Page 3 of Pink Cheeks (DKAG Summer Shorts #2)

KIP

No matter how hard I tried to stick to a plan, the universe—particularly when it came to my family—always went off-script and handed me a big-ass comedy of errors.

I’d had the itinerary burned into my brain since the day Kaley announced her dumb destination wedding. I had breakfast with her and then had to fix the instructions she gave to hair and makeup so she didn’t look like a granny and…that was the entire schedule.

My sister liked to pretend she cared so much about me, but she wasn’t much better than my parents. She didn’t hate me the way they did, but the minute she got what she wanted out of me, she shooed me away like I was a nuisance.

Fine by me. That meant the rest of the day was mine to fill.

And since my whole job at the ceremony was to not accidentally upstage the bride, I had to get my attention while I could.

The first chance I got, I’d grab my tiny shorts, a towel, and go explore the resort’s private beaches to get a head start on my tan before the big event.

But honestly, it wasn’t the tan I was after so much as the fantasy that some local Hawaiian lifeguard or buff Australian tourist would pluck me from my beach towel and show me a reason to actually enjoy my vacation.

Maybe I was still horny from my flight fantasy that still hadn’t come true, but I wasn’t giving up hope.

Kaley and the rest of the bridal party had found it hilarious that I’d managed to get rejected before even leaving the airport, but I wasn’t gonna be the little brother who couldn’t get laid for the whole trip.

I was gonna get some D, and I was gonna get it good.

But first, I had to deal with my sister.

Since hair and makeup was one of my super powers, I was a couple minutes early to the suite. Not that anyone noticed. The room was already a war zone with bobby pins and hot curling irons for as far as the eye could see.

Kaley spotted me through the cluster of bridesmaids and shook her head. "Well, look who decided to show up to his only sister’s wedding."

"Sweetie, you know I never miss a party when I’m the hottest one invited.

" I blew her a kiss and navigated the obstacle course of suitcases and hair dryers, careful to avoid the cloud of aerosolized foundation being deployed near the window. The bridesmaids greeted me with the exact mix of giggling and un-ironic thirst you expect when you’re the only gay in a room.

I rolled my eyes but gave them my best “yes, I know, I’m adorable” face.

“Jesus, Kip.” Kaley scowled as I approached her. “Did you even sleep last night? You look like you lost a fight with a bottle of Malibu.”

I’d lost three fights, actually. “You make me fly to an island, I’m gonna get drunk and stay drunk. If you don’t want me to outshine you, I need to keep the light dim, ya know?”

She grinned and raked a comb through my hair. “So look at this palette.” She held up a palette of eye shadow. “I like the golds, but Marcy thinks the silvers will look better.”

I grabbed the silver palette and held it up by her face. “This is shit. Go with the gold. You have my undertones, and silver will wash you out.”

She nodded and handed the gold palette to the makeup artist. “You heard the man. We’re goin’ gold.”

I hung out and picked at their snacks for a while before I started to get antsy. “So, how soon can I dip? I wanna get in some ocean time before I have to be all nice and polite.”

She squinted and pursed her lips. “You can go, but seriously, wear sunscreen. If you show up tonight looking like a tomato, I’ll make you dance with Mom the whole time.”

“Not funny.” I gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek then spun in a circle. “That’s my cue, ladies. Get gorgeous, and I’ll see you tonight with a bronze glow to die for.”

Then, with the kind of flair I’d been practicing my whole life, I made my exit and headed to my room to change. Everything was laid out, so it only took me a minute to strip down to nothing and step into almost nothing before heading outside.

The sun was just shy of gates-of-hell, but it was hot enough that the air stuck to my skin like a damp cloth. Good thing sweat only made me look better.

The pools were all packed, so I kept wandering until I found the perfect spot.

A cove that was maybe two hundred yards past the main beach.

It was shaded by palms and surrounded by enough volcanic rocks that you really had to want to get there, which was perfect for me and my covert operation of bronzing my buns.

I spread out my towel and confirmed that I had at least three bars of reception, and settled in. At first, I just lay there to see what kind of foot traffic to expect, but I was far enough away from civilization that no one was coming by. After a half-hour of stalling, I just went for it.

I slipped my shorts all the way off and lay on my stomach, knowing I wouldn’t need more than an hour to take the blinding glow off my ass and give it the sunkissed look the rest of my body had.

The thrill of being naked in public was half the point. There was something exciting about knowing anyone could scale the rocks and see me laid out with my ass to the wind. Who knew I was an exhibitionist. I mean, I kinda knew but never in public like this.

So I tossed one arm over my eyes to shield them and let the sun work its magic on every inch of me. Within minutes, I could feel the heat intensify as the rays seeped into my skin. But I didn’t care. I just needed a little color.

At some point, my brain gave up on me and the exhaustion set in as I fell into a deep contentment.

Also known as passing the fuck out. Well, technically, I wasn’t fully asleep, but I wasn’t awake either.

I just floated in that space where dreams and reality blended together and anything was possible.

My inhibitions were gone, and I almost wanted someone to find me.

And if that someone were a hot guy in a Speedo, I wouldn’t have been the least bit upset.

Especially if he dropped down next to me and told me I was perfect.