She poured him another beer and rang it up. Dan was right. Libby was the twin who called a spade a spade and held people accountable. Not Alice. She’d spent her life turning herself inside out to be accommodating and avoiding confrontation. But had it served her well? It was a question she’d been asking herself a lot recently.

“Tell you what, Alice. I’ll take ten dollars’ worth of raffle tickets if you have dinner with me one night soon.” Dan’s blue eyes dazzled and he was looking at her as if she was the only woman in the world.

Having watched from the sidelines for years, Alice was used to Dan’s modus operandi. “I’m a bit old for you.”

“What do you mean? We’re the same age.”

“I’ve been back in the bay six months, Dan. I haven’t seen you out and about with anyone over twenty-three.”

“Perhaps you can convert me.”

Leaning her elbows on the bar, she looked straight at the man who’d been a player from the moment puberty took him from a scrawny kid to a tall, blond, broad-shouldered and sun-kissed adult. “We both know that’s a lie.”

He laughed. “I like this new you, Alice. It’s incredibly sexy.”

She wasn’t sure if she liked the edge that had recently sharpened inside her, but either way, she was in no mood for nonsense. “What are you really proposing, Dan?”

“What are you up for, Alice?”

His voice—deep and rich, smooth as vintage port—rumbled around her and something shifted inside her. “I’m up for honesty.”

“That’s unexpected, but doable.” Dan sipped his beer thoughtfully. “This is me being brutally honest. I’m not interested in commitment or kids. I’m single, you’re single, I like you, we get along well and we’ve known each other since the cradle.”

“That’s a series of facts.”

He smiled. “Can’t get anything past you, can I? Okay, winter and spring are the tourist doldrums in the bay. I’m proposing a friends-with-benefits arrangement to while away May to November.”

She straightened up. “I’m not interested in 2:00 a.m. booty calls, Dan.”

“Jeez, Alice.” He pressed his hand to his heart. “Give me some credit. That’s not what I’m suggesting. There will always be food and conversation. Always the three Cs.”

“What are they?”

“Consent, clean bedsheets and condoms.”

An unexpected tingle shot through her. “You’ve actually thought this through.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. So, what do you reckon?”

“What do I reckon?” Alice couldn’t believe they were even having this discussion or that she hadn’t shut him down yet, let alone the fact she was considering his outrageous suggestion. But weeks of flirting with Tim had not only kickstarted her libido, its growing need to be sated was wearing her down.