Home / Romance / Dive in Deep / Waking Up In Paradise

Share

Waking Up In Paradise

Author: Ali Parker
last update Last Updated: 2023-10-15 01:39:44

Sade

I rolled over in the bed that I swore was made from clouds, and I looked into the sleeping face of Julia. She and I had agreed to take the room with the two queen beds, giving Khloe the master bedroom in the suite.

I didn’t feel like we had settled at all. The beds were comfortable and inviting. It kind of felt like a sleepover with my best gal pal. Julia and I had been friends since we were in third grade. Friends from a distance—a very long distance sometimes, with my family bouncing all over the world.

She’d gone to a different school, but we had kept in touch. We had managed to make plenty of time to hang out on the weekends, and the three of us had all become the best of friends. They were my family. They were my real support system, and I didn’t think I could have ever made it through the grueling years without them pushing me and encouraging me to keep moving forward.

“I don’t want to get out of bed,” Julia moaned.

“Me either, but I think that would completely ruin the purpose of coming here. We’re supposed to be on the beach.”

“Do you think Khloe is up yet?” she asked.

“If you’re quiet, you won’t wake her, and we can lay in bed a while longer,” I whispered. “If she gets up and sees that beach or that sun, she’s going to want to go for a run, and I can guarantee you she’s going to want to drag us with her. I’m not running, not even if a bear is chasing me.”

She giggled, her voice a little croaky after the late night and alcohol. “You’d run if a bear was chasing you.”

“Nope. Why bother? I’m not going to outrun a bear. I’ll just lay down and take it. No reason to get my adrenaline pumping. I’ve heard that makes meat taste bad. Did you know that?” 

“What?” Julia asked. “You don’t want to taste bad for the bear?”

“Well, not entirely, but—” I stopped talking, realizing I was going off on one of my tangents.

“Get up, bitches!” Khloe’s voice boomed through the closed door. “It’s a beautiful day outside!”

“Too late,” Julia moaned. “The beast is awake.”

“I’m ordering room service,” I said, throwing off the blanket. “I need coffee and something sweet.”

“Good. Order me a bagel and bacon,” she mumbled, rolling over and pulling the blanket over her head.

I padded out of the room in my bare feet, appreciating the plush carpet under my toes. We’d walked for hours last night, and I hadn’t worn the most sensible shoes. My feet were killing me. I was looking forward to bare feet and sandals for the rest of our vacation.

“Where’s that room-service menu?” I asked Khloe, who was staring out the window.

“Bar.” She gestured at it without looking at me.

“You’re craving a run,” I commented, knowing her well.

“I am,” she said longingly. “I want to go running on that beach. Do you want to go for a quick run? It’s a great way to get the day off to a good start.”

“You’re crazy. There is nothing great about running. We’re on vacation. Nobody wants to run.” I found the menu, scanned it, and picked up the phone to order breakfast for all of us. I tried to order a combination of healthy stuff and plenty of bacon for Julia.  

After making the call, I moved to stretch out on the couch, enjoying a leisurely morning with absolutely nothing to do. I didn’t have to go to work. I didn’t have to study. I didn’t even have to do the damn laundry or make myself food. It was strange to have nothing to do.

Khloe took a seat, flipping through her phone while I checked email. Breakfast was delivered. Julia finally crawled out of bed, and the three of us sat on our private deck and munched on the delicious offerings.

“What’s the plan for today, girls?” I asked, hoping excessive walking wasn’t on the agenda.

“Beach? Pool?” Julia offered, looking from me to Khloe while munching on a piece of crispy bacon.

“Pool, definitely the pool,” Khloe answered, getting back up to look outside. “Look at that water.”

“The pool sounds like a great plan to me,” I chimed in.

“Any hot guys down there?” Julia asked.

“Not as hot as Sade’s sexy pants,” Khloe teased.

“Stop,” I said. “You know he was good looking. And he isn’t mine. I could only be so lucky.”

“He was, but you went completely off the rails.” Julia laughed. “I’m going to see if I can find a bib for you. I don’t want you drooling all over yourself again.”

