her brows puckering. With her eyes, she communicated something to Mia, and then said, “We’ll see you later, Linds.”
A couple more pleasantries were exchanged, and then they quickly moved toward the bar.
Lindsey turned her head, curious as to what Shelby had been looking at. Some kids were building a sand castle on the beach, a pair of teenagers were horsing around, but nothing out of the ordinary.
“See, that wasn’t too painful.”
Her gaze drew back to Rick, who’d sunk back down onto the chaise. “You weren’t there when I told them I’d given you a fake name.”
He smiled. “I vaguely remember them that night we met. They came to the party with you, right?”
“You vaguely remember Shelby? Seriously?”
He slid another look at her retreating form. “She’s pretty. So is Mia. But you,” he said, taking possession of her arm and kissing her hand, “are in a whole different league.”
She smiled, leaned close and whispered, “You are so getting laid.”
He barked out a surprised laugh. Then stared at her, clearly as startled as she was.
She had to have somehow channeled Shelby. That was not something Lindsey would say. Except that she had, and now she didn’t know what to do with it.
Relieved, she spied the waitress headed toward them with her tray full.
“Our drinks,” she warned, when she saw a wicked gleam enter his eye. “They’re coming.”
Rick grabbed his T-shirt and slid his feet into his leather flip-flops. “Screw the drinks,” he said a moment before the waitress approached. He took the check from her and scribbled his name, a tip and room number across the bottom. “We can order room service.”
Lindsey blinked, and managed a weak, “Right.”
R ICK LEFT THE BEER he’d ordered, but she pulled on her cover-up and took her mai tai with her. While he returned the towels to the attendant, she stood at the edge of the lobby, slowly sipping the drink, her nose wrinkling with each tiny swallow, watching him. Damned if he knew what to make of the woman.
Just when he thought he’d figured her out, she surprised him yet again. It was those big innocent eyes that totally messed him up. Made him feel like an ass when all he could think about was stripping her naked and laying her down on that king-size bed upstairs.
First, he knew better. She wasn’t innocent. Second, he saw the way she’d looked at him earlier. She wanted it, too. If they’d been in his room instead of at the pool, he would’ve slid his hand between her thighs and found her good and wet.
It was official, she was killing him.
Walking toward her, he tossed his shirt over his shoulder. No use putting it on. They were going to his room, right now, and they would get naked. “You want your cherry?”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
He plucked the garnish off the side of her glass and held it up to her as they turned and walked toward the elevators.
“Oh, no. You can have the pineapple, too, if you want.”
He popped the cherry into his mouth, and then helped himself to the pineapple wedge. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to eat you, too.” He smiled to himself. That was a lie. His good humor fled when he met those round startled blue eyes, saw the pink creep into her cheeks. “Stop blushing.”
“I told you I can’t help it,” she said tightly, her wounded look shaming him.
“Hey, Lindsey, I’m sorry.” He pulled her against his chest. “I am. I didn’t mean it.” He silently cursed himself, ignoring the people who had to step around them. “Go ahead and slap me if you want. I deserve it.”
She flattened a hand on his chest. His heart pounded hard against her palm. “I wouldn’t do that,” she said softly. “But I do want to get out of everyone’s way.”
He dragged her to the side, where they were partially shielded by a tall potted palm. He gazed down at her upturned face. “I don’t know why I said that. I actually like it when you blush. It’s cute.”
She frowned. “No,
A couple more pleasantries were exchanged, and then they quickly moved toward the bar.
Lindsey turned her head, curious as to what Shelby had been looking at. Some kids were building a sand castle on the beach, a pair of teenagers were horsing around, but nothing out of the ordinary.
“See, that wasn’t too painful.”
Her gaze drew back to Rick, who’d sunk back down onto the chaise. “You weren’t there when I told them I’d given you a fake name.”
He smiled. “I vaguely remember them that night we met. They came to the party with you, right?”
“You vaguely remember Shelby? Seriously?”
He slid another look at her retreating form. “She’s pretty. So is Mia. But you,” he said, taking possession of her arm and kissing her hand, “are in a whole different league.”
She smiled, leaned close and whispered, “You are so getting laid.”
He barked out a surprised laugh. Then stared at her, clearly as startled as she was.
She had to have somehow channeled Shelby. That was not something Lindsey would say. Except that she had, and now she didn’t know what to do with it.
Relieved, she spied the waitress headed toward them with her tray full.
“Our drinks,” she warned, when she saw a wicked gleam enter his eye. “They’re coming.”
Rick grabbed his T-shirt and slid his feet into his leather flip-flops. “Screw the drinks,” he said a moment before the waitress approached. He took the check from her and scribbled his name, a tip and room number across the bottom. “We can order room service.”
Lindsey blinked, and managed a weak, “Right.”
R ICK LEFT THE BEER he’d ordered, but she pulled on her cover-up and took her mai tai with her. While he returned the towels to the attendant, she stood at the edge of the lobby, slowly sipping the drink, her nose wrinkling with each tiny swallow, watching him. Damned if he knew what to make of the woman.
Just when he thought he’d figured her out, she surprised him yet again. It was those big innocent eyes that totally messed him up. Made him feel like an ass when all he could think about was stripping her naked and laying her down on that king-size bed upstairs.
First, he knew better. She wasn’t innocent. Second, he saw the way she’d looked at him earlier. She wanted it, too. If they’d been in his room instead of at the pool, he would’ve slid his hand between her thighs and found her good and wet.
It was official, she was killing him.
Walking toward her, he tossed his shirt over his shoulder. No use putting it on. They were going to his room, right now, and they would get naked. “You want your cherry?”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
He plucked the garnish off the side of her glass and held it up to her as they turned and walked toward the elevators.
“Oh, no. You can have the pineapple, too, if you want.”
He popped the cherry into his mouth, and then helped himself to the pineapple wedge. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to eat you, too.” He smiled to himself. That was a lie. His good humor fled when he met those round startled blue eyes, saw the pink creep into her cheeks. “Stop blushing.”
“I told you I can’t help it,” she said tightly, her wounded look shaming him.
“Hey, Lindsey, I’m sorry.” He pulled her against his chest. “I am. I didn’t mean it.” He silently cursed himself, ignoring the people who had to step around them. “Go ahead and slap me if you want. I deserve it.”
She flattened a hand on his chest. His heart pounded hard against her palm. “I wouldn’t do that,” she said softly. “But I do want to get out of everyone’s way.”
He dragged her to the side, where they were partially shielded by a tall potted palm. He gazed down at her upturned face. “I don’t know why I said that. I actually like it when you blush. It’s cute.”
She frowned. “No,
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