I can’t believe I’m really doing this.

After begging my supervisor, she put in the request for my time off and made sure our boss approved it. She knows I’m a hard worker and work nonstop, and after giving her the sob story of Asshole, she sympathized, having had her own experience with a married man. God, the men here just suck.

Not that I’m expecting the men in Florida to be any different because let’s face it, downtown Key West is party city. But at least now, I have zero expectations. Don’t get too close. Have fun. No rules.

Yep. That’s going to be my life for the next two weeks.

And I couldn’t be more excited and nervous about it. The last time I ever did anything spontaneous was back in my sophomore year in college when I ran through the commons area topless in the middle of January. My nipples nearly froze off, but it was for some club I was in. We were protesting something, but I can’t even remember what it was now. So obviously, I lived it up during my college years.

Actually, I studied nonstop. Nursing school is no joke and definitely not for the weak. I almost quit five times, but I wouldn’t let it defeat me. More determined than ever, I graduated with honors with a 3.8 GPA.

I smiled as I boarded the plane, feeling brave for taking this step. Thankfully, it was a direct flight from Milwaukee to the Key West International Airport. Natalie and Adam left yesterday, but all the airlines were booked, so I had to fly out the next day. I didn’t mind though, because I planned to read during the flight anyway.

“Going for business or pleasure?” a deep male voice asks next to me.

Blinking, I look up and see a man sitting next to me who I hadn’t even realized was there. I had taken my seat by the window first and buried myself in my book right away. He was dressed in a sharp, black suit and looked to be a tad older than me.

“Um, I’m going for a vacation. So pleasure, I guess.” I flash a small smile. “You?”

He brushes his fingers over his black tie. “Business.” He confirms my thoughts, his attire giving it away.

“Well, maybe you’ll get a few moments to enjoy the beaches. I hear they’re amazing,” I say, making small talk because I’m not really sure what else to say. I spend my days with children and hard-ass doctors, so I almost feel rusty when it comes to communicating with people outside of my job.

“Yeah, not a lot of time for beaches on work trips.” He smiles wide, showing off his perfectly white teeth.

“Oh, that’s a bummer.”

“Well, I might be able to squeeze in some extracurricular activities…if you’re interested.” His voice goes silky smooth, yet his tone makes me shudder. Then he winks, sealing his offer.

Is he seriously hitting on me right now?

“No thanks,” I blurt out, uncomfortably. “I’m meeting a couple friends there, and we’ll be busy.” I flash a weak smile that I hope gives him a hint.

He digs into his pocket, making me wonder what the hell he’s up to next. Pulling out a business card, he flicks it at me and smiles. “Well, if you change your mind and have some extra time, hit me up.”

Reluctantly, I grab it and crumple it in my fist.

“Sure,” I mutter, nearly hugging the window to keep my distance. Just as he shifts in his seat, my eyes gaze down to his hand, and that’s when I see it. That rat bastard. “How sweet of your wife to share you. Too bad she doesn’t realize what a skeez you are.” The words come out harsher than I intended, but even so, I don’t even feel bad about it.

Without saying a word, he turns his body away from me. Coward.

If this is what being out in the dating world is like, then count me out. I’d only met Andrew on a rare evening out with a friend for her birthday. She’d gotten so wasted, I had to help her walk outside and hail a cab. I nearly slipped on my heels—that I hardly wore—and both of us were about to face-plant when Andrew grabbed my waist to keep me steady on my feet. He’d just so happened to be walking out of another bar when he saw us stumbling and ran to help.

It was one of those damsel-in-distress moments, and if I’d been thinking clearly, I maybe wouldn’t have wasted the last six months on him. However, he saved us both, helped me get my friend in the cab, and before I followed behind, he asked if he could have my number. I figured he’d never call anyway, so I gave it to him. He surprised me when he called the following day and asked me out.

Completely smitten, I’d fallen for him hard and fast. I kept pushing away any signs that I was being paranoid and kept telling myself that I was lucky to even have a guy like him interested in me. I wasn’t naturally an insecure person, but after a few failed online dating attempts, I decided there was no way decent men exist anymore. Up until three weeks ago, I thought Andrew was the exception.

