Shoulders slumping, she nodded her head. "Fine, but if we're doing this whole friends-thing, we do it all the way. No kissing, no holding hands, nothing. Once we're actually dating, you can kiss me all you want. You can even chase after me in the sand all over again, but until then…" She held out her hand. I think she wanted me to shake it. "… friends."

I gripped her hand in mine. It was so small, frail. "You know the last thing I want to do is shake your hand."

She nodded.

"Stripping you naked seems like a better option."

Dani's eyes widened.

"And that—" I tugged her against me. "—is why I'm trying to protect you. Because you're young, inexperienced, beautiful and pure. And trying to keep my thoughts on the straight and narrow may damn well kill me."

"Are you saying… I tempt you?" A slow, salacious grin spread over her face.

"You have no idea." I said in a gruff voice. "But sure, yeah. Friends for two weeks. How hard can it be? I mean, you and Zane are friends."

"True."

"Why…" I swallowed. "… are you friends?"

"He's easy to talk to, and he doesn't ask me to keep him a secret."

"Low blow."

"I'm just saying." Dani swiped her sandals and started walking back toward the boardwalk. "Plus, it's easy to be friends with someone when you aren't waiting for them to kiss you, though—" Her face turned bright red.

"Dani." I stopped walking, my blood pumping furiously through my body. "Did he?" I couldn't even get the words out. "Did he kiss you? All I saw was a really close hug. Tell me it was a hug, Dani. Tell me."

"Look." Dani pointed up. "The moon."

"Son of a bitch!" I yelled, kicking the sand with my bare foot. The desired effect of having the kick cool down my anger hadn't worked. Not by a long shot. So I kicked the sand again then started pacing back and forth.

"He didn't mean it," Dani said in a bored voice. "I think in his own twisted way he was trying to help me."

I stopped pacing and faced her. "By kissing you? How the hell is that helpful?"

Dani's face broke out into a bright grin. "It got your attention, right?"

"Dani, listen to me very carefully." I braced her shoulders with my hands. "You could wear camouflage and hide out in the bushes, and you'd still have all my attention. It doesn't take much, believe me."

"Were you trying to be romantic?"

I sighed. "Sorry that the fact that Zane freaking mauled you with his mouth has me off my game, but yeah, I think romance was the goal."

"Didn't reach it, Linc," she teased.

Sighing, I released her and then reached for her hand, but she pulled back.

"Nope." Dani sighed. "Friends, remember?"

Irritated, I kicked the sand again as we made our way back to the boardwalk. "I may come to hate that word before the time's up."

"Is that my birthday present then?" Dani asked. Once we reached the cement, she dropped her sandals and kicked the sand off them.

"A date?" I asked confused.

"Or you popping out of my cake… singing…" She shrugged. "… shirtless."

I laughed. "I may as well ride in on a whale… me singing in public? You don't want that. The world isn't ready for that."

"Are you that bad?"

I leaned in like I was going to kiss her, stopping right before her lips. "Actually, I'm that good."

"I'll believe it when I hear it." She crossed her arms.

"Guess you'll have to trust me, friend."

Her eyes narrowed. "We'll see how long you last."

"Older," I added falling into step beside her, "also more mature. I can totally handle it."

"Right."

"Do me a favor?" I walked her to my truck slowly, trying to ease her into the fact that I was going to drive her home in it and hope for the best. "Leave the door unlocked tonight so I can sneak in and smother Zane with a pillow."

"No!" She burst out laughing. "He's my friend!"

"And when you say friend you mean it different than when you say I'm your friend… right?"

"Well…" Dani hesitated, chewing her lower lip while my heart plummeted to my knees. "I guess you'll find out."

Damn stupid idea.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Dani

"BY THE GIANT SMILE ON YOUR face, I take it my plan worked," Zane said the next morning, as he poured himself a cup of coffee and tossed two marshmallows on top. He turned around and stretched his coffee above his head, his ab muscles basically stretching a wave of good morning in my direction.

I'd already given up on him wearing anything but pants in the house. It was a battle just to get him to wear a shirt to the store, let alone in the actual comfort of my home, which he now referred to as his home. Part of me wondered if Jaymeson had adopted him or something.

"Yes." I swiped a marshmallow from the top of his coffee and popped it into my mouth. "It worked. But he wants to be friends until after my birthday."

"Ha!" Zane smacked my hand before I could reach into his coffee again. "Poor Linc's going to be in a world of hurt. I think I should help him by sending encouraging team-building texts like 'There is no I in team, but there is one in kiss.' Or maybe this one." Zane closed his eyes, then snapped them open. "'It's not the destination. It's the hot, wanton, sweaty journey.' Yes…" He nodded, and a self-satisfied smirk jacked up one side of his mouth. "… I like the last one best. Quick, take off your shirt so I can send him dirty picture texts with them."