Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 77309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
But then she takes her shirt off like that, and instead of heading up to put on something fresh, she just—stands there.
And lets me stare at her.
Which was a massive mistake.
Because she’s perfect. Gorgeous breasts, smooth skin, plump lips. We were so close to each other, and I couldn’t help myself.
I kissed her, and not because it was part of some ceremony, but because I wanted to.
And I’d do it again. And again. I’d kiss her until my lips went numb.
Which is a massive problem.
Luckily, the washing machine kicked on and ruined the moment, otherwise I’m pretty sure I was about to go down on her right then and there.
I think she would’ve let me.
“There you two are!” Allison comes running over. She’s wearing coconuts over her tits and a tiny little bikini bottom with flowers in her hair. I flinch at the sight.
“You could’ve covered up more,” I grumble.
“Thanks, Dad.” She rolls her eyes at me and hugs Isabel. “Well? It’s going great, right?”
“You didn’t tell me there’d be free alcohol.” Isabel seems nervous. “The drinks aren’t strong, right?”
“Probably not.” Allison gestures over at the main bar. “But look, people are buying drinks like crazy.”
She’s got a point. Despite the free booze, the bar’s crowded two deep, which means this party might actually turn a profit.
By some miracle.
“It’s going fine,” I say, which is the best I can muster. “Please make sure it doesn’t get out of control.”
Allison laughs. “Come on, it’s a party. You want it to get a little bit wild.”
“Not too wild.” Isabel looks around. “You have security here, right?”
“Sure, totally.” Allison spots someone in the crowd. “Okay, gotta go. Guests are loving this, so don’t worry. We’re golden!” She runs off.
Isabel turns to me. “We’re fucked.”
“You think so?”
“Absolutely. Con, she doesn’t have anyone else here working the event.”
I frown and look around. Isabel’s right. “I can fix that.”
“Can you? Because I think we need like half a dozen guys here to make sure that free alcohol doesn’t cause a riot.”
“I’ll make a call.”
“Right. I keep forgetting. You have a guy for just about everything.”
“I am the guy.” I pull out my phone and text Damon, instructing him to bring a few of the Costa soldiers over to the pool. Family members only. Real muscle.
Once that’s done, we drift around the area. The guests seem relatively well-behaved, though as the night wears on it gets a little rowdy. Isabel tries one of the free pina coladas and confirms that it does in fact have alcohol—“A lot of freaking alcohol”—though that doesn’t stop her from drinking the whole thing. At least Damon comes through, bringing a few of my more reliable thugs to keep the peace. They seem to tame some of the more aggressive edges of the party by lurking around and looking mean.
I end up with Isabel on chairs at the edge of a cabana. Her empty cup sits at her feet and we watch as people drink and laugh in the water, doing cannonballs, cheering as a chicken fight breaks out.
“Can I admit something?” She turns to me and I notice she’s wearing the rings. She doesn’t have to wear them all the time—I never made some rule about it—but it seems like she hasn’t taken them off. I like it. “I didn’t think Allison would actually pull this off. I mean, I figured it’d just be a mess, you know?”
“I had a feeling if that girl can do anything right, it’s party.”
“Still, it’s one thing to go to parties, it’s another to organize one. She’s got some skills.”
“I guess she’s a general’s daughter, right?”
“Logistics are in her blood.” She smiles at me. “Seriously, I’m impressed.”
“You want to hire her for real?”
“You could do worse.”
“I’m counting the hours until she’s out of my life.”
Isabel grins, leaning toward me. “Oh, yeah? Does that mean you want to get rid of me too?”
I smirk in return. “No, I’m keeping you. When this is all over, I’m locking you in a room.”
“Sounds wonderful. Free food and no responsibilities? Sign me up.”
“I wish Allison had that attitude.”
“Good luck with that.”
I move closer to Isabel and drape my arm across her shoulders. I’m not sure what makes me do it—maybe the chill blowing in as the sun goes down, or just the good vibes of the party. Isabel hesitates before leaning her head on my shoulder.
“We can do this, you know.” I don’t look at her as I speak. “You and I, we can make it work. So long as Allison doesn’t do anything too crazy.”
“There’s no guarantee of that.”
“I’d say there’s about a fifteen percent chance of her burning down the entire hotel.”
“Fifteen is generous. I’d give it twenty-five.” She snuggles closer. Her warm body feels good pressed against mine. “I’m going to admit something. I’m pretty sure that drink had like six shots of vodka in it, because I must be losing my mind right now, but I’m going to admit it anyway.”