Page 219 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

"If you accept the invitation, it is.”

"Are you serious about the two tents? We’re not going to get there, and you suddenly realize we only have one tent and one sleeping bag?"

Nash shook his head. "You've starred in too many movies."

Ellie laughed out loud; she couldn't help it. Time with Nash was the perfect escape from her stifling life. The ideal sample ofthe sort of romance she'd only dreamed about, and feared she’d never really have.

"Okay, I’m officially accepting your invitation."

Nash quirked that sly grin as he handed over the package.

Ellie rested the invite on the entry table and tugged one end of the string to unravel the bow. She flipped the rather light bundle within one palm to expose the taped side. She’d barely caught sight of the fabric within when it registered. Ellie gasped and stared at Nash as her heart began to hammer. "You did not."

"Go ahead and look,” he said with a nod toward the package.

Ellie rested it next to the invitation and removed an oversized T-shirt. A logo on the front read ‘Wild Buck’s Buccaneers.’ In smaller print below, the wordsSummer Campwere followed by that day and tomorrow's dates. She glanced down to see that there was another shirt in the package. When she looped the first one over her arm and pulled out the other, a small object tumbled to the ground.

Ellie glanced down to see a neon green cord with a silver whistle attached. "Oh my gosh, is this for me?" She reached down to pick it up.

"It sure is. And that second shirt you’re holding is the smaller of the two. I figured you’d like that one."

"I don't know,” she said, holding up the smaller shirt. “You might look kind of cute in this one.” She inspected the fun, camp-vibe logo once more. “Are you the one who created this logo?"

"I am, but they’re not quite finished. Anyone who's ever been to youth camp knows a good camp shirt has to have your name on it."

Ellie flipped the shirt from one side to the next.

"That's something you add yourself at camp,” he amended. “Can you be ready to go in one hour?"

"I think so. What do I need to bring?"

"Something warm to sleep in like flannel pajamas or sweats, and a change of clothes for the morning. Bring a sturdy pair of shoes, too."

Ellie's grin went impossibly wider as another round of excitement cycled through her. "You’re going to come back and get me?"

"I am."

She considered all the movies featuring summer camps for kids, musing they often included a little romance on the side—flirty banter amidst a competition, a hidden hand-hold in the shadows of the campfire, or a swoon-worthy kiss behind the tent. Another thrill shot through her at the thought.

"Sounds good,” she said, resisting the urge to squeal. “I can't wait."

CHAPTER 9

Ellie sucked in a deep, satisfying breath, reveling in the smoky smell of the campfire.

When they first arrived at the campsite, Nash took her to the overlook and pointed out the spot where they had talked on the blanket during sunset. He’d also pointed toward the opposite side of the lake, explaining that his family owned a cabin along that side with its own private dock and boat for leisure and fishing.

Ellie had lived in high rises that only a sliver of the world’s population could afford, and yet she found herself wishing she could trade it all to live in a quiet lake house instead.

It seemed that within each conversation Ellie had with Nash, he revealed another common life experience that Ellie hadn't yet tasted. That, along with the undeniable appeal of Nash Copeland, made him a very addictive person in her eyes.

Ellie glanced over to see him hunched beside the fire pit, inspecting their tinfoil dinners with the nudge of a stick.

He propped one onto its side. "I'd say these are probably just about ready."

“Does that mean we get to break out the tinware now?"

Nash lifted his gaze to meet hers, sending a hot thrill like rapid fire through her chest. "Yep, it’s time."