Chapter Two
Lana slept through the flight and awoke to Becca shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes slowly and rubbed the sleep away with her fingertips.
“We’re here, Lana!”
“Awesome.” She yawned loudly, trying to sound enthusiastic through her leftover sleepiness. “That was a good nap.”
Lana grabbed her purse and the few things she had brought with her on the plane, and followed Becca and the boys. The four of them waited by the checked bags area to grab their luggage, and when they had their bags, they made their way to the hotel shuttles area.
Almost immediately, Lana pointed out the resort shuttle. In their excitement, they hurried up to it, helped the driver load their bags, and boarded. They were raring to go. It was almost like torture when they were forced to wait a little while longer as another much slower group joined them, who happened to be about the same age. Apparently they weren’t the only ones with the idea to party in Cozumel. Lana smiled. This was going to be so much fun.
The shuttle pulled away. Lana gazed out the window at the lush forest, savoring the view of the setting sun in the distance. When the shuttle broke free of the overarching trees, she saw the ocean waves breaking in the distance on a lush white beach. She gasped at the sight; clear blue water like she had never seen before stretched across the horizon, and as the sun set, reds and oranges bathed the sky. The fire of the setting sun reflected off the water, making for the most gorgeous view she had ever seen. She smiled and pointed it out to Becca. This was going to be a good week.
When the shuttle finally arrived at the resort, the driver once again helped them with their bags. Lana took in the sight of the gorgeous resort on the beach. The hotel itself was about twenty stories high, and beautiful balconies jutted off each room. Lush tropical plants surrounded all the nearby buildings. Beautiful well-maintained pools peeked out from behind some of the trees.
One of the things Lana was most excited about was the lazy river this resort boasted about all over the website. She tried to look around in order to find it, but Becca urged her to follow the rest of the group. The four of them made their way into the hotel, moseying along a path made of little white rocks. Becca and Lana checked in at the front desk, before the boys.
By some insane good fortune, they received an upgrade that neither of them expected—a suite on one of the top floors. With a grin, the two of them rushed to the elevator, leaving the boys behind at the front desk. They didn’t even look back.
When they reached their room, they gasped as they opened the door. This was a room for high rollers. Expensive designer furniture accented the tropically designed room. The walls were painted a pretty gray, like the color of seashells and rocks that might wash up from the waves. Beautiful cream-colored leather couches were decorated with various shades of blue pillows, and looked extremely comfy and inviting. The carpet was the same white as the sand of the beaches, and the walls that bordered the outside of the hotel were clear glass, floor-to-ceiling windows for a panoramic view of the ocean. Lana stared at the view, amazed at their luck.
The room had a large bar and a fully stocked kitchen. Through their quick explorations, they found that the suite contained two bedrooms, with a continuation of the tropical beach theme. Lana claimed one and Becca the other, both rooms with more marvelous views of the beach.
“The boys are going to be so jealous,” Becca said softly, still in awe of their luck.
“I know, wait till they find out. Message them our room number and tell them to come up. Don’t tell them anything else!” Lana replied, feeling mischievous.
Becca did just that and texted Nathan. Before long, Lana heard a knock on the door and jumped up to answer it.
“Did you happen to bring us room service?” she said, failing to hide her smile.
“Whoa!” Jake said, his mouth hanging open. “How did you manage this?” he demanded, completely flabbergasted.
“We’re just that good,” Becca teased.
The boys proceeded to check out the room, and then quickly brandished a full bottle of mango-flavored rum and a rather large jug of lemon vodka.
“Shots, girls?”
Lana jumped up and fished through the cabinets in their suite. She pawed around, pulled out some shot glasses, and put them on the counter. With a happy sigh, she found a shaker and filled it with ice from the freezer. She poured the rum into the shaker, shook it over her shoulder, and poured four ice-cold shots with a giggle.
“Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!” she laughed, quoting one of her favorite movies, Pirates of the Caribbean.
Becca laughed and picked up her shot glass, eyeing the liquor excitedly.
“Cheers all around!”
All of them downed their shots, and ended up doing another. Liquid courage began to burn through Lana’s veins. It was now or never. She looked over at Jake, who was taking another shot.
“Jake?” she asked.
“Yeah?”
“Want to go for a walk on the beach with me?”
“Sure. Let’s check it out,” he said, smiling. Confidently, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door and into the elevator. Almost reluctantly, he let go of her and pressed the first floor button. He gazed back at her, a smile evident in his eyes.
Lana smoothed her dark hair out of her eyes and looked back at him. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. He gestured for her to follow him, and she walked out after him.
They made their way out of the hotel and meandered down the walkway to the beach. The sun had set some time ago and it was dark. The gentle crash of the waves against the sand seemed far off, and the stars and moon were bright in the night sky, reflecting off the water.
Lana took off her shoes and ran into the cool water. Splashing in the ocean, she called out to Jake, who did the same. Leaving their things in a pile on the beach, the two of them waded a little deeper into the water.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Lana asked softly, her mouth still agape at the view.
Jake stood next to her and she looked back at him. They had known each other for a long time, and been best friends for many years. Jake had grown up in Los Angeles, where Lana had grown up too. They had met in elementary school, and had known each into high school when they’d started hanging out together.
Her everyday life had never been one with family dinners and a white picket fence. Jake knew about everything she’d been through—the rough times with her drug addict mother and her alcoholic father—and Jake had been the one who had kept her sane. She had always been welcome at his house when things got really bad in her own. He had been her shoulder to cry on. He had always been her rock.
