"You need to get laid." Rose lifts her water to her lips as she curves a brow questioningly.

"It's been what? Three months." Aster butts in, amusement in her voice. I widen my eyes at the both of them, looking around for Matt but he's not here to overhear this conversation so I relax.

If only they knew that it was more like two years. I roll my eyes at my internal thoughts and avoid looking at the reason it's been two years, gritting my teeth and taking a sip of my cocktail before fixing a grin on my face.

"That's a completely inappropriate, personal observation and I'm so glad you said it, who is the man tonight?" I quip, sitting back with the glass clutched in my hand. I sweep my gaze over the surrounding pickings but don't actually see them.

A few men make eye contact with me, flashing a smile here and there and I reciprocate before moving my gaze on.

I know I'm not going to take any one of them to bed but Rose and Aster don't and if they ever figure that out, they'd think something is wrong with me and then the interrogation would start. There's nothing wrong with me. I'm just taking a break.

A long, extended-two-years-and-counting-break.

Rose snorts and takes a sip of her water, resting the condensation coated glass against her protruding belly, her dress tight across the abdomen.

A chuckle reaches my ears, and I shield my eyes as I look towards my other side at Levi, bathing in the sun with his ripped chest on display, dirty blonde hair wet and slicked back.

"What about Jason?" He murmurs, looking at me with a raised brow even as his eyes say something different.

"Argh, no." I make a face, my eyes automatically finding the man in the crowd, even as I feel that familiar tightening in my core. "Too much ego. Plus, he's Matt's best friend, it'd be like dating -"

"A brother?" Aster says innocently and I refrain from letting the shiver of disgust roll down my spine.

"Yes." I mutter, avoiding her eyes.

Levi laughs, his head thrown back in amusement, blonde hair moving slightly in the breeze. "What's wrong with a little ego?" Levi quips, leaning forward with twinkling eyes. "The man can deliver."

"Have personal experience, do you Levi?" I quip, rolling my eyes at his raised brows.

He grins, "What happens in the locker room, stays in the locker room."

I roll my eyes, "Jason Wilde is off limits, plus, he's not relationship material." And neither am I.

It's better if we kept it that way.

I can feel Aster and Rose's gazes on me, their eyes probing me for every scrap of information they can take. I ignore their gaze and take a sip of my drink.

Levi shakes his head and swipes my cocktail, polishing it off.

"Hey!" I snap half-heartedly but he only waggles his brows at me.

"C'mon, what's stopping you?" Levi questions, narrowing his eyes.

I'm eager to rid myself of this conversation. "I'd have more fun fucking a brick wall." At least the brick wall wouldn't be Matt's best friend or you know, pursue me because he's bored.

I know Jason Wilde and he likes a challenge, I just happen to present as one at the moment.

God, if Matt ever found out that I'd slept with Jason not once but twice? I don't think I'd even want to be a fly on the wall.

"Yeah, but he's got a big dick." Aster whispers conspiratorially. Don't I know it and, unsurprisingly, he knows how to use it. Stop thinking of his dick, Arden.

"Who's got a big dick?" The man of the hour interrupts the conversation, Tobias at his side, while Matt trails behind them with a tray full of food.

I almost choke on the air I force into my lungs and cut Aster a scathing glare.

She shrugs innocently, hiding a sirens smile behind her glass.

"The pool boy." I point to the man standing near the resort pool, watching everyone with a keen eye while he patrols the resort customers.

I know because I've been watching him with a keen eye.

Matts mouth turn up into a grimace, but he doesn't say anything before moving towards Aster and settling onto the lounger with her.

Jason looks over at the man and makes a face, his green eyes darkening in the midday sun. He shakes his head, long brown stands floating around his face.

His eyes settle on me. "You'd be lucky if it's the size of my pinkie." He waves said pinkie in my face, and I slap it out of the way.

He raises a challenging brow that I ignore, his eyes are like a physical touch on my skin, dragging across my collarbones, my décolletage and lingering, reminding me of exactly what he was doing last night while I was trying to sleep and the noises I could hear coming from his room.

It's only one week.

I flash my eyes to his, glancing down his body like I find him lacking. "It's not size that matters," I flick my gaze back up, raising a brow, "It's what you do with it."

His brow raises and his signature lopsided grin appears. "Yeah, but if you have the whole package." He waggles his brows, hand groping down his hard chest towards his-

"Hey!" Matt snaps but there's no heat in it as he laughs.

"Too bad that package comes with a cocky ego the size of the island." I mutter quietly as Rose snorts.

Jason leans down, his dark eyes on mine, "I'll show you a cocky ego." He hushes.

"Knock it off, that's my sister." Matt says, reaching for some watermelon and ignoring the conversation to the best of his ability.

I tilt my head to the side, ignoring my brothers' eyes on us. "No thanks, I prefer my men without STDS." Or a trail of broken hearts following them. I will not be one of them.

"I'll have you know; I got that cured." Jason jokes and turns around, but for the flash of a second, I see his smile drop. "Anyone want a drink?"

I shake my head and watch out of the corner of my eye as he walks off, a swagger in his steps.