But it seems married men can’t seem to keep it in their damn pants no matter what state I’m in.

Relieved when we finally land, I grab my luggage after deplaning and stop for a coffee before hailing a taxi. By the time I’m in the cab, I already have Natalie on the line to let her know I’m here, and she nearly popped my eardrum with her excitement.

“Oh my God, River! It’s gorgeous here, isn’t it?” She releases a dreamy sigh into the phone. I can already picture her lying out poolside with a drink in hand. “Adam decided to go looking for some good fishing spots for tomorrow morning, so it’s just me, the sun, and my Bahama Mama.”

I chuckle, loving how relaxed she sounds. This is just what I needed right now.

“Well, I can’t wait to join you. Once I check in and settle into my room, I’ll change and meet you down there,” I tell her, looking out the window at the touristy views.

“Perfect! I’ll have a drink waiting for you!”

The warmth is the first thing I notice when I get out of the cab. The wind brings a nice breeze my way as I walk through the doors of the hotel, reminding me I’m no longer in Wisconsin. It was cold and gloomy this past week, so this weather is definitely a welcome change.

As soon as I walk in, I take in everything from the bright blue color palette to the ocean views all along the back through the windows. It’s something straight up from a magazine. People walk around with their oversized beach bags, sunglasses, and flip-flops. It instantly brightens my mood.

“Hello, welcome to the Hyatt. Can I help you?” the receptionist greets me, and I’m more than happy to say, “Yes, yes, you can!”

Once I’m all checked in, she directs me to the elevators, and soon I’m scanning my keycard into my room. I ended up with a corner room, which at first, I was hesitant about because I wanted all ocean views, but as soon as I walk in, I see I’m not the least bit disappointed.

With the wraparound balcony and two sets of sliding glass doors, it looks like the ocean is in my room. The entire half of my wall is taken over by the sliding doors and the perfect beach views.

“This is heaven,” I mutter to myself with the biggest smile I’ve had in weeks.

Once I give myself the tour, I unpack my luggage and dig around for my swimsuit. I’m never been more eager to wear the damn thing, which considering all the winter weight I put on last year, says a lot. When I’m at work, I wear scrubs and clogs, so this is a change I don’t mind.

I change, find my swimsuit wrap and pull it over my body. Grabbing a towel, my key, and bag, I head out ready to find Natalie and one of those umbrella drinks.

“Oh my God!” Natalie screams, jumping out of the chair as soon as she sees me rounding the pool. “I can’t believe you’re actually here!” She wraps her arms around my neck and squeezes. “Perfect timing, too! I just ordered another drink and got one for you.”

“Great, thanks! It feels a little unreal that I’m actually here,” I say, squeezing her back. “Thank you for inviting me,” I continue as she releases me. “Or rather, thank you for forcing me to come.” I grin.

“What are friends for if not to give you a little push when you need it?” She smirks, grabbing my bag in one hand and leading me over to her spot.

“I can’t believe how beautiful it is, and I’ve only seen the airport and lobby so far.” I pull my cover off and start digging into my bag.

“Well, look at you,” she teases, eyeing my body. “I haven’t seen that much skin on you since that time I walked in on you changing.”

“That’s because you have no boundaries,” I remind her, chuckling.

“No doubt you’ll definitely find a Florida hottie during this trip.” She waggles her brows. “Big ta-tas, curvy hips, slim waistline.”

“I’m starting to feel a little violated now,” I mock, adjusting my swimsuit top to make sure it’s covering all appropriate boobage and nipples.

“Okay, well, I’m just saying. You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” She takes a long sip of her drink, and I give her a look that says otherwise.

“I can’t wait to go down Front and Duval Streets. I looked them up on YouTube, and they look like a lot of fun,” I say, kicking off my shoes.

“We have lots of time to explore, but today is the perfect pool day.” She sighs, getting comfortable in her chair. She leans back with her large sunglasses on her face and tilts her head up to the sun.

“I hope you put sunscreen on,” I tell her, pulling some out of my bag.

