“What are you doing here?” She pulled the towel tighter around herself, suddenly very aware that she was wearing nothing underneath. “I thought you were walking around.”
His gaze drifted over her, from her bare feet to her wet hair, and Kendra felt strangely warm. She hugged the towel tighter as her cheeks heated.
“I was, but apparently, being alone at this resort is like being a leper. Everyone kept asking where my partner was.”
“I had the same experience.” Kendra edged past him and went to her suitcase, where she found a sundress, a bra, and underwear.
“I think we should both wear clothes around the suite from now on,” Lucas added as she straightened up.
“I would have, but I thought you were going to be out.” Kendra edged back toward the bathroom. “This isyourfault.”
“Right, because everything is my fault.” He rolled his eyes as she slipped into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her. She slumped against the wall, her heart beating a little too fast. It took her a moment to calm down before she changed into her sundress and did her hair. When she exited the bathroom again, she kept her chin up and her gaze steady as if she hadn’t almost flashed this stranger.
“Nice dress,” Lucas said, hardly looking up from his phone. He was sitting on the loveseat in the sitting area again.
“So, it looks like we’re stuck with each other for a bit.” Kendra found her own phone. Her eyes widened at the number of messages, and she put the phone on her bedside table withoutreading any of them. “Should we go to dinner early? I’m starving.”
“I suppose.” Lucas stood and brushed past her. He paused in the bathroom doorway. “I am going to shower first, though. And in case you’re wondering, I will be wearing clothes when I come out.”
Kendra blushed again, looking away. “I wasn’t wondering.”
“Good.” He closed the door, finally leaving her in blissful peace. At least for a few minutes. She sank onto the side of the bed. This day was a nightmare, and it wasn’t even over yet. They still had dinner to sit through, and if the rest of the resort was any indication, it was going to be both intimate and romantic. Both words were the opposite of how she wanted to feel with Lucas.
They were the opposite of how she wanted to feelat all.
CHAPTER 9
LUCAS
Lucas threw on a pair of khaki shorts and a button-up top, the most upscale clothing items he’d packed for the vacation he’d assumed would be at his second house. There was the suit he’d worn on the plane, but that seemed like a little too much — until he saw Kendra, anyway. She looked breathtaking in a dark-green dress printed with tiny flowers that clung to her curves and brought out the emerald of her eyes. He’d seen it when she’d gotten out of the shower, but he’d been focused on reading the news and hadn’t really taken it in.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked. She’d been sitting on the edge of the bed while he was showering, but now she stood and brushed the wrinkles out of her skirt.
“I suppose.” Lucas wasn’t exactly looking forward to dinner with Kendra, especially after the kayaking fiasco, but he was starving. Those tiny pretzels on the airplane hadn’t done much to fill his stomach. He reached for his phone, hoping he could use it to distract himself over dinner, but Kendra shook her head.
“Resort rules. No phones allowed in common areas.”
“Seriously?” Lucas groaned and dropped his phone onto the loveseat. “What a dumb rule. I guess we’ll have to talk.”
“Great,” Kendra muttered. She grabbed her key card and headed for the door, Lucas following behind her. They were supposed to eat dinner in one of the resort’s restaurants. Susie had left a message saying to go to the Blossom Room.
Kendra stayed a few steps ahead of Lucas as they headed downstairs. Dusk had fallen while they were changing, and the air was fresh and cool. The sky overhead was streaked with deep purples and reds, and the faint sound of birds singing their evening songs filled the air. They followed signs to the Blossom Room, where a waiter escorted them to a table at the edge of a balcony overlooking the ocean. The small table was draped with a pristine white cloth and topped with two long, tapered candles and a small vase of flowers.
Lucas and Kendra sat across from each other. Avoiding eye contact, they reached for their menus, and Lucas scanned what was on offer. When the waiter returned, he ordered a ribeye steak with potatoes and greens, as well as a glass of wine. Across the table, Kendra gave him an odd look before ordering vegetable fajitas and a margarita.
With their food ordered, Lucas swept his gaze over the other diners. Of course, everyone was in a couple, though the ages ranged from mid-twenties to late sixties. All seemed wealthy and were well-dressed and confident. A few of them shot odd glances at Kendra and Lucas, which made Lucas worry that it was obvious that they weren’t a real couple.
“Maybe we should talk,” he said. Kendra glanced at him, then smoothed her hair behind one ear.
“Should we?”
Lucas nodded his head at their fellow diners. “I don’t want them to get suspicious.” Not only would they be kicked out of the resort if they were found out, but it would draw more unwanted attention at a time when Lucas wanted only to disappear.
“Well, what should we talk about?” Kendra asked. Lucas scanned his brain for a neutral topic. Most of his conversations were professional, with Omegron’s employees and fellow C-suite members.
“What kind of music do you like?”
“Classical,” Kendra answered easily. Lucas snorted, and her eyes narrowed. “What?”
