“That girl over there,” she says. “The one walking the shore in normal clothes. I have no idea why” she whispers. “What is with these people?”
I can’t get over the fact that she dunked me in the water. Me. Chase Covington. I splash her. She screams. Then her eyes get wide and playful panic washes across her face. Then she dunks herself. I watch her head disappear under the water.
I smile and wait.
Kaylee resurfaces, all dripping hair and wet bathing suit. “Is she gone?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I have no idea who you’re talking about.”
She pushes my chest playfully. The feel of her hands on me, the sight of her wet bathing suit top exposing enough skin to drive me wild, and the smile on her face makes me forget all about everything else going on in my life. No other woman has ever had this effect on me.
I growl and tackle her gently below the waves, eliciting another playful shriek from Kaylee. And then we’re submerged, a tangle of arms and legs under the water.
When we come up for air a moment later, we’re both soaked and refreshed and smiling. It feels like a perfect moment, or at least a nicer one than I have had in a long time. I take a photograph in my mind. It’s a little slice of happiness that I don’t want to forget.
Then I duck down into the water so that only my head is visible above the waves, deciding to play along with her. “You tell me, is she gone? Is the coast clear?”
“Oh, great idea,” she says, ducking down and kneeling in the water next to me. We scan the shoreline together. Under the waves, I reach out for her hand and she interlocks her fingers with mine.
She smiles at me and then looks over the shoreline. I wonder if she’s having a perfect moment too.
“I don’t see her anywhere, looks like she’s gone. Maybe you’re right. Maybe a couple of sick days is just what I need.”
Chapter Sixteen
Kaylee
I splash around in the water with Chase. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun.
Not to mention the fact that I am in very real danger of getting lost in those sea-green eyes. And that smile with the dimple, and the washboard abs.
It isn’t worth losing my job over, but with any luck I won’t run into any of the other chefs again while I’m out here living my best life. Even if it is all pretend.
We chefs normally spend all day in our little hats in the hot kitchen. We generally don’t even come out at all except for lunch, missing out on the beautiful sun. Or at least that’s what I thought was the case before I saw some of them out and about today. In any case, that’s of the reasons I want to open my own business.
I’d gladly burn the midnight oil in my own shop in exchange for an hour or two of sunlight and cool ocean waves. Just like the last couple hours with Chase.
I think about seeing Ralph earlier. What was he trying to do? Check the billionaire cabana enclave for his supposedly sick pastry chef? I almost laugh out loud at the thought. No chance in hell of that. But what was he doing walking the beach in the middle of the day? Maybe getting some exercise? Who even cares? I think I’ll call in sick like Chase asked me to. What’s the worst that can happen?
With the coast clear, we head back to our lounge chair for two. Smiling, dripping, and hand in hand.
Seriously, though. I could spend the rest of my life here in this chair with this setup and be perfectly happy. As long as they keep the cold drinks and the fruit coming.
We pad across the beautiful white sand. The concierge practically salutes us when we return. I wonder if that’s how royalty felt back in the old days. Hey, if I’m going to live in a fairy tale world for a few days, I might as well enjoy it.
Back at our lounge chair home base, Chase hands me a towel and I dry off.
“I’m going to take a walk,” I announce to Chase, as I dry off my hair. “Be back soon.”
“Where are you going?” Chase asks.
“Lunch with my friends.”
He opens his mouth to protest me leaving. I make sure he understands that’s a bad idea. “Yes, it’s mandatory. Trust me, you don’t want to have to deal with my friends. And if I miss this lunch, they’ll come looking for me. Believe me, I don’t want them to know any more about this than you do.”
“Why not?” He asks, offended.
“Oh, don’t be a baby about it.”
Luckily, that’s when his burger, beer, and fries show up. “Okay,” he says as he digs in. “Have fun.”
I pull the bathing suit coverup out of my bag and throw a towel across my waist and head out across the sand.
I know now that I have to call in sick for work the next couple of days. It’s just the least complicated option. And the more I think about it, the better I’ll feel when it’s done.
So as I walk toward the Tiki, I make the call. Then I breathe a sigh of relief. At least that’s one less thing for me to worry about.
Chapter Seventeen
Kaylee
The Beaky Tiki is only a third of a mile away. Not a long distance by car, but it’s a decent barefoot beach walk in the heat of the day. And thank goodness for that, I need time to think.
While I was cavorting in the ocean with Chase, I got a series of texts from Angie and Fi wanting to meet for lunch. It’s not unusual. Some days we meet for lunch and some days