Khloe did an impression of me, her mouth opening and closing, her hand clapped over her chest. Julia made a big show of wiping her mouth before both of them burst into laughter.

I shook my head, not taking their jesting seriously. “I froze. I couldn’t help it. He was so—I don’t know—gorgeous, beautiful, handsome. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe him. You guys know I always freeze up. It was nothing new. I have no game. I suck at flirting.” I made a pouty face. “I’m going to be a spinster and have thirty cats.”   

“Yes, you do suck at flirting, but I think if you just relaxed a bit, you’d do okay,” Julia said. “You get inside your head too much. You think too much about what to say and how to look. You just have to be naturally you. One of these days, a man is going to come in and sweep you off your feet.”

Related chapters

  • Dive in Deep   Summer Fling

    SadeI rolled my eyes. “Easier said than done. I’m a dork. I sound like a dork, and I look like a dork. That man is way out of my league. He was only being nice. He probably dates Victoria’s Secret models.”“I don’t know,” Khloe commented. “He looked like he wanted to eat you for dinner. It was kind of awkward. The tension was thick.”“Stop. It was not. You guys are completely exaggerating.” I felt my cheeks flush.“Oh, she’s blushing!” Julia squealed.“Stop, I am not,” I argued, knowing I was.“I think we need to see if we can find him,” Khloe suggested. “He could be your summer fling.” I gasped in horror. “No! You’re crazy. I’m not going to have a fling.”“I think you should,” Julia said. “You need to let your hair down and get wild. You’ve been buttoned up for too long. Take a walk on the wild side.” I shook my head. “My wild side is buying a movie I haven’t seen.”Khloe nodded. “This is true.”“There’s something to be said for being a good girl,” I said, lifting my chin.“Yes, i

    Last Updated : 2023-10-15
  • Dive in Deep   Problems

    TrentShe looked nervous. I could tell I was flustering her. Her cheeks were a pretty shade of red, and it had nothing to do with the sun.I liked that she was shy. She had a very innocent quality about her, which was new to me. Since my recent rise in financial status, it wasn’t often I encountered a woman who truly intrigued me. They were usually very obvious in their attraction, and most were very skilled at the art of flirting. Not her.I wanted to talk to her more. I wanted to ask her to have a drink with me. My ringing phone pretty much destroyed that plan.I looked at the number on my phone and saw it was the front house manager. “I have to take this. I’m going to see you again.” I looked directly at her, letting her know I found her very attractive.“Okay,” she replied, her voice so low I barely heard her.I nodded, answering the call as I walked away. “Trent here.” “Sir, I’m sorry to bother you, but we’ve got a situation here, and you said to call if there were any problems,

    Last Updated : 2023-10-15
  • Dive in Deep   Get It For Me

    Trent“You’re late,” he commented.“I had some issues to deal with,” I replied.“I like when you’re late—it gives me good reason to speed,” he said with a laugh.“You speed regardless,” I said.“But now I have a good reason to,” he answered.I arrived at the lawyer’s office about ten minutes late for my appointment. I’d be charged for those minutes, so I wasn’t all that worried about running behind. I was taken right in.“Trent, it’s good to see you!” Lance Avery said, extending one of his pudgy hands toward me.I shook his hand and took my seat. “Sorry, I’m late. Business.” “No problem. I’ve got the proposal drawn up and just need you to review it.” He picked up a file and slid it across the desk to me.“You spoke with him directly?” I asked.He nodded. “I did. Nice man.”“And why is he wanting to sell?” I asked, not trusting anyone at face value. “And if he does want to sell, why isn’t it more widely known? And why sell it to me?”“In a nutshell, he’s tired of the game. He’s ready

    Last Updated : 2023-10-15
  • Dive in Deep   Attacked

    SadeBreakfast had been amazing. We had decided to actually get out of bed and join the living downstairs in the restaurant instead of dining on room service. It had been worth the hassle of getting dressed and presentable. I had never enjoyed such delicious crepes in all my life. I could have eaten so much more, but that would have been a little cliché—the big girl eating four helpings while her skinny friends stuck to one.We took a different path, wanting to check out the grounds of the hotel, and went out a side door. We walked along a path with both sides of it surrounded by a perfectly manicured lawn with rose bushes blooming and little benches placed under shade trees. It was a beautiful garden space that I planned to visit again soon.Out of nowhere, a slobbering, short-haired beast rubbed against my legs. I looked down, initially horrified until I saw the prettiest dog in the world, attempting to wrap its body around me, all while looking up at me with the biggest smile on it