“I came to Florida for a tan,” she says matter-of-factly, adjusting herself deeper into the chair.

“And melanoma?” I raise a brow even though she’s not looking at me.

She groans.

“C’mon, sit up,” I order. It’ll take me five seconds.”

“Yes, Nurse River.” She winks. “That sounded way dirtier coming out than it did in my head.”

I roll my eyes and laugh. She does as I say, and when I finish, she motions for me to turn around so she can spray my back and arms. When she’s done, I spray my face, chest, stomach, and legs. This Northern girl is as white as they come, but that doesn’t mean I want to risk it either.

Once I’m settled, I sprawl out on the chair with my own pair of oversized sunglasses and a topknot on my head. I grab my phone and turn on some tunes just as a gentleman comes over with a tray of drinks.

“Your drinks, ma’am,” he greets, handing the first one to Natalie, who hands it to me and then takes the other for herself. She smiles at him before handing him a tip, and we both thank him.

“This is the life.” I chuckle before taking a large sip. “Drinks just taste better when they get delivered to you by the pool.”

“You said it, sister,” she quips. “Especially when the cabana boys aren’t that bad to look at.” She tilts her sunglasses off her nose and eyes him as he walks away.

I laugh. “I’m sure Adam wouldn’t think so.”

“Are you kidding?” She chuckles. “He basically dragged me down here and told me to have a ‘good time,’ if you know what I mean.” She smirks.

“You two have the weirdest relationship I know.”

“Nah, it works just fine. Looking at other people is what we use to keep things hot in the bedroom.” The playful tone of her voice lets me know there’s more to the story, but I have no desire to dig for further information.

“Good to know.” I smile even though she’s not paying attention to me. Natalie and Adam have been together for as long as I can remember, so it doesn’t surprise me that their relationship is the way it is. As long as he takes good care of her and treats her right, I keep my nose out of it.

Sipping my drink till it’s halfway gone, I set it down before adjusting myself on the lounge chair and lie back. The sun heats my body in no time, and I almost fall asleep when the cabana boy arrives with another round of drinks.

“When did we order those?” I ask, taking the glass off the tray.

“I have them on a schedule for every hour.” Natalie beams.

Smiling, I shrug and take a sip. “Ooh, this one tastes different.”

“I ordered Bermuda Triangles. It sounded more tropical.”

I laugh at how serious her tone is and take another sip. “These taste like trouble.”

“Oh, trust me, they are. These got me in so much trouble during Frat week my sophomore year, I swore to stay away from them forever.”

“That lasted long.” I grin.

“Vacation is an exception,” she states matter-of-factly. “And bonus, I don’t have to get up tomorrow and give an oral presentation for a psychology exam.”

My head falls back as I burst out laughing. Natalie was always known for being the life of the party, whereas I always had my face buried in a book. Nursing school nearly killed me. There was no time for ludicrous parties or getting so drunk I couldn’t function the next day. Even though nursing school certainly made me want to.

The following morning, I wake up stretched out in my king-sized bed with a slight headache. Though I only drank two of those Bermuda Triangles, we didn’t stop there. After we soaked up the sun, Natalie dragged me to the hotel bar until Adam came and tore us away. He walked me to my room before leading Natalie back to theirs.

Rolling over, I check my phone on the nightstand and see a text waiting for me.

N: Continental breakfast in the lobby! Meet us there at 9!

N: AND MIMOSAS!

N: To cure that hangover you probably have, you lightweight ;)

---

I smile and laugh at her messages. Natalie has always known how to keep things entertaining.

Once I’ve showered and dressed, I make it down for breakfast just on time. Natalie and Adam are already at a table waving me over.

“Good morning, sunshine,” she says with a bright smile.

“Does she always wake up this perky?” I direct my eyes toward Adam as I take a seat.

“Only on days I don’t have to work or when I wake up in paradise,” she answers for him with a dreamy sigh.

“I thought you’d be out fishing already?” I reach for the mimosa already set in front of me and take a drink.

“I was.”

“He was.”

They both speak in unison like a lovesick couple who finishes each other’s thoughts and sentences.

