The Two Week Stand (Sizzling Beach 1)

I really, really don’t want to put my hand up. But I just can’t lie, so my hand goes up with a few other people’s. Surprisingly, about half the people on this boat haven’t snorkeled before.

Makes me feel like less of a loser.

“No problem at all. I will do a quick demonstration of how you are to put your goggles and snorkel on so as not to let in water. Okay, so we have one-half of the gorgeous couple seated at the back, my two Scottish friends—”

“Sorry. Excuse me.” That’s West, lifting his hand to get Aden’s attention.

“Yes?” Aden says in question to West.

“We’re not together. You said, one-half of the gorgeous couple, but we’re not a couple.”

Oh. No.

He fucking didn’t.

All eyes on this boat are now on us. I can feel myself wanting to disappear into my seat.

When I said he should correct people, I didn’t mean like this. For fuck’s sake.

“Oh. I apologize. My mistake,” Aden says.

“No problem,” West says and then lets out a dramatic sigh. “I mean, I’d like to be a couple with her. We’d make a great match. We’re both incredibly good-looking, and I’m totally into her. I think she’s gorgeous. But she doesn’t find me attractive. She’s friend-zoned me.” He lets out another dramatic sigh.

“What?” That loud exclamation comes from the woman on the seat next to us. She stares directly at me. “Are you nuts?”

“I, er …” I stammer as an imaginary tumbleweed blows across the deck of the boat.

“Shannon,” comes from the man I’m assuming is her husband, and he doesn’t sound impressed at all.

Her face turns as red as I know mine is.

“Oh, I meant,” she sputters, “that she must be nuts if she wants to be alone on this island and not in a couple like everyone else. That’s totally what I meant.”

Her husband gives her a look that says they’ll be having a long chat when they’re next alone.

“So …” Aden says, seeming a little startled. He shakes his head, as if to gather his wits. “Let me get this demonstration done for those of you who haven’t snorkeled before.”

The minute Aden starts talking, I lean in a little closer to West.

God, he smells good.

Focus, Dillon.

“Was that really necessary?” I whisper to him.

“Just doing as you asked.” He shrugs.

I can tell he’s fighting a smile. The twat.

“You’re an ass,” I murmur. “That was not doing what I asked. I asked you to correct people when they thought we were together.”

A low chuckle. “That’s what I did.”

“Sure. And what about all the I’m into her and I think she’s gorgeous bullshit?”

“Who said it was bullshit?”

My eyes meet with his, and the look in them makes my mouth dry.

He’s definitely not joking now. His gray eyes are dark.

I swallow and turn away, forcing myself to listen to Aden tell us how to put on a frigging pair of goggles and a snorkel.

But how am I supposed to concentrate after that?

I might be shit with men and have zero sense when it comes to them. But I do know one thing, and that was flirting. He was one hundred percent flirting with me.

Holy. Hell.

eight

Dillon

It’s official. I’m shit at snorkeling.

Everyone is off and exploring, West included, and I’m here, choking on seawater. He made that offer to help me lose my snorkeling virginity when we were back on the boat, but he didn’t mention it again when we were getting in the water, so I didn’t say anything either.

But contrary to what he said before, I don’t mind being alone. I mean, it’s not my favorite. I like people. I like the company of them. But I can be alone. I came all the way here alone, didn’t I?

Now, if I could just figure out this snorkeling business. I honestly don’t know where I’m going wrong. I listened to what Aden said about putting it on and … okay, so I didn’t fully listen.

I was too distracted by West. What he’d said, the whole who said it was bullshit thing. Yes, I totally said it in a deep American accent in my head. But it wasn’t just that. It was him … his proximity to me. That damn thigh nearly touching mine. Every move he made, down to each inhale and exhale of breath, I was aware of.

It’s maddening. Why am I so aware of this guy after such a short period of time? I’m not supposed to be interested in anyone else. Not after what I’ve just been through.

Unless … this interest I have in West and the attention he’s giving me, maybe I’m soaking it up because it makes me feel better. I was so sick of feeling sad all the damn time. It’s nice to not feel sad. Around West, I don’t feel sad.

Yes, I’m slightly irritated and in a perpetual state of arousal and confusion, but I’m not sad.