"You should so do that." Aster whispers so quietly I have to strain to hear it and takes Matt's hand as he pulls her towards the pool.

"No thanks, I have better things to do." I say to her back as Matt looks back quizzically, not having heard what his wife just said to his sister.

"Like the pool boy." Rose quips and I give her a smile of my own, agreeing even as her eyes linger on mine with a knowing glint. She'd seen us the morning of the wedding, seen us together and even though she had her own shit going on, I knew she hadn't forgotten but she never brought it up and for that, I was grateful. That doesn't mean I could tell her the complete truth of mine and Jason tangled history.

"Yes, like the pool boy." I stand up and undo the sarong around my waist, walking leisurely to the pool, a sway in my hips as I pass the lifeguard with a come-hither smile and a little bit of eye contact.

The eye contact is what does him in, his pupils dilating.

It may have been two years, but I still knew how to get what I want.

• • •

Cool air caresses my cheeks, hip resting against the railing as I watch the sun set below the horizon, orange and yellow intertwined with graceful strokes, peppered with the silver of floating clouds.

A body settles next to mine, the hair on my arms standing on end as the breeze blows through and I turn to the newcomer, tucking ebony strands behind my ear.

The man smiles at me, dimple appearing on his right cheek, blonde stubble coating his jawline, hair slicked back with pool water.

"You look lonely."

I smile at the pool boy, the boyish charm evident in his green gaze. "I'm not anymore."

He grins. "I saw you earlier around the pool," He flicks his chin to said pool, tucking his hands into the pockets of his shorts. "I thought you were beautiful."

I bite the corner of my lips slightly, smiling as he continues.

"And I wanted to know if you would like to go on a date with me?"

A date? Not the usual approach but sweet none the less.

"I-" His boyish expression causes me to stumble. "How old are you?" I narrow my eyes, flicking my gaze over his face. I may be a woman who knows what she wants, but a cougar I am not.

His brows draw together in confusion, "Twenty-two."

I blink, masking my shock.

Twenty-two? Practically a child. I'm twenty-nine for god's sake!

"I think I'm a bit too old for you." I mutter, stepping back slightly.

His dejected face causes me to cringe, and he shrugs. "That's okay," He points over his shoulder towards a small bar at the far end of the walkway, "I'll be over there, if you change your mind."

I give him a close-lipped smile, watching him turn and walk away.

Breathing out roughly, I turn away from his direction and speed walk the other way.

"I thought for sure I was going to watch you become a lil cougar, Arden." I stop, spinning towards the voice, narrowing my eyes on Jason.

"Were you spying?"

Jason smirks, his eyes flicking towards the direction of the bar. "I was just going for a stroll, not my fault I came across you." He shrugs and lifts a muscled arm, reaching up to run a hand through his dark hair.

I scoff, "Hmm, I'm sure."

His lips quirk to the side, eyes gazing down my figure before finding my eyes again. "I thought you wanted the pool boy?"

"That's before I found out he was twenty-two," I hiss, "I'm twenty-nine for god's sake, I'm not out here trying to rob a cradle."

Jason nods along sympathetically, "You know I've noticed something?"

I huff, "What?"

He steps forward, his body coming dangerously close to mine. "You haven't dated anyone for months, maybe even a year. Makes me wonder."

How would he know that?

I roll my eyes even as my heart beats erratically in my chest. "You know me, Jason. I don't settle."

His gaze drags leisurely down my figure, lingering on my hips, breast, neck before reaching my eyes. "So, you have been with someone else since our night?"

I tried, once, not long after the wedding. Then twice, by the third time I'd given up on ever having great sex again. It'd been almost two years of a dry spell I had no intention of starting.

I narrow my eyes. "Yes." I hiss.

Jason hums, his hand lifting to run the pad of his thumb along my jawline. "And who might that have been?"

I rip my face from his hold, "None of your business."

He grins, stepping back. "I don't believe you."

"You don't have to, it's the truth." I straighten my shoulders. "I'm not going to supply you with details, but I'm sure you can use that brain of yours to connect the dots." My arms fold around me, fingers digging into the sides of my waist, the act almost painful as if the pain will help ground me.

"I think you're scared." Jason mutters, his eyes dropping down my figure to rest on my waist. I loosen my hold on myself, forcing my hands by my side.

"What?" I shake my head at his one-eighty, taking a small step back.

"Of what you felt that night." He whispers so quietly I have to strain to hear it. "I know I wasn't the only one-"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I mutter, moving to step around him, "you can't be scared of things that don't exist, Jason." I walk past him.

"Oh really, then why're you running away?"

I shift my gaze over my shoulder, finding him watching me walk away, his hip resting against the railing and muscular arms folded over his chest. I turn back, refusing to look at his face as I say the next words. "Turns out I have a date I'm running late for." I wave, "Don't wait up."

I leave him behind, my eyes on the pool boy who lights up when he sees me walking his way.

Half of me is pissed at myself that I'm letting Jason's words affect me, the other half feeling stupid for using this guy to make myself feel better. But all of me doesn't care, as long as I get to see Jason's smug smile disappear and finally feel like that night two years ago didn't completely change the trajectory of my entire life or the one ten years before it.