    Last Updated : 2023-10-15
  • Dive in Deep   Your Chariot Awaits

    Sade“You guys,” I protested again.“This is going to be fun,” Julia said. “We’re going to a house party—on the lake. The guy is mega rich. I can’t wait to see his house!” “I don’t think he was serious,” I said again.Julia picked up one of the flirty blouses I had packed for a night out. She held it up to me and cocked her head to the side before dropping it on the bed. She reached for another one, similar in style but black with large shoulder cutouts. “Yes, this one.”I snatched it from her and turned to look in the mirror, holding it up to me. “Jeans or shorts?” I asked, giving in to the fact I was going.“Shorts,” Khloe said. “Definitely shorts. Those ones with the fringes.” I groaned. “Those are kind of short.”“Exactly,” Julia said. “They make your legs look long. They’re perfect. You can wear the wedges with them and really make your legs look long.” I had to trust them. They were both far better dressers than I was. I never put a lot of thought into what I wore. I spent a

    Last Updated : 2023-10-15
  • Dive in Deep   She's Here

    TrentI made my way through the crowd of people hovering in the open living area that overlooked the back deck and the lake. Mira was giving me the look from the dining room. I knew she had something to say, and I was trying to get to her, but I kept getting stopped along the way by guests that wanted to chat about the weather, compliment my house, or ask about business.I excused myself and almost made a clean break for the kitchen where Mira had disappeared to when Richie grabbed my arm.“Where are you going?” he asked in a low voice.“I need to talk to Mira,” I said irritably. “She’s been trying to get my attention for the last fifteen minutes.” “You need to be nice to your guests,” he said quietly. “These are some of the major players in the area. You’ll want them on your good side. That guy over there owns one of the top ski resorts. We want him to send us his overflow.” I groaned. “That’s what you’re here for. I don’t do this whole schmoozing thing well. I need to check with M

    Last Updated : 2023-12-13
  • Dive in Deep   Make Her Stay

    Trent“Hi,” Julia said, looking up at me with a big smile.“Hi,” I said, startling Sade. Her head whipped around, looking up at me with surprise.“Hi,” she stammered, her cheeks blushing again.I liked how often she blushed. I kicked off my shoes, rolled up my pant legs, and sat down beside Sade. “Enjoying yourself?” I asked her.She nodded. “Yes, thank you.”I noticed her glass was empty. I pulled my feet out of the pool and stood up before waving at one of the waiters moving through the crowd with a tray filled with glasses of wine. I took the entire tray and carried it back to the edge of the pool.“Here you go.” I balanced the tray on one hand and handed her a glass before offering glasses to her friends.“Thank you,” Khloe said, grinning. “You are a full-service host.” “I try,” I said with a wink, taking one of the glasses and sitting back down beside Sade.“Have you lived here long?” Julia asked.I shrugged a shoulder. “About two years.”“Is that how long you’ve owned the hotel

    Last Updated : 2023-12-13
  • Dive in Deep   Getting to Know Him

    Sade“He’s going to come back,” Julia said, sitting beside me at the table we had found near the edge of the patio.I took a bite of the pasta I had scooped on my plate at the buffet. “He has an entire house full of guests. He’s not coming back.”“Yes, he will,” Khloe said. “He’s into you.” “Why? Why would he be into me? Did you see the blonde? I’m positive she’s a model. I think I’ve seen her on billboards. That’s who he is going to want to hang out with. He’s just a nice guy.” I shrugged a shoulder.“Girl, you don’t see how pretty you are,” Julia said with a firm nod. “He does. I assure you. I saw the way he was looking at you. We both did. He is so into you, and I think he will absolutely find you.”I wasn’t sure I wanted him to find me. I felt like such a bumbling idiot whenever he was around. He was gorgeous, and I felt truly flattered he had talked to me at all, but I wasn’t foolish enough to believe he was going to choose me out of all the women roaming about.“What if he’s th

