Page 38 of Inked Obsession

“Oh, it’s great. And if you’re up for it, as well, there’s a restaurant tonight that I want to try that apparently has amazing grouper.”

“I heard this area is pretty good for grouper. At least, that’s what Archer said as he sort of pushed me out of the door and towards the plane.”

Eliza shook her head. “I’m coming to like the idea that our families pushed us to this time and place, even if neither of us thought we were ready.”

“Our families are pushy, but maybe sometimes they have it right.”

Eliza just shook her head. “See, that’s a big-brother thing to say.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, oh. The big brother always thinks that butting in and controlling things is right. Only if you try to do it to them, it’s too much.”

“I forget you’re the youngest of seven,” I said with a laugh.

“Pretty much,” she said, shaking her head. “Seven kids. I have no idea how my parents did it.”

“I always say it was enough with five of us,” I added. “Of course, there were two sets of twins.”

“We only have one set.”

I frowned. “Did I know that?”

“Maybe. Annabelle and Brenna know, so I assumed the rest of you did, as well.”

“We are a pretty big group that seems to know every secret about one another.”

Eliza shook her head. “Not every secret. You sure kept yours well.”

“Well, I’m not going to do that again.”

We ordered our brunches and drinks as the waiter came by, and then continued our conversation. I felt more comfortable than I had in a long while. Was it the place? Maybe. I had a feeling it had more to do with the woman in front of me. And that might complicate things more than it should.

“Are there specific things you wanted to see here?” she asked.

“Not really. I was sort of forced here, and I kind of just wanted to be on the beach.”

“Me, too,” she said. “I think seeing the ocean and sitting around doing nothing but maybe reading a book sounds like what I need to do. Of course, then I’d probably end up in my thoughts all day, and that might be too much.”

“If you want, we can force each other into conversation if we get too lost in our heads.”

She grinned. “So, you’re going to be my vacation buddy this whole trip?” she asked, her tongue flicking out to lick her lip.

I swallowed tightly, my cock getting harder. “Vacation buddy, that sounds great.”

It was probably a mistake. No, it really wasn’t a mistake.

Because I had done my best to never think about Eliza this way. Only I didn’t think I could help it.

Here I was, about to spend the rest of my vacation—however unplanned—with the one woman who kept filling my thoughts. The one I probably shouldn’t have. Yet, she relaxed me. Even as she set me on edge in a completely different way, I could breathe around her.

I honestly didn’t know what that meant.

Chapter 13

Eliza

Why was I nervous? I shouldn’t be nervous. I’d had meals with Beckett for most of the day and the day before. We’d shared meals at home before, as well. Just because we were somewhere different and at a nicer restaurant that served wonderful fish—at least according to everyone that we had talked to—didn’t mean things were changing. This wasn’t something different. Wasn’t special. It wasn’t a date.

---