Page 17 of Strictly the Worst

“About a quarter of a mile that way,” he says, pointing out of the window. I can’t see the building, but I’m getting the idea.

“Can’t we walk there?” I ask. Because I want to get to know the place. It feels wrong to have him driving us everywhere when we’re perfectly capable of using our feet.

“It’ll still be hot,” he tells us.

“I don’t mind if you don’t,” I say to Linc. He shrugs, easy going as always.

“Okay then.” William nods. “If you need anything at all, use the phone by the sofa. It will connect you directly to me.”

“Thank you.” I smile at him because he’s so very kind. “We appreciate it.”

William touches the tip of his white baseball cap and makes his way out, walking back down to the buggy before driving away.

And for a long moment neither Linc nor I say anything. I’m staring through the open doorway to the beautiful bed, made up with white linens. This cottage is lovely, but it’s not big enough for the two of us.

I’m not sure a whole building would be big enough for that.

“I guess I’ll be taking the sofa then,” Linc says, eyeing the white cotton sectional that looks way too small for his long, muscled body.

“No need,” I say. “We can toss for it.”

He lifts a brow at me. I take a deep breath. “Either way, can we just… try not to snap at each other while we’re here?” I ask him.

“I don’t snap,” he tells me. “You bite.”

I know I do. And I hate that. It’s not his fault he looks this good. Or that it’s been so long since I had sex that I’m actually finding him attractive in an annoying way. “Peace?” I say, looking at him. “Please?”

He runs his thumb along his jaw. “Okay, on one condition.”

“What?”

He takes the sunhat off my head. “You stop wearing this hideous thing everywhere we go.”

I snatch it back off him. “No deal. Being friends with you isn’t worth getting melanomas.”

CHAPTER

FIVE

LINC

I lose the toss. Which is kind of unfortunate because I know for certain I’m not going to get any sleep on that tiny fucking piece of furniture in the corner of the living room. Not that I’m going to let Tessa know that. She’s still holding that hat like I’m about to take it off her again.

I don’t know why it annoys me so much. Maybe it’s because it’s kind of adorable and Carmichael is anything but adorable.

Anyway, even if she’d lost, I would have found a way to give her the bed. I’m not that much of an asshole.

As she puts the dime back into her purse, I check my watch, trying to keep the peace she’d asked for even though she rejected my deal. “We have an hour until dinner. Want to walk down the beach?”

“I should call my daughter,” she says. “And then get ready.”

“Sure.” I nod. “I’ll go anyway. Take a look around.”

“Sounds good.”

“I’m just gonna get changed,” I tell her. “Can I use the bedroom for a minute?” See, I can do nice.

Her cheeks pink up like I’ve suggested I’ll be doing something much worse than changing clothes in the only bedroom in the cottage. “Oh, um yeah. Sure. I mean you’re going to need to use it too, right? And you’ll need half the closet space. And some drawers.”

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