“Is it the right place?” Hazel asked, taking off her sunglasses and checking out the house.
“It should be,” Summer said, grabbing the luggage from the van. We passed through the gate and approached the house.
“Holy crap,” Hazel muttered, still in awe. Her wide-eyed expression made me laugh, but she was completely serious. “I thought we were staying in a hotel or something. Are we the only ones here?”
“Pretty much. We usually book a guesthouse or hotel, but with so many people this year, we went for this.”
I went to take Hazel’s bag, but she was quicker, snatching it from the car first. Before we entered, Hazel tugged at my elbow, holding me back. I turned to her and saw some uncertainty in her eyes.
“Are you sure your friends are cool with all this?”With all this?!“With me. Here.” She added quietly.
“Of course. Don’t worry about it.” Her concern was sweet but unnecessary. “Come.”
We entered the house, and Logan immediately flopped onto the couch, snoring within seconds.
“Oh wow, look at this fireplace and stone walls. So beautiful,” Norah said, admiring the interior.
“So the house is split into wings. Logan, Norah, Ethan, Summer—you’re on the west wing, the rest of us—the east.”
“Cool, though it looks like Logan’s sleeping here tonight,” Ethan joked, throwing his bag at him. Logan didn’t even stir.
“Okay, what’s the plan?” Alex asked.
“Well, today we just chill, swim in the pool, take a nap.” Ava nodded at Logan. “I will go to the farmer’s market later to buy some food and prepare dinner for us. I need volunteers.” She glanced at the fridge, which was empty except for water bottles.
“I’ll come,” Hazel said without any hesitation.
“Me too,” Summer added.
“Okay, let’s meet downstairs, let’s say, in an hour.”
I grabbed Hazel’s suitcase before she could protest and headed upstairs. She shot me a sharp look but followed. When I opened the door to our room, I had to admit it was stunning—an enormous living room with a kitchenette, a sofa, and floor-to-ceiling windows leading to a balcony. Beyond that was the master bedroom.
Hazel walked to the window, taking in the ocean view, the salty breeze brushing her face.
“So, is there another room for me?” she asked, turning around.
“That’s your room,” I said, nodding toward the blue door.
“Where’s yours?” she asked. I let my bags fall to the floor with a heavy thud, then vaulted onto the sofa with an exaggerated bounce.
She turned fully, crossing her arms. “Where’s yours?”
I leaned back, my expression calm, enjoying the slight tilt of her head, until it hit her and her eyes went wide—like a startled fish.
“No. Absolutely no. I get all the chivalry, but I’m already taking advantage of this trip. Your and your friends’ trip. You should take the bed, the sofa is more than enough for me, and—”
“Hazel,” I cut in, fighting a smile, “we both know how this conversation is going to end.”
She froze mid-sentence, lips parted as though she had more to say but wasn’t sure how to say it.
“Luke, c’mon, I...” She looked down, visibly uncomfortable.
I got up, approaching her. “Okay, then let’s make it fair. We’re here for two weeks—how about we split it? You take the bed the first week, I’ll take it the second. Deal?”
She watched me suspiciously. “And you won’t back out? No dramatic gestures, hiding behind the noble pretense of being a gentleman? No lies?”
I stepped closer, just enough to make her blink. Her scent hit me, soft and unexpected, throwing me off for a second. “First of all,” I said, steadying my voice, “Iama gentleman. Second, I rarely lie.”
