We landed several hours later, but the sleep aids were strong enough to knock me out for the duration of the flight. I didn’t wake up until Hunter tapped me on the shoulder when we touched ground.

I yawned, stretched, checking my lips and face to make sure I hadn’t drooled all over myself.

“Hope I didn’t snore too loud.” He smiled at me.

“No, not at all,” I replied. “It actually helped me fall asleep.”

“That’s good. I’m a heavy sleeper. I would hate to keep you up because I sound like a chainsaw all night.”

He shared a wry smile and his eyes twinkled. Brown never seemed so beautiful.

“Come on lovebirds,” Axel interrupted. “Driver’s waiting.”

The ride to the resort was beautiful, lush with rich green hues from plants, various deep reds, yellows, and purples of different flowers, and of course, bright blue water.

I took several photos with my iPhone, capturing what I could. This was like a Technicolor dream, almost too beautiful to be real. Rose did the same, and even recorded a few videos announcing where she was. I knew they’d be on SnapChat later.

When we finally pulled up, Paradise Isle was exactly as described, pure paradise. Huge smiles and gentle welcomes from the resort staff, tropical plants, Jamaican music, and the azure blue sky made for a serene welcome.

“Welcome to Paradise Isle, lovers!” A short black guy walked up to us. He had a solid build with a small beer belly. “I’m Ken, the manager. It’ll be my pleasure to help you if you need anything during your time here.”

Ken escorted us to the check-in, where two staff members stood behind the counter, ready to check us in.

Amina was tall and slender, yet busty. Her coffee-colored skin was flawless, and her thick, tight coils were polished and pulled into a high bun, accentuating her cheekbones.

Yelena was also tall and beautiful. She was slightly more glam and thick than Amina. Built like an Amazon princess, she was like a larger than life version of Nicki Minaj - if Nicki were 5’10.” Her hair was thick and wavy, pulled into a high ponytail, and her eyeliner showcased her cat-eye skills.

“Welcome to Paradise Isle! How are you doing?” Yelena greeted us. Her generous smile and bedroom eyes lingered on Hunter a little longer than I’d have liked.

“Great, Yelena. Yourself?” The spark in Hunter’s eyes didn’t help me feel any less fettered by the situation.

I felt the emerald sword of envy stab me in my gut. Sigh. He wasn’t even my man and I was already jealous.

I stood next to him, feeling awkward about these weird new feelings, until he pulled me closer to him. Holding me by the waist, he moved the conversation along.

“My lady and I cannot wait to begin our vacation. Ain’t that right, darlin’?”

He shifted to face me. There was serious warmth in his eyes. They oozed sensuous affection, which gave me all the feels. Exuberance dove into my heart and I felt a burst of delicious tingles explode and move through my body.

Like a goof, I nodded and giggled. “Yes, hon.”

I swear I heard the sweet sounds of a harp and the heavenly sounds of angels surrounding us, urging me to drop my cool and go goo-goo gaga all over him then and there.

Yes, I daydream a little too much.

“Aww, you two are quite the lovebirds,” Yelena remarked. She continued checking us in, engaging Hunter and I in small talk. Even though she asked the both of us questions, it was obvious where her attention was focused. She almost never looked at me again, except when she handed us our room keys and pointed in the direction of the elevators.

“Where are you guys located?” Rose asked, leaning over to see our room number.

“We’re on the East Wing. Seventh floor.”

Rose anxiously turned to Axel. “We’re on the West Wing. Ninth floor.” Her usually carefree demeanor shifted as she processed the idea of her little sister being so far away.

“Babe, we wanted different sides of the resort when we booked, remember?” Axel reminded her.

“Yeah, but that was when Samantha was coming.” This was the first time anyone made mention of Hunter’s ex. I snuck a glance at Hunter. I noticed his jaw clench, but he didn’t say anything.

“It’s okay, Rose.” I chimed in. “I’m sure the rooms have phones. You can call whenever you want. It’s not like we’re going to be that far away from each other.”

“Besides,” I added, “This is a couples resort. I don’t want to be in earshot of anything you guys do behind closed doors.”

Rose’s anxiousness burst into playful disgust as she stuck her tongue out at me. “Don’t hate, hoochie!”

“We’ll walk them to their room, so you’ll at least know where they’re at, okay babe?” Axel pulled Rose close, kissing her on the forehead.

I yawned. “Well hurry up then,” I said.

It was late in the afternoon. I needed a nap before I did anything else.

Hunter led the way as we went to our room. The East Wing - the entire resort - was beautiful. There was a royal blue and cream color scheme throughout, and the fresh scent of tropical fruit and flowers filled the air.

When we entered the room, I gasped. Our suite was breathtaking. First, there was the lush cream, gold, and blue decor. At the center of the room was a huge King size canopy bed with billowy draping. A large fan was in the center of the ceiling, providing a lazy breeze for us to indulge in. The far side of the room housed a private balcony with garden and beachfront views.

The bathroom was just as lush, with a huge jacuzzi, plus standalone glass shower. Hair dryer, luxurious bath supplies, and robes were featured.

The bellhop placed our bags on the floor, and Hunter handed him a $20 bill. “Thanks, man.”

“We’ll be right out,” Axel told the young guy, who looked to be about my age.

“Sure thing.”

“Okay, now, we need to lay out some ground rules,” Rose declared. Axel silently rolled his eyes behind her and shook his head, as if he already knew this was unnecessary. I plopped down on on side of the bed, ready to lay down. Hunter stood at the other end, his arms crossed.

“First things first, I’m so glad you’re here, Chanel. I want you to have a good time, and I want you to get all the rest you need. This is why we’re all here - to restore our energy.” She flashed a smile. “But I think we need to get clear on what can and cannot happen this weekend.”

