Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33633 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33633 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
After all, I’m sure Brax has had dozens of lovers—he’s handsome, skilled, and impossible for the female gender to resist. But I hope against hope that he doesn’t toy with every tourist he crosses paths with, because I’m not sure if I could take that kind of heartbreak.
But Brax just chuckles and shakes his head. “No. In fact, I don’t even see many people from my own community on that particular beach. The lagoon is kind of my own private spot. Which made you quite the surprise visitor.”
I smile at the memory and barely control my sigh of relief. “It’s peaceful there.”
Brax nods in agreement. “I like to fish in the lagoon, but I mostly just like to be in the water.”
“Naked in the water,” I add saucily.
He snorts. “I always prefer to be naked.” He tugs at his shirt, like he’s about to take it off.
“Wait, what are you doing?” I gasp, looking around. “Are you going shirtless now?”
He grins.
“Why, would that turn you on?”
“It would, but there are other people!”
His white smile flashes again.
“Naw, I’m just teasing you, Morgan. You’re so gullible. I’m not going to embarrass you in front of these folks.”
I roll my eyes.
“You are really something, you know that?”
He winks.
“I do know that, in fact.” Then, his eyes openly appreciate my cleavage. “Although I do like your dress.”
A warm rush flows through my belly.
“Thank you,” I say softly.
He squeezes my hand once more before leaning back into his chair.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. I’m never embarrassed to be seen with you because you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. But I have been wondering,” Brax drawls. “Why did you decide to go adventuring away from the resort? For that matter, why did you even come to Mirago?”
“Ouch!” I tease. “You mean how dare you come to my island, mainland wench?” I giggle.
Brax throws back his head and laughs. “Not at all,” he reassures me, holding his palms toward me in a defenseless gesture. “My question is more along the lines of how on earth did you even find this place? Most of the tourists who come here are generational, and they start out when they’re children, visiting La Mirage with their parents.”
I cover my face with my hands. “It’s ridiculous,” I inform Brax.
“Well now I have to know,” he grins.
“An ad popped up on one of my social media accounts,” I explain, embarrassed that Brax will soon learn just how little thought I put into this vacation.
“An ad?” he demands, looking at me with a strange expression. “Who would put up an ad about Mirago?”
I shrug. “It was for La Mirage. Full confession: I was a bit tipsy and was looking up beach houses. And when the ad popped up, I was booking the trip before I knew it.” I laugh awkwardly.
Brax grins widely. “Okay, so you were drinking and succumbed to an algorithmically delivered advertisement.”
I roll my eyes toward the sky. “Okay fine, I was off my ass plastered and highly biddable at that moment.” I blink sweetly. “But aren’t you glad that advertisement worked?”
“I’ll write a personal thank you note to the marketing team tomorrow,” Brax says with a wink. “So beach houses? Find any good ones?”
I shake my head. “No, because then I went into a dark hole of island resorts. Thus, the spur of the moment hotel booking and all.”
Brax looks thoughtful. “Does that mean that you don’t like the place you live?”
“No, I do. But I needed a vacation. And flights from JFK to Mirago happened to be cheap.” I take a delicate sip from my champagne flute, trying to hide my sudden embarrassment at revealing my lack of funds.
But Brax doesn’t seem fazed by this information. “Smart way to do it. To travel off-season and not only avoid the overcharge, but the crowds, too.”
“Well, most of the crowds,” I tell him, remembering the dozens of families who apparently had the same idea as me. “It turns out La Mirage was almost fully booked. There are a lot of families staying here, and even more couples. The combo of swoony romantics and screaming kids is not exactly my idea of fun.”
“I see. So that’s why you left the resort?” Brax asks, taking a sip of his own drink.
I nod. “I like people, don’t get me wrong. But I was an hour into my vacation, and I felt like I was back in NYC already. And this is kind of the point of my entire trip—to escape the crowds, and see something different. To get out of my own head for a while.”
“New York.” Brax shakes his head knowingly. “Not exactly my type of place. There are too many buildings, and too much pollution. Not to mention all the crime and poverty.”
I try to smile but his words strike a chord deep within me because now he’s articulating what I’d sensed before. Brax isn’t likely to follow me back to my real life, no matter how much we end up liking each other.