Julia snuggled deeper into the plush pillows, drifting in and out of a very pleasant dream involving gray eyes and great hands. She stretched luxuriously, spreading her arms and legs out as far as they could go, relishing the decadent freedom of a king-size bed. When had she ever had a king-size bed all to herself?
Never, that’s when. Kat could have the fancy suite. This was all the luxury Julia needed. The mattress in her place was barely bigger than a toddler bed … She swore she could buy crib sheets and they’d probably fit. But it was the only thing that worked in what passed for a bedroom in her tiny apartment. But oh, to be able to roll over and over and—she rolled again—yep, over, and not fall off the bed? Heaven.
There were times Julia wished she’d never moved out of the place she’d shared with Kat and Andie, but it was a step she’d always believed she needed to take. Part of the ladder to full-fledged adulthood that had been drilled into her since childhood. A ladder lined with rungs of responsibility, like living on her own, establishing job security, and maintaining a long-term relationship. She’d managed the first, was working on the second, and the third … well, she wasn’t even sure she wanted the third to happen.
Maybe she’d change her mind. When she was ready. When the right person came along.
But part of her worried she’d never be ready. Or that the right person would never come along and she’d finally give up and just settle, commit to a long-term relationship with someone not because she couldn’t imagine spending the rest of her life without them but because it was better than being alone. And wasn’t that worse? After having a front-row seat to her parents’ relationship, she thought so.
She knew that, for some people, being alone was the happy ending they wanted. They lived full, contented lives, and that was great. But she also knew she wasn’t one of those people. She wasn’t built that way. On some fundamental level, Julia craved a life partner. A soul mate.
Deep down lurked doubts that scared her, fears drifting in the darkest parts of her heart that she didn’t want to study too closely in the light. But here, in this giant bed, those doubts crept out of hiding. Maybe it was being alone in such a big bed, surrounded by so much empty space. Maybe it was all the feelings stirred up last night as she’d stared into a certain pair of gray eyes and talked and laughed.
And wanted.
And dreamed.
Tendrils of the dream she’d been having drifted to the surface, curling around her thoughts. Julia flopped onto her back, trying to make sense of the vague images and lingering sensations. Her head was hazy … and she was horny as hell.
She was having a feelings hangover. Last night, she’d gotten drunk on the heady cocktail of easy conversation, warm smiles, and meaningful glances. Not to mention all that “accidental” touching they’d been doing. What she was experiencing now was simply a reaction to the buildup of endorphins from spending all that time with Luke.
They hadn’t even kissed. Not even an almost-kiss like when they first met. Despite what she told her friends, that had definitely been an almost-kiss. And Julia hadn’t stopped thinking about it since. What would have happened on the beach if Andie hadn’t come along and interrupted the moment?
In her dreams last night, she’d gotten her answer.
Julia closed her eyes, remembering. Alone on the beach, they’d kissed. Hell, they’d done a lot more than kiss. Her body grew warmer, a pulsing ache building inside. She sifted through her mind for details of the dream while her hand drifted lower, fingers stroking the source of that throbbing heat. Her legs grew heavy and she let them fall open, relishing the slide of smooth sheets against her bare skin, reveling in the freedom to spread her thighs as wide apart as she desired, stretch her legs out as far as she wanted.
She pointed then flexed her toes. Imagined she was lying in the sand. Digging her heels into the mattress, she lifted her hips and rocked against her fingers. Back and forth, slow and easy, the friction sending a ripple of pleasure through her. Like the tide outside her window, gently rolling in and out. She increased the pressure, sensations building in intensity. When her fingers dipped inside, she imagined his fingers there.
Fuck, what he could do to her with those hands. Ever since the Chris conversation at dinner, Julia had thought about Luke’s hands. She shivered, recalling how his long, elegant fingers had stroked over hers, one at a time. By the time the pie had arrived, she was ready to be his dessert.
Eyes still closed, she pictured his gray gaze, and her body lit up with awareness, the way it did every time he looked at her. Yes.
“Julia.”
He was calling her name.
“Julia.”
“Yes.” She turned her head and moaned into the pillow. So close now.
She bit her lip. Yes. Her hips and hand began to move faster. Yes. Yes. Yes.
“Julia!” A knock sounded at her door.
Julia’s eyes snapped open and she froze.
“Jules?” a voice called, louder now. Andie’s voice. “Are you awake?”
“Yes,” she croaked. With a sigh of frustration, Julia rolled across the bed. “Coming!” She struggled to untangle herself from the sheets, now wrapped around her in a strangled mass from all her excessive thrashing about.
The knock came again.
