They settle into chairs, stretch out long legs, and the late afternoon sun plays gold havoc on the tops of their heads. As the young, pretty cocktail waitress in a tight white top and little shorts hurries over, I know I was never that young or beautiful. I was pretty, maybe am still pretty, but the pretty I am now is settled. Rooted. And that should be okay, right?

But here on the beach at the edge of Duke’s patio, I want something that isn’t settled, predetermined, predefined. I want new. And interesting. I want different and surprising.

Anne really should have come on this vacation with me. Anne would have saved me from thoughts like these.

One minute I’m watching the beautiful people, and the next minute I realize one of the beautiful people is watching me.

Shirtless. Tan. Muscular. Handsome. Oh, so very handsome.

It’s Kai. Our eyes lock, and one of his eyebrows lifts. Flustered, I look away.

I was staring, openly staring. Flushing, I’m not sure what to do with myself. There’s nothing wrong with looking at a man, but Kai is young, and he must think I’m some lecherous old woman chasing him down the beach, drooling over him.

I was drooling a little, but that’s hardly the point.

One of the waitresses stops in front of me. “Would you like a table, hon? I’ve got one opening up. I can save it for you.”

“No. Thank you. I was just… uh, people watching.”

She winks at me. “Good place to do it.” And she turns and walks away.

I look up again and catch Kai’s eye once more. He’s got his beer now, and he’s leaning back in his chair, staring at me, the corner of his mouth slightly tilted.

As I look at him, broad shouldered, bare chested, muscles hard and cut, with a tattoo around his thick right bicep, I think I’ve lost my mind. I’ve chased a sexy surfer down the beach, cornered him at Duke’s. What the hell am I thinking?

But Kai’s staring pointedly at me, and I don’t know where to look, what to do. I try to look away but can’t. His expression is fixed, intent, intense, and for someone so beautiful, he’s very direct. Bold.

Kai wiggles a finger, signals to me, beckoning me over.

Right. Like I’m going to saunter over to a crowd of twenty-something-year-old men to see what gorgeous Kai has to say. Don’t think so. I shake my head, muster a faint smile.

His smile is white and warm, and the warmth burrows all the way into me.