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  Too bad you won’t be seeing me much this week, Austin thought. Maybe he could mysteriously come down with a horrible case of food poisoning and wouldn’t be able to attend any of the activities. That way he could hide in his room and his friends mates could let off some steam. Austin gave her a forced smile that didn’t fully reach his eyes. Pearl gave him the once-over, and he could tell by the look on her face that she was trying to get a read on him. Being an owner of a matchmaking resort must have made her very observant, Austin thought. Austin held his breath, hoping she would not be able to see all of the emptiness inside him. An awkward silence fell between them. Logan nudged Austin lightly in the ribs.

  “Uh, yeah, we are happy to be here as well,” Austin said gruffly. Pearl assessed him quickly and her smile faltered a bit. Shit, she can tell, Austin thought. Logan cleared his throat behind Austin. Austin quickly stepped aside and let Logan take the reins.

  “I’m Logan,” Logan said as he turned up his characteristic charm. Pearl’s beaming smile returned to her face and she shook his hand.

  “I have to be honest,” Logan said. “I have been following your story as you created this place, and I have to say that I am very impressed with this whole operation you have created.” Logan placed his hand on Pearl’s shoulder, and she beamed with happiness.

  Thank God for Logan, Austin thought. He always had a way of getting Austin out of his fumbles when it came to women.

  The women on the beach had slowly started to move closer to the dock to scope out the guys. A petite blonde caught Austin’s eye and smiled and waved at him seductively. A small voice in Austin’s head told him to smile back at her, but his body wouldn’t allow him. Even though she was pretty, he would just hurt her in the end like all the rest. Austin stared back at her and her smile quickly faltered. She looked away, hoping to get away from Austin’s depressing gaze.

  “Why don’t I show you all to your rooms?” Pearl said, and she motioned for the clan to follow her to the resort.

  The guys followed Pearl from the dock up a sandy path that led to the resort. Moving away from the shoreline, the path turned and palm trees covered them. When they reached the entrance of the resort, Austin let out a low whistle. The main building was massive. It had a red Polynesian-style roof, and there was a small waterfall that rushed over rocks, leading into a small pond. A bridge led them to the entrance, and Austin slightly smiled when he saw the koi fish swimming through the pond. Callie would have loved this place, he thought.

  Austin walked inside through a set of large double swinging doors that led into a large lobby with several comfortable-looking chairs and couches. All the décor of the resort had a Polynesian theme that fit perfectly with the resort’s surroundings. The lobby area turned into a restaurant and bar at the back of the building, which overlooked the water. To the right was the registration desk, and down a hallway Austin could see what looked like a secluded library.

  “All of the rooms are private bungalows,” Pearl said. “They can be accessed by walking out those large doors near the back of the restaurant. They each have their own dock with ladders that take you directly into the water.”

  Logan hit Austin on the shoulder and wiggled his eyebrows. He leaned in and whispered into his ear, “The place isn’t half bad, huh?”

  “It is paradise, I will give you that. But I’m not too sure how much I will be participating in the activities.” Logan gave Austin a look, but Austin just rolled his eyes and followed Pearl to the reception desk.

  “We have several amenities at the resort for you to choose from as well,” Pearl said. “We have nightly mixers for our guests, and several water sports and excursion options for you to choose from. We do require that you partake in at least one excursion or mixer while you are here, because during those activities you will have a chance to meet several of the women who have come to our resort because you are here.”

  Austin didn’t really care what the resort required. He had paid them to stay here, so he would do as he pleased.

  Pearl handed them each a room key. “Here are the keys to your bungalows,” she said. “If you have any problems, please don’t hesitate to ask one of our staff or find me personally.” Pearl looked directly at Austin, “I want you all to find happiness here.” Austin winced under her stare. It wasn’t a seductive stare, like she wanted him, but more of a motherly one filled with pity. In the few minutes since they had arrived at the resort, he could tell that Pearl could already see his demons. He hated people feeling pity for him. He quickly snatched the key from her hand and stalked away to find his bungalow, which he planned to remain in the entire time that they were at the resort.

