She chewed on her lower lip. "Probably."
"Alright then, it's settled."
"What's settled?"
"When they're here, I'll be your boyfriend." Now that I'd said it, I was liking how it sounded.
"Oh, come on," she said with an unconvincing laugh. "You don't want to do that."
The hell I didn't."Why not?"
"Because what if you want to date someone else?" She said it like I had someone in mind – or a list of someones a mile long.
Neither was the case. "I don't."
She gave me a skeptical look. "But it's a small island."
"So?"
"So word'll get around. I mean, it's not like you could be my boyfriend only whentheyshow up."
"So?" I repeated.
"So, let's say you hooked up with someone. And let's say you wanted to do stuff around town."
I didn't get it. "What kind of stuff?"
"You know. Tourist stuff." She glanced away. "And maybe some PDAs." Her cheeks reddened as she continued. "You know…hugging and kissing…and whatever."
Public displays of affection.The only such display I'd made on the island had happened right here in this shop.With Maisie.
I was okay with that.
In fact, I was more than okay.
An unfamiliar tightness gripped my chest – not pain, but something else. What wasthatabout?
Maisie was still talking. "So I'm just saying, it would bereallystrange if you were seeing someone else." She gave an awkward laugh. "And if someone saw you with another girl, you'd be the guy cheating on me." Her voice grew quiet. "And I'd be the one getting cheatedon."
I was a lot of things, but not that. I looked into her eyes and told her the unvarnished truth. "I'm no cheater."
"Yeah, but technically you wouldn'treallybe cheating." Her voice was light, but her expression wasn't. "You know, because we're not together."
For half a second, I wished we were. But this was about her, not me. "Trust me, I'm not worried. The offer stands."
"Or let's say the girl is really nice," she went on as if I hadn't spoken. "I mean…the one you're dating. She would never go for a guy who's taken."
"Except thereisno girl," I reminded her. "Nice or otherwise." My thoughts strayed to the couple who had just left.Thatgirl wasn't nice. And the guy? He was a coward – the kind who'd shiv you in your sleep and then blame the knife.
Was he a cheater, too?Probably.
And here was the bigger question.What was he to Maisie?
An ex-boyfriend?Based on what little information she'd shared, along with her comments about cheating, that seemed the way to bet.
Then again, he could be a random asshole looking to trade up from the blonde, because let's face it, Maisie was worth a dozen ofher.
I was still assembling the pieces when Maisie said, "But therecouldbe – someone else, I mean. You're here for what? Another three-and-a-half weeks?"
