a grimace, I turn to it. And nearly swallow my tongue. “I’m Henri. Can I get you a drink?”
Dark mocha skin marbled with swirling tattoos. Rippled muscles peeking through a white tank top. Strong jaw with a bit of scruff. And the most killer smile I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
“Oh, uh….”
Kill me. Kill me now.
My face is burning as I search for something to say. Anything, actually. But I come up empty.
“Let me get you a drink. What would you like?”
“Umm…a Piña Colada, I guess?”
“You don’t look like a Piña Colada girl to me.”
“And what kind of girl do I look like?”
His eyes narrow as he scans me from head to toe, but there isn’t any heat in his gaze. I decide I like him instantly as he answers, “I haven’t decided yet, so a Piña Colada will have to do for now.”
“Sounds great.”
Rounding the corner, he disappears for a split second before reappearing on the opposite side of the bar. With a knowing grin, he begins flipping glasses through the air and whips me up an epic Piña Colada in minutes.
After he places a freshly-mixed beverage––complete with a wedge of pineapple on the edge of the tall glass––in front of me, he dips his chin. “Try it.”
I wrap my mouth around the straw and take a sip. The coconut mixed with rum, milk, and a hint of pineapple is freaking amazing.
“That’s the best Piña Colada I’ve ever had,” I admit.
He grins with satisfaction. “Perfect. Hopefully, it’s the first of many for this trip.”
“I hope so too.”
Something catches his attention behind me before he adds, “Would your friend like one too?”
Pulling my gaze from the sexy bartender who obviously doesn’t have a thing for me, I swivel on the barstool expecting to find Gem. My jaw drops in disbelief before I practically squeal. “Conner?!”
“Nora?!” my cousin returns before pulling me into a giant bear hug. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I’m running this thing!” I tell him with a grin. “What are you doing here?”
Releasing me, he explains, “I moved down here a few months ago after my internship ended in New York. I didn’t know you put this thing together.”
“I know! If I’d known you were coming, I would’ve gotten you the friends and family discount.”
“Aww, ain’t you sweet,” he teases. “But it’s all good. A buddy of mine at work already got us free drink cards and a balcony upgrade or some shit, so it was actually a pretty good deal.”
Dropping my voice low, I tease, “Oh, so he must’ve heard about us through our Volt advertisement. Good to know it brought some good-looking guys to help offset all the estrogen on the ship.”
“That it did, cousin. I came with three other bachelors who are looking for a good time too. You guys definitely downplayed the whole astrology shit in the ad, though.”
I grimace. “I know, right? Why do you think we had to advertise in a guy’s magazine in the first place?”
“Ah, it all makes sense now. Well, at least the women are hot as hell. That definitely helps soften the blow.”
“Glad they’ve met your approval.” I roll my eyes and smack his shoulder, pulling a deep laugh out of him.
“Me too. After the shit I went through at my last job, I’m in desperate need of a distraction. Did your brother come too?”
“Nah. He’s busy with his son, which is where his attention should be so….”
“Good point.”
“Hey, sorry I’m late,” a confident Gem announces before stepping back and scanning Conner up and down. Her lips tilt up in amusement. “Why, hello there. I’m Gemini. And you are…?”
“Gemini?” Conner asks, checking her out just as openly as Gem did. His eyes light up in approval. I don’t really blame him. Gem is all curves in her deep red bikini with her long, curly black hair hanging down her back. Hell, even I think she’s hot.
“With a name like that, I’d say you’re in the right place,” he adds, offering his hand for her to take. “I’m Conner, Nora’s cousin.”
She shakes it firmly. “It’s nice to meet you. Nora, you didn’t mention your cousin would be joining us.”
“I didn’t know he would be. Talk about a small world, right? He saw our ad in Volt magazine.”
“Yes! I knew that would reel in some pretty fish.” She winks playfully. “Is it just you or…?”
“I brought a few friends too. I’m actually supposed to meet up with them.” He scans the pool area before lifting his chin