Just a Fling

  Just a Fling

  Billionaires on the Beach

  Book One

  By Olivia Noble

  Copyright 2014 Olivia Noble

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Chapter One

  The passengers of Flight Delta-084 were jolted as the iron vessel sliced through the turbulent skies. A young blonde woman gritted her teeth as she sat in the back of the plane with her sleeping friend’s head resting on her shoulder. Eva was not a fan of flying. She took great comfort in her friend’s nearness, despite the uncomfortable weight of Nicole’s head. Trying to breathe evenly, Eva allowed her eyes to anxiously dart around, taking in the enclosed walls of the congested cabin. She found herself scanning for the emergency exits. It’s the safest way to travel, she inwardly reminded herself. Her fear was immediately clouded with guilt. Not that I should be traveling at all...

  Eva sighed. She had not ventured very far from her mother’s side in the decade since the older woman had become ill. Life in New York had been a hectic mess of trying to excel in school while still being an attentive caregiver to her sick mother. Now that she had left the city far behind, she could not help feeling like she was forgetting something. Eva never neglected her duties. I should be at home, and not stuck on a plane going to the Bahamas, she thought to herself. If the plane goes down in a fiery blaze, I deserve it. When she tried to glance outside, she was met only with the dark storm clouds that filled the windows. The plane shook again and Eva gripped the arm rest of her chair tightly.

  “Dammit,” she whispered irritably to herself. Eva tried to curse quietly, but felt her friend stir awake.

  Nicole’s eyelids fluttered open sleepily, and she smiled up at her friend. “Are we there yet?”

  “No,” Eva snapped, “and I hate you for making me do this.”

  After a small giggle, Nicole stretched and yawned. “You shouldn’t have lost the bet then, baby girl,” she said smugly. “Just think of it this way: soon you’ll be able to get the stick out of your ass and shove something a lot more fun between your legs.”

  “That’s not funny,” Eva said, wrinkling her nose. Leaning back against the comfortable cushions of her seat, she closed her eyes. I really hate to admit it, she thought to herself, but Nicole has a point. I do have trouble relaxing. Maybe a vacation is just what I need. I do deserve one, don’t I? I graduated with honors and made the Dean’s List. She knew that she should be proud of this accomplishment, but when she finally received her final grades, she couldn’t seem to feel anything. She never realized how much the workload had gotten to her until the day that everyone around her was celebrating, but she felt like an outsider. Eva was simply lost without a packed schedule and crazy deadlines that took all her focus and energy.

  She felt dead inside. Despite how much she complained about the flight, she did look forward to blowing off some steam—once she could remember how. The plane jarred again, and a small gasp escaped her throat.

  “The flight is getting to you, huh?” Nicole asked sweetly. She placed her hand on Eva’s in an attempt to comfort her friend.

  The gesture was appreciated. Although Nicole was often lewd, and never hesitated to attack Eva with endless name-calling and bickering, there could be no better companion. Underneath her rough exterior, Nicole was fiercely devoted and protective. The two were best friends; closer than sisters.

  “You know that I hate flying,” Eva grumbled. After a moment of frowning, she finally sighed. “It might be more than that. I’m a little on edge about my mom.” Her hand gripped at Nicole’s for dear life as the craft started to descend. “I’ll call her once we land.”

  Nicole’s lips turned up into a soft smile and she resumed her cuddling against Eva’s shoulder. “Girl, you need to chill. Your mom made me promise I’d force you to have fun. She worries about you. So if you really want to do what’s best for her? Be a good girl. Your mission is to get drunk and party with me—and go bang some gorgeous Caribbean men.”

  Eva rolled her eyes. She was quite sure that the latter event was unlikely, but she couldn’t deny her need to have a few drinks and relax. She shook her head in surrender. “Fine,” she told Nicole in a teasing tone, “but don’t get mad if I throw up all over you.”

