Cocktails on the Beach

by Helen Hardt

  Devon laughed, actually laughed at him. “Somehow I can’t see you begging a woman for anything.”

  She might be surprised.

  “Fine, I’ll take the bed, but only if we share. It’s a king, I’m sure we can get extra pillows or something to make this arrangement work so neither of us has a sore back in the morning.”

  “Fine, whatever you want.” He didn’t sleep much anyway. Thoughts of work always kept his mind whirling to the point he rarely went to bed before two.

  “Fine.” She pulled her iPad and earbuds from her backpack.

  He checked his phone to see if Greg had left a message, but there was nothing. He took a seat at the small desk in the corner of the room and tried to review the latest project status report, but he couldn’t seem to focus on the screen.

  Devon was like a magnet.

  He was drawn to the way she played with her hair, the way she nibbled her lip while reading, and the way she flopped on the couch. It almost seemed like she was tempting him, punishing him with her chaste looks. She was doing her best to ignore him, and that made her even more desirable. He wanted to touch her. Feel her beneath him. Hear her call his name.

  Oh, shit. He thrust his fingers through his hair and yanked. He should send her away now. If for no other reason than she was his sister’s best friend.

  Moving away from the bed, he walked toward Devon, who was so focused on her iPad’s screen that she didn’t seem to notice him approach.

  “Tell me something.” He settled on the couch arm.

  Devon pulled out an earbud to listen and adjusted away from him, grabbing her water bottle, twisting off the lid, and taking a sip.

  “It seems we are doing our best to ignore each other, when the fact is, we’re actually attracted to each other.”

  Devon choked on the water.

  “Devon? Tell me it isn’t true.”

  “At the risk of repeating myself, don’t patronize me, Mike. My feelings are not something to be toyed with.”

  “I’m not toying. I’ve been attracted to you for a long time, but you’re Kayla’s friend, so hands off.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “And you’re Kayla’s brother, so hands off.”

  Mike crossed his arms. “It seems we both have a problem. We’re smart, single, unencumbered adults. What do you propose as a solution?”

  She liked to play games, and he was bent on showing her he was the better player.

  “I suppose you are thinking casual sex is the answer, but it isn’t,” Devon replied.

  He suppressed a cough and rubbed his chest. “Why not?”

  “Because it might surprise you, Mike, but not all women are robots. We have feelings, and it just so happens I’ve had a crush on you since the day we first met.” Her mouth dropped open, and she froze. “Oh, shit.” She went into double-time motion, jamming her iPad and earbuds in her bag, shoving her feet into her sandals, and moving away from him as quickly as possible. “I should go.”

  “Wait.” He grabbed her arm.

  Her forward movement stopped. “Just ignore me. I shouldn’t have said anything,” she whispered.

  He slowly turned her around. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You’re Kayla’s brother.”

  “Hands off,” he said, looking into her eyes.

  There was hurt and confusion there, and he wanted to ease both away. He lowered his mouth to hers, intending to soothe away the sting, but when his lips touched hers, his mind quieted, and his soul sighed. Devon opened to his touch, and he pressed his mouth against hers, accepting what she offered.

  This beauty was certainly an interesting woman, and apparently she had a crush on him. The annoying brother. The workaholic professional. The weirdest thing was she might be the only woman he could possibly bring home who would positively fit in with his wacky family. Mike lifted his head. Devon seemed frozen in place, her eyes closed.

  “As I expected.” Devon opened her eyes slowly and looked at him.

  “What was expected?”

  “That Mike Lewis does nothing unless it’s perfect.” She softened in his arms just as his phone rang.

  He lowered his head again.

  Devon pulled out of his arms. “Aren’t you going to get that?”

  “Actually, I’d rather let it ring and go to voicemail.”

  “Didn’t I overhear you have a problem at work? Something about parts and figuring out a way to replace them?”

  Well, shit. She was right. He ran to retrieve his phone. “Mike Lewis.” Irritation warred with his need to remain calm.

