Page 26 of Royal Agenda

Stephán nodded slowly. “You’re right. I mean, no woman can tame me.”

Grace pressed the keys into his hand, turned him around by the shoulders, and pushed him away. “Go! Before I change my mind and try to convince you to stay.”

“Yeah! I’m going.” He hurried to put his boards in the rack. His movements were so quick, and he looked like he was terrified Grace really would try to stop him.

“What a goob,” Grandma said behind her glass.

As soon as Steph?n pulled away from the curb, they clicked their glasses together and burst out laughing.

“I’m not sure who is the bad influence on whom, Grandma,” Grace quipped. She leaned back in her chair. “That was more fun than it should have been.”

Grandma fanned her face. “Agreed. But I’ve always enjoyed taking out the garbage.”

“Grandma!” Grace shrieked as she laughed. “Since when were you so sassy?”

“All my life—you just seem to bring it out in me,” she admitted.

“Right back at ya.” Grace winked. “Want to go shopping?”

“Or I could schedule you at the barber shop for a trim . . .” she said suggestively.

Grace rolled her eyes and stood up, taking Grandma’s hand and pulling her up, too. “I don’t need a trim. But I do need some new bohemian outfits. And I think you might like one too.”

“Oh no! Not me!” Grandma threw up her hands.

Grace’s new mission was to find something in the boutique Grandma would wear that wasn’t a track suit. “We’ll see.”

As they made their way past The Palm’s main building in a golf cart Grandma borrowed from Don to get them around town, Grace’s eyes lingered on the door. It swung open, and Ryker stepped into the sunshine. The air whooshed out of her. He was so handsome! Her memories of him didn’t do the real version justice.

He put on a pair of sunglasses, hiding those incredible green eyes from the world. Such a shame. He caught her staring, and a sexy Isoladian smile lit his face, silently asking if she liked what she saw. She liked. She liked it so much!

Grace about swooned out of the golf cart. She lifted her hand. He waved back, still watching.

“Are you hot?” asked Grandma, oblivious to the exchange. Her hands gripped the wheel at ten and two, and she kept her eyes on the road.

Grace fanned herself to cover up the wave and to help with the flushing that consumed her from such a small exchange. She was attracted to Ryker. Not just attracted like, I’d like to put a picture of you on my desktop to cheer me up when the skies are blue but attraction like, I’d move to your country for a hot makeout session.

Maybe she should have taken Grandma up on her offer for an appointment with the resident barber.

No, she didn’t want to throw herself at the man—that was not her style. Not that she had a style per se. She did know that she didn’t want to be seen as desperate. He probably had women falling at his feet all the time.

Without an appointment or legitimate reason to walk into his man cave, she’d have to accidentally bump into him. It shouldn’t be that hard. Diamond Cove wasn’t that big of a city. And, with a new wardrobe, she’d be confident and ready to flirt.

That was exactly what she’d do. Flirt. And if he happened to express an interest, then she’d be open to a date. And if he whispered in her ear again, she grabbed onto him and kissed him until her lips were numb.

She chewed her cheek. A part of her had a burning desire to find out exactly who Ryker Rockefeller was and how he washed up on this shore. Okay, so maybe her attraction was three-parts physical and one-part mystery.

Or maybe it was more. Because there was a feeling that she couldn’t ignore–one that said her and Ryker’s paths were meant to cross–that he would have a significant impact on her future.

Sometimes, her intuition scared her. Not because she didn’t trust it but because, in this case, she did. Ryker was about to flip her world.

And she wasn’t sure she would come out on top.

Seven

Nancy hid in the changing room of Leather and Lace Bohemian Boutique with her phone.

Leather and Lace!

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