“I’ve never had a massage before, never mind a couple’s massage,” I said with some trepidation as we approached the huge white canopy tent. “Will they really want me to take all my clothes off?”
Connor chuckled beside me, his hand squeezing mine. “You had no problem the other day. Besides, I’ll never get tired of seeing you naked.” I socked him in the shoulder, my nervousness showing. Being naked with him on the beach when there had been no one around was one thing, but this would be different. When Connor had said he had scheduled us a massage, I got extremely nervous that someone else’s hands would be touching my bare skin. I was being silly, I knew that, but unless I settled down, this was going to be the longest hour of my life.
We entered the canvas tent and saw two cots positioned toward the ocean with privacy screens surrounding the other sides. Unless someone walked by and peered in over the top, we were as private as we could be. An attendant waited inside and gestured toward the cots, where two towels were folded up.
“Give us some privacy for a minute, dude,” Connor said. The attendant nodded and exited the hut, leaving both of us alone. Connor picked up the towel and held it out to me, his eyes twinkling with laughter. “Here,” he said. “You can cover your body with this. I’ll be here the whole time.”
I eyed the small square of cloth practically only big enough to cover one of my breasts, let alone the rest of me. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Take off your top, April,” Connor said, his voice low and demanding as he stepped towards me, making me suck in a breath. “Leave on your bottoms.”
I snatched the towel out of his hand and held it to my chest, giving him no way to see what I was doing before I pulled on the string that was holding my top around my neck, releasing the knot I had tied just a few minutes earlier. His eyes dilated as I reached behind me and undid the other knot, pulling the bikini top away from my body. “Like this?” I asked innocently, holding the scrap of material in front of me. He swallowed hard and nodded, his hands reaching out to pull me close. “God, you are so hot,” he whispered into my ear, his teeth grazing my earlobe. I moaned as he placed kisses along my jawline, my hand gripping the towel tightly against my bare chest in case the attendant happened to come back and disturb us. Connor’s hands skimmed my waist before he pushed away, motioning toward the bed. “Lie down on your stomach.”
“Okay,” I replied with trepidation. Connor swore under his breath, and I guessed he liked what he saw. He reached up at a clasp above the tent’s entrance, allowing the canvas to unroll, trapping us inside. “If he knows what’s good for him… he’ll stay away,” Connor muttered as he returned to my side. “Lie down, April. Let me be your masseuse.”
I hurriedly did as he asked, pulling the towel away from my bare skin as I lay down face first upon the cot, my head cushioned by a small pillow. My nipples dragged against the soft material of the bed, aching for Connor’s touch as his hands positioned themselves on my shoulders. “Relax,” he said. “It’s just me and you.”
I sighed as his hands started to work on my tense shoulders, my body drumming in anticipation. Would this be a normal massage or one for the ages? I dearly hoped it would be one for the ages. He was like a drug I couldn’t shake, one that made my heart race and my body ache for his caress. His hands started to drift down my back, kneading and molding my muscles until I felt like I was floating on a cloud.
“If football doesn’t work out, you could always do this for a living,” I replied dreamily. He chuckled and his lips landed in between my shoulder blades, warming where his hands had touched. “I don’t think you want me to be doing this for a living.”
“Doing what?” I asked before gasping as his hand slinked between my legs, his fingers urgently pulling my bikini bottom to the side before one finger slid against my wet folds. Without hesitation, I spread my legs a little wider, his finger slipping inside as if it belonged there.
“No,” I panted as he drove it within me. “I certainly don’t want you to do that to anyone else.”
“Only you, darling,” he said softly, his other hand stroking my ass through my bikini bottoms. I positioned myself to give him better access, tilting my butt up, as he stroked me, stoking the fire that had burned beneath the surface since our last encounter only hours before. I lived for his touch. He started to thrust within me faster and I moaned into the pillow, totally forgetting the fact that the staff member might be listening outside the tent. All I knew was that I didn’t want him to quit.
“That’s it,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Come for me, April.” I moaned again and then clenched against his finger, the orgasm overtaking me and forcing me to writhe under his touch as I tried to keep as quiet as possible. Coming in a public place was becoming a nasty little habit of ours… but I loved it.