    Last Updated : 2023-12-13

Latest chapter

  • Dive in Deep   Happily Ever After

    TrentKhloe approached us. “Too much?” she asked.Sade wiped a tear from her eye. “I love you. You are amazing. Thank you.”I nodded. “Yes, thank you. This is absolutely stunning. I could have never imagined it could look like this. Truly, thank you.”“The photographer was in earlier,” she said. “The one for the brochure.” “Perfect, thanks,” I said still in disbelief.“I think you two are supposed to be heading to the front for your little introduction,” she said, shooing us away.We spent the next two hours dancing and mingling with our guests. Justin approached me at one point and asked to talk with me in private. I was immediately on guard.“What’s going on?” I asked him in the hall outside the ballroom.“I wasn’t thrilled that the two of you ran off and got married without a word to anyone,” he started.“I’m really sorry about that.”“I know you are. I want to thank you for taking such good care of my little girl. I couldn’t have asked for a better son-in-law. Welcome to the fami

  • Dive in Deep   Married Again

    TrentI wasn’t the least bit nervous. I chalked it up to being an experienced groom. If other couples knew how much easier and how less stressful it was to have the wedding a couple of months after being married, everyone would do it. I didn’t have any wedding day jitters, and I wasn’t worried the family would hate me or the bride would be a wreck.It was easy-peasy. Sade and I had opted to stay apart last night just to make the day a little more special. Her mother had insisted on it, and I was happy to go along with the plan.I had yet to see Sade’s dress. She refused to give me any details about it and often teased it was a red dress. I told her to wear whatever she wanted, but I was secretly hoping for something traditional.I walked into position in front of the archway, which was actually a pergola covered in lush green ferns at the English Garden in Wolf Lakes Park. Sade and I had searched for the perfect place to hold the ceremony. It had taken Khloe’s very impressive negotiat

  • Dive in Deep   I Want to Watch

    SadeI didn’t have to ask where he wanted me to go. My body responded just as he demanded. I moaned, loud and low in my throat as the orgasm flooded my body. I jerked and spasmed against him, my hips grinding against his hand as he held me close.He stepped back and gently turned me to face the bed. The damn thing was so high, it hit me about mid-thigh. I moved to lift my leg to climb on the bed when he stopped me.“Lie across the bed,” he ordered, his voice thick with desire.I did as he said, lying face down on the bed, my feet on the floor, my ass exposed. His hands caressed over both cheeks before he slid one hand between my thighs. I felt the finger part my swollen folds and held my breath, waiting for that first penetration.When his finger slid inside me, I moaned with pleasure. He pulled the finger out and replaced it with his swollen cock. He slid in slowly, one hand on my back and the other holding my hip. I didn’t want to move. Everything felt so good.I could feel the hair

  • Dive in Deep   Naked

    SadeI said my goodbyes to Khloe and Holly and went in search of Trent. I checked the back patio where I had seen him last. He wasn’t there. I drifted down the hall and spotted him in his office, sitting at his desk. He looked a little tired, but I hoped he wasn’t too tired. I had plans for him and his body.“Hey, husband of mine,” I said, startling him.He looked up from the laptop and smiled. “Hey, wife of mine.”“So, the house is empty. We’re alone, like really alone, for the first time in our new house with that big ol’ bed. Why aren’t we naked?”He grinned and closed the laptop. He got up from his chair and made his way toward me. His limp was noticeable as he moved. I imagined the strain of the day was catching up to him. I didn’t dare offer to wait until he was feeling better or comment on the knee at all. He didn’t need me reminding him of his injury.He reached for me, yanking my hips against his lower body, and kissed me soundly. I kissed him back, giving him all I had. My t

