Admit it, Bella. It’s me. I’m hot in a grass skirt, aren’t I? The color makes my eyes pop.”
I laughed again, feeling lighter than I had since Italy and more turned on, too. “You know what? I’ll admit it. You are hot in that grass, but not as hot as I’m about to be.”
I had no idea what possessed me to say it, only that it really did look like he was having the time of his life and I wanted in on the fun. More than that, I wanted in on the memories. Tired of being the uptight girl in the corner who was always just watching life happen to other people while I kept my head down, I pushed up off the log I’d been sitting on.
Parker’s eyes widened, and he whooped and grabbed my hand with a huge grin spreading on his face. “Yes! Let’s see your moves. Any chance I can convince you to wear coconuts and only coconuts over your boobs?”
“No one is wearing coconuts over their boobs,” I pointed out. “So that’s a hard no from me. You’re going to have to be happy with the skirt.”
“Baby, I’d be happy even without the skirt,” he sang jokingly. Although, considering who he was, he probably wasn’t joking. I knew that last thought had been right when his eyes lit up as he glanced down at me. “Actually, I’d definitely be happier without the skirt. And everything else. And in our room. Alone. Where you’d be dancing for my eyes only.”
“You wish.” I rolled my eyes, but even more laughter bubbled out of me as the music and the joy in the atmosphere around the fire seeped into me.
“I do wish. I wish so, so hard.” He waggled his brows at me, then tapped the female performer who’d lured him out on the shoulder. “My fiancée is jealous that I’m getting to learn all the moves. Do you think you can show her a thing or two?”
“Yes,” the girl exclaimed, immediately motioning for one of the other performers to bring me a skirt.
Leaning into my lighthearted mood, I took a leaf out of Parker’s playbook and winked at him, smirking as I took the skirt in my hands. “Prepare for the tables to be turned. After I learn these dances, you’re going to be so hot, you’ll have to jump into the fire to cool down.”
“Bring it,” he said, the light in his eyes dancing when I stepped into the skirt to take him up on the challenge. “I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do that’s going to make me need a bonfire to cool down.”
In response, I took a deep breath and pulled my sundress off over my head, looking him right in the eyes as I shoved it at his chest. “Hold on to that for me, would you? Just remember to pass it to someone else before you even think about going into the fire.”