The Beach Wedding (Married in Malibu Book 1) by Bella Andre, Lucy Kevin Page A

experiments that had, more often than not, left them laughing in each other’s arms. Laughter that had always quickly given way to breathtaking lovemaking. Heck, everything they’d done together ten years ago had led to the bedroom.
    But as glorious as those moments of passion had been, she couldn’t let herself forget that they’d been a big part of the problem, too. Because there hadn’t been nearly enough balance between pleasure and practical. She’d learned the hard way that a foundation built primarily of desire crumbled far too easily.
    If only they’d started out more like this, she found herself thinking, with romantic dates where they really got to know each other before they let passion sweep them away. Because even if they were only dating for show, the time she’d spent with Jason this past week had been absolutely wonderful.
    “Do you remember?”
    His voice broke her out of her thoughts. “Of course I remember,” she said softly, her voice full of emotion she couldn’t wipe clean. She took a bite of one of the muffins, then smiled as she added, “Who could forget our combined genius that created muffins with leftover sprinkles?”
    “They’re an addiction.”
    Liz nodded as she devoured another mouthful. “I haven’t eaten a muffin with this many chocolate sprinkles in…” She trailed off for a moment before she said, “Ten years.”
    “It has been a long time. Too long.”
    It was nearly impossible for Liz not to give in to the urge to lean in and kiss him. Which meant that when a stranger intruded on their picnic, it was almost a relief to be saved from her foolish longings. It took Liz only a few moments to recognize the blogger who had forced them to start this game of cat and mouse with the paparazzi—Laurel Kingston. She wasn’t on her motorcycle, although Liz had no doubt it was stashed somewhere nearby for a quick getaway.
    “It’s the blogger.” Jason had been so calm the first time they’d run into her, yet now she could hear a thread of anger in his voice.
    “Jason, it’s okay.”
    “No, it isn’t.” He jumped up from the sand, and he might have been one of the action heroes from his books, given the speed with which he covered the distance between them and the reporter.
    Liz followed as quickly as she could, grateful for her bare feet because her shoes would have only slowed her down in the sand.
    “What do you think you’re doing?” Jason said when he reached Laurel.
    “What does it look like?” the woman said, snapping another shot of him and Liz. “I’m taking photos on a public beach where you don’t have any security guards to take my camera.”
    “You think I couldn’t do it?” Jason said in a low, ominous voice.
    Laurel gestured to the people on the beach around them. “This time, if you grab my camera, I’ll have witnesses.”
    “Are you really planning to just keep standing there taking photos of us having a picnic?” Liz asked.
    “If I feel like it.”
    “And I might feel like taking your camera and throwing it into the sea,” Jason growled.
    “Jason, don’t,” Liz said as she put a hand on his arm to try to calm him down. “If you do that, it will just be giving her what she wants.”
    “And what do you think I want?” Laurel asked. She took another shot of Liz by way of emphasis.
    “Attention, probably. A reaction, certainly. In fact, this whole thing is likely just a setup so that one of your friends can get pictures of Jason grabbing your camera and tossing it into the ocean.”
    The woman shook her head. “You’re wrong. I don’t do that sort of thing.”
    “You’re paparazzi,” Jason pointed out, making it sound like she was carrying the plague.
    “I’m trying to be a serious reporter, but do you know how hard that is in this town? I won’t get anywhere until I get a decent story, and Amber Blakely getting married in Malibu is a huge story.”
    “Except that she isn’t,” Liz lied.
    “Everyone else might have bought