Page 11 of Reluctant Chemistry

He rolled onto his side and reached out to gently brush the sand from her skin.

She didn’t flinch at his touch, just smiled, her expression amused. Knowing. “Hungry?”

“Why, do you have food?”

“No, but there’s a burger place down the road. They make the best burgers on the East Coast. Well, almost.”

“Sounds good.” He leaned over and retied the straps of her bikini, his hands shaking above the warmth of her back. Gathering her curls to one side, she glanced at him over her shoulder,and they held each other in a still gaze for a moment.

Perhaps he was gallant after all.

The picnic table outside the burger bar was the kind that could give you splinters in your butt if you didn’t have your wits about you. They sat side by side, unwrapped their burgers, and both took a bite.

“Great burger.” Luka reached for his can of Pepsi and sipped. “So, tell me about yourself.”

CeCe dipped a fry in aioli. “Nothing much to tell. I’m a girl. You’re a boy. We don’t need any more details.”

As he opened his mouth to speak, she reached over and placed an index finger to his lips. Luka wanted to suck the salt off it, dip it in the aioli, and suck it some more.

“I’m not trying to be secretive or mysterious, but you’re my knight in shining armor, and I could do with a little fairy-tale action in my life right now.” She brought her water bottle to her lips and paused. “So, if you don’t tell me yours, I won’t tell you mine. Agreed?” She took a drink.

“I guess, but—”

“Let’s not unpack our baggage. It’ll just get in the way.”

Their eyes locked. This girl, with her disarming frankness and words drawn from the depths of her soul, could easily get under his skin. “Okay. But am I allowed one question?”

“Depends.”

Luka sipped his drink again, the hit of caffeine jarring his stomach. “When we first met, you said you had a boyfriend. Do you still?”

“No. Do you?”

“What? A boyfriend? No.”

“Girlfriend?”

Luka shook his head. “A relationship doesn’t fit into my plans right now.” He took a bite. Chewed. Grabbed a few fries and grinned. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t have a bit of fun.”

Under the table, CeCe nudged his foot with hers. “I enjoy having fun, don’t you?”

He tried to hide his amusement but failed. “I do. As long as there are no strings.”

She nodded. “In fact, I have my eye on someone for that exact purpose at the moment.”

“And was it lust at first sight?”

“Not straight away, obviously. But the guy sure fit the bill once I got a good look at him.”

“So the attraction’s purely physical?”

“More chemical. You understand what I mean?”

“Sure.” Sensing a shift in the mood, Luka bit into his burger and finished the mouthful while processing her words. Chemistry had always been his strongest subject at university, but when it came to understanding the chemistry between lovers, he knew little. “Are you always this forward with guys you hardly know?”

CeCe placed her burger on the paper in front of her, peered up through her lashes, and then lifted her head, her gaze squarely on his. A slow smile spread to her eyes, and at that moment, he wondered if he would ever have his fill of this girl. Ever be enough for her.

“I’mneverforward with men,” she whispered.

---