“Except for the fact that my neck still hurts,” I say. “And I don’t think we can squeeze in a couple’s massage tonight.”
“No, but we can get one scheduled tomorrow,” she says. “Oh my God. Adult tickets for the aquarium are, like, fifty per person. Ethan, this is a deal.”
She’s talking fast, and over a million things at once, as if her brain’s set on vibrate. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed her this excited—and this includes the time Ed told her during a B&E team update meeting that all the higher-ups were impressed with her report-out deck and presentation.
“I made a promise to my sister?—”
“Skipper?”
“Ha, ha. Very funny,” she says with an eye-roll. “No, I do not have a sister named Skipper.”
“Chelsea?” I try next.
“Nope. I have an older sister, Betty,” she says. “And a younger sister, Bell.”
“Elizabeth, Barbara, and… Isabella?” I guess, and she wrinkles her nose.
“No. It’s just Betty, Barbie?—”
“Jesus, they named your sisterBell? With an E at the end, or like the thing cows wear around their necks?”
She purses her lips. “Actually, Bell is short for Bellie.” She pauses. “With an I-E at the end.”
Disbelief flares through me. I can only stare at her while she lifts a shoulder.
“I get it. The names are… a choice. Bell’s gotten her fair share of comments growing up,” she says. “Anyway, I promised my sister I’d try to have some fun here, so I bought the package. I just got the confirmation email, so I’ll book the couple’s massage for us tomorrow. As for your neck, I have another idea. While I was looking up the hotel’s spa hours, I browsed through their amenities and saw that they have a poolanda hot tub. You can get a nice soak in tonight and a massage tomorrow. It might help.”
With a reluctant sigh, I plant my hands on my hips. “Okay. Sure. Why not?” I say, because a hot tubdoessound pretty great right now. I’ll go along with anything just to subdue the crick in my neck.
On second thought,maybe I should embrace the pain. Learn to live with it. Grow accustomed to it. Despite how magical the hot water and the jets are. And that the relief I’m experiencing is what nirvana has to feel like. But I’m too busy praying to every Saint I’m aware of to preserve whatever remains of my strength.
Especially when Barbie pops her head out of the water after she completes another lap in the pool and shoves her hands through her hair, and I see her glistening, toned stomach. And a string bikini that leaves little to the imagination.
My eyes pinch closed, and I fight my groan. I know she’s not wearing the tiny two-piece to mess with me. But God help me, my thoughts are plagued with the little white triangles that barely cover anything to think of anything appropriate about my coworker.
I hear the sound of splashing water and barely open my eyes only to get a glimpse of toned, slender legs while she saunters over and wrings her wet hair. “You calling it a day?”
“Huh?” Her brow lifts while she extends a foot over the hot tub. From this angle, I catch sight of her ass, and I’m begging the Saints to throw me a bone and preserve the one ounce of strength I have left in my system. “I want to stew with you for a bit before I hit the shower.”
I snort, and she grins while she slips into the hot tub. “Stew with me?”
“Yeah. Stew with you,” she says. “I haven’t swum in forever, and now I’m feeling a bit sore.” She extends her arms above her head, and I bite back a groan at the swells of her breasts emerging over the water.
“Hey, God? Why are you testing me?” I mutter under my breath, praying for the last shred of my dignity to remain intact.
She throws her head back and dissolves into a burst of laughter. “You think I’m testing you? Why? Because I want to stew with you in the hot tub?”
“Yeah,” I lie. “You got me. I wanted some peace and quiet.”
She sighs. “Don’t mind me. I’ll just be here, relaxing for a bit. Operation Ethan will be on pause until tomorrow afternoon.”
“Operation Ethan?” I echo.
“Mmhmm. Operation Ethan,” she says. “Edging This Hiker As Needed.”
“Edging thiswhat?” I splutter, and I’m hacking water out of my lungs moments later before I send a disbelieving stare her way.
“Oh, please, Ethan,” she says. “I felt your eyes on me the entire time I was swimming.”
