Page 52 of No One Wants That (Blitzen Bay)

“That definitely wasn’t criticism, but yeah, I’ll just be over here doing my fishing and stuff.”

Mason pulls the floating island over to our boat. Millie and Raine are already lounging in the middle.

“Come on, Kit,” Millie says. “You’ll warm up on here. The sun’s reflecting the silver color. It’s kind of toasty.”

“You want me to tie you to the boat?” Nash asks as he helps Elle and me onto the raft.

“No, babe,” Elle says. “We’re probably going to be loud. We don’t want to scare the fish away. Will you give us a good push?”

Nash and Mason both reach down and shove us away from the boats.

“Yell if you need drink refills,” Mason says. “I can swim them out to you.”

When we get about twenty feet from the boat, Millie looks over at me. “So you left the bar with Butch last night. Please fill in the rest of the details.”

“What?” I sit up and stare down at her. “You don’t know that.”

“Yeah, I really do.” She taps her chin a few times. “Umm, let’s start with the fact that you’re acting awkward as fuck and you can’t look at Butch for more than two seconds at a time. And then add in that he has pure predator body language and he hasn’t taken his eyes off you since we got out here. And finally, and most importantly, someone told me this morning that you left with him last night.”

“Who?” I say, my mouth flying open.

“I don’t reveal my sources. Talk.”

“I don’t talk until you talk. Who?”

“It was probably Izzy,” Elle says, looking over her sunglasses at me. “She’s the town’s chief information officer.”

“Blah, blah, blah. The source is irrelevant,” Raine says. “Details, Kit. Now.”

I collapse back down and let out a long sigh. “He walked me to my room and left. Nothing happened.”

“Impossible,” Raine says. “Butch never leaves unless you ask him. Did you tell him to leave?”

“No! I wanted him to come in,” I say, slapping the raft, “but apparently I’m the only woman on earth that he finds vile and disgusting.”

“That’s not true at all,” Millie says. “He’s been eye fucking you since we got out here. He’s definitely in pursuit.”

“I don’t think so—”

“Kit,” Elle says. “You said when he pressed up against you last night that he was rock hard. I think he’s more than into you.”

“Wait,” Raine says. “He was pressed up against you? Did you make out?”

“He threw me against the door and then kissed the top of my head—like I was a puppy.”

“Huh,” Raine says, sitting up and looking at Millie. “Do you think it’s possible?”

“Do you think what’s possible?” I say, looking between them. “You didn’t say anything.”

Millie nods at Raine. “I think it is. Amazingly, I think it might finally be happening.”

“What?” I yell. “Quit talking in your secret ESP language. Use your words.”

Raine turns to me slowly. “I think for the first time in the five years I’ve known Butch that he might be interested in more than a one-night stand.”

“That’s what he said last night. Almost to the word.”

“Interesting,” Millie says, propping herself up on an elbow. “You just got out of a relationship, Kit. So now I guess the question is, are you in a place that you can think beyond a one-night stand?”

“I’m not sure,” I say slowly. “But with him, I think I’d be willing to try.”

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