Connor leaned down and placed a kiss on my spine, his tongue making a swirling pattern on my heated skin. “I can’t take you quietly.” I turned to face him, seeing the strain on his face as he stroked his cock through his shorts. He was right. I couldn’t be quiet and neither could he. I rose from the cot and lowered myself to my knees on the supple wooden floor, seeing a look of surprise upon his face. “You don’t have to do this,” he forced out as I reached for the waistband of his shorts.
“I know,” I replied, batting his hands away, “but I want to and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
He exhaled heavily and removed his hands, allowing me to pull his shorts down, his cock springing free, hard and heavy with need. I traced my hands over the pulsating skin, running my hand over his swollen head and smiling as he took a swift intake of breath. Here I was in control of him. Here I was a woman on a mission.
With a sigh of contentment, I took him slowly in my mouth, tasting him properly for the first time. I hadn’t ventured into this territory yet, but not for the want of trying, just our focus had always got hot and heavy pretty quickly, having sex like rabbits as often as we could, that there hadn’t been time to give him a slow, sensual and intimate blowjob.
“April,” Connor groaned, his hands coming up to grasp my hair. He didn’t push, however, which I was grateful for. Some men felt the need to take over, but he threaded his fingers into my hair, caressing the strands, letting me enjoy being in control and able to take my time.
Slowly, I sucked him, my hand coming up to grip the length of him, my lightly clenched palm sliding up and down. His hands stayed in my hair but he didn’t force anything, exciting me further. I spread my lips wide and flattened my tongue, wanting to pay attention to every inch. Tasting and tightening my lips around him increased the force of my gentle sucking until he was moaning uncontrollably.
I could feel him getting close, his trunk-like thighs tensing. I kneaded his ass, taking him whole, bringing him closer to the edge. Connor gave a resounding hiss and before I could do anything else, he pulled away and grabbed the towel, bucking as he spilled his seed in the cloth. For a moment I just sat there, watching him, loving the taste of his salty skin on my lips. He leaned over the cot and exhaled shakily, his eyes turning toward mine. “Damn.”
“I would have, you know,” I started as he wiped himself and pulled up his shorts. Connor stilled his motions and reached out his hand, helping me to my feet before pressing a kiss to my lips. “I know, sweetheart,” he said softly, handing me my top. “But I couldn’t let you… I don’t think I can explain it.” I nodded, not really understanding him but letting it go for now. I tied my top back on, and tucked my breasts back into the correct spots. My body was like jelly, and I was barely able to walk, my legs still shaking from his touch.
Connor wrapped his hand around mine and together we stepped out, colliding with the attendant. “Massage good?” he asked, a cheeky grin on his face. My face burned as I thought of what he must have heard, ducking my head against Connor’s arm as he gave the man a slap on the back. “Dude, you have no idea.”
The attendant laughed as Connor steered us back to the hut, a whistle on his lips. “I can’t believe you said that to him that,” I giggled, mortified. He grinned and brought up our joined hands to kiss the back of mine.
“Darling, I could have told him a lot more but I doubt it’s the first time that’s ever happened.”
“True… he’s probably not even a masseuse and it’s all a naughty little set up for the couples to, you know…” My steps faltered as Connor stopped dead in his tracks, some of the humor sliding from his face. “What’s wrong?” I asked immediately as he released my hand.
“Stay here.”
Dumbfounded, I squinted to where he was heading, wanting to follow but thinking better of it as I watched him approach a woman hovering by our hut. That bitch! It was the one from the bar the other night, the one that he’d said was a reporter. She was back and she hadn’t come alone. She had a man next to her, a black camera in his hand as he snapped off pictures of Connor.
Oh god. Connor reached the pair and snatched the camera out of the guy’s hand, his angry words hard to understand with the gentle wind and surf in the background. When he pushed the guy, I hurried over, grabbing his arm and feeling the muscles clench under my touch.
“Connor, no.”
“April, right?” the woman said, her grin wide as she looked at me. “The wedding planner?”
Shit.
“Come on, Connor, let’s go,” I said, ignoring her. This wasn’t good. If she really was a reporter, then our pictures and the story were about to be widespread. The thought made me sick to my stomach.
