CHAPTER FIVE

BENJAMIN’S POV

What the actual fuck was Clara thinking bringing Anna here?

I mean, seriously, where the hell did Clara even find her? Can’t a man have one goddamn weekend without a full-blown emotional ambush?

My fingers curled so tightly around the steering wheel that I nearly punched a hole through it. My knuckles were bone-white, my jaw, locked. I was this close to either driving the hell out of there or pulling over somewhere to meditate on a hilltop like some bald monk. Hell, even downward dog sounded more appealing than enduring the weekend in Anna’s presence.

I parked, shoved my door open, and erupted from the car like a man on fire.

“Finally, the king is here! Let’s move out, people!” Anthony shouted, his arms flailing.

I forced a smirk and shot him a middle finger without slowing down, my eyes locked on the traitor herself—Clara.

She was standing there, pretending to be all innocent, twirling her hair around her finger.

Without delay, I stormed up to her, dragging her by her elbow, “What the fuck are you doing with Anna?” I hissed, my voice low and controlled, yet splintering beneath the surface.

Clara blinked dramatically, “Wait… you know her?” She teased, cocking her head with a fake gasp.

Laughter would have erupted from me if I hadn’t been the main character here.. This girl had no limit to her madness.

Anna and I had hooked up last summer in New Jersey. It was fun until she started talking about wedding dresses and baby names. I ghosted the hell out of that situation and blocked her on everything. Judge me later.

“I found her on a dating site,” Clara said, biting her lip, clearly enjoying every second of this. “Tasted her a few times, and damn, is she yummy! But my real reason for bringing her here? To give you one hell of a weekend,” her voice dropped lower as she winked slowly, her smile vicious as she retreated to Anna.

My stomach did a back flip without warning as Anna’s eyes met mine, and just like in the movies, the air between us pulsed. Her gaze held mine for a second too long, too hot and too familiar. It felt like a silent threat mixed with a memory laced in heat and unfinished business.

“Hi Anna,” I muttered as I took her hand.

Her grip tightened like she was trying to tell me something with her bones. And just when I thought the moment might detonate, Cindy waltzed over.

“You look tense, baby,” she purred, her hand sliding around my waist.

“Oh, I’m… ummm… good,” I muttered, glancing at her, then back at Anna, who was now looking at Cindy like she would snap her neck any moment from now.

“I’m Ben’s baby girl,” Cindy said sweetly, tightening her grip around my waist.

“Cool,” Anna replied, her voice flat as stone, and I felt a cold shiver run down my spine.

*****

A few moments later, we started piling into the car. Cindy claimed the back corner with April and Freddie. Beatrice, Clara, and Anna took the middle seat. Anthony was behind the wheel, and lucky me? I sat beside Anthony, away from the predators.

An hour into the road trip, we stopped at this raggedy gas station in the middle of nowhere. Beatrice and Clara rushed inside the store for snacks, while Anthony checked the tire pressure. I stretched my legs outside, inhaling the dry, dusty air, while Anna insisted she’d pump the gas, “because girls do it better,” she declared.

I should’ve known she was up to something because the moment she bent over to swipe the card, her tiny skirt hiked up and, holy fucking hell! Her ass was staring me in the face. With her G-string panties, sitting beautifully in the middle of her ass, the moment I caught a glimpse of her semi-hairy pussy, my dick shot awake like it had just seen heaven.

I adjusted myself fast, but not fast enough, given that when I glanced toward the store, I caught Beatrice crouched down, picking up a bag of candy. Her eyes darted from my crotch to my face, and her face suddenly turned sour. 

****

The beach house was massive with marble floors, the scent of money clinging to everything. It was a 2-bedroom apartment with a massive hall, a movie room, a modern-day kitchen, a balcony, and a glass pool in the backyard. Anthony had already shared the rooms accordingly. Beatrice, him, Cindy, and me in one room, and the rest in the other room.

We’d just arrived, and everyone was still busy dumping bags and talking over each other about God knows what, but me? I had more urgent issues. My bladder was ready to burst.

I barged into the room, threw my bag on the bed, and made a mad dash for the bathroom. Sweet Fucking Relief!

When I came out, I decided to change out of my travel clothes, and I was about to take off my shorts, when the door flew open.

"Shit—sorry!" April said, freezing at the door.

"You’re good," I said, laughing. “At least I still have my shorts on.”

She stepped inside and her eyes caught a shirt on the bed, and suddenly her smile lit up, "Wait... is that the shirt from that party?"

I laughed, "Yeah. No shit. You remember that night?"

"How could I forget? You wore it and spilled orange soda all over it after trying to impress me with your terrible dance moves."

I chuckled and held it against me, "Hey, I was drunk on two Red Bulls and teenage confidence."

She walked closer and tugged at the fabric, "I can’t believe you still have it."

