“Yeah, with my friends. We just got here today.” The margarita goes down way too easy. “What about you?”
“I work here, and at some other resorts down the beach.”
“Oh, like a handyman?”
“Something like that.” He grins while looking me up and down. I’m glad I wore my lowest-cut sundress, especially when his eyes land on my cleavage and stay there. A tingle runs up my spine when he smiles slightly.
I reach out to touch his arm but then forget what I was going to ask him. Guess it wasn’t that important. I need water. Dancing overheated me and I must be dehydrated, because I suddenly don’t feel very well.
“Hey, you okay?” Jake leans in, looking me in the eye. Does he know how blurry his face is? “You don’t look good.”
“I don’t feel good.”
“Let me take you inside where it’s cooler.” He slides an arm around my waist and steers me away from the bar.
“Wait. I need to tell my friends.” Only I don’t see them for all the people around. Everything’s too blurry.
“Don’t worry about it. They’ll see you back in your room.”
He’s pulling harder now, but he’s not pulling me toward the hotel. We’re going in the opposite direction. I want to tell him to stop, but my mouth won’t work. I can’t keep my eyes open. Something’s wrong. Something’s really wrong. I try to push him away, but he won’t loosen his hold on me.
“Stop!” It comes out loud and strong and someone must hear me because a voice asks if I’m okay and Jake’s grip loosens enough for me to break free.
Everything’s spinning, but I must get away. Something bad happened, and I don’t know what. I only know I can’t go with him, so I stumble away, around the patio and through a bunch of trees and tropical plants. Pretty soon I’m on the beach and the idea of going in the water seems like a good one. Anything to clear my head.
My feet don’t even touch the waves crashing onshore before somebody grabs me again, and this time I can’t fight him off. This time, my legs collapse and everything goes dark before I can scream.