“Don’t worry, I already know your dirty secret,” she tried again, giving Connor a onceover as he stared down the cameraman. “I can’t say that I blame you. He’s a fine prize.”
“Get the hell out of here and leave us alone before I really lose my temper!” Connor shouted, shoving the cameraman away.
“Hey! Give me back my camera!” the man cried as Connor grabbed my hand and turned to go. “That’s my private property!”
“You should’ve thought about that before you decided to take my or her photo,” Connor replied angrily.
The woman laughed, her voice trailing after us. “Don’t worry. Take the camera. I’ve got all we need.”
I swallowed hard as Connor led me away, my earlier giddiness and good feelings now quashed by the stark reality of Connor’s life. This was going to be all over the news when we got home. If I hadn’t already lost my job the other day, I sure as hell would now. What was Crystal going to think? What were my colleagues, the people I’d built relationships with in the business community going to think upon seeing me with a client that had just stood up his own fiancée at his wedding? Oh god, the rumors were going to be horrendous and even if—and it was a big if—I could find the money to start my own company, I would be the laughingstock of the professional party world. A businesswoman who stole her own client’s groom. I could see the headlines now.
“Oh, April?” the reporter called, her annoying voice pervading the very air around us. “Why don’t you ask him about the bet?”
I didn’t dignify her question with a reply and continued walking away with Connor. But her words kept repeating on a loop in my head. What bet?
“Connor, what was she talking about?”
Connor didn’t say anything and crossed over the boardwalk to the hut, forcing open the door and letting me pass, then shutting it firmly behind us before throwing the camera onto the sofa.
I watched as he paced the floor, obvious anger and tension in every step, seeping out of his body. He was furious and I was about to be a hot mess if he didn’t start explaining.
“Connor?” I repeated, getting a little scared that he wasn’t answering. Whatever the reporter’s intentions by saying those last words, they definitely weren’t good.
I may not have known what she’d meant, but what I did know was that the illusion we were trying to portray here on this romantic island was over.
The shocking reality of what I’d done was coming crashing down around my head. Once the word was out, we couldn’t be together. After all, who would hire a woman who had the potential to steal grooms away from their wedding? Of course it wasn’t what had happened, but the public wasn’t going to see it any other way. I’d be labeled a hussy, a man-stealer, a whore.
And Crystal, she had the money, power, and media influence to ruin me, slinging mud and making it stick. A few well-placed words and she could utterly destroy everything. No one would ever trust me to plan their wedding again. My knees weakened and I stumbled over to the couch, sinking down on it with my head in my hands. What had I done?
“I could fucking kill him with my bare hands,” Connor seethed, stopping to look at me. “Don’t worry. I’ll sue the fuck out of them when we get back.”
“They won’t be the only ones,” I said softly, thinking of how big this could blow up. “Are you going to sue the rest of them too?”
“April, I will protect you,” he said fiercely, bending down to frame my face with his capable hands. I could feel his rage barely controlled under the surface, the anger in his face over what had transpired. It broke my heart.
“You can’t protect me from this,” I said, touching his hands with mine and bringing them down to my lap. He exhaled harshly and I saw the weary Connor, the worried Connor. “I’m sorry. I can’t deal with this.”
“Don’t do this,” Connor interrupted, his hands clenching mine. “This will blow over, just like everything else. We can get married and they will die down.”
My heart stopped in my chest as I looked at him, thinking that a marriage of all things was the last thing we needed.
What would be the difference between us getting married and what he and Crystal had gone through? There had been no declaration of love between us and though my feelings were undoubtedly strong for him, I wasn’t ready to throw caution to the wind and put on a white dress.
It could have been the way we had gotten together or the thought that he was going to totally destroy me in the end that worried me. Either way, this marriage proposal was not based upon anything but worry, a quick fix to a sticky situation, and I couldn’t accept that.
“Connor,” I tried, looking into his eyes and shaking my head. How could he not see the ridiculousness of what he’d just said? The tears welled in my own and I forced them away, knowing there would be plenty of time on the flight to cry all of this out.
