Page 27 of The Bride's Billionaire

“I didn’t think so, but now…yeah.”

She laughed. “Classic.”

So much tension had left him since their pitches were over that he felt like they were almost back to the same place they were when he’d met her. He squeezed her fingers in his.

Once they were out on the beach with the warm air circling around him, he felt completely free again to enjoy their time. They stood together, straddling their bikes and facing Ipanema beach. “If we ride in this direction, we can go all the way around that peninsula there and ride down Copacabana beach as well.”

She adjusted her sunglasses. “I admit, I’ve been wanting to do this since I got here. Thank you, Tyler.”

He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “I’ve missed that.”

“Me too.” Then her lips puckered in a frown. “Not out of the clear yet. But no matter what happens, even if we can’t keep up what we have, I wanted to thank you. I’ve had some of the best times in my life the last few days.”

“I’m not going anywhere. If you decide I’m too much for you, then I’ll respect that. But otherwise? No way. I’m not leaving.”

She laughed. “You really are something.”

He stepped up on his pedals. “But I’m ready to put some space between us and our hotel. Shall we?”

“You bet!”

They took off, riding side by side. The crowds were sparse, the sidewalk wide, the wind mild, and the sun pleasant. For a minute, they said nothing at all.

Then she pointed. “People-watching around here would be something.”

What he saw made him slow down. “He’s just asking for skin cancer.”

A man stood in the center of a circle of panels of reflector glass of some sort. He was greased up from head to toe, a tiny white speedo the only covering on his skin, a blinding beacon against the rest of his skin, which was dark brown and weathered. He stood facing the sun, his eyes closed.

“He’s insane.” Kayla shook her head. “I wonder if he rotates with the sun?”

“That’s actually helpful. A human sundial.”

They kept riding. Men and women were doing pull-ups and other exercises on a set of bars. Volleyball games were common as they passed by one beach after another. And the surf was high, so the blue water was dotted with the forms of people sitting on their surfboards out just past where the surf broke. People walked up and down the beaches, selling their wares, parading fabric sarongs, bead necklaces, sunglasses, and shells up and down the sand.

Tyler wondered how often they made a sale. It must be worth it to them to come, so at least some people must buy from them.

A man up ahead called out, “Aqua de coco, bem gelado.”

He loved Brazil’s chilled coconut water. “Oh, let’s stop.” He pointed to the vendor, and she nodded.

“Duas, por favor.”

The man dug down into his freezer cart and grabbed a large green coconut. Then he pulled out a machete and hacked the top off. Sticking a straw in the middle, he handed it to Kayla.

After a sip, she smiled. “Oh, this is so sweet. Obrigada.”

Tyler grinned. “The best aqua de coco in the world is right here on these beaches. It’s fresh and so delicious.”

The man nodded, chopped off the top of his and handed it to him. Tyler paid him, and they walked their bikes to a bench facing the water. “If we ask, he can cut it open when we’re done so we can eat the soft jelly inside.”

“Oh, I’ve never done that.”

“It’s good for you. Nature’s best electrolytes.”

She sipped for a minute and then her expression changed, and he knew something different was coming. “So, Iowa?”

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