The stranger's deal

Riley's POV

“Do you have everything with you?” My sister asked for the hundredth time.

I lifted my gaze, looking at her. She was rechecking my bags while I was packing my backpack. I dropped the things that were in my hands and glared at her. “Lara! You are messing my bags,” I screeched, pulling the bags from her grasp.

She deadpanned at me, and I rolled my eyes, already guessing what was next. “Well, it isn’t my fault if I’m looking out for you, after all that bargain looks very fishy for me,”

“No, it’s called luck, I got the room for half price, so the plane ticket, and you know why? Because I deserve a nice vacation after that break-up,” I said, focusing my gaze on her.

She sent me a sad smile once I uttered the last sentence. My heart even ached as the fresh memory replayed in my mind.

It was a Friday night, and I was going to my fiance’s house, my ex-fiance now. Anyway, I entered his house; it was silent as he lived alone. I went to his room as usual, but the unusual thing was the half-naked girl on his bed.

Then he came out of the bathroom, with a towel around his waist. His eyes darted between me and that girl. Of course, I slapped him, and rushed out of his house, I hopped in my car and drove away, not looking back.

The hot tears brought me back to reality, and I quickly wiped my tears, forcing a smile. “I’m fine,” I reassured my sister, and she pressed her lips in a thin line, nodding her head.

“And I’ll have more fun as a single woman, on an island full of hot men,” I tried to lighten the mood, and it worked as Lara burst out laughing.

“Stop laughing!” I grumbled, hitting her arm lightly.

She clutched her stomach, falling back on the bed as she laughed even harder. After a few minutes, she finally stopped. “Oh god, I can’t believe you even said those words.” She giggled to herself, and I rolled my eyes.

I organized my bags by the door and looked at my room, Lara sat up and looked at me with a sad smile. She got up and pulled me into a hug. “I’ll miss you, and please call me every day,” she mumbled.

I pulled away and nodded frantically. “Also, don’t forget about protection,”

“Seriously,” I whined, and she chuckled.

I held my chin, and let out a chuckle as I remembered my ex-fiance, begging for me to go beyond our make-out session, saying we would be married anyway by the end of the year. 

Thank God I didn’t give him what he wanted.

“I’ll stick to casual flirting, thank you,” I retorted, grabbing my bags.

Lara helped me get my other bag down along with my forgotten backpack.

“Do you have your meds? Your insulin? Y-“

“I have everything, geez, Lara, it’s only a week,” I grumbled, and she deadpanned at me, not surprised with my careless self.

“Well, insulin treatment is daily, I’ll check in if you took it, anyway.” She waved her hand.

Lara was more of my mother than a sister, especially after our mother abandoned us ten years ago, leaving an eighteen-year-old teenager in charge of a thirteen-year-old kid, but Lara stepped up and devoted her life to me.

“Stop zoning out, the plane won’t wait for you,” Lara shouted, and I snapped back to reality, gazing at her.

I wore the backpack, and gripped the handle of the medium-sized bag, pulling it behind me. I followed her out and helped her put the bags in the car. My gaze followed her as she walked to the driver’s seat, and I was to follow her but stopped when I felt a tap on my shoulder, hearing a familiar voice.

“Riley, please, give me a chance,” I heard his voice, holding regret as he spoke out.

I turned around and faced him, his blue eyes were filled with nothing but sadness, guilt, and pain. “Holden, we are over, I hope you get that through your thick skull,” I snapped at him.

I scripted it differently in my mind, but my emotions were just too much. 

He reached for my hand, but I pulled it away. “We love each other, remember our promise?” He muttered, and I raised a single eyebrow.

“Love? Do you even know what that word means? Probably no, so stay away from Holden, or I’ll sign a restraining order on you,” I threatened him. He gulped down and turned away.

I hopped in the car, and Lara eyed me. “I’m fine, just drive, I have a plane to catch,” I spoke, and she nodded.

A few minutes, and we reached the airport. I glanced at Lara, and she was looking at me with a grin. “I think you are excited to get rid of me at last,” I mumbled, narrowing my eyes suspiciously at her.

“Maybe.” She shrugged, and I blinked at her, opening my door, and leaving the car while she laughed it off.

She got out and helped with my bags, then said goodbye once we reached the gates. 

After doing security checks, I got on the plane in time, five hours left to reach my destination. I gazed outside of the window, seeing the clouds as the plane was in the air now.

It was just a one-week vacation. What can go wrong? 

Well, everything could go wrong.

**********************

“What do you mean by bunking in with a stranger?” I snapped at the receptionist.

She blinked, repeating what she had been saying for the past ten minutes, “you two will share the room as there are no more spaces in the hotel,”

“But I reserved it first,” I argued back.