“I’m coming,” she repeated, peevishly wishing she actually was. Ugh. This was just like watching a rom-com fade to black. A disappointing interruption right before the good stuff happened.
Giving up on the detangling efforts, Julia bundled up armfuls of bedding and bunny-hopped her way to the door.
Andie stood there, freshly showered and wide awake. “Are you feeling well? You didn’t forget to pack your meds, did you?”
“Yes, I’m feeling fine. And no, I didn’t forget my prescription. But thanks, Mom.”
“Excuse me for caring. It’s not like you haven’t forgotten before,” Andie sniped. “You’re not dressed yet.”
“I decided to sign up for the toga party.” Julia held the door open with one hand and tugged the sheet higher with the other. “You didn’t see it on the itinerary?”
“Nope, not on here.” Andie held up the sheet with the list of activities. “We’re supposed to turn these in at breakfast.” She slipped past Julia, into the room. “Which we’re going to miss if you don’t hurry up and get ready.” She paused, cocking her head. “Jules—are you naked under there?”
“You’re supposed to call me Meg.” Julia let the door swing shut and hopped into the bathroom. She flipped on the faucet. “Remember, Carrie?”
“Not when it’s just us.” Andie glanced around, taking in Julia’s disheveled appearance before eyeing the rumpled bed. “And it is just us in here, right?”
“Yes, it’s just us,” Julia snapped. “Who else would be in here?”
“I have a few ideas.” Andie smirked. She pointedly watched Julia dry her hands. “Were you playing with the Chrises?”
“That’s Kat’s thing, not mine.” Julia flushed and clutched at the sheets still draped around her, trying to keep them from slithering to the floor. “But yes,” she admitted. “I was.”
“Good for you.” Andie laughed. “Now hurry up and get some clothes on.” She checked her smartwatch. “Breakfast starts in fourteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds.”
“Great. I only need fourteen minutes and twenty-five seconds,” Julia promised.
Fourteen minutes and twenty-one seconds later, Julia made it to the breakfast room in time to snag a cup of coffee before Andie flagged her down. She was sitting at one of the banquet tables, along with David and Patrick, the couple they’d had dinner with last night. And, in an interesting development, seated next to Andie was the football jersey guy from last night.
“Where’s Kat?” she asked, when she reached the table.
“You mean Bridget?” a chipper faux-British voice called from behind her. “Right here.”
Julia turned, smiling at her friend. “Yes. Bridget.”
Kat/Bridget yawned. “Remind me again, why are we up so early?”
“Food.” Andie jabbed a finger at the breakfast buffet.
“Uh-oh,” Kat murmured, as she and Julia hurried over to the buffet. “She’s got her game face on.”
“You didn’t notice it when she came to your room to check if you were awake?” Julia asked, filling a bowl with yogurt and granola.
Kat scooped some scrambled eggs and a few sausages onto a plate. “I refused to open the door.”
“Smart,” Julia said, topping her bowl off with slices of fresh fruit, wishing she’d thought to do the same.
Back at the table, she slid into the empty seat on the other side of Andie, who was busy smothering a bagel with cream cheese. “What are we carb loading for, anyway?”
“Did you forget?” Andie asked, biting into the bagel. “We have the walking tour of the resort this morning.”
“I thought we were doing paintball.” Kat took a seat across from them.
“That’s tomorrow.” Andie held up her itinerary. “I hope you two remembered to bring these down with you. We need to finish filling them out.”
“Hard to forget when someone yells a reminder through your door at seven forty-five in the morning,” Kat grumbled. Her face brightened as she began to read off the list of activities. “Ooh, they have cookie baking! And a wine and paint night.”
“You’re not going to want to miss that one,” Zach announced. He bent to kiss Kat’s cheek. “Morning, gorgeous.”
“You’re not looking so bad yourself,” Kat observed, blatantly checking out his backside as he sat down next to her. “Does this mean you plan on doing the wine and paint night too?”
“I guess you could say that.” White teeth flashed. “I’m going to be posing.”
“In the classic style?” Patrick asked.
“By which he means ‘naked,’” David clarified.
“Sign up and find out.” Zach grabbed a sausage off Kat’s plate and winked.
“You’re on.” David’s lip curled in a playful smirk. He and Patrick took out their schedules and began filling it in, laughing softly together.
“What’s so funny over here?” a voice asked from behind Julia.
Luke.
“Is this seat taken?” He nodded at the one next to her.
She shook her head, flushing. She was supposed to call him Lance. But it was no good. Even though she had known him for less than twenty-four hours, in her mind, he was Luke. And in her mind, Luke had been about to get her off this morning. Julia gulped her coffee, not caring that the hot liquid seared her throat. She needed the caffeine to jolt her back to reality.
