“Maybe.” He shrugged. “Maybe not. It’s class—”
I turned the hair dryer on. I didn’t want to hear that word again.
When I smirked at him, he shook his head and got up from the bed to stalk toward me. My body still reacted the same to him after all these years. My adrenaline, the jitters in my belly, and my core tightening all happened at the same time. The logical side of me told me to back away from him.
I wasn’t looking for logical and safe here, though. I wanted to live.
So I stood my ground as he came closer and closer. When he leaned in and stared at me, inches from my face, I was reminded that he was a whole head taller than me. I couldn’t stop myself from looking at his pillowy lips with him this close. I didn’t know if only a second went by or a whole minute.
Suddenly, the sound of my hair dryer cut off. He held up the cord end as he took one step back.
Unplugging something: that was the reason he’d come so close.
Not to kiss me or tell me how much me being his best friend’s kid sister didn’t matter. Or anything like that.
“Let’s go have breakfast and go to the beach, huh?”
I shrugged and grabbed my purse. “I’m going either way. If you want to come, that’s fine, but I don’t want to be a burden. Go work if you have to.”
Dante just smiled and opened my hotel door for me.
I followed him, and he walked me through the hotel. I pointed out the bird sanctuary where I’d seen peacocks on my first day and also told him that there were all sorts of lizards running around. “It’s such a beautiful hotel.”
“It is. Probably one that should have better security for the first few floors, though.”
I rolled my eyes. “My room wasn’t that bad.”
Before he could argue, I pointed out a swan on the water and murmured an ‘aw’ when another swan came to nestle into the other bird’s neck.
“They’re monogamous for life,” Dante told me.
“I wonder if those two are.”
“Probably.” He shrugged and kept walking like he knew the way to the restaurant.
“Have you stayed here before?”
“Once or twice,” he admitted, and I sighed. No wonder he had breakfast connections.
I didn’t pester him about not disclosing that information. He’d been all around the world, so I couldn’t expect him to share everything. Plus, the weather was a balmy eighty degrees and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. My day at the beach would be perfect.
“I might try snorkeling today,” I said. “It could be one of the things I love enough to pray to.”
He squinted. “So praying is just being grateful for new hobbies?”
“Sure.” We got to the restaurant that overlooked part of the beach and the pools that sparkled in the sunlight and were seated immediately. “I figure my mom already raised me with church every Sunday, and I don’t know. I don’t have things I know I like to do other than read and study.”
“You like studying?” He lifted a dark brow.
“Well, I like doing well in school and in my career. I like learning new things.”
He chuckled. “What’s your work schedule going to be? I can teach you a hobby or two that doesn’t involve studying.”
The waiter came by to take our order, then I rambled off my weekly schedule. “I work twelve hour shifts three days a week because the ER has long hours. I leave a bit early to catch Ubers, though.”
“I can get you a driver.”
“The government will do that?” I asked, not understanding that type of perk. Then I shook my head. It was confidential and he wasn’t going to tell me more. “It’s fine. The hospital reimburses because I was supposed to have a place closer to them, but it filled up.”
He nodded, but it was like he wasn’t listening. “A driver would be best.”
“Dante—”
“Lilah, we follow my rules for protecting you and your bucket list gets done, okay?”
Our bickering was cut off by our food arriving and me trying a quesito. It was a fluffy pastry wrapped around cheese, and I almost fell on the table in delight as I savored it. “Okay, I should have tried these way sooner.”
Dante sipped his water and winked at me. “I think we might have found your favorite food here.”
I smirked, and the butterflies that had long been dormant with other men fluttered to life. Avoiding his charm was near impossible when my heart knew him so well and my body longed for him. So I embraced the good meal with good company and relaxed. When I finished, I grabbed my sunglasses out of my beach bag, along with my Kindle.