Marrying the Billionaire - Macie St. James Page 0,20

to Europe? I don’t know, man.”

Shellie spoke up. “What’s the inside like? Does it have a shower?”

Whatever was happening here, it was getting him out of this pop quiz this man next to Shellie seemed to be giving him. Nicholas was fine with that.

He definitely knew the answer to Shellie’s question. “The plane? Yes. It’s only slightly better than the lavatory on a regular plane, though.”

“I imagine.” Shellie looked over at the man standing next to her adoringly. “We spent a weekend at a campground in our friend’s RV. That shower was definitely not up to par.”

“The shower was nicer than the one in this hotel,” Pop Quiz Man said, shaking his head. “Anyway, I’d love to talk planes. Maybe tomorrow at brunch. You are coming to the brunch, I hope?”

Nicholas looked over at Charlie, who was staring at him. This was definitely up to her to answer, but for some reason, she seemed to be tossing it to him.

“Sure,” Charlie said. “But I think we’re going to make this an early night. Nicholas was talking about trying out that pool. Ready?”

After a quick glance down at his empty plate, then a look around at the group now staring at Charlie, Nicholas nodded. “Let’s go.”

9

Charlie hadn’t really thought this through. Specifically, she hadn’t thought through the part of this that involved walking out of the restroom wearing nothing but her one-piece. It was her most modest swimsuit—she’d worn it under her cocktail dress for that reason. But it still exposed more of her body than she was comfortable showing.

But if she was worried about Nicholas’s prying eyes, she shouldn’t have been. He was actively swimming laps when she emerged. She looked around, confirmed they were alone in the pool area, and quickly walked toward the water. The goal was to get in before his head emerged from the water.

She almost made it. The water was up to her waist when Nicholas came to a stop a few feet in front of her, wiping water from his eyes. She quickly moved down to the bottom step, but that put her too close to him. She could land on the floor of the pool, which would push the water just below her chest, but that would shrink the space between them to almost nothing.

“Hi,” he said.

That word had never sounded so filled with heat. It combined with the intensity in his gaze to create a zap of electricity between them. Charlie felt the urge to take a step back, but that would be even worse. She felt…exposed. But mostly she was just scared of what she was feeling right now.

So she took option number three. She couldn’t go back or forward, so she went under.

With a silent thanks to her mom for making her take swim lessons as a kid, Charlie sunk under the water and swam around Nicholas, speeding toward the other end of the pool. Distance. Distance was exactly what she needed right now.

When she finally emerged, she realized her feet could no longer touch the bottom. She grabbed the side of the pool while she blinked the water away and looked for Nicholas. He was swimming again. Vigorous laps.

She worked her way around the edge until she could touch the bottom. Maybe she should get out and go to the hot tub. She could make it over there before he saw her walking, possibly. She needed to do it now, though, before he finished his laps.

“Woo-hoo!”

The sound bounced off the walls, making it impossible to determine the direction. Charlie automatically turned to look at the door to the pool area, figuring that had to be the answer. Sure enough, a small group of five women stood there. Shellie was front and center.

“We heard this was where the party was!” Jamie yelled.

Charlie immediately wanted to duck back underwater again. Yes, this was exactly what she didn’t need. The two biggest body shamers in her life nearby while she was in a swimsuit. They were the very reason she felt self-conscious about her body to this day.

Without asking to join, the five women descended on the pool, tossing towels onto the lounge chairs lined up along the length. Charlie edged her way back until the water covered her shoulders and part of her neck.

“Hey, Nick!” Jamie called out. “Hope you don’t mind that we joined you two lovebirds.”

Resisting the urge to correct her on the shortening of his name, Nicholas swam over next to Charlie on the wall. It was a