“Hey.” Luke waved a hand in front of her. “Everything okay?”
“Sorry.” Julia blinked, realizing he’d been talking to her while she was thinking about—“I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
Her gaze snagged on his hand and her belly clenched. She winced internally. Of course he would ask that question; it was a perfectly logical response to her statement. “Oh, about the week ahead.” There. That was honest enough.
“Have you finished filling out your itinerary yet?” he asked.
“Not yet.” Unable to stop herself, her gaze drifted to Luke’s hands again. They were big hands. Long fingers wrapped around a bottle of iced coffee, thumb lazily moving back and forth, wiping at the condensation on the glass. Julia swallowed. She doubted the activity she’d been considering was listed. “What about you?” she asked. “What are you interested in doing?”
“I’m curious about these bonus choices,” Kat chimed in. “It looks like we get to pick one personalized activity.”
“See anything you like?” Zach purred.
“Everything looks good,” Kat replied, voice equally throaty. Her eyes were not on her paper.
Julia exchanged glances with Andie. Zach might be one of the actors, but their friend seemed to be enjoying his particular brand of charm.
“Stuck in an elevator?” Curt asked, biting into a muffin with gusto. “What’s that?”
“I’m guessing it’s just what it says,” Andie remarked, watching him with less gusto. “You get stuck in an elevator.”
“Why would anyone choose to do that?” Curt waved the muffin around, sending crumbs flying across the table. “You explained the paintball thing last night. I’m good with that. But how is this romantic?”
“I suppose it depends on who you’re stuck with,” Andie mused.
“You don’t even have to actually get stuck.” Kat shot Zach a meaningful look. “As long as there’s enough time for some hot kissing to happen.”
“Characters getting trapped in an elevator is a rom-com staple.” Julia tapped her chin thoughtfully. “There’s a great stuck-in-the-elevator scene in Set It Up, but no kissing.”
“Right.” Andie snickered. “Just some peeing.”
“Peeing?” Curt’s mouth fell open. Luckily for everyone else at the table, he’d finished his muffin. “Look, no offense, but if I was stuck in an elevator and pee was involved … well, romance would not be the first thing on my mind.”
“I think getting stuck in an elevator could be very romantic,” Kat murmured, leaning into Zach.
“Minus the peeing part, of course,” Julia added.
Beside her, Luke smothered a laugh.
“Hey now, don’t yuck someone else’s yum,” David chided.
“He’s teasing.” Patrick paused. “I think.” He grinned at Julia. “What bonus activity are you picking?”
She glanced at her paper, nibbling her bottom lip, working it back and forth in contemplation. “I can’t decide.”
Andie nudged her. “Well hurry up.”
“What’s your rush?” Julia wondered. “You need to go pee in an elevator or something?”
“I was planning to do that in your shower,” Andie countered.
“You’re such a jock.” Julia rolled her eyes, shaking her head.
“Seriously, Jules. Hurry up. I don’t know if slots fill up for certain activities.”
“They don’t,” Luke said. “That’s not how it works.”
She and Andie both turned to look at him.
“I don’t think so, anyway,” he clarified, shifting on his chair.
“You still need to hurry up.” Andie finished off her bagel.
“Fine. Karaoke serenade.” Julia circled her choices and handed her sheet to Andie.
“Classic,” Zach agreed, nodding enthusiastically. “And another memorable Heath moment from 10 Things.”
“That scene is one of my personal favorites,” Julia admitted. Even her cynical heart had melted during that sweet scene. “I’ve never had anyone serenade me before.”
“But what if the person doing the serenading isn’t a good singer?” Luke asked.
“Even better!” Julia laughed. “That’s rom-com gold. Think Cameron Diaz in My Best Friend’s Wedding.”
“Or Joseph Gordon-Levitt in (500) Days of Summer.” Andie placed a hand over her heart. “So terrible, but so wonderful at the same time.”
“He was drunk off his ass in that scene, right?” Julia asked.
“Adorably so.” Bridget smiled wickedly and pointed to herself. “While we are on the topic of adorable drunken karaoke…”
“Bridget Jones’s Diary!” Andie crowed. “Oh, she was so smashed.”
“Oh, yeah?” Curt grinned. “I admit I’ve done some drunk singing myself.”
“And I bet it was charming,” Andie remarked.
Despite her caustic tone, Julia thought she caught a note of fondness in her friend’s voice. She glanced at Andie, considering. Perhaps Curt was growing on her. Which was wild, because they were total opposites.
Though now that she thought about it, the possibility was actually hilarious, especially considering how “opposites attract” was a standard rom-com trope. A thrill ran down Julia’s spine and she had to remind herself that this was a game. None of it was real.