at me expectantly.
I scowl back at him. “My ex-boyfriend is marrying my pregnant cousin—and I haven’t even been on a date in two years. Why do you think I lied? If they knew the truth, they’d think I still want him, or something.”
Luke’s eyes seem to search mine. “And do you? Still want him?”
“No! I want to him. All the time.”
That earns me an approving look. “That’s my girl,” he murmurs, satisfaction evident in his voice. “So…I have an idea.”
“So do I.” I stomp over to him, and try to pull him off my bed. “You go back to Lemage and pretend like this never happened.”
“ Or …” Luke laughs at my pathetic attempts to move him. “I could stay, and back up your story.”
“That’s a terrible idea. Hideous. Please go.”
“Come on—it’s brilliant! You show up with me on your arm, and you’ll upstage your cousin and your dick of an ex at their own wedding.” Luke looks so pleased with himself that I want to smash another dirt brownie in his face. “What’s not to like about this plan, huh? You earn a million bragging points… and you get to spend more time with me.”
Oh, joy. I try another tactic with a smile. “I can’t ask you to miss out on your vacation getaway. You’ve been working so hard lately. You deserve a break.”
Luke snorts. “Are you kidding me? I was having a shitty time. Eyan and Rob don’t wanna do anything but sit on their drunk asses on the beach; Nate’s chasing after some reality show princess. I was so fucking bored.” He gives me the puppy dog eyes. “Please don’t make me go back there.”
My shoulders slump as I retreat back to my wall. “You’re supposed to be relaxing and keeping a low profile. Ivan said—”
“I can do that here,” he interrupts me. “Think about it—who’s gonna think to look for me in Sea Horse, Oregon?”
“Sea Wind.”
“Isn’t that what I said?”
“But you’ll be so bored here ,” I argue, pushing a lock of damp hair behind my ear. “There’s nothing to do, no risks to take. It’s safe—really safe. I’m talking zero thrills. Oh, and did I mention this is, like, a retirement community? You won’t be finding any nubile young co-eds to bed.”
Now Luke is annoyed. He yanks off his cap, and runs a hand through his hat head hair. “I don’t want to bed anyone. I wanna flirt with your grandma, eat homemade meals—and beat the shit out of your douche-y ex if he so much as twitches in your direction,” he says earnestly, his eyes widening. “I want you to make me pie. The kind with the lattice top. You know what I’m talking about.”
I stare at him like he’s grown a second head. “You’re saying you want to waste your vacation time playing the role of boyfriend and average citizen of Sea Horse, Oregon?”
“Sea Wind,” he corrects me with a sudden blinding grin.
I nod slowly, contemplating my predicament. Luke has that stubborn look on his face. When he gets like that, you can’t talk him out of anything, no matter how stupid or dangerous the idea. Plus, he’ll eventually remember that he’s the boss and he can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants. So he stays here for a few days—how bad could it be? I’ll introduce him to the others; then I’ll lock him in the bathroom for a couple of days. He’ll be climbing the walls by the time I let him out—and he’ll leave this town so fast there will be jet trails in his wake.
It’s a solid plan. It just might work. I look at Luke. “Fine,” I say finally. “You can stay. But you need to try to stay out of sight as much as possible. And don’t do anything crazy. This is a small town, and you’ll stick out like a sore thumb.”
“Please.” Luke snorts. “I’m an actor. I know how to play this part.”
“Okay, well…whatever. Oh, and the whole thing about us being
I scowl back at him. “My ex-boyfriend is marrying my pregnant cousin—and I haven’t even been on a date in two years. Why do you think I lied? If they knew the truth, they’d think I still want him, or something.”
Luke’s eyes seem to search mine. “And do you? Still want him?”
“No! I want to him. All the time.”
That earns me an approving look. “That’s my girl,” he murmurs, satisfaction evident in his voice. “So…I have an idea.”
“So do I.” I stomp over to him, and try to pull him off my bed. “You go back to Lemage and pretend like this never happened.”
“ Or …” Luke laughs at my pathetic attempts to move him. “I could stay, and back up your story.”
“That’s a terrible idea. Hideous. Please go.”
“Come on—it’s brilliant! You show up with me on your arm, and you’ll upstage your cousin and your dick of an ex at their own wedding.” Luke looks so pleased with himself that I want to smash another dirt brownie in his face. “What’s not to like about this plan, huh? You earn a million bragging points… and you get to spend more time with me.”
Oh, joy. I try another tactic with a smile. “I can’t ask you to miss out on your vacation getaway. You’ve been working so hard lately. You deserve a break.”
Luke snorts. “Are you kidding me? I was having a shitty time. Eyan and Rob don’t wanna do anything but sit on their drunk asses on the beach; Nate’s chasing after some reality show princess. I was so fucking bored.” He gives me the puppy dog eyes. “Please don’t make me go back there.”
My shoulders slump as I retreat back to my wall. “You’re supposed to be relaxing and keeping a low profile. Ivan said—”
“I can do that here,” he interrupts me. “Think about it—who’s gonna think to look for me in Sea Horse, Oregon?”
“Sea Wind.”
“Isn’t that what I said?”
“But you’ll be so bored here ,” I argue, pushing a lock of damp hair behind my ear. “There’s nothing to do, no risks to take. It’s safe—really safe. I’m talking zero thrills. Oh, and did I mention this is, like, a retirement community? You won’t be finding any nubile young co-eds to bed.”
Now Luke is annoyed. He yanks off his cap, and runs a hand through his hat head hair. “I don’t want to bed anyone. I wanna flirt with your grandma, eat homemade meals—and beat the shit out of your douche-y ex if he so much as twitches in your direction,” he says earnestly, his eyes widening. “I want you to make me pie. The kind with the lattice top. You know what I’m talking about.”
I stare at him like he’s grown a second head. “You’re saying you want to waste your vacation time playing the role of boyfriend and average citizen of Sea Horse, Oregon?”
“Sea Wind,” he corrects me with a sudden blinding grin.
I nod slowly, contemplating my predicament. Luke has that stubborn look on his face. When he gets like that, you can’t talk him out of anything, no matter how stupid or dangerous the idea. Plus, he’ll eventually remember that he’s the boss and he can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants. So he stays here for a few days—how bad could it be? I’ll introduce him to the others; then I’ll lock him in the bathroom for a couple of days. He’ll be climbing the walls by the time I let him out—and he’ll leave this town so fast there will be jet trails in his wake.
It’s a solid plan. It just might work. I look at Luke. “Fine,” I say finally. “You can stay. But you need to try to stay out of sight as much as possible. And don’t do anything crazy. This is a small town, and you’ll stick out like a sore thumb.”
“Please.” Luke snorts. “I’m an actor. I know how to play this part.”
“Okay, well…whatever. Oh, and the whole thing about us being
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