  Chapter 6

  Ella

  The ferry arrived at the dock and Ella felt all of the pent-up tension melt away in her shoulders. This is exactly what I needed, Ella thought. A week-long getaway with her best friends and no other distractions.

  Ella stepped off the ferry onto the dock and took in her surroundings. The cove was absolutely gorgeous. The sun setting over the water reflected beautiful orange and red colors. It looked like something off a postcard. Ella took in a deep breath and let the salty air of the ocean course through her lungs. This is going to be an amazing week, she thought.

  Ella had not realized until after brunch the other day how much she needed a break from men and dating in general. Her relationship with Gavin had been toxic on her wellbeing, and it had taken her the weekend to work through how she felt about everything. Gavin’s complete disregard for her had made all of her insecurities rise to the surface, and instead of the amazing twenty-five-year-old woman that she was, she felt like she was the shy, hesitant freshman girl that didn’t quite fit into her own skin.

  Ella looked over to the amazing group of girls that she called friends. They will help me get back to myself, she thought. And this vacation was the beginning of that healing process.

  Ella pulled out her phone to snap a few pictures of the amazing sunset that had formed in the lagoon. She moved her phone over towards the shoreline to get a few images of the water and was surprised to see that there were only women on the beach. Strange, she thought. Not that she was looking for a new guy, but some eye candy might have been nice to look at. Maybe this place just attracted a lot of groups of friends.

  Sierra walked up behind Ella and snaked her arm around Ella’s waist and squeezed her into a side hug. Ella dropped her head on Sierra’s shoulder and let out a long sigh.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Sierra asked.

  Ella nodded into Sierra’s shoulder. “Thanks for suggesting this vacation, S,” Ella said. “I needed to get away for a while.”

  “I know you did,” Sierra said. A comfortable silence fell between them. After a minute, Sierra cleared her throat. “I just want you to relax this week, Ella. It’s good to go to a new place and experience new things. Just promise me something.” Ella picked her head up from Sierra’s shoulder and looked at her.

  “What is it, S?” she asked.

  “That you will keep an open mind about things this week, and take each thing as it comes.”

  Ella nodded. She knew Sierra was looking out for her like she always had, and if anyone would be able to pull her out of the horrible funk she felt after Gavin, it would be Sierra.

  Amanda, Maggie and Rebecca were already at the end of the dock and calling out to them. Sierra squeezed Ella again and walked with her to the end of the dock, where a petite woman stood. “I am Pearl,” she said. “Welcome to Mystic Breeze Resort!”

  The blood drained from Ella’s face. Mystic Breeze Resort, Ella thought. That was the new all-inclusive resort to hook up women with men. Just last week Ella had heard her favorite morning radio show hosts discussing the new resort and how it was quickly becoming the next big thing in dating.

  Sierra’s arm tightened around Ella’s waist. Ella snapped her head towards Sierra, who looked down at her feet. She looked at the other girls, who were conveniently occupied with either th
eir luggage or on their cell phones. This had to be some kind of joke.

  Ella stepped away from Sierra. “Why would you bring me here?” Ella asked. “You of all people should know how uninterested I am in finding someone else to date right now. ” Heat rushed to Ella’s cheeks as she tried to contain the anger building up inside of her.

  “We knew you wouldn’t come if you actually knew where we were going,” Sierra said. “That is why I took care of booking everything for you. I’m sorry we didn’t tell you, but we thought it might be the best distraction for you.”

  “Yeah,” Amanda chimed in. “We thought being on a secluded tropical island with a bunch of swoon-worthy eye candy might be exactly what you needed to get Gavin out of your head.”

  Ella crossed her arms and felt her body slightly start to shake. The tight control over her anger was starting to lessen. Sierra tentatively walked up to her and placed her hands on her shoulders.

