Spring Break Read online

  “Looking hot, Mama.”

  I rolled my eyes, sliding the dress over my curves. I reached back and paused, my fingers mere centimeters from the zipper.

  “Little help?” I asked, tipping my chin to the side and glancing over my shoulder. Taylor was up and off the couch in a split second, making his way towards me.

  “Anytime, sugarbabe.”

  I snorted as he reached me, his fingers moving to the tab on the zipper and sliding it up through the teeth until the material closed around me. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my bare shoulder.

  The door to the second bedroom opened and Darren and Cody strode out in fresh clothes. Cody looked down at my new dress. “You changed too?” he asked.

  Taylor snorted. “Don’t think she had much choice from what I heard.”

  I elbowed him in the gut just as Dex walked out of the room. “Bro, what’s the rush?” Darren asked as Dex stormed towards the front door.

  “Have to meet my mother,” he snapped.

  “What about—” I started but was quickly cut off.

  “Tonight,” Dex said, throwing a frown over his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Baby.” His frown deepened, dropping to a sad expression.

  I shook my head. “It’s okay. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Don’t worry, Dex. We’ll take care of her,” Taylor assured him.

  “I know you will.” With another look my way—one filled with frustration and apologies—Dex stormed out of the suite.

  A long pause followed his exit. Then… “Well, are we going to sit around here all day or are we gonna go be on vacation?” Taylor asked, jumping towards the door.

  I smiled even as I followed. “What do people do on vacation?”

  “What else,” Darren answered as we filed out, “get drunk and have sex.” He winked at me.

  I laughed. “I’ll drink to that.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that, sweetcheeks.” Taylor rushed me and lifted me up, tossing me over his shoulder. I laughed and slapped his back. An older woman in fine heels and a skirt suit fit for tea with the queen strode by and cast us all a scathing look.

  “Let me down,” I hissed.

  “Or what?” Taylor asked, chuckling. “I find I like the view here.”

  My cheeks flamed red as his hand found my ass under my skirt.

  Cody walloped him on the back of the head. “Not in public, you ass,” he snapped.

  Taylor chuckled once more and finally—blessedly—put me down. “Alright, alright. Let’s go get something to eat.”

  “I know what I’d like to eat,” Darren said lowly.

  I glanced over at him in warning, but with another incorrigible wink my way, he jogged past us.

  Chapter 5

  Two margaritas. A loose screwdriver. And a regretful Bloody Mary later…

  “Who says a girl can’t shoot pool?” I said as I leaned over and tapped the end of my cue stick against one of the striped balls lining the green felt.

  “Sweetheart,” Darren said, “you prove that a girl can’t shoot pool. At least, not my girl—other girls, yes. You, not so much.”

  “That’s sexist,” I snapped.

  Dare shook his head. “Sweetheart, I’m not a sexist—I’m a Jamie-ist. Besides, that was my ball.”

  “Oh.” I stood up and looked down at the table. “It was? Are you sure?”

  Taylor snorted back his laughter as a waitress came by and handed him another beer. “I’m sure,” Darren said.

  “Maybe you should try to teach her darts again,” Taylor offered helpfully.

  Cody—just coming back from the bathroom—paused at that suggestion and visibly shuddered.

  “Hey!” I said, “I wasn’t that bad.”

  “You’re banned,” Darren and Cody announced. They looked at each other almost as soon as they had finished speaking in sync. After a brief pause, they nodded as if that was the end of that. But I was eyeballing that dart board now. I knew I could prove that I wasn’t as bad as they claimed if I just got my hands on a few of those little red darts with the feathers on the end. Those were the fancy ones. I just bet that if I had those, I would be alright.

  “She’s looking at it,” Taylor warned.

  I turned an outraged glare on him. How dare he tell them! I hadn’t even gotten a chance. I narrowed my eyes. “You’re not getting blowjobs for the entire week,” I announced.

  Taylor laughed. “That’s alright, cupcake,” he replied. “I like your pussy much better.”

  “How much have you two had to drink?” Cody asked.

