“Yeah. And one of my sponsors. A good friend, actually. I’ve known him since I was a teenager.”
She turned her back to Alex, who helped her zip her dress. “I remember you mentioning him now. “So you’re rooming with him?”
“Yes.” He kissed the back of her neck. “I’m really sorry. He wasn’t supposed to be in until tomorrow. I would have never done that . . . in the living room . . . if I’d known he was here.”
She turned to face him. “It’s okay. It’s just sex and I’m way too old to be embarrassed.”
He took her hand. “You’re making me like you more and more, you know that?”
She laughed. “Let’s go out and officially meet your friend Ben.”
Alex led her down the hall and back into the living room. Ben had grabbed a beer. He was sitting on one of the chairs at the island in the kitchen.
The suite was set up much like hers, with a living room and dining room area, and a kitchenette with sink and bar.
“Ben Reynolds, this is Victoria Baldwin.”
Ben stood and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Victoria.”
She gave him a wry smile. “You too, Ben. I guess we’ll all be very close friends now.”
He laughed. “I guess so. Sorry about that.”
“Not a problem.”
“You could have told me you were coming in early,” Alex said as he walked around the island and grabbed two beers from the refrigerator. He held them up to Victoria, who shook her head. “Water instead?”
“That would be great, thank you.”
“I didn’t think I’d need to. Sorry again,” Ben said.
“Why the change in plans?” Alex handed the water to Victoria.
“I got a chance to hop on an earlier flight and took it. Figured I’d catch up on some sleep.” Ben turned to Victoria. “I’ve been traveling a lot the past couple weeks and shifting through a lot of time zones, so jet lag has me screwed up. I had intended to be passed out.”
“Obviously you weren’t,” she said. “Instead, you got a sex show.”
He tipped the beer to his lips and smiled. “Yeah, thanks for that. It was quite an exhibition.”
“My pleasure.”
“Sure looked that way from where I was standing. I’m glad I got off the phone in time to leave my room and see it.”
“You’re a dick, Ben,” Alex said, with a laugh and a shake of his head.
Ben tipped his beer to Alex. “So tell me what I’ve missed, besides you landing the most beautiful woman on the island.”
Victoria couldn’t help but be charmed by the compliment. As Alex filled Ben in on surfing competition stuff, she gave Ben a once-over.
Despite being sleep-deprived and jet-lagged, she definitely noticed Ben was an attractive man. In his mid-forties, she guessed, he had dark hair, slightly graying at the temples, but he was solidly built. About six-two, well tanned, he had stunning steel-gray eyes and full lips with a couple days’ worth of stubble on his jaw that screamed rugged and utterly masculine. He looked like he belonged in a jungle somewhere, which Tori found utterly desirable in a man.
Not that she desired him. She’d just had amazing sex with Alex. Then again, she never put down roots on one man, so she could certainly admire another. And Alex and Ben were as different as night and day, both in age and looks. Which made her wonder at their friendship.
Business partnership she understood, but there was such an age gap between them. She was intrigued by their friendship. Had they bonded over surfing? Alex had said Ben was a close friend and they were rooming together. They interacted with an ease that Victoria found incredibly appealing.
In her business, men were often competitors. She enjoyed seeing a good male friendship.
“Are you here to watch the surf competition, Victoria?” Ben asked.
“No. I’m on vacation.”
“So this is an added bonus for you.”
She laughed. “I suppose it is.”
“Are you a surfing fan?”
“I’ve surfed before, but never watched a competition.”
Ben shifted his gaze to Alex. “You’re going to enjoy this. Alex is a champion.”
He was certainly a champion at sex. And they’d just gotten warmed up before they’d been interrupted. “I can’t wait to watch him.”
Alex grinned. “I’m ready to get started.”
“You need some sleep. You know what the Pipeline can do to you. You don’t want to be caught half-asleep in a wave.”
Tori stood. “That’s my cue to leave.”
Alex stood, too. “I’ll walk you to your room.”
“Try to be back in less than an hour, my man,” Ben said. “Nice to meet you, Victoria.”
She laughed. “You too, Ben.”
They left the room and Alex linked his fingers with hers. Her room was just down the hall and around the corner, so it wasn’t a long walk.
She slipped her card key in the door and turned to Alex. “You didn’t have to walk me, you know.”
He held the door open for her. “Now what kind of gentleman would I be if I let a lady walk herself home?”