  “Baby girl, if you throw up? You’re on your own,” Nicole shot back, slapping her friend lightly on the arm.

  “Oh? Well, see if I hold your hair after your fifteenth shot,” Eva retorted. She grinned at Nicole, appreciating the distraction their banter provided.

  Nicole made a grunting sound that turned into light laughter. “Let’s just hope the rain stops. What’s the point of a tropical getaway if I can’t get a tan?”

  Eva’s eyes drifted out of the plane’s window, and she nodded in agreement. It was bad out there and getting worse. She was starting to seriously pray that the plane would land soon, and put her out of her misery. Being in the air made her stomach queasy; it did not feel like a natural place for a human being. More than anything, she yearned to place her feet firmly on the ground—and only then would she think about placing a drink comfortably in her hand. The constant shaking set her nerves into overdrive and she clenched her teeth together, digging her nails into the armrest. We’ll be there soon, she assured herself. Everything’s going to be fine. Soon I’ll be relaxing on a beautiful sandy beach with not a care in the world, and this flight will be a bad memory.

  * * *

  Eva was relieved to finally have her feet on solid ground. With her fingers curled around the handle of her luggage, she took several deep breaths to try and calm her racing heart. The landing had been non-too-gentle, and she had been almost certain of death for a moment. Of course, after this traumatic experience, Nicole had ushered her out of the plane and through the airport, toward the car rental area, without moment’s rest.

  Now, as Nicole negotiated the details of their car rental, Eva finally was able to gather her wits and examine her surroundings. There was a bustling of people in the airport, despite the dismal weather. Many were trying to get home and waiting desperately for the storm to pass. It had taken the girls a few minutes to navigate their way through the lively sea of people. Eva’s eyes fell upon an old lady in a wheelchair, being pushed by her daughter. A pang of guilt struck her again, and she began fumbling in her purse for her cell phone.

  “Got the car!” Nicole said cheerily, grabbing her friend’s arm. “I think you’ll love it. Ready to par-tay?”

  “No,” Eva said with dismay. “I need to give my mom a call.”

  Nicole frowned, snatching the phone from Eva’s hands. “Hey, baby girl! What are the rules? We’re on vacation, so no stressing! Your mom’s going to be fine.”

  Eva sighed. She knew that she had a tendency to worry too much, but her mom didn’t really have anyone else. “Alright, I’ll wait until we get to the hotel. She’ll want to know we made it there safe.”

  “She knows,” Nicole assured her friend. “Besides, you’re here with me! What could go wrong?”

  “I don’t know. Everything?” Eva said glumly.

  Nicole snorted as she began to pull Eva through the throng of tourists all eager for transportation. As they moved outside, they had to cross through the rainy street to get to the parking lot. Nicole ran through the rain, forcing Eva to run behind her. However, at the end of their little trek was a pleasant su
rprise for Eva. Her eyes opened wide as she stared at the beast of a vehicle that was patiently waiting for them. It was a sleek red Hummer that simply begged to be driven.

  “Oh, baby,” Eva said lovingly as she dropped her suitcase and moved forward to run her hands over the shiny metal. “Okay, I take it back. Thanks for bringing me along.” It was her favorite car, and she was touched that her friend had remembered. Eva’s father had driven one when she was younger, and it had always given her a feeling of security. Sitting in a Hummer made her feel like she owned the road, and nothing could touch her—like she was a Queen driving into battle with a tank. It was a silly reason to like a car, but she enjoyed the fantasy.

  “You’re welcome,” Nicole said happily as she shoved their suitcases into the trunk. She moved around the car and jumped into the passenger seat. “I forgot that it’s the bigger the better for you!” she shouted.

  Eva chuckled as she opened the door on the driver’s side . “You know how I like ’em,” she said lightly. She adjusted her mirrors, beginning to feel better about the excursion with each passing minute. “I hope this weather clears up so we can hit the beach. I could go for a swim.”