  Taylor and I exchanged a glance. “Too much?” I replied.

  “Not enough,” he said at the same time.

  “Okay, maybe it’s time for dinner,” Cody said, taking my pool stick from me.

  “It’s already dark out,” I said, pointing towards the long row of windows on the other side of the Rogue Lounge Bar we had found several hours before. “Hey, has anyone heard from Dex? Didn’t he say he’d call?”

  “No, but I’ll text him and see where he’s at,” Darren announced.

  “Can you text on a cruise ship?” Cody asked.

  Darren shrugged. “I’ve got wifi so why not?”

  The rest of us finished out our tabs which were conveniently taken care of since our suite had come with all access wristbands to the bars. Apparently, we could get up to fifteen drinks a day without paying. I was sure they must have cost a pretty penny—for which Dex probably provided—but I was already too tipsy to care.

  “I’m hungry,” I announced.

  “We’re going to dinner,” Darren said. “Dex said he’s at a restaurant called Cordelia’s.”

  “Sounds fancy,” I commented.

  “It probably is,” Cody said, wrapping his arm around my waist as he led me towards the elevators.

  “Should we get changed?”

  “Do you want to get changed?”

  I debated as Taylor ambled ahead to get to the elevator button and by the time we stepped inside, I had decided. “Nope,” I announced with a pop to my ‘p.’ “I’m too fucking hungry to care if we show up like animals to Dex’s mom’s fancy restaurant.”

  “Dex’s mom’s restaurant?” Darren leaned forward as we slowly ascended back to the main floors.

  I wavered back and forth as we moved, my hand coming out to grasp onto Cody’s strong arm. He was such a gentleman, always helping me around. I really should reward him more often, I thought.

  “I don’t know about that look guys,” Darren said, eyeing me.

  “Look?” I parroted. “What look? I don’t have a look. This is my normal look.”

  He smirked. “Uh huh.”

  Cody looked down and I sighed as he settled me comfortably against him. “It’s the prettiest look in the room,” he said.

  I leaned up and kissed him. I would have liked to do a hell of a lot more than that, but the elevator doors were already opening.

  “He only said that because you were the only chick in the room,” Taylor said with a laugh.

  I turned and slapped his stomach. Then when he merely chuckled and walked by, blowing me a kiss in his lazy, carefree, manner, I slowly pulled my hand back to my side and rubbed the soreness from it. Damn rock hard abs. Abs of steel. Abdomen of pain.

  “How many drinks have you had?” Cody asked.

  “None,” I said immediately. “I mean one. Two? I don’t know, why?”

  “Because you were just muttering about abs of steel.”

  “I was?”

  “You were.”

  I nodded. “Interesting.”

  “Is it?” Cody’s cheeks were flushed with amusement as he led us after the other two. “I’ll have to take your word for it.”

  “Jamie!” My head jerked up as Dex’s voice carried across the crowd. He stood outside the restaurant entrance with his hand in the air. We headed straight for him and Cody unloaded me at his feet.

  “Dex!” I swung my arms up and went to my tiptoes as I smacked a kiss rig
ht on his lips. “I missed you!”

  “Jesus, how much have you had to drink?” Dex’s eyes darkened as he shot the other guys a look.

  “She’s fine,” Darren assured him.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were drinking?” he asked.

  Darren frowned. “Dude, it’s a cruise. What else do you do on a cruise but drink? We’re in international waters.”

  “She doesn’t drink a lot. She could get sick.”

  “Dex, I’m fine,” I tried to assure him.

  “No, you’re not fine.”

  I leaned back. “I am,” I insisted. “Dex, what’s this about? What’s going on? Why are you getting so irritated?”

  Dex gritted his teeth and looked away. “My mother’s inside.”

  “Inside...inside the restaurant?” My eyes widened and I pushed away from his chest. “Did you tell her we were coming? Does she know?”

  Dex gave me a look. I huffed. “I didn’t mean know know,” I said. Not about us—us being the five of us.

