Page 23 of The Grumpy Doc's Surprise Delivery

“Let’s head down in the next half hour? We can chill out there.”

Something in his smile is utterly infectious, and I can’t help smiling at him. “Great. To the beach it is.”

CHAPTER 13

LIAM

Ihead down to the beach earlier than we arranged to secure us both a spot. There are plenty of other people out, and they must have been here a long time because they all look totally settled.

Women lounge in their bathing suits and men lie next to them, asleep in the heat of the sun. There are beautiful people everywhere, those who know it and are showing it off and those who don’t and catch my eye regardless. It’s that natural beauty that strikes me, the type that doesn’t fully know they’ve got it and is coy about admitting it.

That’s the beauty Emma has, I think. Unassuming but true. She’s not a flaunter.

Eventually, I find the perfect umbrella to pitch myself under. It’s close enough to the water that we’ll be able to go and paddle if we want to, close enough to the hotel where we can still go for food and not have to trek a long way back, but far enough away from all the other people so we don’t have to listen to children screaming or people complaining.

I sling my towel onto one of the lounge chairs and sit back, staring out at the ocean, watching the waves crash against the golden shore. This really is a beautiful island.

It’s the kind of place I could spend a long time in if I wasn’t so wedded to my work.

It’s not long before the sight of Emma making her way across the beach towards me rips me out of my daydreaming. She has a long white robe draped over her shoulders, see-through enough that I can see every inch of her beneath it, light and flowing in the wind. Her hair is piled up on top of her head into a messy bun, and she has big round sunglasses perched on the end of her nose.

I have to force myself not to look too much further down at her body because she’s wearing a gorgeous green bikini with white polka dots that rests high on her hips and low on her breasts, putting way more emphasis than I would have expected on her breasts.

It’s like she wants my eyes to be drawn to the soft curve of her skin.

Maybe she does know how beautiful she is after all.

I smile to let her know I’ve seen her, then look back towards the ocean to stop myself from staring in a way I shouldn’t.

“Hey,” she says, grinning like she’s totally unaware of the effect her body is having on me.

“Hey,” I say. “I hope this spot is acceptable.”

“It’s gorgeous,” she breathes, turning a full circle to look at everything. “I’m impressed you managed to find a spare umbrella.”

“I have my ways.”

“This is a beautiful beach, isn’t it?” She doesn’t rise to my bait, and I almost feel disappointed. The day won’t feel right if I don’t spar with her at least a little.

“It’s lovely and clean.”

“Of course that’s what you would think of,” she scoffs. “Does nothing please you?”

I raise both eyebrows at her, but she’s still smiling, a teasing glint strong in her eyes. “Nope,” I say. “I’m notoriously difficult to satisfy.”

Emma starts to say something, but the first syllable dies in her mouth as she stops herself. Instead, she turns to the other lounge chair and drops her towel down on it, her bag beside it. Then she lies down, stretching her long legs out in front of her, pointing her toes and yawning. “This is perfect,” she says again.

“It is,” I agree. “Maybe there’s something to this vacation thing after all.”

“Maybe,” she hums, unconvinced like I am. “I’d rather be at work, though.”

“Me too.”

With that, she sighs, then stares out at the ocean. “Let’s swim.”

“Swim?” I splutter. I hate swimming. It’s one of the few things I’m not actually very good at, and the shame of that is more than I can bear in front of a pretty woman who thinks little enough of me to begin with. “Is that a good idea?”

“Why not? Swimming is good for you, and the water is so blue and clear, it’s screaming out to swim in.”

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