“Well, if that’s not a sappy-ass grin, I don’t know what is.”
He startled and quickly glanced up. Tash flopped into her chair at the desk beside his and swiveled to face him. Okay, fine.Floppedwas a bit of an exaggeration. The woman was irritatingly graceful. And so damn light on her feet. Obviously.
“What’s up?” he asked, flipping his phone face down.
She rolled her eyes and then nodded to his phone. “Should I be asking you that?”
He aimed for a casual shrug. “It’s nothing.”
“Right.” She snorted. “Is it still the woman you’re moon-eyed over from the resort or has another lucky lady snared your attention?”
It was times like this that he wished Tash didn’t know him so well. Instead of answering her, he heaved out a sigh. “Would it do any good to say it’s none of your business?”
“Nope,” she replied, popping the P. The grin she shot him was 100 percent smart-ass. “Spill.”
“It’s the hairstylist from the Pacific View,but,” he rushed on when Tash opened her mouth to, no doubt, give him shit, “we’re just friends, and she was texting me about cutting my hair.”
Tash stared at him in silence for a few moments, and it took everything he had not to squirm under her gaze. “Since I know you’re actually interested in her, I’ll butt out. For now.”
He frowned. “Actuallyinterested in her? Why do you say it like that?”
Her smart-ass grin was back in full force. “Because, my friend, if it was just gonna be a casual fuck, you’d have no issues telling me all about her.”
Damn. Tash wasn’t wrong, but still... “We’re just friends. It’s too early to know if she’ll be, as you eloquently put it, a casual fuck.”
Tash rolled her eyes. “You like her.”
“Fine.” No point in denying it. “You’re right.”
“My favorite words.”
“Don’t I know it,” he muttered, grabbing his phone and rising. “As much as I’d love to chat, I have to get going or I’ll be late for my haircut.”
She rose and walked beside him to their area’s secure exit. “There was actually a reason I stopped by.”
“Aside from to give me grief?”
“You know that’s always just a side benefit.” She bumped her shoulder into his. “I’m staying on-island tonight in one of the cabins, and Esme’s grilling steaks. Wilson, Carmichael, Gavin, and Bean are all coming. You’re officially invited as well. You in?”
He shook his head as he typed his code into the door’s keypad. The door swooshed open, and they stepped into the main lobby. “No can do. I invited Freya to dinner after the haircut thing.”
Tash’s eyebrow arched. “I thought you werejust friends, Cassanova?”
“We are. It’s simply a casual dinner between friends. A thank-you for cutting my hair if you will.” At least, that’s what he was telling himself it was. Yes, the woman had consumed an inordinate amount of his headspace these last few days. And he could admit that he liked her. However, he truly didn’t know her. Freya seemed nice, but he’d been wrong countless times before. So thiswasa casual dinner between friends. If anything progressed beyond that, only time would tell. And he was still on the fence regarding whether or not he wanted that...
Tash smirked. “Sure. You keep telling yourself that. But do me a favor?”
He narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion. “Depends...”
“Don’t be one of those assholes who ditches his friends for a chick, okay?”
Xander shook his head. He and his friends were a tight-knit bunch. They were his family. His only family. Any woman who’d ever tried to come between them—and a few had tried—were quickly kicked to the curb. “Never. Sparring tomorrow?”
“Of course. See you at five thirty.” Her gaze drifted to his hair, and she smirked. “I can’t wait to see what your lady does with that mop on your head.”
Rolling his eyes, he gave her a salute and turned toward his car.
Five minutes later, he pulled into a parking space at the Pacific View Resort. With ten minutes to spare, he made his way to the main check-in desk. Scanning the lobby—occupational hazard—he saw Kwon and Carmichael off to the side. He gave them a chin lift and approached the counter.
