Rivals in Paradise by Gwyneth Bolton

sights was playing a big part in that island fantasy. With the top down and the breeze blowing through her hair, she hardly had a care in the world until he pulled up in front of a sign that read “The Reptile Farm.”
    He parked the car and got out, but she didn’t move.
    He must have lost his mind.
    That was the only reason she could think of toexplain why he thought it was okay to bring her to a place with a bunch of snakes.
    He walked over and opened her door. She remained in the car.
    Chivalry be damned!
    She was not going into a reptile farm.
    â€œWhat’s wrong? You don’t want to see one of the main highlights of Dahinda? Tourists love to come here and hold the snakes, pet the iguanas. You don’t want to come in? They even serve the best grilled rattlesnake you’ve ever tasted. You have to cook it until it’s well-done or it’s still poisonous, but it’s really good. And it’s so cool to be able to say you actually ate rattlesnake.”
    She just stared at him.
    Yep. He’s crazy. He’s lost his ever-loving mind. Poor thing.
    He reached out his hand. “Come on, don’t be scared. You’ll like it. I promise I won’t let any snakes get you.”
    â€œChase, I’m not going in there. No how. No way. Forget about it. It ain’t gonna happen.” Cicely crossed her arms and smiled at him. “I hear there’s a beautiful butterfly farm. We can certainly go and check that out.”
    â€œThe butterfly farm? Seriously? That’s so…girly. I don’t think I’ve ever been to the butterfly farm.”Chase frowned. “You’ll love the reptile farm. I’m telling you—”
    â€œSeriously.” Cicely cut him off with a smile. “I know I won’t love it. I’d be willing to put money on that fact. I don’t like snakes. I don’t even like to see them on TV or read about them in books. The only way you would get me in that place is to drag me in there, and I’d dig in my heels and claw the dirt with my bare hands to keep you from doing that. So…butterflies?”
    Chase shook his head and called her all kinds of girlie-girl names as he got back in the car and they drove off.
    When they pulled up to the butterfly farm he grumbled as he opened her door, “And you better not tell a soul that I set foot in this place. Butterflies! Give me a break.”
    Â 
    Chase had to admit the butterfly farm wasn’t so bad. Sure, he would have preferred the reptiles. He used to love visiting the reptile farm the couple of times he had gone there as a kid.
    The entire place was like a miniature tropical rain forest enclosed in mesh. There were so many trees and flowers and all kinds of exotic butterflies flying all over the place. And the joy on Cicely’s face when she let one land on her finger was worth the chance that someone might have actually seen him there.
    It was also very educational. They got to see thevarious stages of a butterfly’s life cycle, from egg to caterpillar to pupa to adult butterflies. It was rather amazing to see, even if it wasn’t as cool as holding a snake in your hands.
    Chase had to admit that doing the tourist thing and seeing his island home through Cicely’s eyes made him value Dahinda even more. It really was a beautiful little island. In his mind, Dahinda always represented the very best that the Caribbean had to offer, and it was great to see someone else appreciating it.
    After the butterflies, they decided to change into their swimwear and take in one of Dahinda’s many beaches. He took her to one that not many tourists visited because he wanted to be able to enjoy her by himself for a while. As crazy as it seemed, he was genuinely starting to like Cicely Stevens.
    Her aversion to reptiles aside, she was actually pretty cool.
    Waiting for her to come out of the ladies’ changing area, he contemplated what it meant that he was starting