Page 72 of The Small-Town Seduction Plan

“That’s the gig, isn’t it?” Duke casually rests his arm on the back of the booth, fingertips softly stroking my shoulder. “The one you volunteered me for, if I remember right.”

“But this is different. You’re smiling, and happy. He’s never happy,” she adds to me.

“You make me sound like some depressed hermit!” Duke protests.

“You are.” Me and Suze reply in unison.

Then Suze’s eyes zoom in on his touch, and my flushed cheeks, and then she gasps with realization.

“You didn’t?!”

“Shh!” I hush her, giggling. “Keep it down.”

Her excitement gets even louder. “You did!”

Duke shoves her out of the booth, and takes his coffee mug back. “Didn’t you say you had a million things to do?”

“I can take a moment to gloat,” she beams. “I told you so!”

“You did no such thing,” he grumbles. “Now scram.”

“I’ll see you at the festival,” she calls, before exiting the diner.

Duke sighs. “She’ll never let me hear the end of this,” he complains, looking exasperated and too damn cute for words.

I giggle. “Poor grump.” I lean over and kiss him, slow and sweet. “How can I make it up to you?”

“After work,” he says immediately. “My place. I’ll cook.”

“Now there’s an invitation I can’t refuse.”

After breakfast, Duke heads to work at his construction project, and I try not to check my phone every five minutes, waiting for a call about the Amelia Earhart project.

I know it’s unlikely, if not impossible to get news so soon. It’s only been twenty-four hours, and Madeline said it might be weeks, or even months, until she makes up her mind about casting. But still, without Duke around to distract me, I can’t focus on anything else.

She could decide on a whim, and declare I’m perfect actress for the role! She could insist to the studio that she can’t make the movie without me! She could…

…decide to quit the business, and pursue her childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut. Why not? I ask myself with a sigh. The odds are just as slim.

Clearly, I need to get out of the cottage before I drive myself crazy, so I impulsively text Tessa.

Taking a beach day. Want to join?

Her reply comes a moment later. Dealing with nightmare guests, but I’ll try to get away later!

Good luck! I text back. Then I pack a beach bag and stroll down to the shore. It’s a gorgeous day out, and the curve of the bay is full of families and tourists, soaking in the sun and sea breeze.

I find a quiet spot on the sand, and set up my blanket and beach umbrella, letting the warm rays and sound of the crashing waves finally lull me into relaxation.

Now, this is more like it…

I stretch out with a book, but soon, the words blur in front of my eyes, replacing all the heated, steamy scenes on the page with my own memories. Pinned beneath Duke in bed… going down on him in the shower… guiding his hand between my legs…

“Timmy! Come back here!”

I jolt out of my fantasies to find a little kid trampling past, leaving sand and destruction in his wake.

“Sorry!” his frazzled-looking mom calls, racing to scoop him up.

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