I’m still not at all sure I’m getting through to him, but the concierge girl appears with a welcome refill of my virgin margarita. As soon as I see her, I shut up and wait pleasantly for her to set the drink on the little table next to the plate of fruit.
“Here ya go,” she says. She hangs around for a few seconds, probably to see if either Chase or I am going to ask her for something else. We don’t.
As I sit there waiting for the two of us to be alone again, I get the feeling I better enjoy the perks I’m getting right now, because it could be all I walk away with. And then the concierge takes off and we’re were alone again.
I try to pick up where I left off. “Long story short, I can’t call in sick to the place I work while I hang around here all weekend long not being sick. I mean, you get that right? You’re going to get me fired.”
I stare at him, but I still get the feeling that none of this is getting through. “I’m going to tell you what’s going to happen now. I’m going to stay here with you on the beach for a while longer. Then I’m going to work. If you need me for anything else, we can do it after five, yes?”
His eyes flash angry again, and I’m sure that whatever he’s going to say next is going to cause a huge argument between us.
I put a hand on his sculpted abs. “I’m just saying that I feel like there’s a lot of uncertainty in the air right now.”
Chase responds to my touch by scooting closer to me. “I think we can do anything if we do it together. That’s why I think you should call in sick this weekend. Then it can be just you and me.”
He’s infuriating, and I really want to argue with him. But he has that adorable look on his face. The one that makes me forget, even if only for a moment, that this is all fake. I consider the entire situation while I grab my glass and finish my drink. It sure got hot out here. I sigh and climb up out of the lounge chair for two. “Well, we’re at the ocean, honey. We might as well go swimming.”
Chapter Fifteen
Chase
Kaylee gives me a teasing glance and then heads out to the water. She has every right to be mad, she’s the one doing me a favor.
And overall, she’s being a good sport about the whole thing. But she also drives me crazy. A fact that I completely forget about the minute she walks away. Kaylee in that bikini is making me hard. Again.
She’s beautiful, fun, and strong. Unlike any girl I’ve ever dated. She’s stubborn too. And oh-so-distracting. A part of me is really glad that she’s the one who is playing the part of my fake fiancé.
I catch up to her and look around. We’re attracting even more attention. For the first time in my life, I realize that the attention we’re getting now is because of Kaylee. Not because of my family or my family money or notoriety. It’s an odd feeling.
We get to the shoreline and keep walking out into the calm, blue waves. It feels good to cool off. We wade into the sea all the way to chest-level and then bob around listening to the planes overhead and the occasional shouts of beachgoers in the distance.
Paddleboarders move effortlessly past us making good time on their colorful boards. “This takes me back to family meetings,” I say.
She splashes me. “Seriously? Your family has meetings in the ocean?”
She’s clearly skeptical. I shrug. “True story believe it or not. You see, you can’t secretly record a meeting if you’re in a bathing suit in the ocean.” I swim closer to her. “Because the only place to hide the wire would be inside your bikini top and trust me, that’s the first place I would look.”
She smiles back at me, and for a moment everything in the universe feels right. It doesn’t last long. Her face turns serious.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Why do you want this company anyway?”
I frown. “What?”
“So let’s say, worst case, you lose control of this particular company. I mean, you’re still be a billionaire, right?”
I blink at her.
“Okay,” she says, laughing and swimming even closer. I lose my entire train of thought because now she’s close enough to wrap her arms around me. Close enough to steal a kiss. Only she doesn’t. She studies me.
“Don’t get me wrong,” she continues. “I’m going to help you. What I mean is, let’s say you lose the company. Worst case scenario. Will you be okay?”
“Are you asking about my net worth?”
She slaps me playfully. “No, not your stupid net worth. Your goals, hobbies, dreams. That kind of thing.” She puts a finger on my chest and lets it slide down. Every time she touches me, it’s magic.
“What are you passionate about?” she asks.
The truth is, I have never framed my existence that way. I don’t even have an answer. And before I can come up with one, I hear her let out a yip. Then she jumps on me and pushes me under the water.
I come up for air a few seconds later sputtering. “What the hell, Kaylee?”
She turns to face me as my head resurfaces. Her boobs are in my face, and her back is to the shore. “Shhh…” she puts one finger over her mouth and one over my mouth. “It’s Vivian.”
“Who’s Vivian?”
