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Chapter 1 - Jonah
Sunlight kisses my face like a lover.
The sighing of distant waves off the gulf touches my ears like sweetly spoken words on the sand.
The air is a cool, refreshing drink on my warm skin and catches my hair for a dance.
In other words, I can fucking die here.
And the men? Oh my sweet skipping heart, the men. My bestie Rico and I stop for gas at a small joint just off the causeway, and even the apron-wearing clerk with braces is a sight for the weariest eyes. “Hey, thanks for stoppin’ in, y’all,” he says with his sexy Texas twang and charming smile, and Rico and I can barely gather the breath to thank him back before leaving.
If that isn’t enough, I nearly roll through a stop sign as my eyes drink in a group of gorgeous men strolling along the sidewalk. This beach town is full of them: men coming in and out of the boutiques along the boardwalk, jogging along the road shirtless and gleaming with sweat on their every muscle, making their way down to the beach with their surfboards and six-packs of beer and abs, some in butt-hugging board shorts, some in tight pec-squeezing tank tops, others in just their swimming trunks …
“What in the actual gay heaven?” cries Rico from the passenger seat, his nose nearly glued to the glass. It’s his car, but he hates driving on long-distance road trips.
“Looks like all the men in this town fell off the Adonis tree,” I say.
“And smacked every damned branch on their way down,” he finishes.
“We have to contain ourselves,” I lovingly remind Rico. “At least until we’re checked in to our hotel.”
“Don’t worry. This won’t be a repeat of Tallahassee.”
It’s a wonder how I muster enough concentration to steer the car to the front of our hotel without running anyone over. Though as we gather our bags from the trunk, we’re spotted by a trio of young guys seated on a waist-high concrete wall by the front doors, their ages likely spanning seventeen to twenty, if I had to guess. Whatever they were chatting about is promptly ended as they look us over. One of them—tanned, sandy blond hair, flat-bill cap and a loose colorful tank top that seems to fall off his slender, toned frame—gives us a chin-lift.
Rico’s already hard at work. “Hey there, boys.”
“Need a hand?” asks the sandy blond.
Rico is about to give one of his charming one-liners when I cut him off: “We’re good, thanks for the offer!” A bag immediately drops off my shoulder. I quickly pick it back up with a grunt while Rico shoots me a look.
“Sure about that?” asks his friend sitting next to him—shirtless, similarly slender and unapologetically ripped, with deep chestnut skin, striking eyes, and a spike piercing in his eyebrow.
“We’ve got it, thank you!” I call back.
“Jonah,” hisses Rico.
“If you say so,” says the sandy blond in the tank, smirking with amusement. His friend grins. The kid with a skateboard tucked under his arm stays silent and watches us with mild curiosity.
The front doors swing shut so fast, they nearly spank us on our way inside. Even the bamboo-colored lobby is bright with the sunshine spilling in from countless floor-to-ceiling windows showing off the sights. On a couch by the window, two men in robes are cuddled while sipping regally from champagne flutes. Elsewhere, a group of guys wait for an elevator, one of them in the middle of telling a scandalous story. The salty scent of the Gulf of Mexico lingers in the air like an open invitation to some seaside party as we approach the front desk. I definitely plan to hit the beach as soon as we get settled in. After all, it’s half the reason we’re here; the beaches of Dreamwood Isle are a well-kept secret in this balmy, hidden nook of Texas.
As well as the sexy men who apparently inhabit them.
“The reservation should be under Jonah Lachlan and Rico Muñoz,” I tell the receptionist as I slide my card across the counter. Even he’s a beauty—handsome in his uniform shirt and bowtie, complete with a charming smile.
“Welcome, Jonah and Rico, to the Elysian Seaside Resort and Spa this beautiful Friday afternoon. We have a wonderful ‘couples special’ all weekend long on our spa treatments if you’re looking to be pampered. I personally recommend the hot stone massages. Are you newlyweds?”
“Oh, hell no,” cries Rico with a laugh. “Just friends. Never dated. Not even a friendly handy, and we like it that way.”
I shoot Rico a look.
“But I will happily take a looksee at that spa menu, thank you very much.” Rico snatches one off the desk.
The receptionist smiles. “Excellent. And I see you’re staying only three nights? Checking out Monday?”
“Correct,” I answer him. “Tonight, Saturday night, and Sunday night. We’re here just for the long weekend.”
