Unspoken Vows (The Unspoken Love Series) Read online

  I tap my screen and a video plays. Shaking my head, all I can do is crack up laughing.

  I’m glad Camryn and the girls are having a great time because I’m sure as hell having a blast…at least what I can remember of it.

  Camryn

  The moment my feet hit the marble tile of the grand entrance of the resort, the sounds of authentic rock music filter through the lobby. The grand entrance is spacious, decadent, and over-the-top indulgent. Chairs with beautiful floral prints are spaced throughout the area making the entryway breathtaking.

  “Welcome to The Hard Rock Café Punta Cana.” A gentleman extends his arm out, balancing a tray of drinks with umbrellas and wedges of fruit on the glasses.

  “Why, thank you.” I nod my head and take a drink from him. All the girls do the same and we walk toward the counter to check in.

  We approach the counter and a handsome man with short black hair and skin like caramel speaks as we approach the desk. “Welcome, my name is Miguel. How can I help you?” I love his accent. His English is great, but I can tell it’s not his native language.

  “Hello, Miguel. My friends and I just got here. We’d like to check in,” Morgan replies.

  “Your name, please,” Miguel asks.

  “The reservation is under Morgan Kennedy.”

  Miguel hits the keys on his keyboard. “Awe, here you are. Let's get you ladies checked in and I will have you escorted to your suite.”

  A few minutes pass and a bell hop arrives.

  “You will be staying in our Signature Presidential Suite. It comes with everything,” the bell hop explains as he places our luggage on a golf cart.

  “What’s your name?” Karsen asks our bellman.

  “My name is Carlos,” he responds with an accent.

  He navigates down a few walkways.

  “Please, do not leave the resort. It is not safe outside of here,” his voice is filled with concern.

  “Thank you, Carlos. Our travel agent explained that to me when I booked the trip,” Morgan responds.

  We stop outside of a gorgeous building and exit the golf cart. Carlos opens the door to our suite and allows us to enter.

  The four of us walk inside and check the suite out, stopping at the amazing view that greets us as we walk inside.

  Carlos places our bags near the front door, briefly telling us what amenities we have at our disposal.

  “Here ya go, gracias,’ Karsen says as she tips Carlos.

  “De nada.” He nods his head.

  Inside the suite there is a spacious living room and a dining room. Pop art decorates the walls creating a hip ambiance.

  “The suite has two bedrooms. The room over to the right has a king-size bed, I figured you and I could share that. The other room has two double beds,” Morgan states.

  I grab my luggage and pull it into my room. “Whatever you girls want to do, I am good with.”

  “Come here, check this out.” I pull the sliding doors open and I inhale the fresh smell of the ocean. An expansive terrace sits outside of our living room.

  A hot breeze rushes through my hair, as I stand there. I can taste the salt from the ocean in the air. The sea is a jewel-blue. Seagulls swoop overhead. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore is a song that soothes me. I’m glad to get away from the hurly-burly and stresses of life.

  I see dolphins flipping in and out of the heavy waves of the sea. Their bodies flash in steel-grey. It is a skin-tingling experience to witness them frolicking in the sea.

  “Look at that spectacular view,” I say.

  “We can lounge out there or even dine on the terrace,” Morgan states. “We even have our very own in-house personal assistant, as well.”

  I flop myself down on our bed and pick up the brochure that is on the nightstand. The resort has thirteen luxurious pools with swim-up bars and water slides. There are nine restaurants that are perfectly suited for every taste.

  “We have a ton of options for meals. We can grab a quick bite at the deli for lunch. There's an ice cream parlor, too. I can foresee me gaining at least five pounds on this trip, ladies,” I say as I browse the brochure, deciding on where we can eat.

  Lindsey appears in the doorway. “Morgan, you made the reservations for dinners already, right?”

  “Yeah, each night is one of the restaurants we picked. Tonight, is the one I selected, Italian. Tomorrow night, we’re doing the Asian cuisine you picked.”