  “Look, Ella,” Sierra said. “You don’t need to get with anyone. All you need to focus on is having a good time. No pressure, okay?”

  Ella sucked in a calming breath. The shaking of her body subsided and she felt the color of her face slowly turn back to normal. Ella knew she couldn’t really blame her friends for trying to make her have some fun. This was not a malicious prank on her; it was just a misguided attempt at forcing her into having some much-needed fun.

  The problem was Ella’s heart was just not in it. Her insecurities had taken a stronghold over her mind, and she could not seem to feel sexy or attractive enough to want to be around men, let alone ones that could shift. Ella would play along with her friends, but she was determined to find a way to sneak out of the mixer activities that the resort was famous for. She would not be put on display for some stupid guys, no matter how hot they were.

  “Come on,” Sierra said. “Why don’t we put our things in our rooms and go get a drink?”

  Ella smiled. A drink was exactly what she needed right now.

  Chapter 7

  Austin

  Austin walked up to his secluded bungalow at the end of the path. He looked over to the right and saw the long path in between the rooms. His friends were already on the prowl, which meant there would be a lot noises coming from their rooms later on that evening. Austin’s room, however, would be dead silent.

  Austin pushed open the door and was surprised at how big the bungalow actually was from the inside. To the right of the door was a small kitchenette complete with a mini fridge and a small stove. There was a cutout in the wall of the kitchen so he could look through and see the living room. Austin walked further into the suite, and saw a small dining table and an open living room space with a large, fluffy couch and flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. Austin turned to the right and walked into the bedroom, which had a large king-size bed and another flat-screen TV. In the bedroom there was a large window that opened up to a private balcony. Austin walked over and opened up the door and stepped outside. The bungalow suites weren’t high up off the water, so there was a small ladder attached that Austin could see that led him right to the ocean.

  Austin walked back inside the room and smiled. This place isn’t half bad, he thought. Now if he could just figure out how to relax on his own, without having to participate in anything, he would be golden. Austin flopped down on the bed and pulled his arms up underneath his head. He closed his eyes and took in the sounds of the ocean breeze outside. He started to drift off to sleep when a loud knock on his door jolted him up.

  “Come on, Austin,” Logan said as he banged on the door again. “We are all going to head down to the lobby to get some drinks.” Austin reluctantly pulled his body off the comfortable bed and opened the door.

  “I don’t know, man,” Austin said. “I think I might just stay here and take a nap. That was a hell of a long trip to get here.”

  Logan gave Austin a pointed look, and Austin knew Logan wasn’t going to just let him stay in his room the whole week. Logan grabbed Austin’s arm and pulled him outside.

  “No excuses,” Logan said. “You are coming along. Plus you have to show up to some of the events. Call this one of them and you might be able to get a few days to yourself.” Austin rolled his eyes and followed Logan down the path.

  ***

  Austin and the rest of his friends walked into the lobby. As they did, Austin could feel all eyes on them, and he hated it. He felt as though their eyes could read into his soul and see how truly broken he was. Austin straightened his body and threw his walls up around his heart tighter. A small voice inside his head told him to not shut everyone out, but he swiftly ignored it.

  The guys made their way to the bar in the back of the restaurant that overlooked the ocean, and walked up to the long marble bar top. The bar, like the rest of the hotel, had Polynesian décor. The wood embellishments around the bar had intricate designs carved out of dark wood, and beautiful tropical flowers were set on every table. Austin sat down on the bar stool and started to look at the liquor on the shelf. Logan sat down next to Austin and leaned over to him.

  “Not as bad as you thought, right?” Logan asked.

  “We’ll see about that,” Austin said. He turned around from the bar and noticed all of the women sitting at the tables near them. Some were trying to be coy as they checked them out, while others were blatantly staring, hoping to get their attention.

  “I feel like a piece of meat sitting up here with all of them staring at us like that,” Austin said as he turned back around. Logan let out a loud laugh.

