I laughed and slapped his stomach. “If anything, you’re the sucker.”
“Agree to disagree,” Luca mumbled into my hair.
“You really think everything will be okay?”
Luca took a deep breath and traced a hand down until it rested on my ass. “I do.”
I nuzzled into his chest—my nose pressed to his skin so I could only smell him and a hint of my perfume. “Okay.” My gut told me he was wrong, but for one night, I figured it was okay to believe Luca’s pretty words.
TWENTY
“I can’t believe we’re on a private jet!” Sarah squealed, linking her arm with Imani’s as they looked around with wide eyes.
“Luca said he wouldn’t have it any other way.” Ashley grinned as she reclined in her chair, pointing to the controls as she waved Miranda over.
“The perks of marrying Mr. Moneybags.” Jazz laughed as she sorted through the overflowing basket of expensive chocolate, fruit, and other snacks.
“Says the girl that had a debutante ball,” Adriana whispered not so quietly to me.
Jazz glared at her, but her lips quickly curled into a smile.
“So, where are we going?” I said as I flopped into a cushioned leather chair.
“Ah. Ah. Ah.” Ashley wagged her finger. Somehow, these loudmouths had kept the bachelorette weekend a complete secret. “You’ll know when we land.”
“This is ridiculous.”
“It’s fun.” Sarah handed me a glass of champagne. “Now finish that before it’s time for take-off.”
Gio and Tommy, our security detail for the weekend, boarded last and took the seats between us and the cockpit.
* * *
A few bottles of champagnes polished off, and a luxury gift basket demolished, we landed in Puerto Vallarta, ready to make the most of the next three days.
“We’ve got the top two floors.” Ashley smiled at me as we stared up at the boutique beachfront hotel.
“Let’s go!” Sarah pulled her luggage, a white floppy hat bouncing in her face. As the only one of us not able to drink, she was prepared for a weekend of eating, reading, and catching some sun—and if I knew my cousin at all, making fun of our drunk asses.
The two suites had three bedrooms, a living room, and a full kitchen. They were open air with no walls, so the pool and hot tub sat just past the roof. It was amazing.
“Everyone, get ready. We have dinner reservations in an hour!” Ashley shouted at Tommy, Adriana, Miranda, Jazz, and Imani as they left the elevator. “I can’t wait to eat a real meal.”
“I told you to eat before the flight.” Sarah dug through her purse, eventually finding a single-serving package of almonds. “Here. I keep snacks handy for the all-day sickness.”
“Thank you.” Ashley hugged them to her chest.
We split off into our separate rooms and got ready for our first night in paradise. All glammed up, a car service picked us up and took us just blocks from the hotel. The restaurant was on the ground floor of another hotel, but instead of being seated at one of the opulent tables inside, the hostess walked us out to the beach, where lanterns and ornate flower arrangements created a cozy dining room on the sand. Tommy and Gio sat at a table next to ours. Close enough to be protected and far enough to give a false sense of freedom.
“This is unbelievable.” The crashing waves created the perfect white noise to keep conversations private. I took Ashley’s hand and squeezed. “Thank you for arranging all this.”
She grinned, her dimples popping. “It was nothing.”
Once our first round of drinks was delivered, I tapped my knife against the glass. “I’d like to make a little speech.” The group playfully groaned. “I just wanted to thank all of you for being here this weekend. Before I met Ashley, I’d never had a best friend. And before all of you, I’d never had a group of close friends. You’re the sisters I never wanted—” They laughed, and Jazz threw a tortilla chip at me. “But I clearly needed. You’re some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met, and I am grateful you all keep putting up with my ass.” I raised my glass. “Cheers, you’re stuck with me.”
“Cheers!” We clinked glasses.
Jazz cleared her throat and added, “And to Luca, the one stupid enough to legally bind himself to Sasha.”