“Really? Here?”

“Yes.” He greeted another set of customers who ordered a fruity cocktail.

I sighed. “Well, for how long?”

He leaned in and whispered, as if asking for the answers to a pop quiz. “Depends, how long are you staying?”

“I don’t know. I have no plans to leave anytime soon…” I crossed my arms.

He grinned and flipped a shaker in his hands. “Awesome, Daiquiri?”

I shook my head and took a healthy swig of the coffee mixture that was surprisingly delicious.

August’s grin widened. “Not bad, huh?”

“It’s dreadful.”

He smiled at the couple leaving with their drinks and leaned over the bar, slipping off my sunglasses. His grin instantly faded when he saw my eyes. “Harper.”

I pushed them back up my face, finished the drink and left.

I avoided August—and whatever it was he was up to—for the rest of the day. It wasn’t like he’d be lonely. He had plenty of attention from all the single women on the resort. All seventy of them, while I signed up for every single activity on the menu. Which backfired.

By dinnertime, I was too exhausted to chew and just ordered a milkshake, taking it to my room, where I stayed for the rest of the night.

The next morning, I snuck a peek on the pool deck and cursed when I found him still there, with his stupid dimple, charming up a crowd of like eight women.

But I wasn’t about to work myself to a coma again.

Instead, I took advantage of the spa package I purchased. I got a facial, pedicure and sat up against the tile wall in a eucalyptus steam room for a good hour.

There was a party after dinner on the deck, and I planned to avoid going at all costs, dodging everyone on my way back to my room.

“You go ahead, I just need to change,” I assured Beth and Jill who were practically pushing me in the other direction.

I never made it out. Instead, I got back to my nice quiet room, changed into a bathrobe and put on a movie before falling asleep.

The next day, I was past confusion and anger. I was now ready to play fire with fire.

I didn’t come here to avoid the crowd; I came here to soul search and clear my mind.

“I’ll have whatever it was you gave me the other day, bigger glass please.” I slipped a small bill into the tip jar, and he grinned at me.

A slow smile spread his face when he turned to me. My sunglasses were off. I wore a pink sundress over a white bikini and had my hair up in a messy bun since I planned on sunbathing most of the morning.