  “Does that mean sushi?” I ask excitedly.

  “Yes, since we know your obsession with it,” Lindsey laughs.

  Morgan lays on the bed next to me, head on my lap. I take a piece of her loose hair and twirl it around my finger. “Karsen picked where we eat on Sunday and she opted for the steak and seafood. That leaves Monday, and I figured we could go back to one of those restaurants or we can do the brick-oven pizza place. We have several options, whatever you want to do, Cami.”

  “You girls have this trip totally under control. I’m starving now, do you just want to order room service, then head to the pool?”

  “Sounds good to me. I’m going to go change into my bathing suit,” Lindsey says.

  Morgan gets up and walks out to the living room. She returns with her luggage in tow. “Don’t bother unpacking yet, just change into your bathing suit. There’s no time to waste so we’ll do that when we get back from the pool.”

  A tall, slim figure blocks the sun. I lift my head from the lounge chair by the pool where I’ve been sunbathing and relaxing for the past three hours, drinking Presidente beer. I pull my ear bud from my ear. “Would you like another drink?” A waiter stands next to me with a tray in his hand.

  “Yes, please. I’m going to try something different. Can I get a Dirty Monkey?”

  The waiter raises a questioning brow at me.

  “I didn’t see it on the menu, but it is ah-mazing.” I lift my fingers to my lips and kiss the tip of my thumb and pointer finger. “It is almost as good as an orgasm from my amazing fiancé.”

  The waiter’s chin dips down. He makes eye contact with me and exchanges a smile. He shakes his head. When he speaks, he stutters. “Yes, yes, ma’am. Would you like anything else?”

  “No, that should be all.”

  The delicious concoction is made in a blender with ice, vodka or rum, banana liqueur, Kahlúa, cream, and half a banana. Let’s not mention that the glass is decorated with chocolate syrup!

  Morgan forgot to tell us that she hired a butler to wait on us. He informed us that he will do his best to provide us with the best experience possible while staying at the resort. He will provide drinks and food to us while we are at the pool or on the beach. It’s amazing. I don’t have to leave the comfort of my chair to have a Dirty Monkey and a platter of nachos.

  My eyes bounce around the pool trying to find the girls. I notice Karsen on the other side by the edge of the pool talking to some guy. He towers over her small frame. His shoulders are a yard wide and molded bronze. His muscular arms are covered in colorful tattoos, reminding me of Jamie’s. His stance emphasizes the force of his thighs and the slimness of his hips where his swim trunks hang low and I can see the top of that magical V beginning.

  Karsen laughs at whatever he said. He places his hand on the low of her back. I wonder how long the two of them have been talking because it’s obvious they are already on very friendly terms.

  “Cami,” Morgan yells from the pool. “Come in, we’re getting ready to play volleyball. We need more players.”

  I slide my sunglasses down my nose and shake my head. “I think I’ll pass.”

  “Get your ass in the pool now,” Morgan stands with her hands on her hips.

  “You’re crazy. Just play the game and when you’re done, come hang with me,” I yell back at her and slide my sunglasses back in place.

  “You’re going to regret not coming in,” she hollers back.

  A screech leaves my throat. “What the hell!” I scream.

  Strong arms scoop me up
. My body is off the chair before I even know what the hell is happening. His arms are under my legs and are wrapped securely around my back. He runs and jumps in the deep end of the pool with me still tightly against his chest.

  We hit the water. I am still being held tightly by this stranger. I struggle to get out of his arms. I kick my feet, feeling contact against this body. I push away and swim toward the surface.

  “My top,” I scream at Morgan. My arms instinctively cover my chest. My hands ball into fists. I am going to kill this guy. Who the hell is he? Why would he pick me up and jump in the pool?

  “Oh, shit.” She laughs. “You don’t have to worry about drowning. Those things are natural buoys.”

  Through gritted teeth, “I am going to kill you. I swear.”