Lana had begun to develop feelings for him during high school, but did her best to hide them. They had pushed each other to apply to college and had both gotten into Arizona State University. Lana had known she needed to escape and Jake had come with her, always her solid support.
She remembered the day the two of them got their acceptance letters. He had been so excited. It was the school he really wanted to go to, and Lana just wanted to get away from her home life. Any school would have worked for her, but going to college with Jake had just seemed right. It seemed like it was meant to be. So the two of them escaped to Phoenix, and started the beginnings of their futures together.
Lana and Jake had continued to stick together during the first few years of their undergrad journey. She had watched him date sorority girl after sorority girl, each one as dim and dull as the next, but all of them hot and, essentially, gorgeous arm candy. None of them lasted more than a month, but she hated it. She wished he’d been with her all along.
Decisively, she shook her mind free from the trip down memory lane, and began enjoying the view again. Then reluctantly, she turned to face her longtime friend. “Jake?”
“What’s up, Lana?”
“Have… have you ever thought about us?” she began hesitantly.
“What do you mean?” he asked, giving away little of what was going on in his head. She watched his face for any clue as to what he was thinking.
She turned to him, and with her free hand touched his shoulder, skimming it down his arm until she threaded his fingers with her own. She pulled him toward her and looked up into his eyes. He peered down at her, confusion masking his true thoughts.
“Have you ever thought of me in more than a friend kind of way?” she asked softly, but more boldly than before, the alcohol blazing through her system. She had always been tall for a girl, but thin, and a lightweight when it came to drinking of any form.
She brought her lips to meet his, and he reciprocated for but a moment before he broke off the kiss, a look of concern coming across his features.
“I can’t. Not with you right now. It wouldn’t be right,” he said gruffly.
Time seemed to slow, hot rejection slicing through Lana’s core. He didn’t want her after all. All this time they had spent together, they had simply been friends, and she had just ruined that by wanting more. She felt so dumb and naïve. Her throat tightened as tears threatened at the corners of her eyes.
“I get it. Don’t worry about it,” she said, emotion straining at her voice. She felt tears begin to fall down her face and she backed away, out of the water. Grabbing her shoes, she ran off down the beach, letting the cool night air rush against her face.
“Wait, Lana, let me explain,” Jake called after her, but she was already too far gone and the rush of the waves drowned him out. She kept running as tears rolled down her cheeks, further and further up the beach till the resort was but a few lights in the distance. She was utterly and completely alone.
Lana stopped running, her breath heavy. She dropped to the sand on her knees and just knelt there, catching her breath and gazing out into the water. Everything she had wanted and had planned for this trip had been for naught. Jake wanted nothing to do with her romantically; she was forever just a friend. That is, if she hadn’t ruined that. What should she do now?
Suddenly very tired, she fell back on the sand and looked straight up at the stars. She had no idea what time it was and didn’t care. She needed time to accept this development. Sitting back up, she curled her knees into her chest. Lana rarely let anyone in, and Jake had been one of the few that had snuck past all her barriers and into her heart. This one really hurt her, a blow straight to her fragile spirit.
After a while, her tears dried and she sat and looked numbly out into the ocean. She jumped when she heard something behind her.
“Go away, Jake. I don’t want to talk right now,” she said softly, hurt straining her voice. The person behind her didn’t respond.
The hair stood up on the back of her neck and she looked around, but saw nothing. She turned back to look at the ocean, thinking she was going mad, and jumped when she realized someone was sitting next to her.
“Who are you?” Lana asked wearily.
Cold eyes turned toward her, appraising her from head to toe. An icy smile glimmered on the man’s face. In the moonlight, Lana could make out blond spiked hair atop a strong, chiseled face. He seemed exceptionally tall, even just sitting next to her. Large muscles escaped a black t-shirt, which encompassed a well-muscled chest. He was wearing dark jeans and had no shoes on in the sand. Light blue eyes watched her, as her heart began to thump in her chest. Strength and power seemed to radiate from his every pore. Something about him seemed off, and strangely alien to her.
He stared into her eyes with purpose and Lana began to feel oddly comfortable, like a wave of calm had come over her suddenly. It was almost magical.
Struggling, she tried and failed to break eye contact with the man. In a flash, his hand held her chin still, and he rose and pulled her to her feet. He stood at least a foot taller than her at full height, which had to be well over six feet. She felt like she had no control over a single muscle in her body.
“Don’t move,” he commanded. She felt his authority deep within her bones and she could do nothing to fight it. What the hell was he doing to her?
“Your face. I can’t believe the resemblance…” he said, studying her.
His fingertips dropped from her chin, and he took a step back, looking her up and down. His hands moved around her small waist, underneath her shirt, feeling her skin and tracing over her curves. She whimpered, fear billowing up from deep within her. This wasn’t normal. This was straight up strange.
He walked around her and put his hands on her shoulders, dragging his fingers down slowly until they cupped the fullness of her backside. She could do nothing to fight him. It felt like her body was stuck in cement and she couldn’t move a muscle. What sort of power did this man have?
“I think you’ll do, human,” he said softly. “The king will be very happy with you.” He spit out the word ‘human’ with such disgust that Lana shivered.
She felt her body begin to shake as the man came around to face her again. His eyes steadily held hers. She felt tears of panic come to her eyes as her anxiety grew to massive proportions. A terrible look of glee came over his face at her fear, and a whimper escaped her throat.
“Oh, yes. You will do wonderfully,” he said, his voice as smooth as liquid poison.
His eyes narrowed in her direction and Lana felt a sudden force hit her. Her world went black and she knew no more.