Free The Trouble With Paradise by Jill Shalvis

swelling.
    What did that mean?
    “He’s still looking at you,” Cadence whispered. “And oh my, but he’s hot. How’s the tongue?”
    “Still behaving,” she said, shocked.
    “Maybe it’s a sign.”
    No, it couldn’t be. Clearly she was still suffering the effects from traveling halfway around the world, and then having champagne and a rum punch, because she couldn’t have a crush on him, she just couldn’t. Even without her social awkwardness, it was a supremely bad idea all the way around. Unfortunately, she seemed to make it her mission to follow bad ideas.

SIX
    Cadence came back from the food table. “The buffet is going to be tricky.”
    Dorie eyed Cadence’s full plate with envy. She’d given Andy her plate, damn it. “Why?”
    “Because I’m going to be big as a house if you let me eat all this by myself. Dig in,” she ordered, setting the plate between them.
    Worked for Dorie. Behind them the moon began its nightly rise, glittering over the water. The breeze cooled her as the sailboat gently rose and fell on the easy swells.
    “He’s looking again,” Cadence whispered.
    Dorie turned her head and met Christian’s hot gaze.
    “Boy, oh boy, he’s something.”
    “Yes.” The doctor sure was something. She just wasn’t sure what.
    “It’s going to take a really together woman to keep him entertained.”
    “In light of that alone, I should stick with Baseball Cutie.” Her chances were better, seeing as Andy had actually expressed interest, something Christian had not. Besides, she wanted Andy. She did.
    Or she wanted to want Andy . . .
    “Honestly? You really can’t go wrong either way. Look at Brandy.”
    Brandy had positioned herself in front of the wall of windows so that the moonlight fell over her like a spotlight, where she held court with the captain, Ethan, and Andy.
    “She’s a man magnet,” Dorie said with envy. “So confident.”
    “I’ve heard that if you fake it, it sort of sticks.”
    “Yes, but I’ve never really gotten the hang of faking it.”
    Cadence’s eyes sparkled with good humor. “As women, we were born with the ability to fake it.”
    Dorie laughed.
    “Maybe she could teach us,” Cadence said, watching Brandy toss back her head and let out a low, throaty laugh at something the captain said.
    Apparently it was infectious, because all the men laughed, too.
    Dorie let out an admiring sigh. “Something tells me she never fakes a thing.”
    Off to the side, Christian took a bottled water from the bar, uncapped it, and tilted it up to his mouth. After he drained half of it, he wiped his mouth on his arm and once again locked gazes with Dorie. An indefinable zing hummed through her system.
    Cadence nudged her shoulder. “Here he comes.”
    But Christian hadn’t moved an inch. He wasn’t smiling; he wasn’t doing anything except looking at her. “No, he’s not.”
    “Cowboy,” Cadence whispered. “At one, two, three o’clock .”
    Dorie broke eye contact with Christian as Andy came close.
    “Hi, ladies.” He still wore those designer duds, looking like a million bucks as he smiled at Dorie.
    Whose tongue promptly began to swell and stick to the roof of her mouth.
    Oblivious, he sat down next to them at the bar. “The captain said we’re snorkeling tomorrow.”
    “Snorkeling?” Cadence’s smile congealed. “Oh. Is that an entirely underwater sport do you think?”
    “Unless the fish are flying through the air.”
    Cadence looked at her list. “No. Snorkeling is not on here, sorry.”
    “Are you kidding? We’re in the South Pacific. The fish are huge. Denny says they swim right up to your face mask and bump into you.”
    Cadence lost some of her color. “On purpose?”
    Andy laughed. “That’s right.” He turned to Dorie. “Sound like fun?”
    “Ith nether thn—” Ruthlessly, she bit her own tongue, then tried again. “I’ve never snorkeled.”
    “There’s a first time for everything, darlin’.” His smile said that maybe