  My bikini top floats away from me. Morgan swims over and hands me my top. “Here, turn around, I’ll tie it.” Quickly and as discreetly as possible, she puts my top back on.

  Morgan wrinkles her nose and shakes her head. “Just think, Jamie jumped in the pool naked at your birthday when you were a kid. It was your turn to cannonball naked in the pool.”

  I splash water in her face. “Very funny.”

  A guy swims over and stands. He’s tall, rawboned, and beardless, with an appealing face. His chest is broad and muscular. He holds his hands in the air. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. I’m really sorry.” His tone is apologetic.

  My eyes bounce from the guy to Morgan.

  Morgan shrugs her shoulders and makes an apologetic face. She slides her sunglasses on her head. “Camryn knows you didn’t mean it. It’s my fault I asked you to toss her in the pool.”

  I take a deep breath. “Apology accepted. I know you didn’t mean for my top to come off.”

  He extends his hand out, “Friends?”

  I nod and take his hand in mine and shake it. “Friends.”

  Morgan claps her hands together. “Great, now let's play some volleyball.”

  This is not how I intended my girls’ weekend to start off.

  I expected to relax.

  I expected lots of drinks with umbrellas.

  I expected to soak up the sun while listening to music.

  I just wanted to relax.

  I hope this isn’t a preview of what the rest of the trip is going to be like.

  With Morgan Kennedy as my best friend, you never know what to expect.

  “Have you seen Morgan?” I ask Karsen who is sitting next to me in the VIP section Morgan reserved.

  “I haven’t seen her in a while, now that I think of it. I’m sure she’s around here somewhere.”

  “Oh. My. God,” Lindsey screeches and points to the dance floor. “How did she pull that off?” she asks.

  Karsen and I both stand and walk over to the balcony and follow where Lindsey is pointing. We stand there, surprised at what we see. The shock of discovery hits me full force. What the hell is she doing? Has she lost her mind?

  Karsen’s mouth drops open.

  Morgan is so unpredictable. We never know what she will get herself into, but she’s always been the life of a party. Loud mouth, funny, full of life. She definitely knows how to have a good time.

  My eyes meet Karsen’s, shock causes words to wedge in my throat.

  “I can’t believe she's in there,” Karsen says pointing to Morgan.

  Our lovely, vibrant friend is swaying her hips, while she's dancing inside a cage that hangs from the ceiling. The damn ceiling.

  “One Dance” by Drake ft. Wizkid, Kyla blare through the speakers. Colored lights flicker throughout the club pulsing to the beat of the song. Black lights capture Morgan as she swings her hips to the beat, the light highlighting the white strapless dress with bright flowers.

  The cage appears to be invisible as if she is dancing on a platform in the middle of thin air.

  The song changes to “Not Myself Tonight” by Christina Aguilera. Morgan bends over trailing her hand from her ankle slowly, seductively up her leg. She leans her head back, running her fingers through her hair while still dancing to the beat.

  A spotlight appears on Morgan and the crowd on the dance floor seems to notice her in the cage, as well. Our girl is putting on quite the little show for the club tonight.

  “I’ve got to send this to Jamie.” I grab my phone from my purse and snap a few pictures and take a short video.

  “Put your phone away. What happens in Punta Cana, stays in Punta Cana!” Lindsey yells over the music.

  I ignore Lindsey and record Morgan’s little performance. I attach a few pictures and load the video to Jamie with the caption. ‘Things just got quite interesting. Love ya, hope you’re having a blast in Vegas.’

  I slip my phone back into my clutch. Morgan continues to dance seductively, her hips never missing a beat. The racier she dances, the more the crowd reacts. They are egging her on. The louder they cheer, the more provocative she dances. She has always been a great dancer. But this is something else. If she was down on the floor, I’d bet people would toss dollars at her.

  When the song ends, the spotlight that was on the cage goes out. In the distance, I can see the cage lowering to a nearby platform.

  Morgan exits and makes her way through the crowd on the dance floor, people stopping her along the way talking to her. When she joins us, we all fire off questions.

