Page 44 of Blame It on the Bikini
Ben grabbed Kaia's keys and opened the door. As Ben stepped inside, he switched on the lights, and Kaia followed. Because Grayson wanted to know what was going on, he moved into the apartment, and so did Lexie.
The noise was coming from the far corner of the living room. An oscillating fan had been left running, but it had tilted just enough that every sweep sent it smacking into the side of a bookcase. The impact made the whole shelf tremble, rattling the framed photos on top until one toppled over with a clatter.
Kaia let out a disbelieving laugh and strode across the room to turn off the fan. "I was in a rush this morning. I guess I left it on, and it fell over. Sorry about all this. Ben, you owe Grayson an apology."
Ben didn't look convinced. "He was looking in your window, and you told me some guy has had a hard time taking no for an answer."
"That's all resolved now," Kaia said.
"Grayson is the owner of Ocean Shores, Ben," Lexie interjected. "He's staying here for a month."
"Oh, right," Ben said, realization suddenly running through his gaze. "I thought your name sounded familiar. I'm sorry." He awkwardly cleared his throat. "I hope I didn't hurt you."
"I'll live," he said shortly.
"Kaia is my sister, and when I saw you looking in her window…"
"I understand. You were protecting your sister."
"You have a bruise on your face," Lexie said, her gaze narrowing with concern. Then she shot Ben a dark look. "Did you hit him?"
"I just shoved him."
"I'm fine," he said quickly. "It was a misunderstanding. And now, I'll say goodnight."
As he walked out of the apartment, Lexie followed him to the stairs. "Are you sure you're okay, Grayson?"
"I told you I was."
"I just want you to know that Ben is a good guy. He's a cop, and he has quick reactions when he thinks there's trouble. Usually, it's a good thing. He actually saved Emmalyn from a bad situation several months ago."
"Don’t worry about it, Lexie."
She stared back at him, uncertainty in her gaze. And even in the evening light, with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and concern creasing her brow, she was beautiful in a way that stole his breath. He knew he should go upstairs and into his apartment, but now that she was standing right in front of him, it was difficult to walk away. "Were you out tonight?" he asked.
"Yes. I took photos at a woman's ninetieth birthday party. It was actually fun. She's a live wire, and she loves to line dance, so everyone had to get up and join in. I think some of the younger ones got tired before she did. It was nice to see someone really living every minute of their life."
"She sounds like a spirited woman."
"She is. Also very opinionated, but I enjoyed talking to her. She told me the secret to not just a long life but also a happy life is to never make decisions in fear or anger and to look at change as an opportunity, not a setback."
"That sounds like good advice."
"I thought so, too." She paused. "I still want to show you the photos I took in the cave."
"It's late."
"Not tonight—maybe tomorrow. What are your plans this weekend?"
"I'm not sure. I may drive out to Palm Springs to see some property I'm interested in purchasing."
Her gaze suddenly lit up. "Palm Springs? That's really close to Joshua Tree. I've been thinking about getting out there to take some photos. The trees are amazingly twisted creations that look like aliens. There are also rock formations and a cactus garden. I have a photo on my dining room wall that I'd like to replace with one of my own." She paused. "I guess you know where this is going…"
"You want to come along," he said, not at all sure how he felt about that.
"It would be more fun to go with someone. And if you haven't seen the park, you might enjoy it. You loved the caves. This could be another great trip."
That's what he was afraid of. Because more great experiences with her weren't part of his game plan to maintain distance and make an objective decision about the building. But seeing the light of excitement in her eyes along with a hopeful plea, he could not even consider saying no.
