Barefoot Bay: Silhouettes on the Sand (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Chris Keniston

five-minute detour? Or you can start the game without me."
    Elliott Becker shrugged. "Nah, I can wait a few minutes to beat your ass."
    "In your dreams," Nate shot back.
    Shaking his head, Elliott turned to Chase. "Your brother Nate is delusional."
    "So I've been told." He laughed, falling in step next to one of Nate's best friends.
    "More like deliriously happy," Nate yelled over his shoulder.
    "Yeah, yeah," Greg called back. "You're all poster boys for matrimonial bliss."
    Nate smacked Greg's shoulder. "Don't knock it till you've tried it."
    "No thank you." Greg shook his head, waving his hands.
    "You'd better be careful," Elliott told Greg. "There's something in the air in Barefoot Bay. Arrive single and fall for the love of your life."
    "Just ’cause you two got suckered in—"
    "Three," Nate and Elliott echoed.
    "Don't forget Zeke," Nate added.
    "Ignore them," Chase chimed in.
    "Hey, I wouldn't talk if I were you." Nate turned off the main path to his office but kept one eye on Chase. "Just remember, Zeke had a high-school-friend-turned-hotel-maid play his girlfriend at a reunion, and he was the first to fall."
    "And hard," Elliott added. "They're not only sappily married but Mandy is expecting their first kid."
    "Wait a minute." Nate stopped and opened the wooden door of the villa he'd been using as an office, then turned to Elliott. "I didn't hear that."
    "Sorry, man. You were out with your brothers. They broke the good news at Garret Flynn's barbecue."
    "That's fantastic." Nate flipped the light switch. "Here you go, bro. Anything you want. Password for the computer is Niners."
    "Got it." Chase stepped over to the desk. "You guys have a good game."
    "Will do." Pulling the door shut, Nate popped his head in at the last second. "And don't forget about Zeke. You better watch yourself, big brother, or you may be next."
     

Chapter Nine
     
    Walking along the shoreline, C.J. had to admit that whoever designed the Casa Blanca Resort and Spa certainly had the concept of comfort and luxury down pat. Add the gorgeous backdrop of Barefoot Bay and she was hard-pressed to think of a better place to decompress. So why was she still feeling wound tighter than a steel guitar string?
    "There you are."
    The unexpected male voice so close startled her. Instinctively she spun about to plant her elbow in somebody’s solar plexus, grabbing hold of an arm, she caught a glimpse of Chase’s face before fully executing her move. She hadn't expected him to be done with his appointments so quickly. Shifting her weight awkwardly in a last-ditch effort to avoid knocking him on his ass, she stumbled back, her feet sliding out from under her. Blowing out a breath, she braced to land hard on her back, only to feel strong hands slide under her and pull her into a twist of arms and legs before she landed like a lead weight on one Chase Ivory.
    It took a second for Chase to catch his breath. Staring up at her through slitted eyes, he muttered, "You okay?"
    "I was about to ask you that."
    "I didn't mean to startle you."
    "I didn't mean to take you down either."
    Chase blinked up at the sun, sucked in a deep breath, then lowered his lashes to settle his gaze on her. "What is it you do for a living anyhow?"
    "I'm a nurse." One who didn't need to have studied biology to recognize the perfect alignment of male and female parts—on a public beach.
    "Where? The South Bronx?
    "Close." She didn't want to go there. Especially not now. Instead she drew on what little common sense she might still have and shoved up and over, settling beside him on her back, staring up at the blue sky. "I'm sorry."
    Chase rolled to his side and, propping himself on one elbow, stared down at her. "Who are you, Cassandra Jane Lawson?"
    She didn't get a chance to answer. Before she could even contemplate how to address the question, her mind went utterly and completely blank from the very first second his lips pressed gently against hers. If she was looking for a way to lose