Rivals in Paradise

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“Are you serious?”

“Yes. Despite how things ended up in the past, I’d like to think that we would’ve been friends if we hadn’t been running against one another.”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “Please, you wouldn’t have even noticed me or known I was alive if I hadn’t stepped up to run against you.”

That certainly wasn’t true. He had noticed little Miss Cicely Stevens from the first day she stepped on campus during her freshman orientation, when he’d been an orientation leader for another group of freshmen. He’d also noticed that she seemed to gravitate toward the quiet, four-eyed, nerdy-type guys. And she had run through the nerds and over them like nobody’s business. He’d always thought that what she really needed was more of a challenge.

Not wanting to give her ego anything to feast on, he just let her comment about him not noticing her slide. “So, what are your plans once you land on my beautiful island?”

She paused and considered him carefully. Her eyes narrowed ever so briefly and he thought for a minute she wasn’t going to answer him.

Taking her iPod and placing it in her bag, she then turned to him. “Actually, I haven’t the slightest idea. This vacation was sort of spur-of-the-moment. I needed to get away from it all and needed someplace to clear my head. I figured I’d wing it.”

She opened her mouth as if she were considering adding something else and then shut it quickly.

Interesting.

“Well, that just won’t do, Cicely. You really have to try and make some time for me to show you the sights. How long will you be staying?”

“One week. And while I appreciate your quite insistent offer, I really don’t think I’m in the mood for any company. You know, part of the whole ‘space to clear my head’ thing?” She forced a fake smile and made a move to go for her iPod again.

Chase reached out and touched her hand before she could do so. An electric shock went through him, and he felt his heart skip.

Oh, shit, that was odd.

Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open, but no words came out. She shut her mouth, but she stopped reaching for her iPod. Slowly, she removed her hand from his touch.

“I’m going to be on the island for two weeks. And I’m thinking I need to spend some of that time reacquainting myself with you, Cicely. I’m not one to beg, or to force my company on a woman. But I know that you would regret it if you allowed this moment to pass without taking the chance for us to get to know one another again.”