Page 102 of Loathe at First Sight

“Believe me or not, but I still think you’re the hottest. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.”

“You don’t have to lie,” I tell him. “You’re going to get laid later no matter what.”

“Liz, you’re going to fucking kill me with that mouth of yours.”

“Yeah, yeah, Paul Bunyan. Just enjoy the sun and the sand.”

“I’ve never really enjoyed the beach. It’s hot. Sand gets everywhere. Everything is twenty shades too bright. You come here just to lay in the sun and what? People watch?”

“Then, why did you want to come here?” I ask.

“The view of you outweighs all the other stuff.”

Man, he’s smooth.

“What are you thinking about?” I ask when Jack has been quiet for far too long.

“Just watching you enjoy yourself. Does being at the beach make you miss California?”

“Meh,” I reply with a shoulder shrug. “When I lived in LA, I was always working. I didn’t leave much time to go out and have fun on a beach or anywhere else really. And here, it feels like a different vibe than LA.”

“How so?”

“In LA, everyone seemed to always be competing with each other. It was constantly comparing yourself to everyone else. Am I pretty enough? Am I special enough? Hell, maybe it was just the crowd that I ran with. Who knows? But here, it seems like everyone is just having a good time.”

“Do you miss anything about your life there?” He asks.

“Sometimes. I miss that I felt like I had a purpose. Time-consuming or not, I did enjoy my job, and I liked feeling financially stable, but it feels like a million years ago now.”

“I know the feeling. Being back in Miami is enough to make my stomach churn. Everywhere I look, I’m reminded of a bad decision that I made. But having you here certainly helps.”

I look up at him and smile.

“You really do look sexy as hell,” he says, looking me over once again.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“What are you going to do about it, Paul Bunyan?”

He grins. “What do you want me to do about it, princess?”

I sit up and grab my towel off the back of the chair. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“Back to the room,” I say. “Unless you want me to start taking off my clothes out here.”

“To the room,” he agrees.

It doesn’t take us long to make it back to our hotel room. That’s the perk of staying at a beachfront hotel. I purposely walk in front of Jack to give him a great view of my ass the entire way.

When we make it inside, I head straight for the balcony. Jack wastes no time in following me.

I lean against the railing, closing my eyes and smelling the salty air. I feel Jack’s large frame press against me from behind. He sets his hands on my hips while he gives a few soft kisses to the back of my neck. The touch makes goosebumps erupt all over my skin.

I turn around to face him, staring up into his green eyes. I lay one hand on his chest to push him back until he takes a seat on one of the outdoor chairs.

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