Abby’s hands were as petite as the rest of her, with long, slim fingers and pretty nails painted a soft, glossy peach. And there was no wedding or engagement ring on her left hand, Mike was happy to note.

After letting go, she reached into the small cooler he’d carried across the sand for her and pulled out a bottle of Diet Coke with lemon.

“Would you like one?” she asked.

Since she no longer seemed annoyed that he was sticking around, he wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to stay and get to know her a little better.

“Sure, thanks.” He twisted the cap and took a long drink while she got one for herself and did the same.

“So what are you doing at the beach all by yourself?” he asked by way of making conversation and getting some much-needed information out of her.

Pulling the hat off her head, she ran a hand through her long, straight hair, then finally slipped the dark sunglasses off her nose to reveal those sparkling emerald eyes.

“I’m on vacation. A friend was supposed to come with me, but she had to stay and work on an important case. She’s going to fly down as soon as she can get away.”

“Where are you from?”

“Ohio. I’m a researcher for Galaxy Pharmaceuticals, and Rachel is a prosecuting attorney for the county where we live.”

Mike gave a low whistle. “Nice. Is your friend as attractive as you are?”

She coughed and nearly choked on a mouthful of Coke, her eyes going wide and damp as she struggled for air.

He leaned forward to pat her on the back, amused that she could be so easily flustered.

“Okay?” he asked once she was breathing normally again and her eyes no longer threatened to bug out of their sockets.

Hand at her throat, she nodded. Then she screwed the cap on her bottle of soda and set it aside.

“My friend is very attractive,” she told him, pointedly refusing to meet his gaze. “You’d like her. If you want, when she gets here, I can introduce you.”

It was his turn to almost choke. Could she really believe he was more interested in her faceless friend than the flesh and blood beauty sitting right in front of him?

“So what does she look like?” he asked, just out of curiosity.

Abby licked her lips, glancing anywhere but at him. “She’s tall, with a great figure. Brown eyes, long, wavy brown hair. She’s witty and confident, and men love her. Not that she dates a lot,” she added quickly in a bid to defend her friend’s reputation. “Her work keeps her busy.”

“And you think I’d be more attracted to her than I am to you,” Mike said, making it more of a statement than a question.

She shrugged one slim, bare, and adorably freckled shoulder, finally raising her gaze to his. The lack of light and energy in her eyes made his gut twist.

“Most men are.”

Then most men are idiots, he thought to himself. And the one thing he’d never been was an idiot.

“Good,” he said brightly, shifting an inch or two closer on the giant blanket. “I’m an excellent competitor, but the time I don’t have to waste beating other guys off with a stick is time I can spend getting to know you better.”