“But this is your Christmas gift. You should have the bed.”
He shakes his head. “You’re the one with the sore back. Not to mention you’re supposed to be the princess. I’d never steal the bed from you.”
Here we go again. Both of us being stubborn. “What if one of us got the bed tonight and the other tomorrow?”
“I suppose it’s the best compromise we’ll be able to come up with.” His jaw stiffens. “But it won’t stop me from trying to convince you to keep the bed.”
“You can try all you want.” I chuckle. “I’m good at holding my ground.”
“So am I.” He crosses his arms. “Challenge accepted.”
We stare at one another for a solid thirty seconds, neither wanting to break first. Eventually, I give in. There’s too much I want to see and do. “Did the concierge happen to give you a list of the hotel amenities? This might be the only time I’ll ever get to spend in a place like this. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to take full advantage of every offering.”
“A girl after my own heart.”
His words send a warm, tingling feeling through my body.
“It’s all on the hotel app.” He whips out his phone. “The username is Alvarez and the password is our room number, 3013.” He hands me the device. “Let me know what interests you first. I was thinking about going snorkeling this afternoon, but there’s also golf, a pottery class, and wine tasting, just to name a few of the activities.”
“Snorkeling in winter? Isn’t the water too cold?”
“You forgot who you’re asking.” He smirks. “I work in an ice rink for a living. With a wet suit, the cold doesn’t bother me.”
I cock my head. “You’re one of those people who does polar plunges aren’t you?”
“Guilty as charged.” He chuckles. “You’re welcome to join me.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.” I shiver. “Ice-cold water is for drinking, not swimming in.”
“It’s notthatcold. Maybe sixty-three degrees?”
“That’s cold enough.” He shrugs, and I pop open the app, log in, and begin swiping through the electronic brochure. My eyes bulge. Fernando saying there were afewactivities offered by the resort is the understatement of the century. There’s page after page of various offerings. I glance up. “It could take us a month or more to try everything they have here. I’ll have to make a top-ten list.”
He nods and checks the time on his phone. “We still have a couple hours of daylight. If you’re not interested in snorkeling, would you mind if I went?”
“Knock yourself out. While you do that, I think I’ll head to the beach. It may be too cold to swim, but it’s warm enough to sit out and soak up the sun while I make some calls home.”
Fernando flashes me a thumbs-up. “I’m gonna go change. I’ll meet you back here in a couple minutes. We can walk down to the beach together.”
I grab my swimsuit from my suitcase and step into the guest bathroom. Although I normally would’ve donned the black one-piece I’ve had for a couple years, Daphne insisted I update my swim attire and swap for a bikini for this trip. I can still hear her voice. “Everyone in Europe wears a bikini. If you wear a one-piece, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb.”
I stare at the white floral print. It’s another leap out of my comfort zone. I don’t typically wear something so girly or white. I dress for comfort. When I’m not in scrubs, I live in my black leggings, a T-shirt, and a hoodie. I take a deep breath and slip into it, sliding a blue sundress over it.
“You ready, Ava?” Fernando calls out a few minutes later.
“Coming, I just need to wash the sunscreen off my hands.”
Once my hands are clean, I reach for my hat and sunglasses and enter the living room. “Do you think—” I’m frozen in my tracks. I need to dive headfirst into the cold ocean, pronto. Fernando is wearing nothing but a pair of fitted swim trunks that don’t leave much to the imagination. All those times I’ve wondered what was under his clothing, and now, I officially have my answer. He’s a lean, mean, ripped machine.
“Do I think what?”
“Uh...” I fumble for an excuse. “I should put sunscreen on my back too? I couldn’t reach it. I mean, I’ll probably just be lying in a chair and not exposing that much skin, but better to be protected just in case.” I force a laugh.
It’s hard to focus when every tiny movement he makes shows off the way he’s built. His chest, arms, back—all of it looks like it’s been chiseled out of marble. His broad shoulders taper into a lean waist, and when he shifts, I catch a glimpse of his abs. They’re a little soft, but I can still make out six squares. My brain short-circuits.
And this is himafterretiring? What kind of shape was he in when he was competing? I always knew he was strong—lifting humans over your head takes a lot of muscle and power—but now I can see it. And wow. Just wow.
“I would if I were you. Even though it’s slightly overcast, you can still burn easily. Do you want some help with your back?”
