I don’t want to be presumptuous. Her priority is probably washing lake water out of her hair, not lingering with the guy who saw her dress go see-through.
When we arrive at The Resort, I valet the car and walk her inside. At the very least, I can make sure she gets checked in.
As we pass through the sleek, upscale lobby, her sneakers squeaking on the gleaming black tiles, she’s quiet. Not awkward quiet—more like deep-in-thought quiet. That crease in her forehead says as much. I hate to let this night end, but I’m not going to push her right now. Before we reach the front desk lined with vases of dahlias, she spins around, stopping in front of a modern waterfall structure, facing me as streams sluice elegantly behind her.
“Let me buy you a drink. As a thank-you. For the towel and the car and the gallantry. And for saving my purse.”
I let out a low whistle. “Damn, I do sound pretty awesome,” I say.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, buddy,” she shoots back, but from the smile turning her lips and the gleam in her eyes, she’s clearly enjoying herself.
The feeling’s mutual, and I’m glad it didn’t take her long to ask me for a drink. Still, I hold up my hands. “I’ll be staying in my lane. Happily waiting at the bar for you. But here’s the thing.”
“Yeah?”
I lean a little closer, and that cinnamon-y scent is all gone, but it doesn’t matter. Even smelling like a lake, she smells incredible. “I’ll be buyingyouthat drink.”
She grins. “You don’t mind waiting till I shower?”
“Nope. Since your shower is pretty much all I’ll be thinking about.”
Her eyes go wide, and she practically runs to the front desk. But then, before she gets there, she whirls back around, regret flickering in her expression. She’s fingering the hem of her wet dress. “I didn’t think this all the way through. Sometimes I’m a little impulsive.”
I’m not impulsive. I’m the opposite. And I’m also a man who recognizes an opportunity when it’s handed to him. “Go check in. I’ll take care of it.”
With a carefree shrug, she returns to the desk while I head straight to the hotel gift shop I spotted when we walked in, grateful it’s still open in the evening. But even if the hotel didn’t have one, I’d google the nearest boutique so fast and find her something towear. Earlier tonight I wasn’t in the mood, but now I know exactly what I want for the rest of the evening.
To keep erasing the day.
Wait, make it these last several months of untangling my life from my ex’s.
Nothing is going to stand in my way now—definitely not clothes. I scan the shop quickly. It has everything a traveler might want, even a bikini, which Chloe might need. I flick through them and pick one. Next, I spot a light-blue sundress that looks perfect for her, and I grab that too. I snag some slides that look like they’ll fit her. Toss in a polo for me too. Then swipe my phone and thank the clerk.
When I meet Chloe back in the lobby, I hand her a bag with the shoes, the bikini, and the dress. “Just a little something.”
“And the gallantry keeps on coming,” she says, then lifts my wrist and eyes my watch. I shouldn’t like it so much—the way she curls her fingers around me. But I do. Oh hell, do I. “I’ll see you in twenty minutes,” she says.
“I’ll be the guy at the end of the bar,” I say.
Her lips twitch in a grin. “See you soon…at the end of the bar.”
With the bag swinging in her hand, she strides toward the bank of elevators, head held high even with her shoes squeaking on the floor and her dress sticking to her.
With the memory of her touch lingering on my arm, I head to the men’s room, wash my hands, strip off my damp shirt, and tug on the polo. After I ask the valet to toss the other shirt in my car, I pop around the corner into a drugstore, then go straightto the hotel bar to wait for a woman who is very much worth waiting for.
This is so much better than stressing over my to-do list alone. I guess my sister was right—that I needed some fun.
Well, universe, let’s see what you’ve got.
5
SURPRISE ME
CHLOE
Ordinarily, I’d do the usual routine before a date—FaceTime my friends, show them the outfit, get their approval. The clock is ticking though, and I don’t have time for a proper clothing check. I quickly text my besties Ripley and Bridget in Darling Springs to let them know I’m staying in the city overnight courtesy of Florence and also that I met a hot guy. As I use the lipstick from my clutch as both blushandlipstick—life hack for the win—I fire off a final text.
Chloe: If you don’t hear from me in a couple hours, say a prayer because I’m being banged within an inch of my life.
