Grant agreed. “It’s already hard enough to get Kenzi to come home.”
Looking unimpressed, Asher added, “If you’re lonely, come see me when we get back to Boston. Trust me, there are plenty of women who look just like that who you can be with without the hassle.”
Andrew gave Asher a skeptical look. “Twins? Who looks like that? I’d definitely be interested, but damn—”
Lance shook his head. He didn’t care what Andrew thought of Lexi—but Willa. He didn’t want anyone looking at her that way.
Andrew gave Lance a punch in the shoulder. “Don’t try to tell me it hasn’t crossed your mind.”
“They’re not even that alike.”
Andrew threw back his head and laughed. “Now I know you’re fucking with me. They’re creepy identical.” When Lance didn’t answer, Andrew gave him a curious look. “You can really tell them apart? How? Is it a mole or something?”
Lance watched the approaching twins and knew he’d never share his method. He’d confused them when they were younger, but since he’d seen them at their graduation a few months earlier he’d had no problem telling them apart. His body had a preference. When he looked at Lexi he saw a beautiful woman, but that was all. When he looked at Willa his whole body clenched like someone had punched him in the stomach and his dick throbbed painfully.
In the silence that followed Andrew’s question, Grant said, “Willa dresses conservatively. So, Lexi’s probably the one in the pink bikini.”
Asher made an impatient sound. “Does it really matter which is which? Are we going out on the water, or not?”
Ian picked up the cooler and put it back on the jeep. “We’re going.”
Andrew threw his empty beer can down. “Yeah, this is getting old.”
Willa and Lexi joined them. After shyly smiling at Lance, Willa walked over to Grant and handed him a cloth bag. “It’s sunblock. Your mother is worried that you’ll all burn.”
Lexi winked. “If any of you need help putting it on . . .”
Three eldest male voices rang out in unison, “No.” Grant passed an aerosol can around and each of them sprayed themselves down quickly before passing it to the next.
Lance didn’t realize it was his turn until the can hit him in on the arm and dropped to the ground beside his feet. He bent to pick it up and sprayed himself absentmindedly. He couldn’t look away from Willa. Hell, he could barely think. He reminded himself she was his sister’s friend. Untouchable.
Willa smiled at him, and he struggled to not simply stand there, drooling. Damn. “Have you seen Kenzi?” she asked. Her perfectly pink lips were mesmerizing.
Grant answered, “Earlier. She said she’d be here. There are chairs and umbrellas set up if you want to wait for her over there.”
“Oh,” Willa said and then seemed embarrassed to have uttered that aloud. She blushed. “I mean, that’s great.”
Lance saw the disappointment in her eyes and swallowed hard. “Do you like to jet-ski?”
Her eyes were wide and innocent. “I don’t know. I’ve never tried it.”
Ian interceded, “Kenzi should be able to show you. She goes out alone.”
Willa bit her bottom lip and hugged a towel to her stomach. “That’ll be fine.”
Lexi stepped forward. “Do you have enough for all of us? It can’t be that hard. I’d try it by myself.”
Asher walked away, clearly done with the conversation. Ian followed him. Before he left, Grant added in his irritating authoritative voice, “Only six. You can take turns with Kenzi.”
After he’d gone, Lexi made a face. “So much for chivalry.”
Willa hastened to smooth over her sister’s comment. “It’s fine, Lexi. We don’t have to do it at all. This beach is gorgeous. I’ll be happy just swimming and sunbathing.”
Not able to help himself, Lance offered, “You could ride with me.”
For a second excitement lit Willa’s eyes, then she lowered her lashes shyly. “I don’t want to take away from your fun.”
Lance’s mouth went dry and in a strangled voice he said, “You wouldn’t. Come on.”
Willa fell into step beside him then stopped. “Oh, my clothes.” She stepped out of her flip-flops and whipped her T-shirt up and over her head. She folded it and placed it on her shoes then stepped out of her shorts.
Lance watched and wondered if he’d ever breathe again. Kenzi’s friend. Gorgeous, but still Kenzi’s friend.
Willa held out a hand toward him. “I probably need that.”
For a wild moment Lance imagined her hand caressing his bare chest, teasing its way down his stomach and closing around his dick. I need that, too. He realized she was waiting for him to hand her something and shook the fantasy off. Sunblock, idiot. She wants the sunblock. He handed it to her. She closed her eyes and sprayed her face. Then she sprayed the length of her neck, down between two of the most perfect breasts he’d ever seen, along her beautiful arms. She was in a one-piece bathing suit, which should have been less sexy than the slips of cloth her sister was wearing, but it hugged every one of her curves perfectly. He was an internal wreck by the time she was done spraying the front of her long legs.
She held the can toward him. “Would you do my back?”
He nodded and took it. When she lifted her hair and exposed the curve of her neck to him, it took every shred of self-control he had not to lean down and kiss it. He applied the spray then tossed it. Possibly to Andrew, who he thought was talking to Lexi, but really he had no clue. He was trying to remember his own name. Willa effortlessly reduced him to that state.
Willa turned to thank him, and once again he almost stopped breathing. Why did the one girl who turned his head have to be the one he couldn’t have? Couldn’t taste? The expression in her beautiful blue eyes was warm, inviting, trusting. Her lips looked soft and so fucking kissable he ached. He was forced to look away before he made a fool of himself and kissed her right there in front of everyone.
Andrew winked at Lance, and the look he gave him said it all. Andrew would take Lexi out on the water to show their brothers they didn’t control him. Lance doubted it would go further than that. Andrew might enjoy pissing off his brothers now and then, but he would never hurt anyone to do it.
Lance turned away. He would defy his brothers for a very different reason.
Willa smiled up at him with innocent desire in her eyes.
Right or wrong, he wanted her enough that nothing else mattered.
Chapter Two
Ten years later
Willa Chambers pushed a wayward blonde curl out of her eyes as she walked out of the Boston apartment she shared with Lexi. The warm August weather justified her white tank top and short jean skirt, but it was a more revealing outfit than she would have chosen for herself. She spoke nervously into the cell phone she was clutching near her ear. “I can’t do this.”
“It’s too late to back out now,” Lexi said.
“This isn’t like the radio spot you had me do last week. No one will believe I’m you.”
“People won’t have a reason to question who you are unless you give them one.”
“I could never dance as well as you.”
“Only because you held yourself back. You’ve got this, Willa. Besides, it’s not like we won’t get paid even if you mess up. You know Clay Landon. He’s a friend of Dax.”
“Which is another reason I feel weird about saying I’m you.”
“Stop. No one cares if it’s really me or not. Clay asked me to create an experience for his friend. That’s what we’re giving him. The dance company I hired is amazing. This isn’t their first flash mob. You rehearsed the moves with me. The rest is easy.”
“You should have canceled.”