  He heard only a little of what Greg said, because he turned to tell Devon he’d only be a minute, but she’d stepped into the bathroom. He was glad she hadn’t left, because he had a lot more to learn about the beautiful Devon Gaines.

  5

  Devon sucked in a sharp breath as a shirtless Mike Lewis stepped out of the hotel bathroom in navy blue board shorts with an inch-wide white band that showed off his tan. Shock made her lower her iPad as she sat on the couch cross-legged, staring. She sat up, her muscles going rigid. His stomach muscles were droolworthy and sculpted to perfection, and his chiseled chest was as hairless and smooth as a baby’s bottom. His biceps were lean, and his triceps were like a rare diamond—flawless.

  Devon wanted to touch, to feel his hot skin beneath her hands, but she didn’t want to give him another reason to kiss her. The first kiss had been perfect, and she wanted to remember it that way.

  While she wasn’t against having a fling, she didn’t want to have sex with Mike. Temporary with Mike Lewis wasn’t possible. Her heart couldn’t handle his indifference or watching him walk away after the wedding, forgetting about her. She’d just have to ignore him.

  “I’m going down to the pool. Want to come?”

  Mike’s question forced her to look up.

  Yes, she wanted to come, just not in the way he was suggesting. “I have some work emails I need to catch up on.” She forced her eyes back to the screen, not seeing a single word on the tablet.

  “Finally, she speaks.” Sarcasm added bite to Mike’s words as he gave a slow, calculated, mocking applause. “Are you still angry that I kissed you?”

  “No. Why?”

  “You haven’t spoken to me since.”

  “I promised you I’d stay out of your way and let you work.”

  If she kept to the facts, only the facts, he wouldn’t be able to tell how she truly felt. His kiss had changed her. Forever. No longer was Mike Lewis a fantasy. While she was here, with him, he was real, and her body wanted him more than ever. She craved his touch. With his single kiss came an understanding that all those years of daydreaming about Mike were nothing compared to the real thing.

  “But you’re my fiancée. My protector. We need to be seen together if we’re going to pull this game off. You promised we’d stay together until after the wedding was over.”

  “Mike, I don’t want to play this game anymore. It’s not fun. I was only trying help. If I had known claiming to be your fiancée to stop those women from clinging to you would create an even bigger problem, I would have minded my own business.” She dropped her iPad beside her as he moved closer.

  “Then you’ve finally figured it out.”

  “Figured out what, exactly?”

  “That I’m a big boy. I don’t need help.”

  She couldn’t miss the aggravation in his tone…or the tension in his body.

  “Everyone needs help sometimes. Even you, Mike Lewis.” Devon sighed out her annoyance.

  “So Kayla tells me every day. I don’t need her best friend to start.” He yanked on the ties of his swim shorts as he sank down on the couch.

  She tucked her legs in closer while she tracked his every move, and he didn’t stop until his lips were inches away from hers. She should back away—stop this insanity—but she couldn’t stop wondering if this kiss would be devouring, or if he would take his time again. Either way was mouthwateringly tempting. Plus the tantalizing
smell of his aftershave’s rich notes of vanilla and cedar made matters worse. Much worse.

  Why did Mike Lewis have to be so damn perfect? Everything about him was flawless. Well, except for the bit where he only wanted her for the weekend.

  “Go change.” Mike’s eyes darkened. “It’ll do us both good to get away from work for a while.”

  An awkward silence settled between them as he moved away.

  “Fine, but I can only spare an hour. Kayla will have finished shopping with her aunt by then, and we have plans to meet for lunch.” Devon pushed to her feet.

  While they were still in Connecticut, Kayla made her pack a siren-red string bikini with more strings than fabric. Devon swore she would never wear the itty-bitty thing, but this situation called for just such a weapon. A naughty tingle of anticipation made her grin as she walked into the bathroom to get changed. She was going to teach Mike Lewis a lesson.

  It took three minutes to pull on the tiny pieces of material and tug off her hairband, releasing the long strands to fluff and fall about her shoulders. Next she pursed her lips, applied lip gloss, and added waterproof mascara to her lashes. She pulled out the eyeliner, but decided not to overdo. Guys liked natural, and she would give him unadorned sensual.

