“A year ago, I was planning a life with Hayden. Then, in an instant, that blew up in my face. But when the smoke cleared, this drop-dead-gorgeous girl was splayed out before me, and I haven’t been the same since.” Damn, it feels good to get that off my chest.
Joey burrowed her way under my skin, and I’m not ready to tweeze her out.
“What are you going to do?”
I pull the hat off my head and run my fingers through my hair. “Charm the fuck out of her.”
Ezra gives me a nod and digs into his breakfast. He refuses to kiss and tell about his night, so I let it go. He says he’s planning on a solo hike today. Whether it’s to clear his head or for my benefit, I don’t really know, but I’ll take the opportunity to try to connect with Joey regardless.
During a break in conversation, I pull out my phone and shoot her a text.
Me
Hey, it’s Cam. How are you feeling?
Her response is almost immediate.
Joey
The meds kicked in. Thank you
Me
My pleasure. Can I see you later?
I hold my breath whenJoey is typing…appears at the top of our WhatsApp chat, trying to convince myself not to get my hopes up.
Joey
Want to go to the beach?
Thirty minutes later,we’re slipping into a taxi together. I can’t help the grin that splits my face at the memory of the first time I was in a taxi with this woman. Beside me, Joey’s biting back her own smile and her eyes are dancing. Yeah, I’m pretty sure she’s thinking about the minor car accident and the sex worker too.
“Which beach should we head to?” I ask.
While the hotel has a private strip of beach, Joey insisted we get off the resort and explore a different part of the coast. She turns to the driver. “What do you suggest?”
He names a beach, then winks in the rearview mirror.
Joey catches the exchange and leans in close. “What?”
“Nothing.” I try my best to hide my grin. “It’s a great beach.”
When the driver pulls off the road, I hand him a wad of cash, then snag her beach bag and help her out of the car. She doesn’t put up a fight, and when she’s standing beside me, she dips her head, but not before I catch the smile beneath the brim of her sun hat.
We make our way down a small hill, dodging short, spiky bushes that have probably been here since biblical times. Joeystumbles a bit and instinctively grabs my forearm, and she doesn’t let go again until we reach the stable bottom.
“There are so many rocks,” she observes. Rocks of different heights—from one foot to over six feet—hug the shore.
“It’s perfect for privacy,” I tell her. I haven’t been here before, but I’ve heard about it from some of my coworkers.
“Privacy? What do you—” We clear one of the larger boulders, and the beach area comes into view.“Oh.” She stops in her tracks when she spies a pair of nude beachgoers. “Is this a?—”
“Nude beach?” I finish. “Yeah.” I chuckle under my breath.
“You knew, didn’t you?” She swats at my chest and scans the shore, her eyes wide and her lips parted.
Damn, she’s cute. I can’t help but watch her take in her surroundings.