I leaned slightly forward, "Guess I’m sentimental, or maybe I just keep things that remind me of you."

I could see the movement of her throat as her eyes fluttered. I inched closer to her, and her breath hitched. Our faces were inches apart, and for a heartbeat, we leaned in, and just as I was about to press my lips on hers, she backed away quickly, clearing her throat.

"We can’t," she whispered.

Out of impulse, I gripped her arm, “Just this once.. It’s been so long since I felt you,” I whispered, my heart drumming vigorously.

Before she could answer, Anthony’s voice echoed down the hall. “Beach, people! Let’s go!”

April mouthed I’m sorry, gently pulled her arm free, and slipped out like smoke, and I just stood there, stuck in the moment. Everything from four years ago came crashing in like a tsunami. She was my first everything, and I fucked it all up. No matter how far we ran from it, the tension never really left.

A minute later another barged in, “Bro, you still dressing like a damn snail?”

I tossed him a half-laugh, dragging on a short, “Got distracted.”

He flopped onto the edge of the bed, cracking open a bottle of water and chugging like a camel.

“You alright?” He asked, wiping his mouth.

“Sure,” I lied.

“Don’t bullshit me.  I bumped into April on my way here. Y’all got that weird energy again, huh?”

I stayed silent, focused on adjusting my shorts.

“Just..”

“I know…” I cut him off, “We’re just cool, nothing more. I know you don’t wanna see her hurt again.”

“Fine, let’s head out,” he cocked his head, killing the whole conversation.

***

Freddie, Anthony, and I took the lead, then came the girls, giggling and loud, running past us one after the other like drunk sirens.

That’s when it happened.

Anna jogged ahead, red bikini bouncing with every step, and Anthony’s eyes dropped straight to her ass, and he leaned in toward me.

“Bro… you see that? Tell me you don’t wanna grab that peach and never let go.”

I scoffed, “You’ve got Beatrice.”

He snorted, “Look who’s preaching? We came here to have fun right.”

“Yeah, right,” I responded.

He had no idea how badly I wanted Beatrice. But unlike him, I wasn’t playing. I wanted all of her—mind, body, breath, soul.

***

The beach was golden, the water, loud and endless. Clara sat beside me and Anna stretched beside her, pulling her hair into a bun, then removed her top with a slowness that made my pulse stutter. Her red bikini clung to her body like temptation itself.

"You’re staring," Clara said, suddenly beside me.

I turned, "I was not."

She smirked, "Dude, I caught you in the act."

I didn’t respond because my gaze had already wandered to Beatrice.

She was just stepping out of the water. Her bikini soaked, sticking to every curve like sin. Her nipples were hard as diamonds, her hips, unreal.

My dick almost poked through my shorts.. Holy Christ, this girl would be the death of me.

Before I could take it all in, Anna threw a beach ball toward Anthony and called out, "Come help me with this strap, will you? It’s too tight."

Without hesitation, he jogged over. She lifted her hair and turned her back to him. As he fumbled with her bikini top, her eyes locked on mine, and I knew it was deliberate.

Beatrice turned slightly, confusion flashing on her face, but she shook it off and went back to swimming alone.

Freddie walked over to her Cindy, mumbling something to her and making her cheeks spread, and I didn’t give two fucks. But unlike me, April watched them with tight lips, then blocked her eyes with her sunglasses before lying down.

Anthony had gone from undoing strap to engaging in chitchats, and Beatrice, she was swimming alone, and I knew this was my chance.

I peeled off my shirt and dove in. The water was colder than expected, but the heat in my chest overrode it. I swam toward her, however, when she turned and spotted me, she kicked away like I had a damn plague.

“Hey,” I called, catching up. “Why’ve you been avoiding me?”

“I haven’t,” she said, her lips curving just enough to be dangerous. “I’ve just been building your hunger.”

Before I could reply, her fingers slipped beneath the surface, tugging lightly at the waistband of my trunks. She found what she was looking for, as her hand grazed my length, and she let out the softest hum.

“Hmm. Looks like I’m doing a good job.”

Then she smiled sweetly yet wickedly and swam away without another word.

***

Later that night, after dinner and showers, we all gathered in the living room. Anthony brought out wine and booze, and soon we were sipping, laughing, and casually teasing each other. The vibe was chill, just good banter and buzzed energy, until Clara suddenly slammed her glass down like a gavel and grinned.

“Let’s play strip spoons,” she declared.

Anthony snorted, “That’s not even a real game.”

“Oh, but it is,” Clara said, grinning with wicked glee, “We all get cards, try to collect four of a kind, then grab a spoon from the center. Whoever doesn’t get one? Strips.”

“Do accessories count?” Cindy asked, already sliding off her earrings.

“Only if you’re a coward,” Anna muttered, eyes cutting sharp as a blade.