“I was on the water by five. Came back to check on Nat and have breakfast with her before I head back out.”

“I expect you to catch us enough fish to last all winter, okay?” Natalie teases.

“Don’t forget the lobster and crawfish, too,” I add.

“Yeah, I’m on it.” He winks.

“Well, I’d better grab something to eat to soak up this alcohol before I end up like Nat during Frat week.” I wink in her direction as Adam tilts his head to give her a side-eye.

I eye the buffet like it’s the best thing I’ve seen all year. It’s full of pastries, fruit, and yogurts on one end, and hot items on the other. I grab a few pieces of sausage and a spoonful of scrambled eggs before heading over to the other side.

As I’m walking toward the fruit platters, I notice a couple guys with full plates making their rounds from the hot and cold sections. They’re acting like they haven’t eaten in days. I smile internally at the thought of these two bulky guys eating enough for four. They definitely aren’t from around here. Though they’re both good looking, I find myself eyeing the blond guy. He’s got the palest blue eyes, and his shirt is stretched across his muscular and wide chest. Not half bad actually.

The guy speaks in a very noticeable Southern accent, and suddenly I’m finding myself a little flushed at the thought of him saying my name with that accent.

“Dude, these ain’t nothing like Mama’s pancakes, but they sure smell good.”

“Yeah, I can tell the maple syrup isn’t homemade either, but I can’t complain when we’re in the Keys.” They both chuckle as they continue piling food on top of food.

And they live with their mama. Great. I always know how to pick ’em.

I’ve dated a man, or rather boy, who was highly dependent on his mother, and as much as I like a guy to be respectful to his mom, being a mama’s boy isn’t the quality some think it is. In fact, it became borderline annoying.

Just thinking about how my ex would have to text his mother goodnight after we had sex sends shivers down my spine. Maybe that makes me the weird one, but there needs to be a healthy balance.

I take my seat with Natalie and Adam a few tables away from where the Southern men are sitting while trying to shake the images of my ex from my head. Natalie’s discussing how she swore she saw a Kardashian sister in the bar last night, and Adam’s pretending to add to the conversation by throwing in some ‘uh-huhs’ and ‘mm-hmms.’

Just as I stab a sausage link and shove it into my mouth, I feel a shift. Natalie looks up over my shoulder with wide, dreamy eyes, and I know somebody is standing at my side.

“’Scuse me, ma’am?” I hear the Southern accent and immediately feel the hairs on my neck rise.

I chew as quickly as I can and swallow it down, nearly choking when I try to speak. “Uh, yes?”

Up close, he’s even bigger looking. Well over six feet tall, and I can almost see his ab muscles through his shirt.

“I was wonderin’ if you could help settle an argument between my friend and me?”

I blink up at him, mouth gaping open. “Sure.” I clear my throat, realizing what he’s doing. I’ve heard dozens of pickup lines start just like this. It usually ends up being something super cheesy. By the smirk on his face, I’m almost willing to bet him and his friend are arguing about how pretty I am and want me to say which one I’d go on a date with.

“Well, my friend over there said there was no way you’d find me good-lookin’. I told him there’s no way you’d be able to resist my Southern charm and undeniably sexy abs, so since we can’t seem to agree, I figured I’d come right to the source and ask myself.” He stares intently at me for a moment, licking his lower lip before he sucks it in briefly as I remain dumbfounded. “So whaddaya think? Is he right?” He gives me one of those smug, I-think-I’m-God’s-gift-to-women winks before showing a slight preview of the abs he felt so inclined to mention.

Natalie snorts in the background, laughing while covering her mouth with her hand. Adam’s grinning and shaking his head as if he’s thinking, poor bastard.

“Hm…” I decide to play along, tilting my body around him to get a look at his friend. Dark hair, light eyes, and I can tell he’s muscular too. When our eyes meet, he tips his head at me with a wide grin. Then I direct my eyes to the guy in front of me and act like I’m giving it serious thought. Clearing my throat, I gaze my eyes back up to his with a confidence smile. “Tell him I’ve seen better.”

Natalie can’t contain herself anymore and totally loses it. His friend overhears my response and starts laughing.

