Page 35 of Enticing Her Love

“He’s not just a writer. He’s an amazing writer. His first book, It Lies, hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list for sixteen weeks, and all the big publishers had a bidding war over his second book, Eyes on You, which was on the list for twelve weeks.”

“Whoa. That’s impressive. How many books has he written?”

“Only two, and he’s started a third. He didn’t write during those difficult years when he and Archer weren’t talking.”

“It sounds like Daphne and Hadley did a lot more than just bring your family back together. It sounds like they opened his creative well.”

“They did, and I think he did just as much for them. Jock adores them so much. You should see how he looks at Daphne, and Hadley used to scowl at everyone. It was so freaking cute. Now those scowls are rare, which is better, of course, and her smiles are golden. I’m really happy for them.” She gazed out at the water, as if she were reflecting on that happiness. Then she took a deep breath, sitting up straighter, and said, “You know, they have a pretty good chef at this spa. That was a tasty meal. I might come back to this waterfront restaurant.”

Her rapid subject change made him wonder if it was hard for her to think about those difficult years, so he tried to lighten the mood. “It didn’t compare to what I had last night.”

“Flynn!” She swatted at him, and missed.

He laughed. “You’re the one who opened that can of worms.”

“I did not.”

“Oh no?” He cocked a brow. “Who took the first kiss?”

Her jaw dropped, and she snapped her mouth shut, but she couldn’t hold in a laugh. “I blame Karen for that indiscretion.”

“That’s a good strategy. I’ll go along with that.”

“She’s the one who sent us here unsupervised.”

“What are we, toddlers?” She looked so relaxed, leaning back on her palms, long legs crossed at her ankles, her pretty pink toenails on display, and he was having such a good time, he was tempted to spend the whole afternoon right there in the sunshine, earning more carefree laughs and sweet smiles. But he had something special he wanted to show her, so he pushed to his feet and offered his hand. “Come on, Steele. We’ve got exploring to do.”

“Where are we heading?” She squinted up at him as she took his hand, and he pulled her up to her feet.

“Wherever the day takes us.”

Chapter Ten

“CAN’T YOU JUST shimmy up that tree like a monkey, swing out on the branch, and hang from your knees to grab them?” Sutton asked.

It was raining, and they were deep in the rainforest again, looking up at yellow passion fruits dangling several feet above their heads from a maracuyá vine.

“What if there’s a snake up there in that mass of leaves by the juncture of the trunk and the branch going in the other direction?”

“Then I guess you’ll shimmy back down.”

He gave her a deadpan look. “And if I’m up there and something comes after you down here?”

“Then you’ll have to Jackie Chan it and flip out of the tree to save me.” She grinned.

“You think that’s funny, huh?” He grabbed her ribs.

She squealed and spun around, laughing. “Come on, Mowgli, get up that tree.”

“You’re gonna get it now.” He lunged, grabbing her ribs with both hands. She squirmed and laughed, trying to break free. “You’re mine now, Steele.” He tickled her, and she howled with laughter.

“In your dreams, Mowgli!”

He swept an arm around her, hauling her against him, both of them laughing. “What’re you going to do now, smart-mouth?” He had her hands and arms trapped against her sides. “What’s your endgame?”

“To get my mouth around something big and juicy,” she said sassily.

He knew by the glint in her eyes that she was fucking with him, so he decided to give it right back to her. “You’ve seen how big it is. Think you can handle it?”