Page 69 of Last Resort

“Which is highly likely because, hello, we’re females.”

“True. Yes. I don’t know,” I groan. “It’s like we had this great night where we really got to know each other, to enjoy each other without that tension that makes you feel like you’re constantly on edge. I thought maybe we’d turned a corner and that . . . I don’t know what but—”

“But you feel it and it’s valid because you feel it,” she says as I give a nod she can’t see. “And he talked about himself in depth, and you talked about yourself in depth and so you both kind of made yourselves vulnerable.”

“I guess.”

“So it’s only natural for a guy to pull back and feel like a sap after something like that. At least in my experience.”

“So that’s good then . . . but . . .”

“What are you not saying, Sutt?”

“We kissed, and then we stopped.”

“Which is what you asked for. So a guy who respected your wishes,” she says like it’s a shocking thing. “Why do you make it sound like it’s a bad thing?”

I struggle with how to say words that feel perfectly valid in my head but suddenly feel stupid when I put a voice to them. “But why? If he wants me so badly, why stop there? He didn’t even try to talk me into doing more like he has in the past. Is that because he was simply placating me to not hurt my feelings when in reality he’s moved on and is already screwing someone else here?”

“She said she looks forward to seeing you again while you’re here.”

Gia.

The name floats through my brain and I hate that it does. He was so defensive the other day about her. Has he already been screwing her? That would explain why he stopped at kissing me. He’s getting what he wants somewhere else now. With no restrictions. Why can’t I help latching on to that . . . suspicion and not let go?

“Whoa. Let’s back up some, shall we?” She laughs, completely justifying my own rationalization that I’m crazy.

“Sorry. It’s been bottled up inside and that’s just making it all worse so—”

“So that’s why you called me.”

“Yes.”

“Personally, I think the man is still into you. I think he’s met his match who won’t drop her panties at the first flash of his pretty smile—well except for that first time of course, but we’re excluding that. And considering how much you’ve cock-teased the hell out of him, I’m rather impressed with his restraint.”

“I have not cock-teased him,” I say just for good measure. I feel like being around the man is a tease, every minute of every day.

“You’re so full of shit. Of course, you have with your whole ‘what’s in it for me’ schtick—”

“It’s not a schtick. It’s—”

“Valid. Yes, I know.” She sighs. “I agree that it is. I even agree that he needs to understand that by being with him, you’re risking everything . . . but maybe that’s what happened. Maybe so far he’s seen you as Sexy, Siren Sutton who comes on his command, and now after your discussion the other night, after getting to know the real you, he sees you as Sensible, Sweet Sutton with real-life problems, issues, and shock of all shocks, emotions.”

“He’s the one who finagled his way into living in the same villa with me. He had to have expected we’d have actual conversations during the time we were here. Conversations with words other than which position do you want to try next.”

“Agreed,” she murmurs. “But he is a guy, a player if we’re guessing right, so other than in the bedroom, I don’t exactly think your needs are high on his priority list.”

I open my mouth to defend him and then shut it. Why do I feel like maybe they are high on his list, that he does see me as more than sex, when three weeks ago I would have absolutely agreed with her and laughed while I did so?

“Perhaps,” I finally murmur.

“I’m just trying to figure him out. The man is intrigued by you for sure. I mean, there has to be more to it than you’re a challenge and that’s it because, let’s be honest, he could snap his fingers and have anyone he wants.”

“And you don’t think I know that?” I laugh as I push against the ground so my hammock chair twists me weightlessly around.

“That doesn’t mean you change course, Sutt. It means you stick to your guns.”

“Clearly you haven’t had sex with him before. He’s a pretty potent drug to resist.”