“Because it feels like a bribe. I want to write my review based on a real experience.” She glanced around the room again, gesturing at the luxurious surroundings. “Not some extravagant royal VIP version.”

“But you are a VIP,” Kat insisted.

Julia fiddled with the card in her hand. “No,” she said in a decisive burst of inspiration. “You are.”

“Excuse me?”

“You can be the reporter.”

“No, I can’t!”

“Not the real reporter, just my decoy.” Julia paced the room, her plan taking shape. “This actually works out perfectly. If the resort thinks you’re the reporter and focuses their efforts on catering to you, I’ll be free to experience things from a more anonymous angle.” She rubbed her hands together. “It will allow me to have the authentic experience I was hoping for.”

“Should we pretend we don’t know each other?” Kat wondered.

Julia shook her head. “We already checked in together. That would be weird.”

“Oh, like any of this isn’t weird,” Kat snorted, moving to inspect an elaborate bouquet of flowers.

“You two really need to check out this tub.” Andie’s voice echoed from the depths of the suite. “Forget the bed. I’m sleeping in here.”

Kat looked up, mouth quirking. “See what I mean?”

“Hey, if you don’t want to play reporter,” Andie called, “I’m happy to do it.”

“That won’t work.” Julia followed the sound of her friend’s voice into the bathroom. Sure enough, Andie was sprawled inside the enormous Jacuzzi tub, finishing off her apple.

“Can you bring me a pillow?” Andie asked, sitting up.

“You’re not sleeping in there.” Julia laughed. “And you can’t pretend to be the reporter.”

“Why not?” Andie stretched her arm out and flicked her wrist. The apple core went sailing overhead, landing squarely in the trash can across the bathroom.

“First, the resort already thinks Kat is.” Julia offered Andie a hand and helped hoist her out of the tub. “And second, one of the other guests already met both of us.”

“Who?” Kat asked, joining them in the bathroom.

“Luke,” Julia replied, unable to resist a smile as she said his name.

“Who’s Luke?”

“The guy Jules met on the beach.” Andie hopped onto the bathroom counter. “It’s not fair. Kat gets to live like a princess for a week, and you’re not even here ten minutes and already having a meet-cute.”

“I was on a completely empty beach and managed to collide with a guy who had a bird crap on him. It was your typical hot-mess-Julia-walking-disaster scenario, not a meet-cute.” Julia turned and glanced at her reflection in the vanity mirror. Like everything else in the suite, the mirror was as enormous as it was elegant. She smoothed down her hair, messy from her walk—and tumble—on the beach. An image of Luke flashed in her mind’s eye, and heat rose in her cheeks.