“You may know everything, but I still need to learn the stuff this convention is teaching.”
“The only really insightful lecture was yesterday, and it was still a little shallow. Why don’t you grab your computer, we’ll get a couple chairs and umbrellas, and set up shop at the beach? I’ll ramble on about what you were sure to learn, you can take notes until you’re tired of it, and we’ll chill.”
“You don’t want to spend your time—”
“Delilah,” he cut in, his tone firm and commanding. “I’m not doing you a favor. You’d be doing me one. I promised myself I’d use this trip as a vacation. I work a lot of hours. Too many. I don’t get a lot of opportunities to lounge on a beach with a beautiful woman. Do me the honor of hanging out with me today.”
“Still with the pushiness.” I lowered my face to hide the heat rushing to it. “Okay.”
“Good. Now hurry up and eat. I want to revel in your body a little more before we head out.”
Nine
“Wait a minute,” Brad said as he slowed.
I didn’t really have a choice. His big arm was wrapped around my waist.
He turned me into a small shop and directed me to an assortment of flip-flops that were hanging off a rack like fruit. “Let’s get you a pair of these.”
I glanced down at my Chucks. They were arguably a little out of place with my bathing suit and wrap, but so was the computer bag slung over my shoulder. “I don’t know, I’m feeling very hipster today.”
He smiled and grabbed a pair of sparkly pink flip-flops. “What size are you?”
“No.” I put those back—I wasn’t five—and grabbed a pair of sparkly black ones. Much better. “These will work.”
He moved on to a wrap that didn’t have dirt smudges on it. “One of these?”
“Are you embarrassed of me or something?” I asked, picking a clean one in a similar style to the one I was wearing.
“Oh no, Delilah—I didn’t mean to imply—”
“Goodness, Mable, quit freaking out. I was kidding.” I angled a grin up at him.
With a relieved smile, he bent to kiss me before smacking me on the butt. “What else does my hot mess express need?” he asked.
“If you keep it up, my ego will be impossible to carry.” I placed the items on the glass counter. Brad shoved his hand into his pocket.
“No,” I said.
“It was my suggestion to—”
“No,” I said again, shifting so he was blocked. “Unless you plan to share these sparkly black flip-flops with me, this isn’t your purchase.”
Once I had the items paid for and on, and the old stuff stowed in the bag, we were on our way again, headed to the beach for a day of idleness.
“Wait.”
Once again, I was slowed and steered, this time toward an outdoor shop, much like a booth, where a large sign instructed the passersby to pick a pearl. Sparkling jewelry, all featuring pearls, gleamed from glass cases surrounding the little shop. According to the advertisement plastered on the side of the small building, hotel guests got their pearl free of charge.
“Let’s do this,” Brad said, bending toward one of the cases to analyze the contents.
“What would I do with a loose pearl?” I asked, finding at least four necklaces I wanted to impulse-buy. I backed away. Jewelry was a weakness and I didn’t have money to drop on it.
“You pick a pearl and then you pick the setting. C’mon, it’ll be fun.”
How did you explain to a rich guy that you had no money, and eating would work out better in the long run than buying a necklace…
“I have our spot reserved on the beach. C’mon, Delilah, let me buy you a necklace.”
“Not a chance. You need to save your money for retirement. Do you have any idea how often CEOs lose their jobs? Stocks go down, and you’re on the curb, buster. Best hold on to your pennies.”
“You’re ruining my high. C’mon, let’s pick a pearl.”
I smiled in delight. “Well, since it’s all about you…”
He laughed and said to the lady, “We’d like to pick a pearl, please.”
“Fantastic! Are you guests of the hotel?” The woman let herself out of the shop enclosure.
“Yes, we are,” Brad said, giving me a squeeze.
Warm fuzzies spread throughout my middle. I threaded my arm around his waist and then couldn’t help myself—I stepped in front of him and pulled his face down for a kiss. His lips were soft and willing, and the hunger I had for him was overshadowed by a growing softness that meant bad things in the dependency department. It had only been a day or so, and he already had the hooks in. Forgetting him wouldn’t be easy.