“Damn. That hurts,” he teases, placing a hand on his chest. The corner of his lips tilts up into a small grin.

“Sorry, but I’m sure there’s plenty of ladies around here that’d be happy to mend those wounds.” I wrinkle my nose at him to soften the blow. He bows his head down, slouches his shoulders, and begins to slowly walk away back to his friend.

“You think I’m attractive, though, right?” the friend shouts from his table, and the blond guy punches him in the arm to silence him.

“Jesus, they’re relentless,” I mutter so only Natalie and Adam can hear.

“Oh, c’mon! Give ’em a bone,” she quips.

I roll my eyes at her in response and pop a piece of fruit in my mouth.

“You know the only way to get over a guy is to get under another one,” she teases, her voice carrying throughout the entire room.

I nearly choke on a grape and almost have to give myself the Heimlich.

“Natalie!” I whisper-shout. “Swear to God, I can’t take you anywhere.”

Adam’s smiling and trying to hide his laughter behind a forkful of food.

“This is your fault.” I point my finger at him. “You just let her roam around free without any kind of restrictions or muzzle.”

“Don’t look at me,” he defends. “You knew her before I did, which means you let her be this way long before I came around.”

I chuckle in defeat.

“What happened to having fun on this vacation?” Natalie ignores us and changes the subject. “Those were some cute Southern guys who wanted to show you how to ride their mechanical bull. I bet you can last all eight seconds even.”

Choking again, I give up and put my fork down. “I’ve gotta stop eating around you. I never know what will come out of your unfiltered mouth.”

“I bet he’s hung like a horse, too,” she states dreamily, looking past us toward their table.

“And I bet if you asked nicely, they’d even let you ride them bareback.” Adam adds fuel to the fire, getting another laugh out of Natalie.

“You two suck,” I say, pointing my fork at them.

My eyes land on a woman walking in our direction. She’s all legs, long dark hair, and tan. She’s a dark-haired Barbie, wearing one of those teeny bikini tops as a shirt with a pair of booty shorts, though the word “shorts” is questionable since I’m pretty certain her ass cheeks are hanging out. She rounds our table and heads directly for the two Southern men.

“Howdy,” the blond says, looking up at her with bright eyes.

“So last night was fun,” she tells him, her voice all high-pitched and annoying. The guy nods in agreement as his eyes scan up and down her body. “Call me if you want to do it again.” She reaches into her back pocket to grab a piece of paper and hands it over to him.

The guy takes it and unfolds it. “Sure thing, darlin’.” His accent is even more noticeable when he says that. Damn, it’s kinda hot too. Before the woman walks off, he winks at her with a smile that can only mean he’ll be calling her soon for another hookup.

The dark-haired guy is smirking and shaking his head.

“Nice.” I mutter my annoyance at the fact that he was literally just hitting on me, and five seconds later he’s drooling over this chick.

Better yet, why do I care?

“What’s that?” the blond guy asks, startling me when he raises his voice loud enough for me to hear. “You jealous already? I didn’t even sleep with that one…” He smirks, then winks as if that’s his seductive trademark.

“Wow, I’m shocked by your willpower. Better catch her and remedy that then.” I hold back rolling my eyes, which is my own trademark when I’m annoyed.

“Nah. I’m not impressed with the local cuisine. I’d rather try something…new and interesting. Any suggestions?” He arches a brow, giving me every opportunity to mock him.

Natalie’s about to burst a vein with how hard she’s trying to hold back her laughter.

Swallowing, I hold my stance and play his little game. “I’d suggest you stick to what you know, so you don’t get bitten. Or worse.”

“Damn,” the dark-haired guy blurts. “She’s my new favorite person.” He chuckles, and the blond elbow jabs him. “She shot you down and put you in your place. You'd better marry her, or I will.”

I snort. “I’m leaving now.” I stand, taking my plate, and push in my chair.

“Okay, but don’t forget we have a couple’s massage at ten!” Natalie shouts. “Unless you’d prefer Mr. Southern ‘n Dirty accompany you?”

I wave a hand up in the air and salute with my middle finger.