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“I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” His deep voice sounded past thesong filtering through her headphones.
Lacey pulled the small white buds from her ears. “No worries. It was my fault.”
He looked down at her. “Lacey, right?”
Did she know this guy? “Yes, and you are?”
“Ethan Harper. I’m Drew’s friend, and”—he placed his hand on his chest and bowed—“the best bartender on the island.”
Mortification washed over Lacey. Why hadn’t she met him last night when she looked presentable? And why did she have to smack straight into him? Needing to make an escape, she hurriedly said, “It’s nice to meet you. If you’ll excuse me, I’m a mess and was just headed inside to clean up.”
Before Ethan could say another word, Drew called out her name. At least he was also in running shorts—and even sweatier than she was. Except for some reason the beads of moisture that trickled down his sinewy body looked mouthwatering.
Like a magnet to steel, Lacey’s eyes remained steady on Drew’s shirtless torso—more specifically his abs and the way his shorts hung low on his hips. Ethan cleared his throat, startling Lacey back to reality.
“Good morning, Lacey.” How could Drew’s simple greeting have Lacey’s insides fluttering?
“Hi, Drew,” she said, trying to play it cool and internally cringing for sounding perkier than normal—so much for cool. “If you both will excuse me, I need to go change.” She looked at Ethan. “It was nice meeting you.”
Ethan’s smile rivaled a model’s. “You as well. I’ll see you around. Come to the bar later, and I’ll make you my specialty piña colada.”
Out of the blue, Drew took her hand. “We’re going shopping for the angel tree, butwewill be back before happy hour.”
Drew’s words carried a bit of possessiveness. It turned Lacey on more than she wanted to admit. “We are?”
“Of course we are. Nothing has changed on my end. Yours?”
“No, I suppose not.”
“Good,” Drew said with a wink.
That man made her feel more wanton in twenty-four hours than any man ever had before. She had no idea how that was possible… but she wasn’t going to question it. Maybe a fake boyfriend was the way to go.
Chapter 6
The island’s charm extended beyond the resort. Colorful little shops dotted the streets, creating a true tropical setting. A car would pass only every once in a while—unlike the congested streets at home—and Lacey had yet to hear a horn beep. Island life was much more relaxed.
Couples, families, and locals wandered in and out of the small stores. Lacey took in her surroundings and smiled. When she felt Drew’s hand grasp hers, she looked up at him through her sunglasses. He gently tightened his hold. Butterflies took flight inside her chest.
“Have I told you how beautiful you look today?”
Lacey blushed. “Thank you. But we’re not at the resort, so you don’t need to act like we’re actually a couple.”
Drew stopped walking, forcing Lacey to do the same. “I told you you’re beautiful because you are. As far as this…” He held up their joined hands before kissing the back of hers. “You never know who we might run into.”
Right, who we might run into.Even though she couldn’t do anything more than a fake relationship, a part of her was a little disappointed that Drew agreed with her. Brushing that aside, she said, “I love it here. It’s so peaceful.”
“Very different from city living, that’s for sure.”
They continued to walk hand in hand until they came up to a small toy store. Walking in, they were greeted with loud children and rows and rows of toys.
“What do you think of this?” Drew held up a baby doll dressed in a yellow dress, white ruffled socks, and black patent leather shoes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the angel ornaments and read it aloud. “Amelia, age six, likes dolls and playing dress-up.” His eyes scanned the shelf where the dolls were sitting.“They have other outfits to buy too.”
Lacey’s heart swelled. “I think it’s perfect.” There was something ethereally sexy about seeing a man, especially a handsome man, holding a doll. Some men she knew would never be caught holding a doll, let alone picking out outfits for it. But Drew proved once again how different he was.
“Great.” He selected two other dresses and put them in the basket before pulling out another angel ornament. “Next we have Kenny, who likes trains.”
Drew and Lacey strolled out of thepinkaisle and shopped for the little boys on their list. Drew’s face lit up when he spotted a race car sitting on one of the shelves. “I think one of the boys wanted one of these.” He tossed it in the basket.
