The Pathway To Us (3 page)

“You’re smart but not about everything.”

A devilish smile appeared on Megan’s face. “True but I’m right about your virginity. Or, did you give it up already?”

“N-no but that’s not the point. I don’t believe in random hook-ups.”

Megan giggled as her plan started to take shape, her green eyes sparkled. “Sometimes a hook-up is exactly what you need, and in your case it might take several to get you to loosen up.”

“Megan, I’m not giving it up to some random guy. When I meet the right person, it’ll happen the way it’s supposed to.”

“Lilliana Huntington! You are making this more difficult than it needs to be. Sex is so good, and with the right man it can be
AH-MAZING
. Until you find the right man, there is nothing wrong with settling for good. Plus, how will you ever know if you’re having good or bad sex if you’ve never even tried it?” Megan rolled her neck around. “It would be a travesty to be with a man and absolutely
hate
the sex.”

Those were really valid points, but Lily still couldn’t imagine being with someone like it was some kind of sport. She wrinkled up her nose. “When to make love is something I think I can figure out on my own.”

“Okay. Okay. But, before you completely shut me down, think about this. We are the only women on this boat aside from a couple of stewardesses for the next seven days. They are kind of cute but not like us.” Megan’s hearty laughed filled the small cabin. “So, there is no real competition for the six guys up on deck who are super-hot! Well, maybe four since one of them is married and the other I think is engaged.”

Lily was intrigued. Maybe she could
practice
a little flirting. She didn’t know these men from Adam and would never have to see them again if she made a complete fool out of herself. Her firm no was turning into a serious maybe. “We’ve barely been on the open sea for a full day. How do you know the status of all of the men already?”

“Are you kidding me? This is my Uncle Jackson’s yacht. I took a quick peek at the manifest and then looked them up on the internet. My uncle is letting Anthony Davison—he owns a chain of high-end restaurants in Paris, Chicago, Milan and several other places—borrow his yacht. Anthony carries my uncle's wines in his restaurants. He’s a cutie too, but unfortunately, he’s married to an underwear model or something.”

Lily frowned. “If Mr. Davison is borrowing the boat, why are we here?”

Megan waved her hand. “Oh, Uncle Jackson was supposed to come but something came up so he couldn’t. However, he told the guys that we’d already planned to use the boat. Since it was just the two of us, they decided we wouldn’t be a problem. Little did they know? We are nothing but trouble.” She laughed.

Lily couldn’t help but think these men were out of her league. Her insecurities came rushing back. “I don’t know Megan. I wouldn’t even know what to say to some rich guy.”

Megan shrugged. “The same thing you would say to a regular guy. They put their pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else. Look, we’ve gone around and around enough about this. Shut down that computer and meet me in my cabin in twenty minutes.”

Maybe she would do exactly that and it might be a little fun to pretend to be someone else for a little while.

“Okay. I’ll give it a shot.”

Megan slapped her hands together. “Fantastic! This is going to be so much fun. See ya in twenty.” She was so excited that Lily was going to try it her way that she wiggled her but and danced right out of the door.

Like a magnet, the moment Megan strolled out onto the upper deck wearing a black two-piece bikini with a matching sheer sarong tied around her hips, the men turned in her direction.

Lily’s palms were sweating. She wasn’t used to exposing so much skin. She took a deep breath and followed Megan wearing probably one of the skimpiest yellow bikinis ever made. At least, this one covered her butt. She refused to wear the thong that Megan had thrust into her hands. Still, the only way she would walk out of the cabin was if Megan gave her a different swimsuit and a full cover-up. Megan being Megan agreed, but she still got her way. She gave Lily a cover up that was completely sheer and really didn’t conceal very much. It left her completely exposed except for the tiny bits of cloth strategically placed in sensitive areas. Her full-breasts that were threatening to spill out of her top were on display. In Lily’s mind, she might as well have been naked. She kept reminding herself that she was going to a pool. People at the pool wear bathing suits. Also, she wasn’t going as Lily, she was pretending to be someone else. This someone else was going to be fun and flirty, and have a good time.

Megan had no problem engaging the men. “Hey, guys! My friend Lily and I thought we’d come out for a dip. How’s the water?”

There were lots of appreciative smiles, glances, and “hello’s” being exchanged. Lily blinked rapidly as her gaze landed everywhere but on the guys. Her stomach was in knots. Still, she smiled and waved, then quickly took a seat in a chaise lounge next to the pool. It was just a few feet away from everyone else.

A hunky blonde with six-pack abs, who looked as if he should be in a toothpaste commercial, responded. “It’s perfect now that you and your friend have arrived. By the way, I’m Jake.” He pointed to each man sitting around the eight-person table. “These are my friends—Logan, Anthony, Ronnie, Francois, and Cooper.”

Lily glanced quickly around at each of them, but her eyes stopped for just a moment on the one with dark hair, a bit of stubble shadowed his face. He wore mirrored sunglasses so Lily couldn’t see his eyes. She couldn’t tell how tall he was either, but the corded muscles that stood out from underneath his fitted, white sleeveless t-shirt caught her attention. It was clear he was in good shape but not overly muscled.

Once Lily realized she was staring, she turned away.

“Thanks, I’m Megan Laws. Lily and I are going to have to test the water out.” After Megan felt she’d made enough of a grand entrance, she sat down in the chair next to Lily. “I want a drink. You want one?”

“It’s pretty warm out here. I’ll take a lemonade or something.”

Megan wiggled her eyebrows up and down. “Or, something. Be right back.” Megan used any excuse in the book to show off her hot body.

Once Megan was gone, Lily stretched out on the chaise lounge chair. She knew she was going to fail this flirting experiment with flying colors. All she wanted to do was go back to her cabin and put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Lily could hear the rumble of the men’s conversation as it started to pick up. She also began to make out distinct sentences as they talked among themselves. Her imagination had her thinking she could feel their eyes on her.

