Once Upon an Island

“Of course it is,” I say, smiling too.

I loop my arm through his and he stiffens at the contact. His skin is warm from the sun. He glares down at my arm but I don’t let go.

“And why is that?” he asks stiffly.

I look up at him and flutter my eyelashes. “Because it already has worked. You’ve already fallen for me. It’s just sad, because you don’t know it yet. Your itty bitty wittle brain is having trouble assimilating what your stone-cold heart already knows. That you looove me.”

Blah. That’ll be the day.

Declan scoffs, so I simper at him and pucker up my lips.

“That’ll be the day,” he says, echoing my thoughts exactly. I guess we’re kindred spirits in our mutual dislike.

“Don’t worry, Declan. Someday you’ll beg me to marry you. It’ll be grand.”

I flush when I realize that he’s supposed to be asking Kate to marry him. And I really, really shouldn’t tease him about it, no matter how tempting it is.

I let go of his arm and hurry toward the cottage to change into shorts. I’m in so much of a hurry that it may look like I’m running away. But I’m not. Definitely not.

Declan laughs at my hurried departure. My skin tingles at the sound.