EXCERPT 1
Okay, so slight problem. Dominic left for work early for a pre-show meeting, and Josephine has gone to the other side of the island for a two-day solo hiking trip up a mountain (of course she did). I agreed to go for a sunset dip in the ocean with Henry and Ben this evening, which means we’re all frolicking around playfully in the water in our swimsuits, and Mr. Not-Dad-Bod is in a pair of black trunks that are leaving very little to my imagination. And I know I shouldn’t be looking. Like, I actually do know it, okay. No one has to tell me that it’s completely inappropriate to be ogling my future BIL. But at the same time, my eyes are drinking in the sight of him right now as he gets Henry set up on a surfboard laying on his stomach and sends him back toward the shore. Ben’s arms and chest flex as he pushes the board, and I can’t seem to look away. Also, he’s laughing and smiling, and dear God, but he’s got the best smile I think I’ve ever seen. Better than Giancarlo by about ten million percent. I’m in the water up to my ankles so I can catch Henry if needed, but honestly, he doesn’t need my help. The kid is a total pro, and I’m pretty sure he’s been riding a surfboard since he could walk. 

Other than us and the odd seagull, the beach is empty. The waves roll gently in toward the shore in white foamy swirls that disappear into the sand. Behind Ben, the sun is about to dip down to reach the horizon, and the only sound competing with the lapping water is that of Henry’s irresistible little giggle. He reaches the shore and I put my foot out to hold the board steady while he gets off, his life jacket clearly making the task a little more difficult. He adjusts his prescription goggles, then grins up at me. “Come on, Auntie Viv, you’ve got to try it!”

“Oh, no, you keep going. You’re having so much fun,” I tell him, picking up the board and holding it under my arm like the real surfers do. 

“I get to do this every day. I want you to try it,” he says, taking my hand while we wade back out to Ben against the gentle surf. 

Ben grins at me and lifts Henry up onto his hip. “Yeah, why don’t you give it a try? I bet you’ll love it.”

“Do it! Do it!” Henry chants.

Blushing a little, I say, “All right, but I’m not exactly sporty, so try not to laugh.”

Ben takes the surfboard from me with his free hand, his fingers touching mine as he does, sending a thrill right through me to my toes. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. You’ve laid on your stomach before, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Then you can do this.” He holds the board in place for me while I climb on, trying my very best not to think about the fact that he’s so close to my bikini-clad bottom right now. God, I hope she looks good like this. Be perky, bottom. 

No, don’t worry about that, silly beans! He’s not looking. He’s a gentleman. 

I grip the board with both hands and hold on. 

“You ready?” he asks in his deep voice.

“Yup,” I squeak out, even though there’s nothing scary about what I’m about to do. 

“Away you go!” he says, pushing the board toward shore.

I squeal and hold on, feeling like a kid again as I zip toward the beach. When I get there, I quickly stand, then turn to Henry and Ben, who are cheering mightily as if I’ve just done something spectacular. I give them a deep bow.

“Again! Again!” Henry says as I walk back to them. 

(Okay, so I’m not walking like I normally do. I may or may not be striding toward them with a little extra hitch in my hips and my shoulders back a wee bit more than normal. Bad Vivian. Bad. And yet, still doing it.)

“You know who hasn’t had a turn?” I ask Henry.

“My dad?”

“Yup! Your poor dad, right? I bet he wants a turn.” I give Ben a smile and I have to say, I don’t hate the look on his face right now. All that hip swaying might not have gone unnoticed.

 

EXCERPT 2
Okay, so this is strangely … nice. The air has been cleared. It’s clear. My future sister-in-law and I can hang out together, alone, and it’s all fine. It’s comfortable. We’re laughing at the movie. I’m sipping a beer, and letting the sense of relief settle in. I made up with her, which will mean Dominic will be happy with me and my mother will be proud. (Not that I need her to be proud, of course. I am a grown-ass man, after all. Well, a grown-ass man who called his mum to tell on his brother, so…)

But most importantly, Vivian and I are fine now, which means when they move, we’ll be on good terms. And theoretically, that means they’ll come back to visit more often, which is all I really want. I want my brother to live his dreams, but also to be an important part of my son’s life, and mine. 

Vivian holds out a bowl of popcorn to me. I glance down at it before I take some. “Are those…?”

“Chocolate chips, yes,” she answers without looking at me. “Try it. I know it’s a little unorthodox but it’s frigging delicious.”

I take some out of the bowl and give it a try, even though I’m quite skeptical. “Mmm, that is good.”

“I know. Paige introduced me to this,” she says, setting the bowl between us on the couch. 

Taking a bigger handful, I say, “How did I go this long without knowing about this?”

Vivian chuckles. “It’s because it’s a very strange combination.”