“Oh, Loooooord, Rose. Really?” I whined. “Can this wait? I’m exhausted.”

“No.” She said matter of factly. “We’re going to address this all now so we’re clear.”

She started listing out her rules. We were going to eat breakfast together every morning. Nobody - aka I - was to leave the resort alone. We would check in every night before we all went to our rooms.”

“And, although this goes without saying,” Rose said, pointing at the two of us. “You both keep this strictly PG.”

“What?” Hunter, Axel, and I all looked at her like she was crazy.

Rose folded her arms, crossed her legs, and sat back.

“You heard me. In public, you are a couple, so being affectionate and flirtatious is part of keeping up the image. You should even attend some of the special events for couples together. That’s expected.”

“But within these four walls?” She gestured around the room. “No monkey business. This is a business transaction.”

“Whoa,” Hunter interjected. “I appreciate your concern Rose, but I have no interest in your kid sister.”

Ouch. Something about the way he referred to me as her kid sister burned me. I was every bit of 21 years old, and certainly old enough to be here of all places. My shoulders slunk in response.

“Listen, I know, Hunter. But I have to put it out there to reinforce and make it clear that aside of putting on the act, there’s nothing else to this.”

“What makes you think I would even want to touch her? She’s barely an adult. I just broke up with my fiancee too, remember? The last thing I need is another chick on my arms getting caught up.”

Double ouch.

My face started to burn, and I knew I couldn’t hide my feelings anymore.

“I’m going to get something to eat,” I said. Rose started to protest, but I ignored her, grabbed my room key, and walked toward the door. I opened it and nearly smacked right into the room service attendant.

“Hello lovebirds! Welcome to Paradise Isle. We have a welcome gift for you!” Behind her there was a tray of chocolate covered strawberries, fruit, and champagne in a gold ice tray.

Fuck. This certainly wasn’t the best time.

I stepped aside so she could enter the room. “Oh, I see we have company!” She said. “I can go and get more champagne flutes if you’d like?”

“No, that won’t be necessary,” Axel said. He pulled Rose to her feet and escorted her past us. “We’re about to head to our room and celebrate also.”

The poor bellhop waiting outside for them looked relieved as he heard that.

“We’ll finish this later,” Rose said, smiling through her teeth. I exhaled in relief myself when the door closed behind them.

The room service attendant opened the champagne and poured it into two flutes. She arranged the sumptuous goodies on the dining bar, smiled, and made her exit, happily collecting her $5 tip from Hunter.

When the door closed, it was eerily silent. Hunter and I looked at me. I gave him a nervous smile while I avoided eye contact. It stung to realize he saw me as this little kid doing him a favor, and not a gorgeous grown woman.

Not that I expected him to be impressed. He was handsome and rich. He already had plenty of women at his disposal, many of whom I was sure were plenty prettier than me.

“Here.” Hunter handed me a glass. “This is an $850 bottle of champagne. No need to waste any of it.”

“Thank you.”

I took the glass without making any eye contact. I didn’t want to see the disdain in his eyes, or for him to see the shame in mine.

I looked at the amber-colored liquid. I wasn’t versed in the world of fine things. This would be my first experience living in the lap of luxury. I was too scared to sip, fearful I would either gulp it down or spill it on myself. I didn’t need to seem any goofier than I already felt.

Hunter cleared his throat. “Listen, I owe you an apology.”

“Huh?” I looked up at him without thinking. “An apology? About what?”

“What I said to your sister just now - about you being a kid and all.” He looked at me with genuine concern in his eyes. “You’re not a kid. You’re a woman. A beautiful woman at that. And you’re doing me a huge favor right now.”

My heart melted when he said that. Not because of the apology. That was nice and all, but no.

Because he called me beautiful. Yes, beautiful with emphasis. He - the man who has seduced gorgeous women around the world - found me beautiful.

The blush in my heart spread to my skin and I felt my nipples harden and my panties get damp again.

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you.” He sighed. “This is weird, so I’ll tell you what happened. We planned this trip a couple of months ago. I was in a relationship, long term one. She and I broke up a couple of weeks ago. This trip was still important, and I can’t get my money back, so I needed to bring someone. I couldn’t find anyone suitable until your sister suggested you.”

I nodded, taking in the story.

“I told your sister, I’m not looking for love right now.”

“Of course not. This breakup is fresh.” I didn’t blame him. Who would want to dive into love after such a recent loss?

“Exactly.” He looked at me, and for the first time I felt that feeling of connection we shared on the plane once again. I blushed lightly and smiled back.

“I want you to have a great time,” Hunter said. “Anything you want to get, charge it to the room. I’ve got you covered. If you want to get off the resort, book an excursion, explore the island, I’ll take care of it too. I don’t really have anything I want to do, but I’m open to participating in some of the activities - only if you’re interested. Please don’t feel pressured to do anything on my account.”

“Oh no,” I cut in. “I’m completely fine. I’m just looking to relax as well. Jamaica’s beautiful, but I honestly just want to chill out, you know?” I said, being completely open in the moment. “I will probably spend most of my time here in bed.”

“Wow. We have a lot more in common than I thought we would. I planned to do the same thing as well.” He laughed and gestured to the bed. “You think this bed’s big enough for both of us?”

“It’s a King.” I shrugged. “I don’t mind sharing the bed. You paid for it, honey.” This was my attempt at flirting, but it sounded like a joke. It was easy to flirt when I didn’t seem serious.

God, I was a dweeb.

“Certainly appreciate it, love. You don’t mind the pet names, and pretending to be lovey-dovey in public, do you?” He said. “I won’t kiss you or anything. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” I said.

“The lovey-dovey, or the kissing?”