  “I told her I was here with friends and my girlfriend.”

  “She’s going to ask questions,” Cody said.

  “I know.”

  “What do you want us to say?” Darren asked.

  Dex scrubbed a hand down his face. “I don’t know, but I haven’t told her that we’re all dating Jamie. She just thinks it's me.”

  I nodded, biting my lip. “Do you want to tell her?” I asked, looking down.

  Dex leaned closer, reaching for my hands. I kept my gaze trained on the floor. “Jamie.” I didn’t reply. “Baby, look at me.” I sighed and forced my eyes up without moving my head. “I want her to know about you,” he said.

  “But it’ll be hard to explain about the others.” I knew. It was difficult. We hadn’t told anyone else’s parents. For all everyone else knew—aside from Roxi—I was only dating one of them. For Cody’s parents, I was just dating him. For Taylor’s, the same. For Darren’s...well, we hadn’t even gotten that far. “I understand,” I said. “But we’re all here on vacation together. She’s bound to see me without you, right?”

  He inhaled and nodded. “You want to hide her relationship with us the entire week?” Darren asked. I turned my head and caught his look. He was frustrated, but I could tell that he understood. This was different from introducing your girlfriend to your parents. It would be a testament to keep up the charade and to keep everyone else from feeling ignored.

  “I’m sorry,” Dex said, sounding tired. “I know it’s a lot to ask.”

  “Tonight,” I said. “We just do it for tonight. For dinner, but afterwards, we need to have a family meeting. It has to be unanimous, Dex.”

  He nodded. “I know. Thank you, Baby.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead before looking to the others. “Thank you and I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it, bro.” Taylor shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Now, are we gonna go eat or what?”

  Dex nodded and Taylor ambled by with Cody. Dex and Darren exchanged a look. “Baby, why don’t you go inside with the others. We’ll be right there.”

  I glanced between the two of them. “Are you sure?” I didn’t worry that Dex and Darren would fight, but I also didn’t want to take any chances.

  Darren cupped my shoulder. “Go on, sweetheart. We’ll be fine.”

  I bit my lip again and stepped away. “Okay,” I said, “but hurry up.”

  “We will,” Dex promised.

  I nodded and headed inside.

  Chapter 6

  Cordelia’s was a restaurant with white tablecloths and waiters dressed in pristine white button-down shirts and black slacks. With all the food they carted around, it was a wonder how none of them had a single smudge or stain on their uniforms. I caught up with Taylor and Cody quickly and soon enough, Darren and Dex walked inside and joined us.

  I watched them for any signs of tension, but thankfully there were none. I wondered what they talked about as Dex led us through the crowd to a large circular table in the back where a woman in her early fifties with bleached blonde hair was sitting next to a younger man. As we approached the younger man stood. He was just as tall as Dex, with the same coloring and features.

  “Mother, Stephan,” Dex said, “these are my friends.” He gestured for me, and I moved closer to his side. “And this is my girlfriend, Jamie.”

  The woman lifted her martini glass—filled with a clear liquid and two olives—and sipped daintily. She didn’t lift her eyes to meet mine, simply nodded and continued sipping until the drink was completely gone before she lifted a slender hand, signaling the waiter for another.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Jamie.” Stephan leaned across the table, extending a hand, and I reached out to take it.

  “It’s nice to meet you too.”

  “I’m Dex’s brother,” he said.

  “Yes, I figured. You look too young to be a father,” I replied.

  Taylor snorted a laugh, and Stephan smiled. At least I was in the good graces of one of Dex’s relatives. Dex pulled out my chair and we all sat. Waiters came around, taking our drink orders and after so much alcohol, I decided it was time to cool down with some water.

  “Mom, Jamie goes to the same school as me,” Dex said.

  “Does she, dear?” I lifted my eyebrows as she drained her next drink in half the time of the first. For all she intoned, she could have been talking about the weather.

  “What’s your major?” Stephan asked.

  “I’m in Communications,” I answered. “Well, really a double major. I started out with just one, but last year I added a second. I’m in Communications and English.”

