Page 16 of XOXO, Summer
“Or in luck if you ask me.” With her eyes on me again, she adds, “Treat it like an adventure with Roman, and it will be fixed before you know it.”
I can’t figure her out. The woman who had no patience for my antics earlier is starting to sound like she wants us to stay.With her.I also can’t deny that I’m intrigued by the proposition. “How would it work?”
“There needs to be rules.”
I expect no less from her.
CHAPTER 5
SUMMER
“Avoid my sisters at all costs,” I slip in quietly.
“That’s the rule?” He chuckles just as a breeze blows through. And starts texting and mumbling like I need to know his plans, “RSVP no to the event.”
“What event?” I’m nosy and shrug.
“Nothing I’m interested in.”
“Fine.” Closing my eyes, I take in the gentle wind. The cotton fabric still sticks to my body in some places where it hasn’t dried, but the breeze sneaks through the openings to help the process along.
“Avoiding my sisters. That’s thefirstrule.” There’s rarely much traffic on this road between the houses, so our pace has been steady since we left the cottage with Roman running up ahead of us.
“Naturally.”
I’m afraid he already knows me too well. Am I that predictable?Thatboring? To someone like him, living life in the busy city, being able to afford to vacation the entiresummer with his son, I probably am. “I do love rules,” I blurt out like some weird defense mechanism.
“You do, and I love breaking them.” A wry grin slides across his lips. “Both rules and records.” Rules I understand. They curb fun from turning into chaos. Records, though? What does he have against albums? “Guess we’d never make a good match.”
I’m not sure if I take offense to that or not. “Yeah, I suppose not. I like music too much.”
Under a creased brow, his gaze glides over to me. He opens his mouth and closes it again. After a quick shake of his head, he chuckles under his breath. “Okay.” We keep walking, but then he asks, “Why are we avoiding your sisters at all costs?”
“Because . . .” I can’t tell him that we don’t see many men, much less men who look like him, roaming around these parts. If his picture gets out or gossip spreads that a gorgeous man is staying here for the summer, he’ll have an influx of visitors wanting to welcome him. I wouldn’t put stalking past some of them either. It’s my job to provide the privacy my guests want and deserve. As for my sisters, though . . . “I won’t hear the end of it if they get wind of you.”
“So they don’t know I’m here?”
“They know, but it’s more for me than you.”
“I’m not following.” His brow furrows as he stares at me. “How so?”
I take a deep breath, not really interested in laying bare my stale love life to this man who can probably get any woman to say yes to anything he asks of them. It’s not much of an ego booster for me in comparison. I exhale, and reply, “Don’t laugh.” When he doesn’t respond, I look at him, raising my brows. “Okay?”
He laughs. Not a good start. “Okay.”
Why do I feel like I’m going to regret this? Ugh. It’s the truth, though, so I’ll own it. “It’s been a bit of a dry spell.”
“How dry?”
“D4 levels.”
“I assume we’re talking about a drought scale?” He had been keeping watch on Roman, but his eyes are locked on me like I might escape if he doesn’t.
I cross my arms over my chest. “Yes.”
“And a D4 means?”
I need my hands too much to keep them restrained. I free my right one and wave it in the air. “Exceptionally drought-y.”
