Page 12 of Nothing to Do

As he came around the desk, she turned her chair his way and didn’t argue when he bowed to pick up her hands to ease her onto her feet.

“I have work to do.”

“Me too,” he said, linking his fingers between hers. “Something we have in common.”

Funny.

On the terrace, the chaises remained in the same position as the day before.

“We should’ve fixed this before we left.” Though she had been the one to rush out in a hurry. “It’s not our place to rearrange the furniture.”

“No one cares about that,” he said. “Do you want wine? I can have them bring a selection.”

Laughing as he directed her down to her chaise, she kicked off her shoes and raised her legs to the soft, warm cushioning beneath.

“You’re determined to get me drunk in the middle of the day,” she said. “My boss would kick your ass.”

“Nah,” he said, settling on his own chaise. “I can be charming.”

“Anika is not the type of woman to be charmed… no matter how good-looking the guy doing the charming is.”

He stopped straightening the table to make eye contact. “You think I’m good-looking?”

Pushing her shoulders back, she wriggled deeper in her seat. “I think you’re a goofball.”

The large parasol next to his chaise offered shade that protected hers too. The one on her side, which had been there the previous day, was gone.

He laughed. “Can’t say I’ve been called that in a while.”

“Where’s my parasol?” she asked, looking around.

Zane pointed up. “What’s wrong with this one?”

It wasn’t like there was anyone around to steal it. “If it blew away, it would be our fault.”

“I think we’re safe, no storms last night. Can we get back to you thinking I’m good-looking?”

Yep, a goof.

“You don’t need me stroking your ego, Mr. Humblebrag.” Forgetting the parasol, she shifted to rise. “You know exactly what you look like.”

He braced, tossing a leg off his chaise like he intended to leap up. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to get my bag,” she said, heading inside. “Is that okay?”

Without waiting for his response, she went in to retrieve it. Outside, she donned her sunglasses and left her bag between the chaises to go to the wall again.

“And now you’re ditching me,” he said. She flashed him a smile over her shoulder then climbed up onto the wall. “Whoa, where are you…”

Jumping off the other side, she made short work of running down the grass bank and into the sand. Scrunching her toes in it, the heat of the grains seeped up through her. When she heard what sounded like someone landing on the grass behind her, she started to move again. Running the width of the beach, she didn’t stop at the water’s edge. Gathering up her maxi skirt, she waded in until the water lapped her thighs.

Spinning around, her co-worker remained at the edge of the tide.

“Makes me feel better!” she called back to him.

Since arriving, all she’d wanted to do was dive into the water. With work and Alessia and Zane and everything, there hadn’t been time. The horizon appealed. She was so small in something so vast, yet, somehow, it made every breath seem vital.

The sound of movement in water preceded a hand sliding onto her shoulder. It kept on going along her clavicle until it hooked around her other shoulder. His forearm felt good, solid and secure, resting on her body.

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