Lost in a Reverie 18+ Only (Book 1 of Lastor Series) ['23/'24 EDIT]

Chapter 47

Jude, true to his nature, mobilized the senior staff of the resort as if he owned the place. He had them provide a convoy of SUVs, drivers, tour guides, and attendants to be at our disposal. Rick took advantage of my brother's pompous ass and got him to make them include first aid kits in every freaking bathroom in the resort from henceforth.

Watching their interactions made it quite clear why they had been friends for a decade. The both of them were so smug, presumptuous, and overbearing, yet somehow managed to charm every freaking person they faced without fail. Even I had to make a conscious effort to be considered charming and they just did it carelessly. Especially Rick.

"Why am I not enjoying myself?" Andrea was muttering while watching whales wade through the surface of the water.

"Cuz it's too easy," I answered with a sigh.

She shot to her feet and then pointed an accusing finger at my brother who was wrapped around Stella, giggling and feeding each other food like a pair of morons.

"You!" she exclaimed, stomping a foot hard enough to stir the boat. "You fucking Grinch! You're sucking all the fun out of everything!"

My brother merely rolled his eyes. "Be quiet, you'll startle the whales."

She turned to face me, puffing out her cheeks. "Can't we just go by ourselves?"

"No, you cannot," Jude replied in my behalf. "I don't know what you're complaining about. You're the one who wanted to see the whales."

"Yeah, but not like this!" she whined, waving her arms around the 50 foot sailboat Jude had rented for the day. Complete with a four-person crew. "I might as well be with my Dad! All that's missing is a yacht girl blowing you in the cabin while I'm stuck with that little shitheaded brat he calls a son!"

"Will you please shut up?" Jude snapped.

She groaned. "Tomorrow, we're doing shit our way."

"No, you are not," Jude replied dismissively.

"Jelly Bean..." she whined, throwing herself onto my back as I laid on my front. "Make the Grinch go away."

"You shouldn't have told him where we were, then," I muttered, flipping the page of the book I was halfheartedly reading.

"As if the fucking creep didn't already know!"

"How many times will you make me repeat myself, Andrea?" Jude said in an eerily low voice.

She let out a quiet whimper, burying her face against my back and not saying anything else. I sighed, closing my book and shifting to sit up, patting her on the head as I brought my attention to Rick floating in the distance with the whales.

He was talking to the guide, looking engrossed in the conversation while she kept laughing at everything he said. I knew the guy. He was not that funny.

He caught me staring, the cordial smile on his lips widening into a breathtaking grin. He held his arms out, waving me over. I glanced at the lusty guide and then at the two whales lingering just beneath the surface, surrounding them. One wrong move and those gargantuan beasts would have us all at their mercy.

I was arrogant, but I knew not to fuck with wildlife.

Rick started swimming towards the boat, hiking himself out the water and up the ladder. One of the crew handed him a towel and he thanked her while flashing a smile, effortlessly making yet another woman a fool for his charm.

He came towards me as I sat on the deck and was about to sit next to me but I grabbed him as he was leaning down, taking a fistful of his soaking hair and claiming his lips with mine. He groaned softly, lowering himself to his knees as he kissed me back.