Page 6 of Protecting Kelli
Flash still hated the beach.
Still despised the sand.
But somehow, it was more tolerable with Kelli Colbert sitting next to him.
CHAPTER TWO
Kelli stood in her hotel room and stared into the mirror. She wiped her sweaty palms down her thighs as she tried to decide if what she had on was appropriate for dinner with one of the sexiest men she’d ever met in her life.
When she’d first been introduced to Flash, she’d dismissed him immediately, figuring he was just like the other four men Charlotte had homed in on at the resort. Out for a one-night stand.
Then her hand touched his when they shook, and it felt as if little electrical jolts were shooting down her arm, straight between her legs. She’d never had a reaction like that to a man before—and it scared the crap out of her. She’d immediately left the bar last night, retreating to the safety of her room and a good book.
Still, she hadn’t been able to resist peeking over at him when he’d chosen a beach chair not too far from where she’d been sitting that afternoon. And when he sighed and stared out at the ocean with such…discontent, she also hadn’t been able to prevent herself from commenting.
She was too blunt. Always had been. But she hated the games people played in social situations. She’d always preferred others come out and say what they were thinking. It saved a lot of time and heartache.
Kelli supposed that started after her dad died and people began to tiptoe around her. They’d whisper behind her back, and it drove her crazy. And then she’d found out that her friend, a girl she’d gotten close to during that horrible time, was only hanging out with her because of the money Kelli had inherited, she wasdone.
Done with being socially correct.
Done with hiding what she was feeling.
She was who she was, and if someone didn’t like that, tough.
But even so, she was surprised to find herself spilling her guts to Flash earlier that afternoon. Telling him about her many jobs, her relationship with her family, and basically making herself vulnerable to the handsome man she’d met only the night before.
But he hadn’t seemed annoyed or surprised. He’d seemed…what? Interested?
No, that couldn’t be right.
But hehadasked her to dinner.
Then again, he’d done so after Charlotte had humiliated her. Maybe he’d felt as if he had no choice. A pity date.
Ugh. She hated being the object of people’s pity. Yes, it was embarrassing that her cousin had come right out and said she didn’t want her around when she and the Three A’s were trying to get some from the bachelor party guys, but Kelli had been embarrassed plenty of times before. She could deal. She knew she was only in Jamaica out of asense of guilt and obligation. Her mom had probably talked to Charlotte’s mom, and her aunt had probably bribed Charlotte into putting her in the wedding and inviting her to Jamaica. And Kelli’s own mom had guilted her into attending the bachelorette weekend.
Sighing, she turned her attention back to her reflection. Her hair was actually behaving…right now. Later, it would likely frizz out in the humidity, but for now it hung just below her shoulders with a slight curl in the ends. She’d put on some mascara and lipstick. Her face was pink from too much sun, and a little too round from the sweets and carbs she liked to eat, but she couldn’t do anything about either of those things.
She was wearing a dress she’d gotten back in La Jolla that she’d loved at the time, but now she wondered if it was too much. It was a tank dress that stopped just above her knees. It was a little clingier than clothes she usually wore. Frowning at the bulge of her belly, and the way her upper arms sagged, Kelli pressed her lips together.
She’d felt pretty when she’d tried the dress on in the store, but that was before she’d had any inclination she’d be wearing it to dinner with one of the hottest men she’d ever seen.
Flash had eyes so green, they matched the palm trees surrounding the resort. His brownish hair was cut short, and she’d never been with anyone who had any kind of facial hair, so she couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to kiss him. Would it be distracting? Would he get food caught in his short mustache and beard?
Kelli could admit that she wanted to impress Flash, though it was unlikely anything would come out of these few days of acquaintance. Even though they lived not farfrom each other back in the “real world,” she doubted they’d keep in touch.
But for tonight, they’d be sharing a meal. It wasn’t a date, not really. Still, she couldn’t help but feel the butterflies that usually happened before going out with someone new.
Shaking her head, Kelli deliberately turned away from the mirror. She was being ridiculous. This was only dinner. Tomorrow they’d go tubing, then the next day they’d all head home. She wasn’t going to see Flash again, so thinking about how attractive the hair on his chest was, or how his facial hair would feel against her lips, was nothing more than a pipe dream.
Looking at her watch, Kelli realized she was going to be late if she didn’t get a move on. She grabbed her sweatshirt, the only clothing she had that was warm, and headed for the door. The sweatshirt didn’t match her dress in the least, but if they were going to sit outside, she’d need something, since it got chilly when the sun went down. And if her putting a sweatshirt on over her dress turned Flash off, so be it.
She was who she was. Blunt, honest…and tonight she’d be warm, if nothing else.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her hotel room door behind her and headed down the hall toward the lobby.
Ten minutes later, she and Flash were being led toward a table in the resort’s five-star restaurant. It was almost empty, probably because it wasn’t exactly cheap, was the only restaurant that wasn’t included in the all-inclusive price of staying at the resort, and because tourism was definitely down in the country.