“I guess sometimes strange combinations just work,” I say, thinking about her relationship with my brother. 

She offers me a smile out of the side of her mouth, and I know she gets what I meant.

We watch the rest of the movie, and I tease her when the part with the immigration officer comes up as the credits roll. “Are you taking notes? You’ll need to know which side of the bed Dominic sleeps on.”

She laughs and tosses a piece of popcorn at me. “Why don’t you tell me?”

“That doesn’t count because we’re being forced to share a bed. Neither of us picked a side.”

Vivian chuckles some more. “Fair. I’ll have to ask him that one. Although, I’ve been sleeping on my own for so many years, I pretty much take up most of it myself.”

“Really?” I ask, trying not to imagine her sleeping. Oh wait, I’m not trying that hard. Instead, I’m actively picturing her in a little silk tank top and shorts on top of the covers. 

“Yes. And I’m a terrible cover hog. Honestly, I’d be a nightmare to sleep with.”

“That bad?”

She nods gravely. “Snoring, muttering in my sleep, rolling around, the whole deal.”

Shutting the TV off, I say, “Is that why you’re single? Too afraid to actually sleep with someone?” I give her a little grin so she knows I’m just kidding, not prying.

“Oh yeah, totally. I’m more of a ‘love ‘em, then tell ‘em I have to work early so you should go’ kind of girl.”

I burst out laughing. “You know, when I first met you, I thought that might be the case.”

Vivian stands and stretches, her t-shirt lifting up a little at the waist as she does, showing the tiniest bit of flesh on her stomach. God, that’s hot. I quickly turn my head so she doesn’t catch me drooling. She picks up the bowl and her glass and walks into the kitchen. I get up and follow her to rinse out my beer bottle. After putting her dishes in the dishwasher, she glances at me. “It’s pretty full.”

I grab a packet of dishwashing detergent and pop it into the soap compartment, while Vivian holds the door open. It’s the closest we’ve been since she moved in, and I can smell her perfume. It’s something light and airy and wonderful, and it does something to me it shouldn’t. We lock eyes for a second, and there’s a shift in the room from friendly to a longing that I haven’t felt with anyone for years. There’s a seriousness to her, to the way she’s staring up at me, that says she feels it too. 

Nope. Bad idea. 

 

EXCERPT 3
“Have you ever used a band saw?”

Vivian shakes her head.

“Would you like to try? I can show you how.”

She nods, and I can tell by her expression she’s not nodding about using the stupid band saw. “I’d love to.”

She spins around to face it and I walk over to my workbench and grab a pair of safety glasses and some gloves for her. When I return, I hand her the gloves. “Here, let me help you,” I murmur, tucking her hair behind her ears and placing the glasses on her. They’re too big for her face, but somehow she still looks gorgeous in them.

We stare at each other and we’re right back where we were two nights ago, all the feelings and desires bubbling to the surface. She turns away from me. “How do we use this?”

I pick the saw up off the work bench and hand it to her. “It’s pretty heavy.”

“Oof, yeah.” 

Positioning myself behind her, I put my hands over top of hers. “You don’t have to worry about accidentally starting it up. It’s got a safety trigger. Now, line up the blade with the mark I made on the plank.” 

She does as I said.

“Good job. Now, when you start to make the cut, you don’t have to push on it. The weight of the saw will do the work for you. You’re just there to guide it through, nice and straight. You ready?”

She nods, her back pressing against my chest in a way that has me totally distracted. I take a deep breath, only to smell her vanilla shampoo. “Okay, I’m going to turn it on now.”

“I’m ready,” she answers in a breathy tone.

I keep my hands in place on top of hers while she makes the cut, then shut off the machine and lift the saw out of her hands. “See? Easy peasy. Anyone can build things.”

Vivian turns to me, taking off her gloves and the glasses. “Maybe with you as their teacher.”

She reaches up and takes off my glasses, then removes my gloves. I watch, totally mesmerized by her. “Why’d you come out here, Viv?”

“I’d like to bring a little something back from New York for Henry and I wanted to see if you might have some ideas,” she says, taking one step so she’s dangerously close to me.

“Oh, anything at all. He’s not picky.” I swallow hard, then add, “Just make sure you come back because he’ll be devastated if you don’t.”

“I’ll come back,” she says. “I promise.”

“Good.”

She closes her eyes and lifts herself onto her tippy toes so our mouths are perfectly lined up. 

Every muscle in my body tenses and pumps with lust while an alarm bell goes off in my head. “What are we doing here?” I whisper, knowing I have to say something to put a stop to what I know is about to happen.

“I don’t know, but I can’t seem to stop myself.”

“I can’t either,” I tell her, lowering my face to hers. “But I think we have to.”

“I know we do,” she whispers, brushing her lips against mine.