She wasn’t going to look, yet her eyes refused to obey her brain. . As her gaze found his, her heart began to race and that place between her legs, the one she’d almost forgotten existed? Itclenched. “You were giving us a rundown of what you’ve got planned,” she reminded Chloe, so desperate not to think of hot young men, ofsex, she even preferred to discuss the hen week.
Chloe fanned herself. “Yeah, sorry, got a bit distracted there.” She picked up her list. “We’ve got a boat trip—especially for the oldies,” she added with a wink at Olivia and her sisters. “Lots of cocktail bars to visit, a seventies-themed dinner, then dancing at the nightclub.” Olivia couldn’t contain her groan and Chloe giggled. “It’s gonna be a right laugh, trust me. But maybe not as much fun as tomorrow.” She drummed on the table. “Because what’s happening tomorrow, girls?”
“Strippers!” the table shrieked.
Olivia groaned again, this time putting her head in her hands.
Shit, it was going to be a long week.
“Hey, Connor, good to see you made it, man. You want a beer?”
Connor reluctantly dragged his gaze away from the woman with the almond-shaped hazel eyes and back to Luca, who appeared to have abandoned the group of women he’d been talking to when Connor arrived and was now sitting at the bar. “Thanks.”
What he really wanted was to go and sit next to Olivia/Livvy. He’d been here a week and could confidently say that Nantucket heaved with attractive women. But it didn’t heave with women like her. Understated, dressed not to attract the opposite sex but almost to deter them, he thought, remembering her plain black swimsuit from earlier. Tonight’s choice of black blouse, neat cropped white trousers, an almost makeup-free face, and brown hair scrunched into a simple ponytail made her look like she was dressed for work, not a party. In the midst of a sea of tightly fitting outfits in bold summery colors showing ample amounts of flesh, she stood out. She might be hiding her body, but she couldn’t hide her killer cheekbones, her pale, flawless smooth skin, and the full, soft lips that were a pretty pink even without lipstick.
He sighed as he settled onto the bar stool. She was more than likely a guest, and hadn’t he reminded Luca earlier about the no-fraternizing-with-the-guests rule? Besides, he could usually tell when a woman was interested, and she wasn’t. Hadn’t stopped him making a twat of himself and telling her he was. Yet with only three weeks left of being a carefree, single bloke, he’d be mad to waste an opportunity. It was the reason he’d ignored the unlikely appeal of his lumpy bed and instead thrown a couple of painkillers down his throat (to help with the pounding headache) and come to join Luca after his bar shift. “Live for now” was his motto. Life could change in the blink of an eye.
“Where did your friends go?” Connor asked Luca.
“You mean the girls? Said I might catch up with them later.” He grinned. “Thought I’d keep my options open, you know? See if I get any better offers.”
Behind the bar, Annika smiled, her eyes drifting to Connor. “Me too.”
Annika, a stunning Swede, had been flirting with him since he’d arrived. A year ago, he’d have taken her up on the offer. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t, except that, though sex was still definitely on his Nantucket wish list, it wasn’t all he wanted. He was after conversation, a connection. Sure, a connection between the sheets, but also over a lazy lunch, a beer while watching the sunset. A companion to explore the island with.
Maybe he was finally growing up—yeah, he could hear his parents laughing in disbelief.
An image of Olivia popped into his mind, those intelligent eyes, the cool keep-your-distance manner that, bizarrely, made him want to do the opposite.
“Yo, Connor, where have you gone?”
He shook himself. “Sorry, spaced out for a moment. Still waiting for last night’s hangover to get lost.” He took a cautious sip of the beer in front of him.
“I was saying, I think you’ve got an admirer.”
His head turned so fast in the direction Luca was looking, he almost saw stars. But when his brain settled back in his skull, it wasn’t a cool brunette’s eyes his connected with but a bouncy, smiling young blonde’s. She gave him a little wave. He tried not to look too disappointed as he nodded.
Luca smirked. “If you take her back to ours tonight, make sure you’re not too loud. Those walls are paper-thin.”
Didn’t he know it, especially as allhe’dbeen doing in his room was sleep. Then an attractive girl with wide dark eyes and deep brown skin walked up to the bar and smiled at Luca, and it was all the encouragement the man needed. Connor almost laughed at how quickly he’d been dumped.
He was about to down the rest of his beer and give tonight up when he spotted Olivia hovering in the doorway, staring at him. A moment later she drew back her shoulders and marched up to the bar.
“I’m here to order more drinks.”
He blinked at her abrupt announcement. “Well, you’ve come to the right place.”
She let out a sharp-sounding breath. “Sorry. I just wanted to make it clear I’m not here for you.”
Well, okay. That put a pin in his ego. “Let me guess, your well-meaning niece and sisters volunteered you to get another round.”
“Yep.”
He studied her, wondering why he was so drawn. “Is it me you’re not attracted to or the idea of a holiday fling?”
It was her turn to blink. She’d probably hoped he could be dismissed quietly, but quiet wasn’t his style. He liked to know where he stood and wasn’t afraid of a bit of confrontation to find out. “Can it be both?” she asked.
“Sure.” He was a second from sliding off the stool and leaving—he didn’t push against closed doors, at least not where women were concerned—when she spoke again.
