Page 39 of Bad Blood Panther

The area in front of the trailer had been turned into a beach. There was a crescent of sand, big enough for several chaise lounges with colorful beach umbrellas. In the curve of the crescent was an oversize kiddie pool, at least fifteen feet across and two feet deep, with a floating lounger drifting across the surface.

Xander sat in one of the lounge chairs by the pool, wearing shades, tiny cutoff denim short-shorts, and nothing else. He’d oiled his chest with something, accentuating every gorgeous muscle, and his eight-pack abs rippled as he moved.

“Hey babe,” he said, pulling off his shades and spreading his arms wide. “How do you like your fantasy?”

In addition to the beach and the pool, the porch had been expanded. Like, actually built onto while they were gone. Half of it was covered with a tent cabana made of red-striped canvas. The sides were tied back, and through the mosquito netting Jenny could see a big double lounger made up with crisp white sheets.

At the other end was a full-on tiki bar. Sloan shrugged off his Mr. Roarke jacket, put on a Hawaiian shirt, and became the bartender.

She was stunned.

Xander got out of his chair and bounded over. “So?” he asked Jenny. “What do you think?”

Lissa said to Xander, “Why are you covered in oil?”

Xander rolled his eyes. “Duh. I’m the sexy cabana boy. Jenny’s always wanted to go on a tropical vacation and be seduced by a sexy cabana boy.”

Jenny felt a blush rise in her cheeks. “I never said that!”

“You did so. That time we got super-drunk on strawberry daquiris and binge-watched Fantasy Island.”

Jenny gasped. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you remember that!” She started giggling. “I said I wanted to go on an island vacation. I’m sure I never mentioned sex with a cabana boy.”

“I might have inferred that part,” Xander said. “I mean, what woman doesn’t want to bone a sexy cabana boy wearing peekaboo short shorts?”

Caitlyn snorted. “Right. Who doesn’t?”

Jenny looked around, still amazed. “I can’t believe you did all this for me.”

“Of course I did.” He shooed the others away. “Go hang out at the bar,” he said. “This is a private beach.”

Jenny walked over to it, kicking off her sandals and burying her toes in the sand. “You made me a beach,” she said wonderingly. “I’ve never been to the beach.”

“I know,” he said. “When we were watching the show that time, you said you were probably never going to get to go on your island dream vacation, and I didn’t get why then. But I do now. You can’t fly commercial, because of your panther.” He shrugged. “Me either. So since we can’t go to a tropical island, I made one for you.” His eyes grew uncertain. “You like it?”

“Are you kidding? It’s amazing.” She felt herself tearing up. He must have spent hours planning, and she didn’t even want to know what he’d promised Sloan and Tank to get them to haul all that sand, and expand the porch and build a tiki bar. Not to mention dressing up and serving drinks.

“I’m—” She shook her head. “I don’t even know what to say. I love it so much.” She kissed him carefully. “I’d hug you, but I don’t want to get oiled up.”

“Oh, yeah you do,” he said. “But that’s for later.”

Mmmmrow.“May I ask why the sexy cabana boy has to be oily?”

Xander rolled his eyes. “Hello. They get all oiled up to make their impressive muscles even more obvious and seductive. As they’re bringing you drinks and feeding you grapes.”

Jenny’s jaw dropped. “You’re going to feed me grapes?”

“Oh yeah,” he said. “While you float in the pool and I ply you with frozen drinks that have tiny umbrellas in them.”

He kissed her again. “So now you have to get in your sexy bathing suit and lie on your floaty lounge while I’m doing all that shit, plus being so hot and fuckable that eventually you drag me into the cabana and boink my brains out.”

Jenny kissed him, really slow. “I can’t wait.”

“Mmmmm.”