CHAPTER FOUR
JADE
I don’t know what it is about Baxter that makes me want to comfort him and crawl into his lap and do wildly inappropriate things to him all at the same time. He’s hurting, that much is obvious, and it explains so much about why he smells of alcohol before it’s even noon and the pain I see in his eyes. He’s trying to drown out his pain, while I’m trying to forget mine through sheer force of will.
It seems neither of us is winning that battle.
“Who should be here with you?” I ask, not sure I want to know the answer to that. I just met this man, yet the idea of some faceless woman hurting him makes me want to go all mama bear on her butt.
He shoves his plate to the side. “My ex.” He snorts and shakes his head, drawing my attention to his mop of curls. His hair is a mixture of chestnut brown, auburn, and deep golden honey. It’s striking and my hand trembles with the urge to reach out and sink my fingers into that wild tangle.
“I’m sorry,” I say, pulling my hand away from his and tangling my fingers together in my lap under the table.
“Why? She wasn’t my girlfriend long.”
“Oh.” The relief that fills me should make me feel guilty. It doesn’t matter that he wasn’t serious about her. It’s not like I have a chance with him. Nor should I want one. He made his thoughts on love painfully clear.
“So, if it was your ex-girlfriend that wanted to come here, why are you here now?”
The faint scrape of his stubble against his palm while he scrubs at his face draws my eyes to his firm jawline. “To torture myself,” he says with a grin that doesn’t reach his eyes.
It’s silly, but that shocks a laugh out of me and quickly I slap my hand over my mouth.
His grin widens. “No, it’s okay to laugh. I’m not suffering from some tragic broken heart.” He shrugs his shoulders, bringing my attention to how broad and strong they are. I grab at my drink to ease the sudden tightness in my throat.
“This place was already booked, and it seemed like a change of pace would help clear my head of some other issues I’ve been dealing with.”
He pokes a long finger at his burger, giving it a frown. “Or maybe I came here just to sit in my room and sulk.”
That sets me off. This is my dream vacation and here’s a man who doesn’t even appreciate it. “How can you be unhappy in this place?” I snap, gesturing with my hands and almost knocking my drink over.
“Why should I be happy here?” he fires back.
“Because it’s gorgeous here… and peaceful… and it’s a shame not to appreciate how special it is…” I sputter.
A wry grin curves up his lips and suddenly I want nothing more than to lean across the table and press my mouth to his. To sweep him away in the slow wave of desire that’s been pulling at me since the moment I opened my eyes to the sight of him.
That is the magic of this place.
I can’t confess that to Baxter, though.
A throb of pain in my lower lip reminds me it’s pinched between my teeth, and I release it slowly. Maybe it’s time to take a cue from the other message in my beloved movie and loosen up and enjoy myself. I’ve never randomly slept with a man. My ex-fiancé was my high school boyfriend and the only man I’ve ever been with.
There’s something between Baxter and me, an attraction unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Perhaps it’s a purely physical one, but my core practically throbbed when he called me beautiful earlier.
“Are you enjoying your vacation here?”
“Absolutely.” It’s only a tiny lie. I’m thrilled to be here, I just never thought I would come alone.
He shoves his untouched lunch away and crosses his arms. “What have you done to make it so enjoyable? Besides yoga.”
My mind whirls. “I’ve walked several of the trails.”
A rude snort comes from him. “You could do that anywhere. What makes this place so special that you simply needed to come and waste money that you don’t have?”
Humiliation burns through me. I did mention I couldn’t afford this trip. Me and my big mouth.
Staring down at my once appealing burger, my stomach cramps up. Why am I here? Why did I waste so much money if I’m not going to do anything? I’m wasting my trip of a lifetime.