“Sienna, I just heard about your new drink brand. I’m so sorry! I don’t have words, but if there’s something I can do to help, I want to do it. Let’s do a collaboration video, whenever you’re free. We’ll do a silly game—like how many marshmallows we can fit into our mouths or something. Get everyone laughing and remembering that you’re more than just one drink additive. Let me know.”
She was getting that antsy feeling she sometimes got when her brain was spinning away from her, so she opened a downloaded article she’d saved for her book. It was a study on the mating patterns of tree swallows. Just interesting enough to distract her, and boring enough to calm her down.
Huh. While ninety percent of birds are monogamous, there are 10% that are not, including the tree swallow.
“Corbin must have belonged to the tree swallow family,” she muttered.
“Who’s in the bathroom?”
She shrieked and scrambled to catch her phone before it crashed to the ground. Asher stood in her doorway, in perfectly worn jeans and a T-shirt, his hair windswept, most likely from being on his motorcycle.
He wore his ever-present scowl like a mask he donned in her presence. She shouldnotwant to see him smile at her. But these constant glares were wearing on her. She was only human.
“I didn’t hear you come in.” The bath water or Cam’s splashing about must have covered up the sound of him coming in the door.
He let out a short, stressed breath, and she realized he was imagining the worst—that she’d told his secret to someone.
“It’s Cameron,” she quickly said. “We were walking on the beach together, and he needed to use the bathroom.”
“And take a bath?” he deadpanned.
“Apparently.” She shrugged. “I’ll clean up any messes he makes.”
“I’m not worried about the mess.”
“He doesn’t know I’m living here, or that you are, for that matter. All he knows is that we came into a random house to use the bathroom. And take a bath.” They heard Cam yell something indiscernible followed by a huge splash of water and a laugh.
Wait. Was that a twitch at the corner of his mouth? A fighting-a-smile twitch? It made her want to see if she could coax out an actual smile.
“Sounds like he’s having fun.”
“Well, this bungalow is a very happening place,” she teased. “What are you up to tonight?”
And just as quickly as he’d twitch-smiled, his mouth straightened again. Dang it.
“Swimming,” he said shortly. Then without another word, he turned and went into his room.
She threw herself back on her mattress and stared at the ceiling. It wasn’t like they needed to be friends or anything. She just didn’t like the idea of someone not liking her.
Then you shouldn’t have blackmailed him.
Well, fine then. Apparently she and her conscience were at an impasse, because she needed this bungalow. But she also needed him to not hate her.
Cameron clattered out of the bathroom, and she met him in the hallway. His hair was wet, and he wore a huge smile—along with inside-out clothes, his signature style.
“Feel better?” She poked him in the side, in a place she knew he was ticklish, and he laughed. She kept reaching around to his ticklish ribs on each side, as he squirmed and laughed. “You said you had to go to the bathroom. Not take a whole bath.”
“Er!” Cam’s face lit up.
She turned to see Asher coming out of his bedroom in that wet suit again. It hugged every muscle in his body—and boy, did he have a lot of muscles. And boy, did that fabric hug tight.
She turned away before she had to start fanning herself.
“Cameron!” They did their handshake, and it ended with a hug. Asher had his back to her, but she could feel the smile coming off of him, and tried not to be jealous of her brother for being able to win one.
“I’m going to the beach,” Asher said. “Want to walk with me?” He subtly pointed to Cameron’s talker, where it hung from a strap around his shoulder.
Cameron pulled it up.