  “Woot!” Nicole exclaimed. “What are you waiting for? Put the pedal to the metal, girlfriend. I need to get some liquor inside me, stat.” She winked suggestively. “And then some other things.”

  “I’m sure you’ll get plenty,” Eva said with a grin. She looked around for a moment before turning the key in the ignition. The palm trees swayed in the wind and heavy rain. She could appreciate the primal beauty of it all, and she had to admit she was enjoying the new atmosphere. It was a nice change from concrete and skyscrapers.

  Nicole had not wasted a minute in plugging the hotel’s address into their GPS. Eva was pleased to see that that their destination was not too far away. She was looking forward to getting settled in and changing out of her tight jeans and into something a little more free and airy.

  * * *

  “Is this the place?” Eva asked with surprise.

  “Yep. I was hoping your jaw would drop,” Nicole said in satisfaction.

  Eva could only stare at the gorgeous hotel. She had left all the event planning to Nicole, and the feisty dark-haired woman did not disappoint. The structure looked like a fairytale castle. Eva was sure that it was designed that way to tempt vulnerable patrons into spending more of their money. She made a mental note that she would not allow Nicole to pressure her into gambling. Massages and fine dining would be lovely, but she had already spent enough on this vacation and could not afford to lose any more at the blackjack tables. She had heavy student loans that she would need to be repaying soon.

  Still, the beautiful, palace-like building, surrounded by the exotic tropical greenery, was almost too enchanting to resist. Eva knew she had to be careful. A place like this could lure her into doing all sorts of things she wouldn’t normally do. Gambling might be the least of her worries.

  Eva tried to stop gawking at the hotel long enough to drive the into the valet parking area. She was still in a daze when a kind-looking young man opened up her door.

  “Welcome to the Regal Towers!” he exclaimed enthusiastically. “My name’s Tim. If you could just hand me your keys, we’ll get your bags moved up to your room. I hope you enjoy your stay!” He spoke like someone that really loved his job, even though it was such a humble one.

  Eva found his enthusiasm infectious and smiled brightly as she handed the keys over. “Why thank you, Tim.”

  Several people walked over to the Hummer and opened up the trunk to retrieve the luggage and put it on a cart. Although it was difficult, the girls had restricted themselves to only one small carry-on of luggage each. They figured that they could go shopping at local boutiques if they were missing anything important.

  Eva moved to Nicole’s side, trying not to betray how excited she was growing.

  “Come on,” Nicole whispered, linking arms with her friend and tugging her through the glass doors that were being held open by a bellhop. “This is going to be great. I can feel it.”

  “You might be right,” Eva said.

  The two women walked to the front desk where an elderly gentleman stood. His piercing eyes scanned the foyer as if he was looking for mischief that needed to be corrected.

  “Hey!” Nicole said brazenly. “How’s it goin’, bud?”

  “Good afternoon, ladies,” he said at once. His accent was clearly British and it gave his voice a curt, businesslike quality.

  Eva offered him a smile and scanned his blazer for a name tag. “Good afternoon, Giles,” she said politely.

  His features softened considerably at Eva’s sweet greeting. “How may I help you today?” he asked.

  Nicole grasped the edge of the front desk and leaned forward, displaying her ample cleavage. “We have a reservation, Giles. It’ll be under Murphy. Nicole Murphy.” She gave him a wink. “And yes, there will be lots of dirty things going on in that room, so I’ve got a credit card for the security deposit.”

  The older man’s thin lips turned up in a smile. “Of course, ma’am,” he said briskly as he pulled the information up on his monitor. He quickly punched in a few keystrokes and looked back to her with a troubled face. “I apologize, but it seems we have no rooms available for this type of reservation.”

  Nicole narrowed her eyes and looked at the man for a long moment. The irritation grew in her face. “Excuse me?”

