Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
“They know about me?” He seems surprised by the idea.
I nod.
“Like they know about Blaze?” he continues with a slight edge to his tone.
Oh god. My cheeks redden. Why’d he have to go and bring that up?!
“I only ever had one conversation with them about Blaze, and the connection was spotty. My mom thought his name was Blake the whole time. Anyway, they . . . know that wasn’t really going anywhere.”
He doesn’t hide his smile. “Oh, interesting. It’s just . . . the way you went on about it seemed like they were practically planning the wedding.”
“Yeah, yeah . . . listen, all’s fair in love and war, right? It’s not like you didn’t use every weapon in your arsenal too. What about that time at the pool when you were flirting with Tamara right in front of me?”
My blood boils just thinking about it, but Cole frowns like he’s having a hard time remembering what I’m talking about.
“The day you intimidated Blaze, Tamara strolled right up to flirt with you.”
“If she was flirting with me, I didn’t even realize.” He shrugs. “She was just talking about work, if I’m recalling the right conversation. I don’t know, I talk to a lot of employees every day.”
“So it was barely a blip on your radar?” I step closer. “Am I just a blip on your radar?”
His eyes rake over me, and I swear dangerous thoughts are swirling behind his gaze.
“You’re something else entirely.”
He drags a hand through his hair and looks away, likely trying to cool himself off. I love that I have this effect on him.
“So you’ve told your parents about me?” he asks, circling us back to a neutral topic.
Oh god. This is embarrassing. “Yes . . .” He rears back, worried. “But not in the way you’re thinking,” I hurry to amend, reaching out to grab his forearms. “They think you’re my friend.”
“I am your friend,” he reminds me.
“Yes, but well . . . they think you’re just my friend, plain and simple. None of the other complicated enemy stuff. I didn’t want to worry them with all the ways we tormented each other, and also, a part of me had hoped this whole time that maybe . . .” My voice lilts here, like I’m still too self-conscious to admit the truth. “I wasn’t actually lying to them, you know? That eventually you and I would figure out how to happily coexist.”
He likes this. “Well, you’ll have to call and tell them the truth now, won’t you?”
“What?” I ask lamely.
He grabs ahold of my waist and hauls me up against him, shaking me as he delivers a Jane Austen–esque monologue. “Turns out, Mother, I was blind to my own feelings! He was never my enemy! Not truly. And now I’ve found—I’ve found I love him madly!”
Okay, Matthew Macfadyen from 2005’s Pride and Prejudice.
“Ha ha.”
He leans down to kiss me, unbothered by my sarcasm. “I really have to run. I’m going to be late.” He’s already walking backward to the door. “Tonight, six thirty! Meet me in the lobby, and I’ll walk you over to my house. It’s a date.”
A date.
Who would have thought?
Chapter Twenty-Three
COLE
I’m en route to my least favorite activity here at Siesta Playa: meeting with Todd. This hurricane has given me a nice little reprieve from him. We’ve been so busy putting out fires that he hasn’t had a chance to pull me aside to continue executing his brilliantly idiotic plan of laying off valuable employees. His reasoning for the whole thing isn’t even sound. He thinks he’s going to save the resort a few bucks and our CEO’s going to congratulate him for it? What happens when the guests start realizing that the service here took a nosedive? That all our best people—the ones who make their stay here worthwhile—are gone because of Todd’s inability to see past his own thickheaded ideas?
It doesn’t matter. I won’t let Todd get to me. I’m in a good mood. Paige will do that to you, make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I’m walking like I’m in a bouncy house—lighter than air after last night and this morning.
I love her.
I pass a cleaning lady, and I almost grab her by the shoulders and spin her around to tell her.
“Did you hear? I love Paige!”
Surely those gardeners over there want to know.
“Guys! I’m in love and I don’t care who knows it!”
The other reason I’m in a good mood? The Survival Preparedness convention wraps up today. The loons are leaving. Sayonara until next year! You’d think after this hellacious experience with the hurricane and power outages they’d rethink a return visit to Siesta Playa, but I know better. They’ll be flocking here more than ever come next August. I shiver just thinking about it. Maybe I can convince Paige to take that week off with me. We’ll book a trip somewhere, anywhere.