Page 7 of Her Fake Island Wedding

“Sorry, I was miles away. What’s your question?”

She fluttered her eyelashes at him and edged closer. “Nothing about the diving - you covered everything very thoroughly. I just wondered if you were doing anything for dinner tonight? I have a table reserved atLa Sirène.”

Bryce didn’t even know her name. She was pretty, and close to his own age, probably twenty-two or three, but her obvious advance left him completely cold. Even if resort policy hadn’t forbidden fraternisation between guests and staff, he wouldn’t have been tempted.

“Thanks for the invite, but I’ll be having dinner with my fiancée,” he said, suddenly inspired.

“Oh.” The girl’s face dropped visibly. “Well. Alright then. Does she work here?”

“She’s with the marine biology research centre,” Bryce said proudly, and that was the end of the conversation, as one of the other guests called to him with a question.

He made his escape quickly at the end of the lesson, hurrying back to his cabin and drying off before sitting down at the desk and looking at the form Luke had given him to fill in. As usual, the words swam and danced in front of his eyes, making him rub at his eyelids and pinch the bridge of his nose before he used his forearm to block out all but the first line and read the words slowly aloud.

A tap on the edge of the screen door made him scowl. “I’m busy!” he called out, hoping whoever it was would take the hint and go away.

“Looking at that form?” Lucy’s English-accented voice said, and his head snapped around.

“Lucy!”

Bryce stood up so fast he knocked his chair over, though he managed to catch it before it hit the floor. “I thought you’d still be working - it’s not five yet, is it?” Surely not, he’d only just sat down!

“No, I got the boss to let me go early. God knows I work plenty of unpaid overtime.” She smiled up at him as he opened the screen door to admit her to his cabin. “I remembered what you said about being dyslexic and thought you might be having some issues with the form, so I figured I’d stop by and we could fill them in together before we take them back to Luke.”

“That’s a good idea,” Bryce said, touched by her consideration.

“Also, I don’t know your last name. I was about to write downHemsworthwhen I realised it probably isn’t.”

Bryce blinked, bemused. “What? No, it’s Seabrook. Hemsworth?”

“In joke.” She plopped down to sit cross-legged on the end of his bed. “You and Cory both look like extra Hemsworth brothers. You know. Thor?”

He got it then, and grinned, shaking his head. “That’s ridiculous.”

“In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not exactly the most sensible person you’ll ever meet.”

“You’re plenty sensible. You’re here to help me fill in this damn form so we get it in on time, right?” Bryce sat down in his chair again and scowled at the offending piece of paper.

Lucy watched Bryce’s face as he scowled at the form, obviously struggling to puzzle out the words, and melted inside. He looked utterly gorgeous sitting there in just a pair of board shorts, muscular bronzed torso on full display.Is he even aware of how damn sexy he is?she wondered. Particularly when he chewed on his full lower lip like that and stroked those long fingers over his chiselled jaw. She followed their path, mesmerised and suddenly aroused, thinking how his hands would feel on her body.

“Lucy?”

“Yes! Sorry, what?” Mentally kicking herself for being so distracted she hadn’t paid attention to what he was saying, she focused determinedly as he asked the question again. “Yes, of course. Helping you with the form. That’s why I’m here.” Not that she would be of much use sitting on the end of the bed. Pushing herself up, she crossed to his desk and leaned over his shoulder. “All right, where are you up to?”

With her telling him what to write in each space, they were soon done, and Bryce rose to his feet, giving her a grateful smile. “Thanks, Luce. We’d better run these up to Luke’s office.” He picked up a T-shirt and pulled it on over his head; although the white fabric clung lovingly to his muscles and looked great against his tan, Lucy still spared a moment to silently mourn the loss of her spectacular view.

As she walked beside Bryce on their trip back to the main building, his hand brushed against her wrist lightly and almost automatically, Lucy took his hand.

Bryce’s confident stride stuttered slightly, and he looked down at her hand before looking across at her face.

“This is okay, right?” she thought to check. “I mean… if we practice holding hands, it should seem natural by the time Mum arrives…”

“It’s fine.” His fingers curled more firmly around hers. “It was my idea, remember?”

And it was a good one. Also a bad one, because she could get to like holding Bryce’s hand. A lot.

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