  If he wanted to play, she’d give him a good game.

  She walked out of the bathroom and headed his way, making sure he had a full view of what she offered. “Ready?” She kept her expression as blank as possible so he wouldn’t recognize her real intentions.

  He didn’t take his eyes off her as he continued to listen to whoever was on the other end of the call, but his eyes darkened, and his tongue moved lazily over his lower lip. He was finally seeing her as a woman, not as Kayla’s best friend.

  Success. She sauntered past him, taking her time.

  Mike eventually turned away, his phone in hand, black earbuds tucked in his ears. “Is everything under control?” he asked.

  Devon leaned back on the couch and tucked her legs in to wait for his call to end.

  “What do you mean, not exactly? I asked you to fix this. I don’t need excuses.” He paused, his head falling forward. “Look, I’m sorry. I know you’re doing your best. But I need a solution, not more problems.” He nodded. “Okay, so when can we get the parts?” He gazed at the floor, with a hand on one hip. “Two months? Are you fucking kidding me?” He cupped a hand at the base of his neck and squeezed. “Greg. Don’t apologize. Just do your fucking job and fix this.” He dropped his hand, gripping the phone so hard she thought he was going to break it.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “No.” He stopped to let out a long breath, closing his eyes. “It seems the parts I need for one of the robotic units are stuck in customs, and my operations team is telling me it will be two months before we get them. But the marketing department has already set the schedule for the product to go live in less than five weeks. We won’t have enough inventory. The launch is going to fail.”

  “What about 3D imaging? If you have the computer files, you might be able to get the parts faster.”

  “Yes. Yes. Yes.” He paced away, waving her suggestion off. “We already looked into that. No one has capacity to turn our job around fast enough.”

  “But you do have the loadable computer files.”

  “Yes.” Mike continued to pace. “Imaged parts are what we are waiting on.”

  Devon flipped through the contacts on her phone and dialed. “Hey, Sarah, it’s me, Dev. Got a minute? I have a favor to ask.” Devon looked at Mike. Now she had his full attention.

  “Sure. What can I help with?” Sarah’s voice dragged a bit, like she’d worked one too many twelve-hour shifts.

  “Last week you told me you had a major job cancel. Do you still have room in your schedule to fill another 3D print order? It’s some type of robotic computer component.”

  “We still have capacity as long as it’s not too big of a job. Why?”

  “A friend’s parts are stuck in customs. He needs a quick turnaround for a product launch. Do you think you can help him out?”

  “What kind of part is it?”

  “It’s a robotic part. From what I’ve seen you do, I’m pretty sure you can handle it. How about I have the company’s president get in touch. His name is Mike Lewis.”

  “Oh, my. You’re kidding, right?”

  “Nope. Why?”

  “The Mike Lewis? That hottie?”

  Devon giggled and turned away from Mike as her cheeks heated. “Yep, the Mike Lewis of Surgical Robotics.”

  “Man oh man. If I didn’t have capacity, I’d find some. Kidding aside, we should be able to do a turnaround in two business days once we have the specs and complete the new vendor paperwork.”

  Devon cupped her hand over the phone. “Sarah says they can get a job up in two days if you can get them the files today.”

  “I need an NDA,” Mike said, taking a step closer.

  Devon nodded. “Sarah, do you mind if I have Mike send over a non-disclosure agreement today? Once the agreement is signed, I believe he can release the files.”

  “Can you have him send along his private cell phone number too? Maybe his address? Heck, maybe just a picture. I’ll hang it on my bulletin board. Better yet, just tell him I said he’s hot.”

  “I can’t tell him that. I’m hanging up now. Expect an email in a few minutes.”

  Devon giggled as she laid the phone on the coffee table. She turned to see Mike staring at her, his inquisitive brow lifted.

  “3D Global Services is a vendor we use. Their parts are reliable. We haven’t had any recalls. If they say they can deliver, they’ll deliver.”

  Mike took a step around the end of the bed. “What can’t you tell me?”

