Page 18 of Faking It at Sea

He cast a glance back my way and offered me a hesitant smile. “You coming?”

Any fleeting thoughts I might have entertained about sexy moments in the water with Sutton evaporated when I saw how many people were clogging that small section of beach, but we didn’t let that stop us from enjoying the waves. We floated far enough out that my feet couldn’t reach the sand before swimming back. When we were thigh deep, we got in a silly splash fight that ended with him picking me up and plunging us both back into the water.

Between the heated glances and the casual touches, anyone who saw us would have thought we were a couple. Hell, even I was almost convinced. Which was why I spent a good chunk of the drive back to port reminding myself that this was all an act. Nothing more.

“Where is he taking you tonight?” Missy asked. She scanned my body up and down with a clinical eye.

“We’re meeting for drinks at the Sunset Cocktail Party.”

“Ooo, that’s where I’m going. Sunset parties are all kinds of sexy.”

I tried and failed not to roll my eyes, but she was too busy choosing the “perfect” outfit for me to wear to notice.

I probably should have shown a little more excitement about the prospect of another date with Sutton, but I was already starting to regret the ruse. The whole point of setting up this farce was so I wouldn’t have to deal with two things: Missy’smatchmaking and other guys hitting on me. What I failed to consider was what would happen if I roped the wrong guy into my little scheme.

On the surface, Sutton looked like so many of the bad boys I’d lusted over in the past. The dark hair, the wicked eyes, the mysterious ink. That damned smirk. He oozed the kind of mischief that made him the perfect candidate for a faux vacation fling. But I was starting to think I’d misread him.

What if he was actually a good guy?

“Put it on,” Missy ordered, shoving the gauzy white ball of fabric at me.

I moved automatically, too wrapped up in my thoughts to process what I was slipping over my head. When I saw myself in the full-length mirror in her room, I did a double take.

Whoa.

The dress wasn’t exactly risqué, but I wouldn’t call it modest either, not with the way the thin layers of fabric overlapped so my left thigh would peek out with every other step. It was so light I could barely feel where it hung from my shoulders, and the bodice wrapped around my curves like a delicate hug.

“Holy shit, Missy,” I breathed. “This is gorgeous.”

“Correction:Youare gorgeous. The dress just highlights your natural beauty.”

I spun in a slow circle, loving the gentle swish as the fabric brushed my legs. “You can never tell me how much this cost.”

She laughed. “I wouldn’t dream of it. But damn girl, I’m good.”

“Yeah, you are.”

“Now we just have to get your hair sorted out. I’m thinking you should wear it down.”

I shook my head. I never wore my hair down. It wasn’t like I tied it up in a messy bun every day. I usually took a few minutes to make it look nice. Okay, nice-ish. But down wasn’t practicalwhen your job involved having your own boots on the ground in emergencies and disasters.

“Will you just trust me? Please?” she pleaded.

With a semi-patient exhale, I reached up and pulled out the soft elastic that had been holding my brown locks out of my face since I’d stepped out of the shower twenty minutes earlier. It was still damp, and it hung in stringy clumps around my face.

“Don’t give me that look,” she said. “It’s all about potential, June Bug. A little blow dryer action and my big curling iron to give you some beachy waves, and you’ll look even more stunning.” She held up the hair dryer and gave it a shake.

An hour and a half later, after spending a solid five minutes convincing Missy that I could, in fact, do my own hair, we stepped through the glass doors leading to the sunset party. Outside, a sprawling deck greeted us, topped off by a startling view of the endless ocean stretching out beyond it.

A gentle breeze carried hints of saltwater and the sweet fragrance of tropical flowers from the enormous bouquets decorating the open space. Despite the warmth of the day, the deck was just cool enough to be comfortable, and there were already a few people on the dance floor shaking it to hip-hop mashups from twenty years earlier.

“Wow,” I whispered.

“My thoughts exactly.” Sutton’s appreciative hum sent a prickle of goosebumps skipping across my skin as I turned to find him staring at me.

I opened my mouth to respond but nothing came out.

“You must be the infamous Sutton,” Missy said.

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