ChapterFive
Lily toweledoff and slipped into her cover up. The man was as undeniably rude as he was handsome. “Why areyouhere?”
“I heard this was a nice place to enjoy the sunrise.” He reached up and handed heracup.
She could already smell the teasing aroma, but still she asked, “Coffee?”
“What else?” He leaned back on his elbows as if he didn’t have a care in the world, no longer the uptight businessman she’d met the other day. No longer like her ex-fiancé who was always about work and money, moneyandwork.
“Don’t you need to get back to your office in New York? Or are you here until you can convince me to sketch another pieceforyou?”
“You already know why I’m here. I’m not going to pretend otherwise, but if I’m going to be here, I might as wellenjoyit.”
Honest and to the point, but not demanding. Still, she didn’t like it. “Only locals are supposed to know about this beach so you can’t tell anyone.Gotit?”
He saluted. “Gotit.”
She eyed his appearance. “Your hair looks much betterthatway.”
He ran a hand through the waves and nodded. “I only use the gel for businessmeetings.”
She cocked an eyebrow at him, convinced he was exaggerating the truth on that one. “Really? On weekends you never gelyourhair?”
“Nope.” He lifted his cup to his mouth and took a sip, drawing her attention to his strong handsandjaw.
“And your clothes? You brought thosewithyou?”
“I don’t always wear a suit,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Really?”
“Really.”
She bent down and peeled off a sticker on the back of his shirt then held it out for him to see. “Then you must never wash your clothes.” His perfectly calm persona shifted for a second, but long enough for her to catch it.Busted, she thought. His eyes, the eyes always gave a man away. “Once a businessman, always a businessman.” She snatched her sketchbook and yanked at the blanket under him, but it wouldn’tbudge.
“I might not have brought these clothes with me, but that doesn’t mean I live in suits. What do you have against suits and nicely dressed menanyway?”
She yanked again. “Get off myblanket.”
“Answer my question.” He peered over his sunglasses, his eyes prying intoherlife.
“Fine, then keep the blanket.” She shuffled up the beach toherbike.
The roar of the surf had already picked up, and she knew the storms would be here earlier than usual.So much for having alone time to sketch, shethought.
“Wait.” He caught up with her and stood with a leg over each side of her front wheel, hands planted on the handle bars. “You’re right. I don’t tend to wear anything but suits and even my casual wear consists of khaki pants and button-upshirts.”
She sighed. At least he wasn’t lyinganymore. “Why?”
His eyebrow rose over hisshades. “Why?”
“Yeah. Why are you telling me this? Why do you think I care? Why are you always dressed in stuffy, uncomfortable clothes? Why?” She stood straddling her bike with her hands on her hips. “Are you OCD or something?” Not that there was anything wrong with that. She had OCD momentsherself.
“No, I’m not OCD.” He ran his hand through his hair again. “I guessI’mPMW.”
It was her turn to raise a brow at him. “PMW? What doesthatmean?
“Proving MyselfWorthy.”