“Go on over. Make your move, dude. You were the one complaining about the lack of women on this trip. Well, there’s a smoking hot one right over there.”

They had to be talking about Megan. She must be on her way back. Hearing them talk made Lily completely uncomfortable. Fully intending to block everything out and maybe get a nice tan, she closed her eyes.

Moments later, a male voice cleared his throat. “Excuse me.”

Lily blinked a few times as she looked up.
Is he talking to me?
Shyly she smiled and spoke. “Hi. Can I help you?”

He made no secret of showing his appreciation for her body as he looked her up and down. His smile widened into a full grin. “Only if you allow me to hang out with you for a bit? I’m Cooper Benton.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh. I-I’m Lilliana Huntington, and I’m just out to get a little sun.”

He sat down in the chair next to her, attempted a cocky smirk as his assessing eyes wandered the length of Lily’s body. “Then you should have worn something that didn’t have my friends and me grasping at straws trying to figure out which one of us would come over to talk to you.”

His comment didn’t sit well with Lily. While it was nice to be physically appreciated by a man, she didn’t want to feel like a piece of meat either. Before she could respond, several of the fellas from the table jumped into the pool splashing water all over them. They were laughing hysterically from getting them all wet. Cooper bore the brunt of it.

Lily laughed. She appreciated the distraction, and the water did cool her rapidly heated skin. One of them yelled from the water. “Times up Coop! She ain’t interested.”

Megan returned with their drinks. “What’s going on over here? I was only gone a few minutes, and you’re already having a pool party without me?”

Someone from the pool waved her on in. “Come on in beautiful. The water is perfect.” Megan handed Lily her drink then put hers down on the table. “I think I will.” She dropped her sarong and turned to Lily before winking. “I’m going to get a little wet. You should try it.”

Lily blushed at Megan’s suggestive comment, while Cooper focused his full attention appreciatively on Megan. “Your friend is right. Let’s take a dip. It’ll be fun.”

“Maybe in a while. You go ahead and have fun.”

“You sure?”

Lily nodded. A moment later, he left her side and jumped into the pool with everyone. If nothing else, Lily planned to get a fantastic tan. Her skin didn’t burn as easily as her mother’s did. After about twenty minutes, the plastic from her chair was starting to get a hot and sticky. Every time she moved, her skin felt as if it were being peeled from that spot.
I need to fix that pronto.
When Lily turned around to throw her towel over the back of her chair, her breath caught in her throat. The dark and handsome guy with the mirrored glasses and another guy were still sitting at the table. She couldn’t tell if he was looking at her or not. Something about his quiet demeanor called out to her. Maybe, if she got up the nerve, she’d try to flirt with him a little later. Lily turned back around, sipped her lemonade, (that she was sure was spiked with something) and watched everyone else have a good time in the pool.

*****

During the few hours Lily spent at the pool watching the action, several of the guys took turns trying to get her attention. Lily was polite but never felt comfortable enough to engage in flirting. For the moment, she sat alone and possibly feeling the effects of her
lemonade
.

“I take it you have a boyfriend?”

She looked up to see the dreamy guy with the glasses. He sat down next to her. Her heart started to race. “N-no. Not at all.”

“My friends will be crushed that none of them were able to sweet talk you into the pool.”

Lily sat up a little. If he was going to hit on her, she was very open to it. Her spiked lemonade loosened her tongue. “So you came over to get the intel on me?”

He laughed. “Yeah. I’m Logan by the way. I guess they think I’m the safest choice to charm you since I’m engaged. I offer no real threat to steal your heart.”

Although she was disappointed that he was engaged, his easy laugh made Lily relax. “Gotcha. I’m thinking my heart isn’t what they want to steal.”

He didn’t respond. Lily was sexy as hell and had this innocent thing about her. Any red-blooded male would be attracted to her. His fiancé, Bree Michaels popped into his mind. They had been together on and off since college, and he’d never do anything to hurt her. “My friends are crazy, but they are good guys.”

Lily turned back toward the little party in the pool. “Good to know since my friend, Megan, seems to be having the time of her life.”

*****

It was late. Dinner had been over for hours, and some people were turning in for the evening, while others were off doing their own thing, like Megan. She had made a new friend. Lily wasn’t quite ready to turn in for the night, so she made her way back up on deck. This time, Lily was comfortable wearing an all-white sleeveless jumper that covered her butt, skimming the tops of her thighs. The expanse of leg, paired up with her white tennis shoes, gave the illusion that her toned legs went on for miles. She leaned up against the railing staring out into the sea. She couldn’t see much in the darkness, but the moon seemed to be sitting on top of the water. Slowly, Lily inhaled then exhaled the salt filled night air. It was more than beautiful it was beguiling.

She didn’t hear Logan come up behind her. “It is a nice night isn’t it?”

Lily watched him stare out over the ocean too. He’d taken off his glasses, and if she thought he was handsomeness wrapped up in goodness before, he was that and more. She still couldn’t see the color of his eyes. It was too dark.
Watch it Lily. The man has a fiancé.
Of course, it was just her luck that the only guy so far to make her heart go pitter-patter was off limits. “Quite.” She was glad she hadn’t put her glasses back on, which sat in a small purse that was draped over her hip.

Logan thought he could come up to have a few quiet minutes alone. He hadn’t expected anyone to be out on the deck this late at night. When he walked up, Lily was standing there with the wind blowing through her hair looking like an angel. He thought he had better be careful around this girl. There was no doubt he loved his fiancé and would never cheat on her, but there was something about Lily that called out to him. “Did you have a good time today, even though you didn’t get in the pool?”