  • Dive in Deep   One of a Kind

    TrentI burst into laughter. “No!”Khloe nodded. “Yes. Me and the saleswoman had to talk him out of it.”“It wasn’t a real bear,” I protested.“All the same, it was ugly and just looked scary,” Khloe said.“I’m glad you opted for the other one,” Sade said.“Me too,” I agreed.Leia came bounding in through the doggy door I had put in for her. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth, and she had a huge smile on her face. She loved the backyard. I gave her a piece of pizza crust, which she eagerly chomped down and waited for more. After we had stuffed our faces with as much pizza as we could take, I went outside with Leia to check out the new deck furniture.The ladies joined me, marveling at the view and the massive backyard.“When did this get here?” Sade asked, looking at the furniture and the table set.I grimaced. “Yesterday.”She burst into laughter. “You’re dangerous with a credit card and a computer.”I held up a hand. “Technically, this was on Khloe.”Sade spun around. “What? You did

  • Dive in Deep   Moving Day

    TrentI was humming with energy. I had never been so damn excited in all my life. In my eyes, it was the first day of the rest of my life. Sure, I had plenty of those first days, but now it was really the first day. It was going to be the first day in our new house with all of our new things and our new marriage. It was like I had been waiting my entire life for this one day to happen.Now that it was finally here, I could hardly contain my excitement. I had kept poor Sade up until two o’clock packing. We’d called in reinforcements. Holly and Khloe were both carrying boxes to load into the three waiting cars.“Are you sure I can’t hire a rental truck?” I complained.“No, I don’t have anything that big,” Sade said again. “It’s just boxes. It will be faster to load everything in the cars and make one trip.”I wanted to whine and complain that it wasn’t going fast enough. Unfortunately, my leg had been acting up, and walking up and down the stairs proved to be too much.“I can hire mover

  • Dive in Deep   Frantic

    Sade“Thank you for worrying about me, but I promise I’m going to be okay,” I assured Trent.He leaned down and kissed my forehead. Khloe came out of the bedroom dressed in an outfit that showcased all of her assets. Her makeup was heavy, and she looked like she was ready to have a good time.“I’m outta here!” she said. “You kids behave yourselves, and don’t have sex on that couch. If that couch is staying here with me, I don’t want to be sitting where you guys have done it.”I grinned, giving her a sweet angelic smile. “How do you know we haven’t already done it on this couch?”Trent nearly choked.She wrinkled up her nose. “Gross.”“Bye!” I said, waving at her as she walked out the door.We waited a few minutes, making sure she wasn’t going to come back in. Trent nearly threw me off his lap as he got to his feet. He was hauling me to the bedroom with such haste, I nearly tripped over my own feet.It was a frantic joining, both of us tearing off our clothes and falling onto the bed.

  • Dive in Deep   An Eye-Opener

    SadeI went to work a little earlier than usual to try and catch up on the latest about what had happened the day before. It was a bit of a madhouse. Reps from various agencies were present, as well as bigwigs from the head of the company I worked for. Everyone wanted to know what happened. Everything and everyone were under scrutiny.I knew I wasn’t in trouble, but I still felt like there were a lot of eyes focused on the new girl. I kept my head down and concentrated on my work, doublechecking everything I did to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes. Holly was quiet as well. We were both doing what we could not to draw any attention to ourselves.All I could think about was getting home to Trent. I felt like I had nearly blown it with my little freak out over money. It was hard to accept so much from him. My dad was fiercely independent, never accepting a handout from anyone and making damn sure he expected the same from me.We’d always had what we needed, and I didn’t think I had e

  • Dive in Deep   Joy

    TrentI kept my thoughts to myself and finished making dinner. We sat down to eat, the tension thick in the room. It reminded me of the hours and minutes before a big thunderstorm hit. You could feel it in the air. You knew it was coming, but you didn’t know when that first boom of thunder would ring out.“I’m going to lay down,” Khloe said, clearing away her plate and quickly making her escape.She obviously sensed it as well. I knew our first fight was coming. I just wasn’t sure how big the fight was going to be or what it was going to be about. I couldn’t think of anything that had happened that would result in a fight. We’d had a minor disagreement about who was going to pay for what, but I was confident it had been settled.“I’m tired as well,” Sade announced and stood up.She quickly cleared away everything except my plate in front of me. I was definitely in hot water. I dreaded hearing it, but I needed to know what was going on. I didn’t like the tension between us. I finished

Scan code to read on App
DMCA.com Protection Status