Page 40 of Revival

“God, look at us.” I giggle as I put down my drink on the small table beside my chair. “It’s like we’re teenagers again.”

Spencer and I used to sneak away from our brothers all the time. First, we were friends, and then, the more time I spent alone with him, the more I fell in love with the stoic grump. For a while, it was very one-sided and cliché, crushing on my brother’s best friend. I never understood why he preferred to sneak out of the house with me rather than hang out with Lee and Sutton. I assumed the need for quiet sometimes drove him away. Not a bone in my smitten body would question it. Not when I got to spend so much time alone with him.

During our senior year, a spark flared to life. Somewhere between pushing him to exchange Christmas gifts and forcing him to senior prom, it became clear he had feelings for me too.

Which made his betrayal all the more painful.

It’s been more than twenty years, and besides some drunken reminiscing over the past ten of those, I have kept Spencer Stone far from my mind.

But maybe this is a chance to revisit all of that and settle the score.

I’m single and on a beach in another country. Isn’t that where some of the best decisions are usually made?

What happens on the fake honeymoon, stays on the fake honeymoon…

“Where’d you go?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re staring at the beach. Did a hot guy in a Speedo thong walk by or something?” Spencer scans the beach behind him.

If only he knew he was more than enough of a hot guy to look at. Even keeping most of his skin covered, the delineation of his cut physique is visible beneath his shirts. The small amounts of muscle I’m able to see are enough to make me drool.

“Would you be jealous if one did?”

Spencer gives a nonchalant shrug. “You’re a free agent. As long as you don’t go back to that dickhead, I don’t care what you do.”

Same old Spencer. He always plays his cards close to his chest. In this case, I expect he’s playing them even closer.

“Maybe I was just thinking.”

“Care to share?”

“Maybe later. When’s our reservation?”

“In about ten minutes. We’re having Italian.”

I sit and brush the sand from my feet before slipping them back into my shoes. “I know I should handle the reservations since this is my honeymoon and all, but can I admit I like the surprise?”

“Consider them covered for the week.”

“Thank you,” I say, slipping my wrap dress over my head to cover my bikini. As my head pokes through the hole, Spencer averts his gaze.

Naughty boy.

“That was easy. I’m ready to eat.”

“You don’t need to run back to the room?”

“Why, do I look bad or something?”

This time, Spencer blatantly scans me from head to toe. “You look perfect.”

The compliment warms my face with a blush. Seems I’m not the only one fighting this reawakened attraction. I cool down with a drink of my margarita. “Take me to dinner, Spence.”

* * *

Spendingtime with Spencer is like dreaming about the same mysterious man over and over again. He feels like a total stranger, but I could pick him out of a lineup. He tells stories I’ve never heard even though I knew him for the latter of my teen years. I’ve looked into his eyes more times than I can count, but the way he’s looking at me now is new.

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