Under The Influence

Brittany Summers pulled her sunglasses down to cover her eyes as she lounged near the pool at the Four Seasons Resort in Hawaii. She had been working so many hours lately and her boss had insisted that she take some time off. He even recommended this this particular resort where she was staying. It’s a beautiful place and under normal circumstances she would have really enjoyed being here. Even though her hand had been practically forced, getting away for a few days was just what she needed.
For the first few days she stayed in her room catching up on much needed sleep. She had quickly grown tired of her own company and decided to come out of her room for a while. Looking around that might have been a mistake. The last thing she needed to see was couples all over each other. But what did she expect? This was a lover’s paradise. And Hawaii was a great place for a honeymoon. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift.
She wished her friend, Vanessa, was here with her. But she was too pregnant to be going anywhere. Not that her husband would allow it anyway. Steven hardly let Vanessa out of his sight these days. She was waited on hand and foot and not allowed to do anything. Brittany dreamed of having a man who loved her as much as Steven loved Vanessa.
Which brings her to the other reason why she decided to take this vacation. Vincent Sterling. Vanessa’s brother coined the word playboy. Vincent changed women as often as he changed his mind. For the thousandth time she wondered why she was cursed with loving a man who hardly knew she existed. With so many good men in the world, why did she have to fall in love with him?
His handsome face swam behind her closed eyes. She could even smell his cologne if she concentrated hard enough. The last time she saw Vincent he was on a date with his latest conquest. He looked good. But then he always did. With his face and body he could be on the cover of some fashion magazine.
Women were always throwing themselves at him, which only fed his enormous ego. The scent was stronger now. Brittany wished whoever was wearing his cologne would jump in the pool and wash it off. It was playing havoc with her senses.
She stiffened, her senses on full alert. Tension crawled up her spine. A sudden feeling of being watched was overwhelming. Her eyes snapped open and under the cover of her sunglasses she looked around discretely. She felt a moment of panic. Her thoughts was running wild. She had heard horror stories of people being kidnapped while on vacation. And she was here all alone. She didn’t see anyone or anything that looked strange or out of order. But how would she know? What constitutes normal in this beautiful setting?
Brittany’s heart rate slowed done and she relaxed against her lounger. She was being fanciful. Who on earth would be watching her? She had been watching too many crime shows on TV. She started to close her eyes again, but then they widened and she snatched her sunglasses off.
What was he doing here? He can’t be here. She came here to clear her head. To get away from thoughts of him and try to get past her feelings for him. She didn’t need him messing with her head. She had wasted enough of her time on him. Waiting for something that was never going to happen.
Brittany watched in horror as Vincent got up and started walking towards her. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest. She swallowed the lump in her throat. She ran her eyes all over him. He was wearing a pair of navy swim trunks that hugged his slim hips and displayed his assets for all to see.
Damn. She didn’t need this.
Brittany noticed several women were openly staring at him with lust in their eyes. She wasn’t surprised. That’s the kind of attention he received everywhere he went. He expected it.