Chapter Thirteen
JULES
I snuggedthe two Conch Republic IPA cans I’d just taken from the fridge into two Sunset Siesta cozies, wondering if Braden was missing out on revenue by not having the ability to make cans of his beers. Then I snorted, realizing I was trying to distract myself.
From that kiss.
And the fact that I’djumpedEli Coleridge.
As I recounted the kiss to Lacey, I left out that last tidbit. Surreptitiously, I wiped my sweaty palms on my shorts and made sure my face was neutral as I handed her the beer.
“And then we both agreed to step back,” I said, pleased at the steadiness of my voice. “It meant nothing. We got carried away in the moment and both agreed it won’t happen again.”
Lacey pressed her lips together to hide a smile. “Sure. And I’m the Queen of England.”
I shot her a glare. “I’m serious, Lace. We can’t… I can’t…” I trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
“Can’t what? Have some fun? Live a little?”
I flopped onto the couch, opened my beer, and took a long pull. “You don’t understand. This isn’t about fun. It’s about my career, my future at Sunset Siesta. I can’t afford to lose sight of my priorities. What if I let myself get swept away? What happens if things go wrong?”
“Jules, you realize that worrying about what-ifs is one of your superpowers, right?”
“Ha-ha. Very funny.”
She sighed. “Jules, honey, you’re allowed to have both. Fun and a career.”
I looked up, meeting her gaze. “Am I? Because from where I’m sitting, it feels like I have to choose. And I’ve worked too hard to throw it all away for… for what? A fling with Eli?”
Lacey slowly spun the cozy in her hand, reading it, then stared me dead in the eye. “We’re totally ignoring the elephant in the room here.”
I frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“The fact that Eli is the first guy I’ve seen you get this distracted over. Which means it’s probably the first time since college. Since Travis. How could this whole situation not bring all that bad juju up?”
I stared at the fronds of a palm tree dancing outside my window. She wasn’t wrong. “Yeah. That’s part of it. I’ve spent years protecting myself. I’ve gone on plenty of dates and had a fling or two, but I don’t like to get close. And now I’m having a… a…”
“Non-relationship?” Lacey added helpfully.
“Not even that.” I pointed at her. “I’m not going to get close to this guy. My God, Eli Coleridge’s picture is in thedictionary next toCommitment-phobe. No more kissy face—therefore no getting hurt.”
“Sounds very logical and well thought out,” she said, and I ignored her sarcasm.
The memory of his lips on mine, the feel of his very obvious arousal grinding against me, flashed through my mind. I pushed it away, clinging to logic like a lifeline as I stood and began pacing. “It’s not just about the resort. Eli’s family. He’s not going anywhere. But my job? That could disappear in an instant if this goes south.”
Lacey sighed. “Possibly, but isn’t that a bit dramatic? You’re overthinking this.”
“I’m being practical,” I countered. “I’m good at practical. It’s what I do.”
“And how’s that working out for you?”
I ignored her question, focusing instead on the dive kit. “There was an accident this morning and now Eli needs a whole new scuba kit. Which is a huge expense but an important one. The dive operation is one of the few profitable parts of the resort. So I spent hours doing financial hocus pocus to find the money while rejecting other purchases. And I’m still not finished.”
Lacey’s eyes grew sly. “Sounds like a purely business decision.”
I nodded, guilt gnawing at me. “Exactly.”
“Uh-huh,” Lacey said, unconvinced. “And it has nothing to do with a certain dive instructor?”
