Something flashed in his gaze. “Challenge accepted.”
Suddenly he was on me, forcing me farther into the sea, my feet sinking into wet sand as the water encircled my calves. Roane wrapped one arm around my waist, hauling my body against his as he attempted to reach around my back for the photograph with his other hand.
I’d been laughing until that moment.
Any amusement died as soon as my breasts crushed against his hard chest.
We both stilled at the contact, our eyes locking.
The crest of Roane’s cheeks turned red, and he swallowed hard. His voice was hoarse as he practically begged, “Give it to me, Evie.”
Dirty-minded me gasped at the request.
Roane squeezed his eyes closed, his arm tightening around me as he let out a little groan. When he opened his eyes, his voice was thick as he clarified, “The photo. Give me the photo.”
The sensible side of my personality was screaming to wriggle out of his hold, but the part that wanted to reassure him stayed where I was. “I like it. You’re adorable.”
“Every man’s dream, that,” he said gruffly. “To be called adorable.”
“You were a boy then. You can be adorable when you’re a boy. What you did for Caro is adorable. If I give it back, don’t destroy it. It means something to your cousin.”
“I wouldn’t destroy it,” he replied, his eyes dropping to my mouth. “It was just an excuse to put my arms around you.”
My eyes widened at his confession, and he gave me a self-deprecating smile as he gently let me go and stepped back.
“But that wasn’t such a great idea after all.”
Disappointment I tried to hide washed over me.
As if he read my mind, Roane whispered, “It’s a form of torture, Evie.”
Aware that Caro was still on the beach with us, within hearing distance, I could only gape at him like a landed fish.
“Evie!” A voice carried along the beach, interrupting the tension-fraught moment.
My befuddled gaze moved past Roane. First, I saw Caro, who was watching me and her cousin with open fascination. Beyond her was a stretch of sandy beach, shadowed beneath high sand dunes.
Hurrying alongside the bottom of the dunes was Penny.
I strode out of the water, avoiding contact with Roane, and hurried to meet Penny. Shadow beat me to it, almost knocking Penny over with his exuberance. She laughed and petted him, but her eyes never left mine. I’d sensed Roane and Caro following me and knew they were at my back when Penny’s eyes moved over my shoulder.
“Hey, what’s up?” I asked as the bookstore owner and I drew to a halt a few feet from her.
Shadow loped away from her, pressed his cold nose to my hand, and then stopped beside Roane, who absentmindedly petted him. He was too busy staring at Penny in concern.
In truth she looked agitated, which was concerning.
Penny gave Roane and Caro a tight smile before turning her attention to me. “Evie, can we speak in private?”
My pulse started to race.
What if Penny needed to cancel the last week of my vacation?
No!
I wasn’t ready to leave yet.
Heart pounding, I tried to hide my distress as I suggested to Roane and Caro that they walk on ahead and I’d catch up with them.
They seemed reluctant to leave, but they did, with Shadow bounding through the shore ahead of them. Worry seized my chest.
Roane and Caro, Millie and Dexter, and Penny had all become important to me so quickly. I didn’t know if it was because I needed people to cling to during a difficult time in my life, or if I’d genuinely found special friendships with them all.
No, that wasn’t true.
I knew for a fact that I’d found something special with Roane, and I was afraid of it. Yet, thinking of leaving him, now or in a week, was a scary thought.
I reluctantly faced Penny. “What’s going on?”
She held her hair in a tight fist to stop it blowing around in the breeze. The wind was picking up as if to mirror my mood, and I shivered in my T-shirt and shorts. Although it was the warmest day of the year so far, that didn’t mean it was superhot and that sea breeze was cool.
“Evie, I have a proposition for you, and you’ll probably think I’m mad for even asking but I’m going to do it anyway.”
I felt a flutter in my stomach. “Okay.”
“Remember I told you my sister wants me to sell up and move to Australia?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I’ve been thinking about it, and what’s stopping me is the unknown. I don’t want to sell my store and leave my life here only to go over there and three months in discover I bloody hate the place.”
“That makes sense.” But what did this have to do with me?
Penny’s gaze sharpened. “Evie, we haven’t known each other long, but I have good instincts about people, and I trust you. I know from our talks that things are a little unsettled for you right now, and I think we can help each other.”
“Help each other how?”
“I’m going out to Australia for three months as a trial run. I’m gonna rent out my own flat while I’m gone, but I’ll still need someone to look after the store and its apartment. I want that person to be you.”
Stunned, I gaped at her. The ramifications of her proposition cluttered my headspace instantly. Greer would be upset. So would my mother. Phil would be concerned too. But it would give me more time to figure out a path.
And I’d get to spend more time with Roane.
“Now I can’t pay you much, like, but you can stay in the apartment rent-free.”
A tremor of excitement ran through me. My immediate reaction was to scream YES! at the top of my voice, but that goddamn sensible side of me took control first. “I’m only here as a tourist. I’d need a work visa for that.”
Penny waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Already looked into it.” She pulled a folded-up piece of paper out of the back pocket of her jean shorts. “I filled out the employer form and I have the address you need to send it to, to update them about the change in situation of your stay.”
I gaped.
But what about Greer?
“My friend is pregnant—”
“I thought she had her boyfriend, Anders, or something?”
“Andre.”
Penny took a step toward me. “Before you come up with excuses not to do it . . . can I ask if you want to do it?”