  “Interesting.” He edged his elbows on the pristine tablecloth and steepled his fingers, resting his chin there as he watched me. “Is there a dream job out there for you?”

  I shrugged, scratching my neck as I searched for an answer. “I’m sure there is,” I said. “There always is.”

  Cody, knowing full well how uncomfortable talking about future plans made me, jumped in for the save. “How old are you Stephan? Dex doesn’t tell us much about his family. Are you an older brother? Younger?”

  Stephan chuckled, unweaving his fingers as he sat back and turned his gaze to Cody. “You flatter me,” he said. “I’m his older brother. I’m working on my residency in New York.”

  “Residency?” I asked. “You’re a doctor?”

  “Hoping to be,” he replied, lifting his glass and taking a sip.

  “So, what brought you here?” Darren asked. “On the cruise.”

  “Well, Mother called me a few days ago, said she heard Dexter had planned a cruise trip with friends. He wasn’t picking up the phone,” Stephan looked at Dex who stiffened in his seat, “so, we thought we’d hop on board to surprise him.”

  “I’m surprised you could get time off work on such short notice,” Darren replied.

  I reached down, sliding my hand under the table and over to Dex’s lap. When I curled my hand around his, he weaved our fingers together and cast me a grateful look.

  “It’s not a big deal. Anything for Mother and Dexter.”

  Dex squeezed my hand as the waiter came by and took our order. The rest of the conversation went much the same. When my lasagna was delivered, Dex's mom sent a scathing look at the plate in front of me before scoffing and ordering another drink. Halfway through the meal, Dex’s mom was on her fifth martini, and I watched out of the corner of my eye as she picked at the leafy green salad with minimal dressing on her plate, feeling foolish and out of place. I looked down at my stomach and slowly put my fork down and simply held my napkin in my lap.

  Cody leaned closer from my other side and whispered, “Are you feeling okay?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, just not as hungry as I thought,” I lied. In fact, I was fucking starving. But Dex’s mom did not stop glaring at my plate the entire time we sat there. I didn’t know why I wanted her to like me considering she hadn’t said one word to me and hardly even looked at me.
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br />   When the dinner was over, I was more than happy to clutch onto the easiest excuse to leave. “I’m kind of tired from all the excitement today,” I said. “I think I’m going to go back and lie down.”

  “Hey, I’ll walk you back,” Cody offered.

  Stephan looked at us strangely, but Dex leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to my lips. “I’ll see you later,” he promised.

  I nodded as Cody led me away.

  “That was some dinner,” Cody said, reclining on one of the beds in the suite’s second bedroom as I brushed out my hair.

  “Tell me about it. I was so nervous.”

  “Is that why you didn’t eat anything?” he asked.

  I shrugged, blushing as Cody cracked his neck. “His mom kept looking at my plate, but she wasn’t saying anything,” I admitted quietly.

  Cody yawned. “So?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know, it just felt awkward.”

  “Are you still hungry?” he asked.

  I put the brush down and turned. “Starving,” I said with a pout.

  He grinned. “Food service?”

  I smiled back and nodded. While Cody reached for the phone to call and order us something to eat, I went to the bathroom and changed out of my day clothes and into my pajamas. When I returned, he was off the phone and stripping out of his own clothes. I admired him from the doorway, watching as his jeans fell to pool at his feet and his long, pale back flexed when he stretched.

  “You should’ve been a male model,” I teased.

  Cody jumped and turned, a flush rising to his cheeks and spreading outward. I laughed and moved forward, circling his waist with my arms as I went up on my toes to press a kiss to his lips. Cody’s arms fell easily around me and he pulled me closer.

  My eyelids drifted closed and I sank myself into him. My heartbeat thrummed against my breast, my chest pressing against his. His mouth opened and his tongue twined with mine, teasing me, lulling me into a sense of security. Cody’s hands moved from my shoulder blades down my back and up again and down again. His fingers found the edges of my sleep shorts, trailing along the top hem, leaving goosebumps in his wake.