  “Don’t mind them,” Logan said as he put his arm around Austin’s broad shoulders. “Like I told you, man, you don’t need to do anything. Just try and enjoy things.” Austin let out a loud laugh.

  “I’m not sure how much of these,” Austin motioned around the bar, “‘things’ I will enjoy, but I will be happy to get some drinks and relax.”

  Logan smiled and patted his back. “Baby steps, man. We will get you back in the saddle one of these days.”

  The bartender approached Austin and Logan. She was a very petite brunette. She had big brown eyes and full lips. Austin laughed lightly to himself. Logan is going to love this girl, he thought. Sure enough, when Austin turned towards Logan, he had on his thousand-megawatt smile.

  “What can I get you guys?” the bartender smiled.

  “I’ll take whatever beer you have on draft,” Logan said. The bartender smiled and looked over at Austin.

  “I’ll take Maker’s Mark, neat.” She nodded and went to get their drinks. Austin turned to face the open area of the bar and slowly shook his head when he saw women already surrounded a few of his friends already. Well, he thought, at least they are happy.

  “Here you go,” the bartender said as she placed their drinks in front of them. Austin passed Logan’s beer to him, but two women already distracted him. Of course, Austin thought. He grabbed his glass and took a slow sip of his drink. Whiskey and Scotch had always been his liquors of choice. They always had a warm bite going down.

  “Who’s your friend?” one of the women seductively asked Logan. Logan turned to Austin and put his arm lightly around his shoulder.

  “This is Austin,” Logan said. Austin caught both women sharing an excited glance between them while he fought the urge to roll his eyes. Logan shook Austin’s shoulder lightly as a signal for him to respond. Austin forced a smile on his face.

  “Nice to meet you,” Austin said.

  “So when did you guys get in?” the brunette asked. Austin took another long sip of his whiskey, finishing off the glass sooner than he had wished. He looked down the bar and motioned for the bartender.

  “A couple of hours agao,” Austin said. The brunette smiled and batted her eyelashes at him. Austin turned back to the bar and tried to occupy himself with getting the bartender’s attention. Luckily, the bar was packed, which meant she was running back and forth behind the bar, so Austin was able to ignore the rest of the questions.

  “Need another one?” the bartend
er asked as she walked up to him.

  “Make it a double,” Austin said. The woman behind him tried to place her hand on his shoulder as she tried to get his attention back on her. Austin’s reaction was instant. He squeezed his fingers into a fist as anger surged through his body. He stifled a groan in his chest and pushed down the urge to want to break something. He didn’t want to Ellae the girl, but he sure as hell didn’t want her touching him, either. Logan luckily noticed his reaction and quickly distracted her while Austin tried to gain his composure. This is why Logan was his best friend. He knew Austin well enough to react when he needed to. The bartender placed a glass in front of him. Austin gave her a tight nod and took another sip of his whiskey as he regained his composure. Fuck, he thought. It was going to be a long night.

  The women attempted bringing Austin back into the conversation. However, despite getting a hold of his temper, he couldn’t keep himself interested in what they had to say. They seemed like your typical full-of-themselves ex-sorority girls. The kind that Austin always saw taking selfies of themselves with that stupid duck face that wasn’t attractive on anyone. After Austin ignored several of their questions, Logan led them away to meet some of their friends.

  Austin was finally left alone, and he finished off his drink and ordered another.

  Chapter 8

  Ella

  Ella and her friends followed Pearl down from the dock. When they reached the hotel’s entrance, Ella’s mouth dropped open, surprised by the sheer size of the hotel.

  “Whoa,” Ella said as they walked inside. Sierra linked her arm with Ella’s.

  “This make up for not telling you all about the resort?” Sierra asked tentatively. Ella smiled.

  “You guys aren’t fully off the hook yet,” Ella said. “But this does certainly help.”

  Pearl led them up to the reception desk, where they were given their keys. Ella was surprised to find that they each had their own rooms.