“This is so much fun, I’ve made all these new friends and I’m so happy.” She squeals and tries to draw me into a dance. If I hadn’t been beside her at dinner, I’d swear she was drunk.
I pull her hands loose and hate myself a little when her smile dims. I glance back in the direction I came from. The young woman’s watching us with a fretful expression. I hold up a finger to signal that I’d be right there.
“Who’s that?” Regan’s voice has lost all of its glee and her eyes are narrowed in suspicion and trained over my shoulder.
“I don’t know her name. She needs help with her tent.”
One of her dark arched brows lifts in question and she turns her gaze back to me. “Isn’t that what that couple’s for?” She crosses her arms and taps her foot.
“She can’t find them. I’m going to help.”
“Well, that’s nice of you I’ll see you back at the tent, then?”
I frown at the tight smile she gives me. “It won’t take that long. I’ll be back.”
“Why?” She is still smiling but her eyes broadcast her irritation.
“For you,” I say, biting Captain Obvious on the tip of my tongue back.
“Don’t bother, you’re not interested in dancing and that’s all I want to do. I’ll see you at the tent.”
She dismisses me with a shout of “Muevolo!” before she twirls away from me. A loud cheer erupts from the gaggle of men she’s got in her thrall and the sound grates on my nerves like sandpaper. I don’t give a shit if they’re all old enough to be her father, I want to break every single one of their jaws.
I debate throwing her over my shoulder and carrying her to the tent, and using my mouth on her until she’s begging me to fuck her
But I’m not going to make a fool of myself for her again. Each step costs me a sliver of sanity, but I leave walk away without looking back.
I follow the girl, who introduces herself as Riley, to her private campground, which happens to be the one right before ours. She talks the whole way, she and her sister flew to Cabo from Silver Spring, Maryland and are on a road trip that’ll take them all the way back home.
It takes less than five minutes to help them fix their tent flap and when Riley invites me to stay for a shot of the tequila she and her sister bought from some place that’s supposed to be legendary, I don’t say no.
Her sister is starting medical school in the fall and when I tell her I’m in the middle of my fellowship, she peppers me with questions I’m happy to answer.
By the time I leave their tent to make the short walk to our tent., it’s almost midnight. I’ve had enough tequila that I’m in a good mood again.
The light glow from inside alerts me to Regan’s presence. A flash of memory from the glimpse I had of her - teeth flashing, hair flying like a flock of ribbons, her hands in someone else’s - eviscerates my tequila induced enthusiasm. Nerves and uncertainty send my skittering, and I hold my breath as I pull back the flap and peek inside.
She’s laying on one of the plushily dressed twin sized beds in our tent. Her legs are crossed at the ankles and propped on a stack of the blue throw pillows. I stare at the bare soles of her slim feet. They’re the only part of her body I’ve never seen and just like the rest of her, I find them remarkably well formed. A dusting of white sand clings to her heels and toes, but her high delicate arches are clean and smooth.
I walk to stand next to her. My eyes trace the outline of her long legs under the clinging floral patterned fabric of her dress, the curve of her hips, the delicate, ringless hands that rest on her flat stomach, the swell of her breasts, the small dark mole that sits in the hollow of her left collarbone calls me name.
I bite my lip to hold back a groan and reach down to turn off the small solar lamp on the table beside her bed.
“Don’t.” Her hand covers mine, and I nearly jump out of my skin.
“Shit. I thought you were asleep.” I say, dumbly.
“I bet you did.” Her voice is flat, and she studiously avoids meeting