Love & Marry by L.K. Campbell Page B

familiar. She got to her feet and walked to the railing. The only people about were four stories below her at the pool. The voice she’d heard was much closer. She was sure of it. She leaned over and looked to the balcony on her right and didn’t see anyone. But looking to her left, she saw bare feet propped on the balcony railing. Definitely a man’s feet , she thought. She heard the rat-a-tat of fingers typing on a keyboard. Not wanting to be intrusive, she moved back away from the railing.
    Shestepped back inside her room, closing the balcony door behind her. After getting a glimpse of the hotel’s three swimming pools, she didn’t want to waste any more time in her room. She unzipped her luggage and pulled out her new lemon yellow bikini and cover-up. She’d bought the daring outfit to celebrate losing most of the weight she’d gained during several months of depression. Thanks to throwing herself into starting a new business, one sad chapter of her life was finally over.
    She spied the green light blinking on her tablet indicating email in her inbox. She wanted to ignore it, but the temptation to peek was too great. What if one of her clients needed her ? She started to pick up the device but stopped short. Her assistant was a bright, capable young woman who could handle anything that popped up. Let her handle it. You need this vacation, Marry , she said to herself. She closed the suitcase with the blinking tablet still inside.
     
     
    Floating in the warm water, her skin caressed by the tropical breeze couldn’t have been more rejuvenating, but if she stayed in the pool much longer, she’d end up shriveled like a prune. She swam to the ladder and looked up at a pair of tanned, masculine legs. A hand reached down.
    “Need help?”
    She looked up at a familiar face. “That’s quite alright, Dr. Love,” she said. “I can manage.”
    “Please call me Allen,” he said.
    He didn’t move while she climbed up rung-by-rung. Nice legs , she thought. The right amount of muscle and not too hairy . She averted her eyes when they came level with the front of his army green swim shorts.
    “Could you step back, please?” she asked. “So that I can have a little room?”
    Allen grabbed a couple of towels from the courtesy rack and held it for her. She took it from him and wrapped one around her torso and used the other to dry her long mane of auburn hair.
    To her chagrin, he followed her back to her lounge chair.
    “I expected you to be off exploring the island,” he said and sat down on the chair next to hers.
    She reached for her sunscreen. “I’m here for a week, so there’s plenty of time.”
    “But you said you didn’t want to take part in any of the events, and the pool party starts in fifteen minutes.”
    Oh, shoot. Why had she tossed out that schedule ?
    “Does that include all three pools? I can move.”
    He shrugged and stared at her legs for a little longer than she found comfortable. “Yes, you could move to one of the other pools.” He paused and made eye contact with her. “But I wish you wouldn’t.”
    His eyes were as warm and blue as the sea that stretched out beyond the infinity pool. Incredible . Why hadn’t she noticed those eyes at their first meeting ? She forced herself to look away.
    “I-I really don’t want to spend the afternoon being hit on by a bunch of desperate men,” she said.
    Allen leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “How about just one desperate man?”
    His ivory cotton shirt fell open, and her eyes dropped to the light dusting of brown hair across his muscular pecs. She’d always liked a man with a little bit of hair on his chest—not to mention a boatload of charm.
    “Dr. Love…Allen, we just met. You don’t know anything about me.”
    “ Carpe diem ,” he said. “Seize the day or the moment. That’s what I tell the people who call into my show.”
    Marry shook her head. “And how has that worked out for you? You’re still single in spite of