  “What the hell was that about?” I yell.

  “Are you crazy?” Karsen asks.

  “What?” she responds innocently.

  “Don’t give us that act. You know exactly what we’re talking about,” Karsen screams over the music.

  Morgan simply shrugs her shoulder and laughs. The bitch laughs in our faces.

  She turns and points to the empty cage. “That, my friends, is me having one hell of a fucking time.”

  My tongue is tied. I am momentarily speechless.

  Jamie

  The past few weeks have gone by in a blur. With being away for our bachelor/bachelorette parties and work, things have been crazy. Camryn had to travel a few days in between for work, but nothing too far away.

  “Babe, you ready,” I call out to Camryn from the living room.

  “One more minute,” she says when she hobbles out of the bedroom with one shoe on and one shoe in her hand.

  “How many places are we seeing today?” she asks.

  “I think three condos here in the city and two houses in Berkeley Heights.”

  Camryn walks over to the mirror on the wall, and pulls her curled hair over her shoulders.

  Looking at me with her wide, hazel eyes, she says, “I’ve been thinking about the condo idea in the city.”

  She looks away nervously before continuing. “There’s a part of me that wants to stay in the city, but I don’t want to move in a few years when we decide to start a family.”

  I reach for her, pulling her body into a hug. “We’ll figure it out.” I lean down and kiss her forehead. “Together.”

  Searching for a house has caused some unnecessary stress. Stress that neither of us needs. Finding your dream home is difficult. People have said it’s the most amazing feeling. I doubt that.

  Our agent tells us ‘you’ll know when it’s the right one for you.’

  Camryn says we can afford what we want, but I don’t see the sense in wasting money just because we have it. I plan on contributing money to the house, but she isn’t privy to that yet. I brought it up once and she wasn’t too pleased. She insists we use only the money her grandparents left us. It was their gift to us and we need to honor their wishes.

  We arrive at a high-rise in Chelsea and an older gentleman extends his arm as he holds the door for us. “Welcome,” he says politely.

  “This is nice. I like the idea of having a doorman. Security purposes and all,” Camryn says.

  I nod my head. “I agree.”

  We meet our agent in the lobby.

  “Good morning, I think you are really going to love this one,” she says excitedly.

  We
’ve heard that line before. If I had to guess, I’d estimate about ten times, since that’s how many places we looked at and decided weren’t for us.

  We take the elevator to the fifty-fourth floor. The elevators open and we walk down the hall to the unit we are being shown.

  Our agent opens the door, “Here we go. There are a few units in this building that are available.”

  “What’s the price range we’re looking at?” I ask.

  “They range from one point three million up to three point four million.”

  I nod my head.

  “Please take your time looking at each room. I’ll wait here, then we can go over any questions you have,” she says.

  Camryn grabs my hand and leads me toward the window. “What a view.”

  I stand behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. “The view is gorgeous. Is this what you want? A condo with a view, or a home with a yard.”

  Camryn turns in my arms and speaks softly. “I’m not sure.”

  A half smile crosses her face.

  I take her hand and walk through the condo in search of the master bedroom. I turn and shut the door behind us for a little privacy. Camryn walks toward the closet. She walks inside and returns to stand in front of me. Her slender hands unconsciously twist together. The expression on her face grows serious and she looks away. She breathes in deep and exhales.

  I reach out and clutch her hands in mine.

  “Talk to me,” I say.

  “I thought I wanted to stay in the city.” A frown sets into her features.

  “But the more I think about it, I don’t want to raise a family here. I never pictured my kids riding elevators every day in a high-rise. I envisioned them running around in a fenced-in yard with a swing set. Sort of like what we had growing up. I don’t want to waste anymore of her time looking at condos. This isn’t what I want.”

  Cupping her chin, I search her upturned face. “Now that you said that, I agree with you one hundred percent. I think the city would be perfect if we didn’t plan on having children one day, but why move twice if we don’t have to.”