“So, did I,” a fresh voice was added, and I turned my gaze to the owner of that husky voice.

Seeing a man around his mid-twenties, maybe my age, he was approaching me, and my eyes met his pair of amber eyes. He fixed the mass of curls of his dirty blonde hair, tousling them to the back.

I tore my gaze away, focusing on the receptionist, seeing her staring at the guy. He leaned on the desk and offered her a flirtatious smile. “No, you will not flirt your way through, buddy,” I snapped at him and he looked at me with the same smile.

“So, you don’t mind sharing the room till they clear another one,” he muttered, his eyes flickering between mine.

I don’t mind.

“I do mind, but we don’t have any other options,” I spoke back, offering a tight-lipped smile.

He rolled his eyes and turned around, walking to his luggage. “I love my job, especially when it comes with hot men,” the receptionist mumbled, loud enough for me to hear.

I looked at her, and she looked away, focusing on her computer instead. 

I wanted a room for myself, but we don’t get what we want, and I obviously didn’t want to share a room with a man.

The receptionist gave me the room keys, and I grabbed my stuff, walking to the elevator. I heard someone clearing his throat; I glanced at the man, only finding the guy I was sharing the room with.

“I’m Zack,” he introduced himself. I eyed him from bottom to top, then ignored him.

The elevator opened, and I stepped inside, glancing at him.

“Playing hard to get, huh?” He retorted, getting inside with me. I pressed the tenth-floor button and glanced at him.

“Doesn’t mean I let you stay in my room that we have to talk,” I said in a chill tone. He rubbed his chin, pressing his lips together in a thin line.

“It’s my room too, I reserved it the same as you,” he said, smiling at me.

I grimaced and looked away. “Whatever, but I have my rules, you don’t come with women in the room, no walking around half-naked or fully, and the bed is mine,” I threw the bunch of orders, then lifted my gaze meeting his curious eyes.

“And why is the bed yours?” He questioned, narrowing his eyes.

“Are you going to leave a lady to sleep on the uncomfortable couch?” 

“You know we could ask for an extra bed?” He mumbled, raising a single eyebrow.

“I get the big bed,” I proclaimed, crossing my arms against my chest.

He smirked, leaning closer to me. I could feel his breathing fanning my face. His eyes were set on mine, and I felt the heat travel to my cheeks. He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I love bossy women,” he flirted.

Is it hot in here? Because I was hot, even my heart stopped beating. 

“Also, no flirting with me,” I whispered, adding to my list of orders.

“You seemed to like it,” he asserted, smirking devilishly at me.

The elevator door opened. He pulled away and walked out. I was stunned, completely frozen in my place, before I heard his voice, “aren’t you coming, stranger?”

I woke up from my trance and grabbed my bags, following him down the hall. He stopped in front of the room, and opened the door, then got his luggage inside, coming back to help me with mine, but I stopped him.

He helped me anyway and placed the bags inside the room. I walked inside the room and threw myself on the bed, purposely annoying him.

He put his hands on his waist and pursed his lips, gazing at me. “So, stranger, you said your list of orders, can I say mine?”

“Whatever,” I grumbled, staring at the roof.

“Well… unfortunately I don’t have except one,” he stammered, and I let out a chuckle, knowing what he wanted to say, but probably too shy to say it.

“Can I get your name at least?” He questioned.

“Riley,” I answered, sitting up.

“Nice to meet you, Riley.” He smiled.

“Couldn’t agree with you,” I mumbled, and he heard me anyway.

He sat on the chair across from the bed, his gaze still on me. “We are just temporary roommates,” 

He was getting on my nerves, and I wanted to punch his perfect face. I exhaled sharply before getting up and walking to my bag.

I put my bag on the bed and opened it, grabbing out my swimsuit, along with other stuff I needed for the beach while Zack sat on that chair, staring at me.

“You are here alone, and very angry. You just went through a breakup,” he mumbled, and I lifted my head, knitting my eyebrows.

“Am I right?”

“Don’t you have anything to do or a place to go?” I questioned harshly, and he shook his head.

“I’m waiting for you to finish, then I’ll get ready. Maybe we could go to the beach together and get to know each other,”

I blinked at him before slapping my forehead. He was a stupid or straightforward idiot.

“Hard pass,” I said with a tight-lipped smile, holding my clothes in my hands.

I walked to the bathroom and got changed. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, smiling at how I looked with this bikini Lara bought for me.

I wore my shorts, then a see-through cardigan. I pulled my hair up in a messy bun, then left the bathroom, not seeing Zack in the room.

Thank God.

**********************

The smell of the sea brought me the sensation of relaxation, even the touch of the sun against my skin made me feel great. This was the best feeling in the universe.

