walking back to the shore. “My friends are waiting for me back at one of the cabanas.”
“Are these friends female?”
“Yes,” I laugh, grinning sympathetically. “Lana and Brie. You haven’t met Brie.” A loud shout barrels toward us as we make it closer to the shore, someone calling out from the direction of the cabanas.
“Hey, isn’t that your friend Lana?” Jonah squints toward the huts and I follow his gaze, dropping my shades to kill the sun’s glare. It’s still a little too far off for me to get a good glimpse.
“Um…I think so.”
Jonah picks up the pace and begins a jog toward the cabanas. Lana’s frantic face comes into view. She’s waving wildly to call me toward her, and Brie is standing next to her, looking a bit confused. Jonah carries me the whole way, finally stopping to set me down when we reach the bottom of the porch steps. Lana’s hanging over the railing, eyes wide while she silently mouths something to me, but I can’t make it out. I rush up the stairs, Jonah on my heels, and halt to a stop when I reach the top.
Tanner’s sitting in one of the lounge chairs, but he’s not lounging. He looks far from relaxed. He’s leaning forward, forearms on his knees, shades covering his beautiful blue eyes. His blonde hair is disheveled—just as I left it this morning—and he’s donned in his signature grey suit and silk baby blue tie.
“Hey,” I greet him, gaze bouncing between his stoic expression and my girlfriends’ uncomfortable ones. “Is everything okay?”
Lana’s eyes flit to Jonah and then back to Tanner. She clears her throat. “Mr. Christensen just dropped by to speak to you about the interview.”
“The interview? I thought we had a meeting tonight.”
Tanner rises and stretches his shoulders. “Yes, Miss Banks. It turns out I have the afternoon free, so I figured I’d stop by to see if you wouldn’t mind doing the interview now instead.”
Lana taps Brie’s shoulder and points behind Tanner to the sliding glass door. “We’re just gonna run inside and grab some…”
“Bread!” Brie pipes up and takes her hand, and they hurry for the door.
“Jonah, you’re welcome to join us,” Lana calls over her shoulder.
“Oh, that’s okay,” Jonah waves to thank her, and his eyes float between Tanner and me. “I have to get back to my mates. See you soon, Anya? Room 3041, right?”
“Yup, you got it.” I turn and smile softly at him. I can feel Tanner’s eyes burn holes into me through his shades, and I’m not sure why. If this is about the damn sticky notes again, so help me, God. “I’ll talk to you later. Tell Carlos I said hi?”
“Will do.” Jonah quickly bows out, turning for the porch steps. He jogs across the white sand and then he’s gone, leaving me with a very grumpy Mr. Blue Eyes.
“So…you want to do the interview now?” I ask, stepping under the umbrella. “Why the change in plans?”
“The interview can wait.” He takes my hand and leads me back inside the cabana, his stride quick and determined. “I want to steal you away for a few hours. Get your bag.”
“Get my bag?” I stumble through the sliding door and he hands it to me, quickly lifting it from the counter. He doesn’t let go, just pulls me right along. I’m still in nothing but my wet bikini and sand is rubbing in all the wrong places, but it looks like I won’t be changing. We sail past Lana and Brie toward the front door.
“Sorry for the intrusion, ladies,” he says gruffly as we pass by. The door swings open and I send a floppy wave to Lana and Brie over my shoulder.
“I’ll text you, Lan!”
“Behave, kids!” she shouts after us. The humidity swamps us again the second we step back outside, and Tanner finally stops in front of the hut’s little dirt path. A sharp, white Corvette awaits us, windows rolled down. Tanner opens the passenger door and gestures for me to get in. I don’t bother asking, because this man’s on a mission. I just
“Are these friends female?”
“Yes,” I laugh, grinning sympathetically. “Lana and Brie. You haven’t met Brie.” A loud shout barrels toward us as we make it closer to the shore, someone calling out from the direction of the cabanas.
“Hey, isn’t that your friend Lana?” Jonah squints toward the huts and I follow his gaze, dropping my shades to kill the sun’s glare. It’s still a little too far off for me to get a good glimpse.
“Um…I think so.”
Jonah picks up the pace and begins a jog toward the cabanas. Lana’s frantic face comes into view. She’s waving wildly to call me toward her, and Brie is standing next to her, looking a bit confused. Jonah carries me the whole way, finally stopping to set me down when we reach the bottom of the porch steps. Lana’s hanging over the railing, eyes wide while she silently mouths something to me, but I can’t make it out. I rush up the stairs, Jonah on my heels, and halt to a stop when I reach the top.
Tanner’s sitting in one of the lounge chairs, but he’s not lounging. He looks far from relaxed. He’s leaning forward, forearms on his knees, shades covering his beautiful blue eyes. His blonde hair is disheveled—just as I left it this morning—and he’s donned in his signature grey suit and silk baby blue tie.
“Hey,” I greet him, gaze bouncing between his stoic expression and my girlfriends’ uncomfortable ones. “Is everything okay?”
Lana’s eyes flit to Jonah and then back to Tanner. She clears her throat. “Mr. Christensen just dropped by to speak to you about the interview.”
“The interview? I thought we had a meeting tonight.”
Tanner rises and stretches his shoulders. “Yes, Miss Banks. It turns out I have the afternoon free, so I figured I’d stop by to see if you wouldn’t mind doing the interview now instead.”
Lana taps Brie’s shoulder and points behind Tanner to the sliding glass door. “We’re just gonna run inside and grab some…”
“Bread!” Brie pipes up and takes her hand, and they hurry for the door.
“Jonah, you’re welcome to join us,” Lana calls over her shoulder.
“Oh, that’s okay,” Jonah waves to thank her, and his eyes float between Tanner and me. “I have to get back to my mates. See you soon, Anya? Room 3041, right?”
“Yup, you got it.” I turn and smile softly at him. I can feel Tanner’s eyes burn holes into me through his shades, and I’m not sure why. If this is about the damn sticky notes again, so help me, God. “I’ll talk to you later. Tell Carlos I said hi?”
“Will do.” Jonah quickly bows out, turning for the porch steps. He jogs across the white sand and then he’s gone, leaving me with a very grumpy Mr. Blue Eyes.
“So…you want to do the interview now?” I ask, stepping under the umbrella. “Why the change in plans?”
“The interview can wait.” He takes my hand and leads me back inside the cabana, his stride quick and determined. “I want to steal you away for a few hours. Get your bag.”
“Get my bag?” I stumble through the sliding door and he hands it to me, quickly lifting it from the counter. He doesn’t let go, just pulls me right along. I’m still in nothing but my wet bikini and sand is rubbing in all the wrong places, but it looks like I won’t be changing. We sail past Lana and Brie toward the front door.
“Sorry for the intrusion, ladies,” he says gruffly as we pass by. The door swings open and I send a floppy wave to Lana and Brie over my shoulder.
“I’ll text you, Lan!”
“Behave, kids!” she shouts after us. The humidity swamps us again the second we step back outside, and Tanner finally stops in front of the hut’s little dirt path. A sharp, white Corvette awaits us, windows rolled down. Tanner opens the passenger door and gestures for me to get in. I don’t bother asking, because this man’s on a mission. I just
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