Evie blinked, confused. “In on …?”
“She’s an interior designer,” Mackenzie explained.
“And the Beachcomber Inn is going to be my next project,” Cassie declared.
“A pushy interior designer,” Paige added with a smirk.
“Oh,” Evie said, as they all laughed. “That’s a great offer, and I’d love to take you up on it, but I don’t really have a budget for a designer. I’ll mostly be shopping at thrift stores and antique markets,” she added apologetically.
“But that’s perfect: I love digging up a good bargain,” Cassie said. “And don’t worry about my fee, I’m still getting established. An inn would be great for my portfolio.”
Evie paused. Cassie had a purple streak in her hair and a plastic unicorn pendant around her neck. Was she really the kind of designer Evie wanted for a chic, beachy look?
Cassie noticed her hesitation. “Don’t worry,” she said, grinning. “I’m good at what I do.”
“She is,” Mackenzie spoke up. “And she knows where to find all the great deals.”
“Well, OK then,” Evie agreed with a smile. “Maybe you can help with some shopping next week. I don’t really know where to begin,” she admitted. “All the B&Bs I’ve been to have been kind of old-fashioned. Is that really what people expect around here?” She was willing to give her guests lacy doilies and floral wallpaper if they really wanted them, but a part of her was craving to create something more stylish.
“You should do some research,” Jules suggested. “Visit all the inns in the area and check out the competition.”
“Isn’t that kind of … sneaky?” Evie asked.
“Exactly—ooh, you could come up with a cover story,” Jules continued. “Pretend you’re a potential guest, scoping out places for a wedding.”
“Or a travel writer, working on a story,” Poppy suggested, getting into the spirit of it.
Evie laughed. “I don’t know about that. Jules is the actor.”
“Fifth-grade Annie.” Jules struck a pose. “I had the red wig and everything.”
As the group laughed, the bell over the door rang out with a ding. Evie turned. A tall, broad-shouldered man had entered, and for a moment she thought it was Noah. Her heart shivered in her chest—
Then the man turned, and she saw it wasn’t him.
“Looking for someone?” Mackenzie asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.
“What? No,” Evie said hurriedly. She turned back to the table and changed the subject. “Cassie, what other projects have you worked on?”
Noah Montgomery should be the furthest thing from her mind.
For the rest of the morning, they gossiped and gorged on pastries, until finally it was time to head out. Cassie had a client waiting, Poppy was on a deadline for her book, and Evie was in desperate need of some beds.
“This one is way too firm,” Jules said, bouncing on a model in the store a few hours later.
“You said the last one was too soft,” Evie replied.
“Just call me the Goldilocks of bedding. Next!”
They moved along to the next bed in line. “You know, I really am jealous,” Jules said, flopping back on the protective cover. “Everyone here is so nice and friendly. It’s like you just stepped into one of those Hallmark movies.”
“That’s not true,” Evie said. She checked the price tag and winced.
“You’re right. And hopefully you’ll be having more sex than Hallmark’s allowed to show,” Jules said with a saucy grin.
“Not if I don’t pick one of these beds,” Evie replied dryly, looking around the store.
“Hmm, how about—?” Jules paused, seeming to see something through the front windows. “You know, I forgot I need to call into the office,” she said, suddenly leaping up. “You keep testing, I’ll be right back!”
She bolted outside so fast, Evie couldn’t help but wonder what was going on. Probably another emergency with her boss-slash-boyfriend. For all of Jules’s wild romantic adventures, none of her relationships seemed to last very long, and Evie hoped that soon her friend would find somebody who appreciated her for more than just her publicity skills.
Evie moved to the next bed and lay back, assessing the mattress. It was soft as a cloud, made for sinking into and snuggling up—with somebody …
“Usually, a woman has to buy me dinner first.”
Evie sat up, startled, and found Noah climbing onto the bed with her.
Noah. In bed. With her. “What are you doing here?” she blurted out, her heart racing.
“Your friend pulled me in off the street,” Noah replied, sprawling back against the headboard. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a simple white T-shirt, and as he raised an arm above his head to stretch, his shirt rode up, revealing an inch of golden, tanned, taut stomach. “She said you were in desperate need of help in the bedroom department.”
“Did she now?” Evie dragged her gaze away from his abs, sighting Jules through the window. Jules threw her a sunny wave and a thumbs-up, then retreated down the street.
“I’m happy to offer my services,” Noah continued, with a wicked grin. “With the shopping, I mean.”
Oh boy.
Evie’s pulse kicked up a notch. She’d spent all morning trying not to think about Noah in bed, and there he was, lying beside her, like something straight out of her steamiest fantasies. Of course, in those daydreams they weren’t in the middle of a crowded furniture store, with an irritated couple bickering in the background and the salesman lurking nearby.
Evie had to laugh. Clearly, the universe had a sense of humor.
The universe—and her pesky best friend.
“Well, since you’re here, I’m trying to pick out the beds for the inn,” she said, giving the mattress another bounce. “What do you think?”
“Comfy.” He flashed her a smile. “But will it stand up to a workout?”
“Excuse me?” Evie raised an eyebrow, trying to play it cool even as her mind flooded with images of what, exactly, a workout with Noah would be like…
“I meant kids bouncing on it,” Noah replied, looking amused. “It was always the first thing me and my sister did when we traveled with our parents.”
“Me too,” Evie replied, relaxing. “What it is about hotel rooms that make them so much fun?”
“And hotel bathtubs,” Noah added. “I usually stick to showers, but point me at a hotel tub and some free bubble bath …”
Evie snorted. “I’m trying to picture you up to your ears in pink bubbles,” she said, shooting him a smirk.
“Don’t forget the shower cap,” Noah replied, grinning. “The frillier, the better.”
She laughed. This was the part that was so seductive: the quicksilver flirting, already fizzing in her veins.
And as for his smile …
She swallowed. “Well, if there’s going to be bouncing, we’ll need something sturdier than this.”
She slid off the bed before he could make another dirty quip and moved to the next model. Noah followed. “Now, this is more like it,” he proclaimed, collapsing onto the mattress. “I could stay here all day.”