A big part of her knew she really needed to get back to the marquee. What if April needed her? Plus it really had been hours since she’d checked her email—maybe she could pop by her suite on the way back?
She’d levered herself onto her knees to stand when she felt Angus’s hand on her arm. Electricity shot across her skin and she found herself completely still.
‘Hey,’ he said. ‘We’re supposed to be having a conversation, remember?’
‘But, my emails—’
The man’s laughter was loud, and strong and totally unexpected in the darkness.
‘Emails? You’re on a deserted tropical beach with a guy who is seriously attracted to you—and you’re thinking about email? That cuts deep.’
Ivy smiled despite herself, and rearranged her legs so she was sitting again, his hand—unfortunately—falling away.
‘You’re seriously attracted to me?’ she said.
‘I’ll take smug if it means no more talk of work.’
Ivy smiled again. ‘Deal,’ she said. For a long minute, she studied the ocean again. Her eyes had adjusted now, and she could just make out the occasional edge of foam along the crest of a wave.
Something had changed, Ivy realised. The stiffness in her shoulders had loosened. A tightness in her jaw was gone.
She couldn’t say she was relaxed, not sitting beside this man. But the tension she felt had shifted—maybe it was that her everyday tensions had lifted? Only to be replaced by another flavour of tension, but Ivy had to admit the tension that radiated between her and Angus was vastly, vastly preferable—no matter how uncomfortable it felt.
Uncomfortable, because she didn’t know what to do with it. But also...different. Unfamiliar. Exciting.
She twisted to face him.
‘Hi, I’m Ivy Molyneux,’ she said.
‘Angus Barlow.’
And she smiled. It had been an intense few days, so frantic that she’d barely acknowledged her beautiful surroundings.
For the first time, she really felt the beach sand beneath her toes. Felt the kiss of the ocean breeze.
She deserved a break, even if she didn’t have time for a holiday.
And really, what was the harm of letting her guard down with a gorgeous, charming stranger, just for a few minutes?
Then she’d go check her email, and then back to the wedding.
Simple.
Copyright © 2014 by Leah Ashton
ISBN-13: 9781460344484
Fired by Her Fling
Copyright © 2014 by Christy McKellen
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