I felt someone blocking the sun from me, only disturbing my mood. I lowered my sunglasses and saw Zack standing in front of me with a smirk on his lips.

Holy moly. Despite hating him for no certain reason except the room thing, but he was mad hot. He was wearing blue trunks, no shirt, of course, leaving his toned chest for every woman’s eyes to enjoy.

And I dared to grow hatred for him.

I narrowed my eyes at him and groaned as he sat next to me. “What now?” 

“I thought you needed some company,” he mumbled, tilting his head slightly.

I sat up and looked around, my eyes roaming the beach. “Actually, I was just leaving,” I spoke as I gathered my stuff, deciding to leave.

“Where are you going?”

“None of your concerns,” I growled, glaring at him.

He just kept his smirk while I got up, walking away from him. I took the same path I came from earlier, noticing it was empty as everyone was by the pool or the beach.

I returned to my room, had a quick shower, and changed into a pair of dyed shorts, matching on top with a dyed crop top. I checked the time, then got out of the room, going for a walk around the island.

Hours passed, and it was night, I was on my way back to the resort, and maybe I lost my way back. I lifted my gaze off my phone and stared at the pitch-black sky decorated with the stars. 

“Where is that resort?” I muttered to myself.

There wasn’t anyone around me to ask for directions, and I didn’t even speak their language, just great. I grumbled and continued walking in the peaceful quietness.

I could hear from afar loud voices of men roaring with laughter, and speaking in a slurring way. I put my phone in my pocket and hugged myself, picking my pace up. 

I heard those men shouting, and stupid me looked at them. There were three of them. They shot me some smirks and their gazes made me uncomfortable.

The next thing I felt was crashing into a rough surface, I pulled away, only seeing Zack in front of me with a soft smile on his lips.

He pecked my lips, and I stood there like a fish, my mouth wide open and my eyes were the same. “Honey, I was looking for you, where did you go?” 

Is he drunk?

I glanced at the men who were following me and saw them walking away at a slow pace. “Ugh… I went for a walk,” I mumbled, looking back at him.

He slid his arm around my waist and pulled me with him. Once we were out of that place, I smacked his arm and glared at him. “What do you think you are doing?” I hissed at him.

“Aww, come on, I know you’ve wanted to kiss me since this morning,” he joked, wiggling his eyebrows, but I didn’t crack up. I was still glaring at him.

“Fine, they have been following you for about an hour, so I stepped in and saved you from possibly getting raped, a thank you would be great.” He shrugged, jamming his hands in his blue trunks from the morning.

I nibbled on my lower lip, feeling guilt eating me alive. But I didn’t let my guard down. “Were you following me?” I shot my question at him, and he licked his lips, taking a hand out of his pocket and scratching the back of his neck.

“In my defense, you looked like you would get yourself hurt, I didn’t follow you everywhere, but still kept an eye on you,” he answered, blushing slightly.

He was right, and I was about to get myself hurt earlier. I pushed a smile on my lips, uttering a thank you. He grinned at me, his amber eyes filling with joy.

“Also, sorry for kissing you,” he muttered, and I know he wasn’t sorry for stealing a quick kiss from me. His eyes gave it away as I stared into them.

I shrugged my shoulder, mumbling as I walked away. “It was just a small kiss, forget it,” 

I was here to have some time alone; I know I said to my sister I would mess around, but it won’t satisfy my broken heart.

I was only here for the peace of my mind, not chasing a love story after a breakup. I chanted in my head.

Nearly a day passed, and the only guy I spoke to was Zack. Knowing guys like him, he was just another player; I didn’t see him flirting with other girls because I avoided him, but his looks and how he spoke with the receptionist and me gave it away.

I stopped in my tracks when I realized I didn’t know the way back to the resort. “You know the way back, right?” I questioned, turning to face him.

He let out a chuckle and motioned for me to follow him. “Took you long enough to figure it out, princess,” 

“Also, no nicknames,” I said, and he glanced with an unimpressed reaction.

“Who turned you to ice queen?” He questioned, and I glared at him.

“I’m ice proof, princess, keep staring as long as you want, but I’ll remain hot.” He winked at me and I parted my lips to argue back, but no words came out.

“You are annoying,” I grumbled after a few minutes.

“I have a deal for you, ice queen,” he chimed in. Excitement filled his tone, and I didn’t like how it sounded, but I didn’t stop him.

He slid his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to him. “Zack, do you have a death wish?” I muttered and grinned goofily at me.

“Getting heartbroken sucks, I know that, how about I melt the ice queen and mend your heart again?”

I removed his arm from my shoulder and stood in front of him, gazing into his eyes. He breathed out, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Give me a week to fix your heart,” 

“Fine, but you will fail,” I warned him, and his smirk grew wider.

Why did I agree?