I make an executive decision to intervene.
He doesn’t notice me until my hand slips around his waist, grazing that muscular curve of his hip. “Baby, I’m tired. Take me to bed,” I whine, and then pout my lips and bat my lashes at him for good measure.
I smooth one hand up his chest. His pec muscle flinches beneath my fingers and he gulps in a quick breath. The beauty takes a step back, giving me the hairy eyeball as she flicks her hair and moves down to the next cabana.
Rocco turns to me with something in his eyes I don’t recognise. The intensity of his gaze and the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he stares at me has turned this moment from something fun to something more … serious.
“You seriously need a wingman,” I say, and shake my head in fake annoyance.
“And why’s that?” he says, and looks off in the distance.
“My guess is that you had a lady-boy chatting you up. You’re welcome.”
In rapid time, his head swings back to face me. “No way,” he breathes.
“Either that or she has a serious case of haemorrhoids.”
“I’m gonna be sick.”
“No spewing,” I warn, through a chuckle. “That’d totally put a damper on today.”
“I wasn’t trying to pick her up,” he protests.
“None of my business,” I say, as I grab his hand and lead him to the Strip Bar. “Come on. You look thirsty.”
Eventually, I’m granted the privilege of ordering us both a soda with fresh lime in a short glass. While we have bottle service in our cabana, keeping Rocco away from the booze is the best thing. I know this must be hard on him, but he appears to be handling it well.
The booby brunette behind the bar mixes our drinks and places them in front of us.
“Billy Boy and Vicky seem pretty cosy together,” Rocco says, and nods in the direction of the small square pool at the front of our cabana. Earlier, Vicky was raving to him about the rollercoaster ride and he was lapping up every detail. Thank God she enjoyed it, because I certainly had reservations.
“Yeah.”
“I wonder what Jones will think of his baby sister getting dicked by Billy Boy?”
“They do look pretty chummy, huh? Funny, though. I get the impression that Billy isn’t her type.”
“Why’s that?”
“She was only talking about lawyers at her dad’s firm the other day. She was all gooey-eyed, talking about how much she loves a man in a suit.”
Rocco sculls a few mouthfuls of his drink, and then makes a loud ‘gah’ noise.
“What?” I ask.
“This staying dry shit is harder than I thought. There’s only so much fuckin’ soda a man can drink.”
“Would you check out the boobs on that?” I say to distract him, as a red-haired girl struts past in a poor excuse for a bikini.
“They’re not real,” he drawls, his tone bored.
“I didn’t think you were picky.”
“You can’t beat the feeling of a decent squeeze of real tits. Like yours, for example.”
I glance down at my chest. Strike me down, my nipples are hard again. I’m in Vegas in the middle of summer, so I know it’s not because I’m cold.
“How do you know they’re not fake?”
“Because I’ve held those puppies in my grubby hands, Suds, and they’re spectacular.”
“Yeah, they are, huh?” I’m totally taking that compliment. There’s a lot of breast action around here, so it’s nice to know I’m up there in the top percentile.
“You like looking at tits?” he asks, raising a dark eyebrow.
“Sure. Who doesn’t?”
“Women generally don’t.”
“Ah, you see that’s because I’m different.”
“That you are, babe.” He chuckles, and it’s low and kind of hoarse. “You see any women here that you’d take home?”
I shrug and take a quick look around. “I dunno, maybe? But really, who’s got time for small talk? I’d rather sort myself out later. At least I know I won’t be disappointed.”
Rocco clears his throat and swallows down hard.
April struts behind us and jabs Rocco in the ribs with one finger either side of him. He nearly jumps a foot in the air.
“There aren’t many people that can get away with shit like that,” he grumbles at April, and then follows up with a wink. April hangs her arm over his shoulders and bops her head backwards and forward to the beat, her caramel locks going every which way. Her moves have me itching to dance.
“Nice to see Spencer survived his buck’s, although that lump on his head practically has its own postcode,” April says.
We all chuckle.
“And I don’t even wanna know about the marks on his chest,” she continues.
I cast a look back to the cabana, and notice a few pink marks on Jones’s chest, which almost join together in a circle pattern. I’m tempted to press Rocco for more details, but think better of it, with April around.
“He’ll live,” Rocco says.
“So, kids. What’re we talking about over here?” April asks, looking between us.
“Boobs,” I blurt out, at the exact same time Rocco says ‘tits’.
April laughs and throws her head back. “Good to see you guys are covering the important stuff.”
“Always,” I say and pinch April on the nipple, which results in her pinching me back and me trying to take another shot.
Rocco weaves his hands between our bodies, separating us as we continue to try and outdo the other. “Please, girls. A man can only take so much before he has to crank the shank.”
“Ewwww,” April squeals. “If you’ll excuse us, Mr Can’t Handle Sister-Love Best Man, I need to steal my maid of honour. There’s a podium under a palm tree that requires our very best dance moves.”
I lean in close to Rocco. “I can’t protect you from the lady-boys from over there, so watch your back, huh?” I whisper in his ear.
The gruff chuckle from his mouth fades as April tugs my arm all the way to the podium. The beat is fast, but we both have no trouble keeping up.
“Best holiday ever!” I yell out, raising my arms to the sky.
“I know, right?” April says, pumping one fist at a time above her head.
“You want something to drink?” I ask her. Of course I couldn’t ask her in front of Rocco, but it is my duty to keep the drinks up for the bride-to-be.
“Seriously, I’m probably still drunk from last night. I just finished off a glass of champagne and it went straight to my head.”
“Well, let me know. I’m happy to get you something if you want.”
April nods and a smirk curls at the corner of her glossy pink lips. “I couldn’t help but notice that you and Rocco seem to be getting along well,” she says, and purses her lips.
“Yeah, he’s not that bad, you know?”
“Well I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you guys are making an effort. I know you’ve had your differences, but I really appreciate it.”
“No worries.” I’m not about to make a big deal of it, because it’s not an issue anymore. We get along. I look in the distance to see Rocco chatting with the boys, but he’s looking in our direction. He lifts his chin and grins. He really looks good. I’ve heard the clink of weights in his room even more often since he started his sobriety. Exercise has definitely been a good distraction for him.
“So there’s nothing else going on between you two?”
I swing my head back towards her. What? “No, why?”
“I would’ve thought in this environment that Rocco would be feasting his eyes upon all the girls, but his attention hasn’t been on anybody but you.”
“That’s bullshit,” I spit out.
But is it? He’s been quiet this morning, and apart from lady-boy he hasn’t strayed from the group. Aside from me pointing out the boobs before, from what I’ve seen he hasn’t been interested in checking out other women. Am I cramping his style?
“Then let’s agree to disagree then,” April says.
“Whatever,” I mutter, as I bump my hip against hers.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
ROCCO