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Rows of palm trees lined the walkway leading to the pool area, creating a shady canopy. A small lizard darted out from a shrub; Lacey squealed, and a little boy walking with his mother behind her snickered in response. She had to laugh—itwasa bit of an overreaction.
Drew was sitting at the bar, chatting with Ethan and an older gentleman. Lacey took a moment to watch him interact with his friends. Drew’s sun-kissed skin glistened, and his white tank top emphasized not only his tan but also his muscular shoulders. She hadn’t been the only one to notice. A few women were staring in his direction from across the bar. It wasn’t that Lacey blamed them, but a twinge of jealousy still crept into her head.
Suddenly self-conscious, Lacey looked to her left and found Kevin and Candi sunbathing. Well, Candi was; she lay on her stomach with a wide-brimmed hat shielding her face, while Kevin scanned the area, ogling every attractive woman who walked by. “Poor Candi,” Lacey muttered as she looked at the man who she once thought was her future. Part of her wanted to smack him upside the head or grab the hat off Candi’s face and show her what a cheat her boyfriend was. But she had a sudden vision of discovering them on Kevin’s couch and turned away.
A blend of hearty laughter and holiday tunes wafted through the air as Lacey made her way to the bar. Ethan nodded in Lacey’s direction. Drew spun on his chair and smiled wide. “Hey there, beautiful.” He kissed her on her cheek and pulled out a stool for her.
“Hi.” Lacey wasn’t sure how much Ethan knew or what Drew had shared with him. She sat down and ordered Ethan’s special piña colada.
It still amazed Lacey that it was nearing Christmas. She scolded herself for not getting out of the northeast during December every year. Maybe that would be her new tradition. White Christmases were overrated, anyway.
“You got it. One of my specialties coming right up.” Ethan winked, Drew scowled, and the older man chuckled.
“Lacey,” Drew said, leaning back in his stool, “this old man is George. He runs a fishing charter.”
“Watch who you’re calling old.” Fine lines framed George’s smiling lips. He extended his arm in front of Drew, offering Lacey his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Lacey. What’s a pretty girl like you doing with this guy?” He smacked Drew on the back with his free hand, sending him forward a bit.
Lacey couldn’t help but laugh at their banter and evident admiration for one another. “Just lucky, I guess.” She shrugged.
Drew cut his eyes to Lacey’s. “No, I’m the lucky one.”
Heat radiated through every part of Lacey’s body. Her heart beat faster, and her smile grew wider. “No, I am.”
Chapter 7
Drew’s desire for Lacey only grew with every minute he spent with her, but so, too, did his anxiety. Would she still want to see him after they parted ways? How could he ask that of her? He had a feeling that her history with Kevin weighed heavily on her—even though she didn’t let on that it did.
Ethan and Lacey got along famously, not that Drew expected anything less. Lacey would laugh at his terrible jokes, and Ethan would just dig deeper to find something new and amusing to say. It was clear that Ethan wanted to see Lacey smile just as much as Drew did.
They ordered dinner and remained at the bar. “So how come you’re here all alone?” Ethan asked Lacey. “Don’t women usually travel in packs?”
“Yes, we’re wolves.” She rolled her eyes and Drew chuckled. “Maybe I don’t have any friends.” Lacey took a sip of her frozen libation. Drew’s eyes focused on Lacey’s plump lips, and he was seized with the urge to kiss her again.
“Nope, not buying it,” Ethan said, folding his arms across his chest. “You’re too sweet not to have friends.”
Lacey batted her eyelashes in an exaggerated manner. “Well, bless your heart,” she said in a phony southern drawl.
Ethan laughed. “Funny lady,” he said to Drew. “I’d keep her if I were you.”
Lacey’s eyes went wide, but Drew agreed with his friend. “Well, we aredating, after all.”
“Right,” Ethan said with a wink. “Well, have fun, kids. Your other friends are around here somewhere.”
Drew knew Ethan was referring to Kevin and Candi, which made his possessive streak come out in full force. The Caribbean band was playing poolside and had switched from holiday tunes torecognizable radio hits. When they played a slow song, Drew stood and offered Lacey his hand. “Dance with me.”
Lacey quickly glanced around, but only one other couple was swaying to the rhythm filtering in the air. Placing her hand in Drew’s, she stood and followed him to the patch of patio in front of the band.
Drew held her ballroom style, but that magnetic tug between them instinctively had Lacey rest her fingers behind his neck. With his hands now around her waist, Drew pulled her body against his. With her in his arms, Drew knew he was exactly where he was supposed to be.
They stayed, swaying together through a couple of songs. Every so often, that weird feeling of not knowing what to say, or not wanting to look like a smiling fool, would creep in.
Drew grazed her spine with his right hand before cupping the back of her head. Lacey looked up at him, but rather than meeting her eyes, Drew focused on her lips. The way she swiped her tongue between them, maybe in preparation for a kiss, gave him hope that she wouldn’t object to what was to come next.
The anticipation building between them was agonizing. With a deep breath, he framed her face in his hands, and her eyes brightened. He lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers; it was as much of a caress as it was a kiss.
Every cell in his body ignited, remembering this was all temporary. But he didn’t want it to end. Everything about being with Lacey felt so right.
The feathery graze of her tongue against his was as potent as the strongest cocktail Ethan served. Drew could get drunk on her… completely intoxicated with every kiss, look, and sweet sound she shared with him.
