I resolve to ignore him completely, a feat that proves fairly easy at first. Having birthed two ten-pound babies, Dawn can’t go an entire night without getting up to pee, so our group sets up camp near the bathrooms, while Jamison and his buddies pitch their tents closer to the beach.
We join the group heading down the shore to gather driftwood for a bonfire, while the guys are on dinner duty for the first night, in charge of grilling hamburgers and hot dogs for the thirty-five singles on the trip.
At dinner, our crew and Jamison’s eat on opposite ends of the long line of picnic tables, and by the time supper is over and the beer’s been flowing for a while, I can barely hear the rumble of Jamison’s voice over the laughter and flirtation at my table.
Shelley and a man with brown eyes and glasses who resembles a graying Harry Potter, are getting along like gangbusters, and Piper has two gorgeous co-workers from an Atlanta law firm hanging on her every word.
The other two men at our table seem more interested in texting than talking, but Dawn is deep in conversation with a pretty red-haired woman named Helen, whose kids attend the same art camp as Dawn’s son and seems to be having a great time.
I’m the only one who hasn’t found a conversation mate, but I don’t mind.
It makes me feel free to toss my compostable paper plate, grab a fresh beer from the cooler, and head down the path to the beach. I arrive as the sun is setting and kick off my sandals, letting the cool sand slither between my toes as I walk toward the ocean.
The sound of the waves shushing in and out against the shore is one of my favorite sounds in the world, but it also makes me a little melancholy.
Serge and I spent most of our marriage on an island, in a condo right on the beach. We ate almost every meal on our patio and sometimes even slept outside in his-and-her hammocks, letting the surf lull us to sleep. Some of my most beautiful memories of my marriage are set to the music of the sea, and for a moment I can’t help missing the days when I assumed I was in a relationship that would last.
I sit down behind the pile of driftwood we gathered earlier in the day and stare out at the water, watching the twilight air take on a bluish hue.
Gradually, the early summer air grows chilly, and my toes begin to go numb. I’m about to head back to the campground to ask the organizers if it’s okay for me to get the bonfire started when a woman’s bubbly laugh drifts through the air.
“No, you go in first.” The woman’s voice comes from the other side of the woodpile. “I bet the water’s still freezing.”
“That’s all right.” Jamison’s drawl makes the hair on my neck stand on end, even before he adds. “If you get cold, I’ll warm you back up.”
“Is that right?” The woman giggles again.
“Yes, ma’am,” he drawls, followed by the unmistakable smacking sounds of two people sucking face.
Ew.
I cringe, grossed-outed-ness that Jamison’s already hooking up with a complete stranger mere hours after arrival warring with the embarrassment pulsing through my veins. I’ll die if I’m discovered eavesdropping on his make out session, but I can’t very well make a run for it now.
I hunch lower in the sand, praying Jamison and his friend will finish their smooching and make a dash for the ocean without noticing me.
No sooner has the thought shimmied through my head than the couple stumbles across the sand three feet away.
Despite the fact that his lips are trailing down the blonde’s neck and his hands wandering all over her bikini-clad body, Jamison spots me immediately.
Fuuuuuuck me.
Order PLAYING WITH FIRE here!
About the Author
Author of over forty novels, USA Today Bestseller Lili Valente writes everything from steamy suspense to laugh-out-loud romantic comedies. A die-hard romantic, she can’t resist a story where love wins big. Because love should always win. She lives in Vermont with her two big-hearted boy children and a dog named Pippa Jane.
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Also by Lili Valente
Hot Royal Romance
The Playboy Prince
The Grumpy Prince
The Bossy Prince
Learn more here
Laugh-out-Loud Rocker Rom Coms
The Bangover
Bang Theory
Banging The Enemy
The Rock Star’s Baby Bargain
Learn more here
The Bliss River Small Town Series
Falling for the Fling
Falling for the Ex
Falling for the Bad Boy
Learn more here
The Hunter Brothers
The Baby Maker
The Troublemaker
The Heartbreaker
The Panty Melter
Learn more here
Bad Motherpuckers Series
Hot as Puck
Sexy Motherpucker
Puck-Aholic
Puck me Baby
Pucked Up Love
Puck Buddies
Learn more here
Big O Dating Specialists
Romantic Comedies
Hot Revenge for Hire
Hot Knight for Hire
Hot Mess for Hire
Hot Ghosthunter for Hire
Learn more here
The Lonesome Point Series
(Sexy Cowboys)
Leather and Lace
Saddles and Sin
Diamonds and Dust
12 Dates of Christmas
Glitter and Grit
Sunny with a Chance of True Love
Chaps and Chance
Ropes and Revenge
8 Second Angel
Learn more here
Co-written Standalones
Falling for the Boss (co-written with Sylvia Pierce)
Learn more here
The Good Love Series
(co-written with Lauren Blakely)
The V Card
Good with His Hands
Good to be Bad
Click here to learn more
Learn more here
The Happy Cat Series
(co-written with Pippa Grant)
Hosed
Hammered
Hitched
Humbugged
Click here to learn more