South Beach: Hot in the City by Lacey Alexander Page B

Holly.”
    At which Holly could only shrug. She was known among her friends and colleagues for her sunny disposition, but at the moment she felt like a downer.
    “And right now,” Lori said, “you’re making all these good changes, so I’m thinking you should use your time here to make another one. Make new memories here and forget the old. Find a way to move on from what happened after that summer, once and for all.”
    Holly took in Lori’s advice and let it settle inside her, finally deciding her friend was right—she needed to be tougher about this. Besides, she’d flown all this way and was spending a healthy chunk of her savings on this trip, so she had to enjoy it. “You’re right,” she finally said. “You’re completely, absolutely right.”
    “Come on,” Lori said, “let’s get into our bikinis, hit the pool, and find a couple of hot guys to make those new memories with.”
    Yet, at this, Holly flinched. “I’m up for the bikini and the pool, but no guy this time around. No more casual sex for me, girlfriend. I just want some innocent fun in the sun here—you can keep all the guys for yourself.”
    Fifteen minutes later, Holly and Lori exited the hotel’s back door to the pool area, a place rich with wicker lounge chairs, palm trees, and a plethora of lush, potted plants. After picking out a couple of chairs in the sun, they put on sunscreen, ordered a couple of umbrella drinks from a college-age waitress doing the same job they’d done ten years ago, and lay back to relax.
    As Holly flipped through a magazine she’d picked up especially for poolside browsing, she could see from her peripheral vision that Lori was already checking out guys. And if Holly were in a different place in her life, if she hadn’t ended up going down such a surprisingly wanton road over the past years, it would be fun to guy-watch and flirt along with her friend. But as it was, she just kept her eyes on her magazine, taking in the latest celebrity fashions.
    Until a deep male voice said, “Enjoying your stay at the Imperial Palms, ladies?”
    She caught the sight of linen trousers next to her, and realized this was someone who worked here, making the rounds to ensure the guests’ needs were being met. “We just arrived,” she said, lifting her gaze, “but so far, everything’s wonderful.”
    And that was when she found herself looking into the eyes of Trey Kennedy, the guy she’d fallen in love with here when she was eighteen years old, the guy who’d broken her heart.
    Only he was all grown up now and more handsome than ever.
    Looked like she was able to recognize him after all.

Chapter Two
    Their eyes met, held. Holly couldn't remember a time in her life when she'd ever been more dumbfounded, completely transfixed. Except maybe the first moment she'd met him all those years ago. It had been love at first sight—or at least as close as you could really come to such a thing.
    The slow dawn of recognition shone in his warm brown gaze. “Holly?” he said, and perhaps stupidly, it pleased her that he’d recognized her that quickly, too, all things considered. After all, he’d once seen fit to dump her without even bothering to let her know.
    And in that instant, an unexpected defense mechanism rose within her—past all the freshly resurrected pain and heartache she'd been suffering since arriving here. It was the need to look unaffected by their past, the need to be cool, confident, together. It was the need to make sure he knew her life had turned out just fine. Better than fine.
    She tilted her head to the side, and despite the intense gaze they'd been sharing, tried to appear uncertain. “Trey? Trey Kennedy?”
    He looked a little shell-shocked and she knew he was remembering what she was trying to forget—the way he'd ended things. Or hadn't officially ever ended things. But then he managed a grin—as his eyes quickly ran the length of her bikini-clad body before coming back to her face. “Wow, I