“You can’t go around throwing that word about like that. Besides, getting married would only make things worse.” I wanted to add that he didn’t want to marry me but I held back, not ready for that kind of rejection. It was breaking my heart enough to know that this was over, and that our time together had come to an end way too soon. But I wasn’t about to finish out the trip with a black buzzing cloud of reporters swarming upon us, waiting to capture tender moments between us. Tears welled up again and I let them fall this time, not strong enough hold them back anymore.
He swore and untangled our hands to wipe them away, his touch warm against my skin. “Don’t cry. Fuck, please don’t do that, April.”
“I… I can’t do this anymore,” I croaked, my voice broken. “It’s over, Connor. We just need to call it a day and go our separate ways before this gets even worse.”
A serious expression transformed his features, something in his eyes making me feel unsettled. “I’m serious, April. I want to marry you.” Desperation licked the edges of his words; he would probably say anything to make it better, to fix this. But these were not the words I wanted to hear. Though, I couldn’t decipher if he was saying them because he was truly serious or worried because he’d gotten caught, with me. What a story that was going to make in the tabloids! Like chalk and cheese, we didn’t belong together.
“Just think of how good we are together,” he continued with that eager grin I loved so much. “There’s so much we could do, see together. Hell, if you asked me to quit football I would do it. Please don’t leave.”
I gasped at his words. He was making no sense, how could he even think that I would want him to quit football?
I waited for him to say more, to utter the key words; the words that would solidify us, but they never came. He looked at me expectedly and I realized that he hadn’t entirely grasped what marriage and love was supposed to be all about. I didn’t care about his wealth or the ability to travel wherever I pleased. I didn’t care about his fame or all of the opportunities it provided. I was after one thing and he wasn’t prepared to give it to me. I wanted it to be real, to be straight from the heart and not from his convoluted mind. I wanted him to feel it, to breathe it and not just give me what I wanted to hear.
“You just don’t get it, do you? I don’t need any of that, I need…” I trailed off, I wasn’t going to give him the damn answer. He would have to work it out for himself.
With much regret, I shook my head and calmly rose from the chair, his hands falling away from my face as I moved to the bedroom, grabbing my suitcase through streaming quiet tears. I heard his footsteps behind me and I knew that if I turned around, I would be a sucker and would stay.
“I can’t do this, not in this way, and you still haven’t told me about some bet… what did she mean?” I forced out, thinking the worst as I choked on the words.
“I can’t believe you’re leaving,” he said flatly, surprise in his voice. “After everything that’s happened, everything that I could provide to you, you’re turning me down?”
“Connor,” I warned, ignoring his question.
“Fine. You want to know? I guess this is the right time… I was going to tell you, but I didn’t want to ruin everything. But it’s already fucked, so what’s the point?”
My stomach felt like it was tiptoeing on the edge of a deathly drop. My heart was screaming for me to step back, to forget about whatever the reporter had said… she was probably only out to twist things anyway. But my head, my bloody sensible side was telling me I needed the answer.
“Yes, I want to know.”
“This whole thing was a setup,” he replied, his tone even and cold. “My teammates bet that I didn’t have what it took to be in a committed relationship the night of my bachelor’s party. And you were the mark.”
I was freefalling. None of it had been real. Every word, every caress, every kiss was meaningless. I’d been used.
I turned on my heels and slapped him across his face, trying to put every ounce of torturous pain into that final contact with him.
“Get out!” I screamed.
“I’m sorry, April. I never—”
A delirious laugh popped out of my mouth, one that tightened the ache in my heart.
“What, you never wanted to hurt me? Well, tough, you have. And you aren’t sorry, you’re just sorry you got caught.” I threw my clothes into the suitcase, concentrating on my task.
He exhaled harshly behind me and walked away, leaving me to finish packing my things as the tears continued to spill out.
This was it. It was over. The best and most amazing time of my life with a very amazing person was done. But I’d been blinded by his charm, duped into thinking he was someone different.
Suddenly I couldn’t handle being there, near him, breathing the same air as him. I zipped up the suitcase, leaving the rest of my things behind, and grabbed my purse, blindly walked through the small living room before I opened the door, and exited with a sob.
My heart was breaking and as much as I wanted to turn around and run into his arms, to forgive him and accept his proposal, I forced myself to walk forward, far away from him.
The honeymoon was over.