  Giles frowned deeply and he glanced between the two women. “Unfortunately, ladies, we had a rather large party of very rich… whales,” he said in contempt, “arrive early this morning. They booked several floors to use, and we only have the bridge and presidential suits lefts.”

  Eva sighed. She didn’t even have to ask what either of those two cost to know it was well out of their price range. She looked at Nicole and the two shared a look of frustration.

  “Jesus! Do I have to sleep with someone to get a room?” Nicole asked in exasperation, slamming her fist down on the counter. “Because if I do, I’ll go find some hobo and get crabs beforehand to make them pay.” Her green eyes stormed at the old man in righteous vindication. As a spontaneous person, she did not often make plans. It was the first time she had ever been able to coax Eva into a vacation, and she’d had her heart set on this hotel. Being told that some jerks with too much money were about to ruin her vacation did not rub her the right way.

  Giles was taken aback by the ferocity of Nicole’s demeanor and greatly amused by the implications of her words. He smiled wryly at her and shook his head. “You’re Miss Murphy, I imagine?”

  “Damn right, I am,” Nicole said, glaring and crossing her arms.

  Giles nodded. “Could I have that credit card to preserve for the record?” he asked with a shrewd glint in his eye.

  Nicole raised a brow and hesitantly offered the plastic card to him. He took it with a nod and swiped it across the scanner. His eyes returned to his computer screen and his expression was serious for a moment as he made several keystrokes. Suddenly a wolfish grin appeared on his wrinkled face.

  “It seems to me that one room just became available, after all,” he said with mock innocence. “It’s one of our most elite suites—normally four thousand dollars a night. But due to the inconvenience, I can offer you it at a discounted rate: the same price as your original reservation.”

  “No way!” Nicole said in shock. “You know I was joking about sleeping with you for the room, right?”

  Giles laughed. He took two keycards from a little pile in front of him and ran them through a machine before handing them to the girls. “Here you are, Miss Nicole. Room 781. Please enjoy your stay.”

  “Sweet!” Nicole said, pumping her fist in the air. She clapped Eva on the back. “See? This holiday is going to be amazing. It’s like we were destined to be here.”

  Eva smiled, ignoring her friend’s comment. “Thank you, Giles. You’re wonderful!”

  “I aim to please, ladies,” said the olde
r gentleman brightly.

  “Our hero,” Nicole said with a dramatic sigh, “and they say chivalry is dead.”

  The old man bowed his head respectfully. “Maybe it’s dead in America,” he said, “but not where I come from. And not where we currently are.”

  Bidding goodbye to Giles, the girls moved toward the elevator. Eva tried to conceal a yawn.

  “I can’t wait to shower, shave my legs, and put on something super slutty,” Nicole declared as she eagerly jabbed the elevator button. “Then it’s time to go man-hunting!”

  Eva glanced outside at the dreary storm clouds. . “I suppose I’ll just read a book or take a nap until we finally get some sunshine.”

  Chapter Two

  Eva looked up from her book at the sleeping form of Nicole. The dark-haired woman was resting peacefully while the storm outside continued to rage on. Pulling out her phone, Eva figured she could call her mother while Nicole was distracted by sleep. Quietly moving away from the main part of their hotel room, Eva quickly slid her thumb across the touch screen of her phone to dial her mother.

  The ringing went on for several seconds, each one sending a pang of anxiety through Eva. A hundred different thoughts passed through her mind, each one filled with a scenario more gut wrenching than the last.

  “Hello, Eva?” Her mother’s voice echoed over the line.

  The familiar sound caused relief to wash over Eva. She almost forgot to reply. “Yes, Mommy. Nicole and I are at the hotel and I wanted to let you know everything was okay.”

  “Oh, you didn’t have to call, sweetie,” her mother said weakly. “I know you can take care of yourself.”

  Eva could hear her mother’s smile through her voice and was glad that she was agonizing for no reason. “Well, I’m not really worried about myself as much as I am about you,” she said with a furrowed brow.