style="font-size:15px;"> He slowly turned around.
“Why don’t you join us?” the redhead suggested as the women shifted chairs to make space for him. “I’m Roxie,” she said, and pointed to the others. “This is Hannah, Amber, and you’ve apparently already met Bree.”
“Let’s just say she dropped into my life.” He winked at Bree. “I’m Nick, and you must be the friend Bree lost,” he said to Roxie. Then he made eye contact with each woman in turn.
They made quite an intriguing group, each an individual in appearance and sense of style. Besides redheaded Roxie with her fair complexion and dancing green eyes, there was petite Hannah with long blond hair and bangs that framed her deep brown doe eyes. Next came Amber, who had East-Asian features, straight black hair blunt cut at her collarbones with wispy bangs over a high forehead, and the impression that she was a very direct person.
Finally, there was Bree. Nick had trouble keeping a straight face. Horrified didn’t come close to describing her expression at that moment. She didn’t want him there, and she wasn’t subtle about it. Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she desperately telegraphed her feelings to her companions.
They were having none of it. In fact, they were completely ignoring her distress. The group seemed fun loving, so why not join them? Three out of four wanted him there. Not a bad percentage.
Besides, his cousin, Pete, hadn’t shown up yet, so why not make new friends?
“What brings you ladies to the island?” he asked, determined to show Pete that he was still on his game. Pete had pressured him into coming on this trip with him, complaining that Nick hadn’t taken time for himself since his life had been torn apart last spring. “Girls’ vacation?” Nick guessed.
“A working vacation,” Hannah said with a scowl.
“More work than vacation,” Roxie grumbled, and reached for a carrot. She gestured that Nick should help himself before dipping her carrot into the white dip on the large plate of appetizers they were sharing.
He laughed, chose a cheese cube and a raw mushroom, and then washed them down with a swig of the beer he’d brought with him. “How long are you staying?” He looked directly at Bree, who still seemed to be adjusting to his presence.
“Two more days.” Bree looked down at her drink. “We leave Sunday afternoon.”
“Yeah, only two more nights to have any fun on this island paradise,” Amber said petulantly as she narrowed her gaze at Bree.
“Then you better stop wasting time.” Nick tossed out his most sincere grin and rose from his chair. “Come on.” He held out a hand to Bree, but she didn’t take it. He kept smiling as he dropped his hand. For some reason, he felt the need to make her like him and prove that she’d been wrong about him. “There’s a limbo contest and karaoke going on nearby, as well as a steel-drum band. There’s also plenty more of whatever you’re drinking out of those coconuts.”
“Let’s limbo!” The women were enthusiastic as they jumped up to join him, with Bree bringing up the rear.
“I love steel-drum bands!” one of them shouted.
Nick downed the last of his beer and set his plastic cup on the table along with the nearly devoured appetizer plate and several empty coconut shells.
The group stopped at the tiki bar to get fresh drinks and to drop off the earring he’d found before continuing on to search out the entertainment Nick had suggested. From the way Bree kept ignoring him and putting one of her friends between them, she seemed determined to pretend that he hadn’t invaded her territory.
He refused to be deterred—he would win her over. Besides, he was a nice guy, damn it. Everyone said so.
After several drinks and a quick dinner from a kiosk on the street, a limbo contest on the beach and a half-decent try at karaoke later, Nick finally found himself alone with Bree at a corner table in the main hotel lounge. He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but she seemed more comfortable around him. “Would you like to take a walk on the beach?” he asked, raising his voice to be heard. The steel-drum band had just begun another set after a short break, so conversation was difficult.
“I should probably call it a night,” she said on a hiccup. Then she giggled, more evidence that she’d finally relaxed.
“Maybe the fresh air will get rid of your hiccups,” he suggested, enjoying Bree even more in her calmer state.
She giggled again. “That’s silly.” She picked up her empty coconut shell and considered it. “Did someone drink all of this?”
“You could say that.” He grinned automatically and caught her hand in his. She smiled and didn’t pull away, a dreamy look on her face with her eyes shuttered to mere slits.
“You know, you’re not half-bad,” she said. “I’m starting to get used to you.”
“Gee, thanks.” He laughed at her backhanded compliment. “You’re not so bad, either.” He meant the words. Once she’d given in and let herself enjoy her surroundings—live in the moment—she was fun to hang out with.
He wondered what it was about her that had made him think she was so vulnerable. Now he only saw her as damned attractive and overtly sexy. Not that he was looking to hook up, no matter what his cousin thought he should do.
So what if she had a slender body with just enough curves to make his own body react. And so what if her long, medium-brown hair had shades of gold that sparkled when light hit them. Just because the long layers rested against those delicately toned, bare upper arms didn’t mean he wanted to kiss every inch of them.
The sudden urge to run his fingers through her silky locks that she liked to toss made his fingers curl into tight fists, and he reined himself in.
“No, really,” she said. “When we first met I thought you were pretty bossy and a know-it-all. But you actually seem like a pretty nice guy.”
He grinned, blaming it on the sweet mixed drinks she’d been downing. He’d consumed more alcohol than he normally did and he was beginning to feel it. He suspected she didn’t imbibe this much very often, either. She presented herself as always in control—of both herself and situations.
A short while ago, her friends had mysteriously disappeared after excusing themselves, one by one, to go to the bathroom. Nick checked his watch. The last woman had left nearly ten minutes ago. Either there was an emergency in the ladies’ room or Bree’s friends had deliberately abandoned her.
He chose the second option as having a higher probability. As protective of her as they seemed to be, he supposed this meant he had their approval as a chaperone. Of course, it wasn’t like they’d been left alone in the woods. There were plenty of people still enjoying the tropical night.
“You have the nicest smile,” Bree told him. “Thank you for catching me earlier. Have I thanked you already?”
“Yes, you have.” He’d been absently rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.
His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He checked the caller ID, not surprised when he read it. “Excuse me a minute.” He rose, touching Bree’s bare shoulder and speaking close to her ear. “Promise