  “Oh, that.” Devon’s face warmed this time. “Sarah thinks you’re hot.”

  His gaze had again darkened and intensified. “I don’t care what Sarah thinks. Only what you think.”

  “I think, Mr. Lewis, your problem has been solved. You will have your parts in time for your product launch.”

  “Devon”—he sat on the couch and moved in closer—“I’m not talking about my parts problem.”

  “You mean the problem I helped you solve. The problem you didn’t need anyone’s help with?” She leaned in toward his ear. “You’re welcome, Mike.”

  He dropped his head, and his hot breath caressed her neck while he took the opportunity to nibble. “Thank you, Devon.”

  She pushed out of his arms and gave him a teasing smile. “You need to send off your NDA and give your operations team a heads-up. I’ll send you the contact information.”

  She picked up her phone and typed in the cell phone number he gave her. She sent over the contact information and then met his gaze. “Meet you at the pool. Oh, and Mike? Thanks for letting me help. I know it’s not your thing.”

  She didn’t wait for his response, just sauntered out the door with an extra sway in her step.

  Because waiting for Mike Lewis to accept her fully into his life would be like waiting for the Titanic to sink, and she wasn’t willing to wait that long.

  6

  “Kay-K, what are you worried about now?” Devon sat with her friend on Kayla’s king-sized bed in her luxurious hotel suite. “Tonight is going to be special, and tomorrow even more magical.”

  “Brandon’s cousin informed me an hour ago that she’s allergic to fish, and his aunt left a message on my cell that she’s gluten-free. Ugh. Why didn’t Brandon tell me Jessica and his aunt had food allergies before I finalized the rehearsal dinner menu?” Kayla flopped over to her side.

  “It’ll be okay. You’ll see. Let’s run through our checklist to see if we missed anything. That should calm your nerves.” Devon reached into her backpack and pulled out her iPad.

  “You’re right. I need a distraction.” Kayla took a deep breath and reached for her computer.

  Devon opened the rehearsal dinner menu file. “Let’s see what we have here. For the salad, we ha
ve mixed greens with carrot, shaved red onions, cucumber, shredded cheese, and croutons served with a choice of house vinaigrette or ranch.” Devon pursed her lips. “The salad should work, minus the croutons. We can ask the caterer to put them on the side, and see what salad dressing options might work.”

  “True.”

  “What’s next?” Devon scrolled down. “What if we substituted the fish dish for the fettuccini tossed with house-made alfredo for your cousin? It’s already on the hotel menu and shouldn’t be hard to switch out.”

  “That should work too.” Kayla’s shoulders relaxed. “Do you think there are any other changes we should make? What about the floral arrangements and chalkboard signs?”

  “The chalkboard signs are ready to be put in place first thing in the morning. The artist did a magnificent job. You’re gonna love them.” Devon did a quick check of her email to make sure there were no new messages from the hotel staff. “Your wedding is going to be spectacular. Have some faith.”

  “You sure? What about the reception table centerpieces?” Kayla bit her lip.

  “Brandon wanted candles and promised he’d take care of the arrangements, remember?”

  “That’s right, he did.” Kayla rubbed her head. “He showed me what he was planning, and the candles with the tied lavender were perfect. Who knew he was so creative?”

  A little surge of satisfaction seeped into Devon. She’d kept Brandon’s secret hidden from Kayla. Brandon didn’t have the first clue what to do about the centerpieces and had called to ask for help.

  “And I sampled the sangria.” Devon placed her iPad on the bed. “It’s yum, and I made sure the help is prepared to serve the guests as they take their seats. It’s supposed to be hot. The drinks will keep the family refreshed. I’ve also confirmed your hair, makeup, and photography appointments tomorrow. You’re all set.”

  “Thank you,” Kayla said, her voice almost choked with tears.

  Gail Lewis ambled into the room. “No tears, baby girl.”

  Kayla looked up. “Hey Mom.”

  “Hey, Mrs. L.” Devon moved over to allow Kayla’s beautiful mother to take a seat between them as Kayla rolled to a sitting position.