Page 64 of Bad Behavior

“Hey, stranger,” Gunnar says, picking up a stack of liquor boxes and a case of water.

“Hey?” I reply, unsure what that is supposed to mean.

“I haven’t seen you around much outside of work,” he says.

I lift my backpack, then pick up the cooler, balancing another liquor box on top. I start toward the beach. “I guess I’ve been busy.”

Gunnar follows. “With what? Or, judging by the mean-looking hickeys on your neck, with who?”

I shoot him a look. He grins, and I shake my head. “Have I ever been the type to kiss and tell?”

“I just figured I would say that I’ve noticed,” he says with a shrug.

I roll my eyes. “Noted.”

We chat about the bar on the way down to the beach. As we get closer to the cluster of Cure employees, Emma turns her head and notices us. She quickly looks away, but I catch the secret smile on her face.

I have to admit, my heart beats just a little bit faster when I see that smile. I fucking love seeing Emma smile.

I freeze, there on the beach. Oh, shit… do I love her?

No.

I can’t love her.

I can’t. We’ve only been fucking for a handful of weeks. It’s way, way too early.

Right?

“Hey,” Gunnar says, stopping and looking back at me. His expression is impatient. “What?”

There’s no time for deep introspection, so I shake my head. “Uh… I just thought I left the stove on at home. But I didn’t.”

Gunnar gives me a weird look, but Forest comes walking up to us, unwittingly saving my ass.

“What can I grab?” he asks, looking at me and Gunnar.

“Nothing,” I say, moving forward. “I think we got everything.”

I partially jog the last sixty yards to the group. Maia and Evie are setting up umbrellas, Asher is firing up a little charcoal grill he brought out here, and Emma is looking awkward as hell.

It looks like Asher has invited everyone to join us, even people who work super part-time at the bar. Brandon, Sarah, Alice, and Derek are all digging a hole for another ice chest.

Asher looks up as I put down my chest. I can’t see past his Ray-Ban sunglasses, but he is a dick to me right off the bat.

“I didn’t think you would actually bother to bring anything,” he says, eyeing the liquor boxes and ice chest.

I give him a hard look, ignoring the slight. “I brought everything I need to make a big-ass container of boozy punch. And I brought ice, and bottled water.”

“You heard the man! Another hole, coming right up!” Sarah cries cheerfully. Her bright pink hair and bright yellow bikini are almost as loud as she is.

She directs Brandon to start digging another hole while Alice and Derek heave Asher’s ice chest into the first hole.

I settle into making the punch, which turns out great, if maybe a little boozier than I had intended. I pour everything into a big Tupperware jug, and pass out red solo cups. Everybody but Evie and Brandon takes a cup.

“I overdid it last night,” Brandon says, waving off my offer.

“Yeah, me too,” Evie says, a little too quickly. “Where’s the La Croix?”

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