Sinfully Summer by Aimee Duffy Page A

list and a floor plan for the boat. On Tuesday she needed to prepare the designs for the invitations to get them out in plenty of time, but she wanted to spend the day with her friends. It was the last day of their official holiday and Sarah still had her dare to do.
    Alexa rushed through the sketch and then emailed it to a design company, asking to be sent a few samples. Sarah had kept quiet about her dare, probably because she dreaded it. Alexa chuckled. Jenna had done hers. She’d chatted up five men, got their phone numbers and a kiss from each. And Alexa ran around the hotel in her undies.
    She checked her emails at noon before she left. There was one from Ric and she wondered if not reading it would mean he couldn’t spoil tonight for her. She was going to make sure they all enjoyed their last night if it killed her. Even if her chest felt tight at the thought of losing her only single girlfriends.
    She opened the email and groaned. He had another boring function for them to attend that night. Typing up a quick no-way-in-hell email, she hit send. Ric wasn’t in control of her and after Friday she had no reason to go out of her way to help the arrogant git.
    By three o’clock, she was perched on a stool at a beach bar. The scorching summer sun shone down from a cloudless sky. Alexa thought it was a vast improvement on the crappy British summers. She picked up the Sex on the Beach cocktail and took a sip.
    ‘Asking for these cocktails is embarrassing,’ Jenna grumbled.
    Alexa laughed. They’d agreed for the last day, they’d all order cocktails from the raunchier menu.
    ‘I think the names are cute,’ Sarah said.
    Both Alexa and Jenna eyed her like she was mental. ‘You think Bend Over Shirley is cute?’ Jenna asked, dead pan serious.
    Sarah giggled. ‘Yup.’
    ‘I think Bend Over Shirley’s going to her head,’ Alexa said to Jenna, who nodded her agreement.
    ‘Should make the dare easier,’ Jenna said with a wink at Sarah.
    Sarah’s expression sobered. ‘Think I’ll try a few more before we get started.’ She glanced around the half-empty bar. ‘There aren’t many here to choose from.’
    Alexa followed her gaze around the tables scattered on the sand. She’d heard that this was the number one gay bar in Marbella, which was exactly what they needed for Sarah’s dare, but the only men who looked gay were the bar staff. She hoped it would pick up later.
    Her phone vibrated on the table. It had taken grovelling to get it back from Jenna, but since Ric insisted on calling the hotel room ungodly early, her friend had caved. Alexa glanced at the screen and promptly hit ‘reject’.
    ‘Who was that?’ Jenna asked.
    ‘The git,’ she informed her friends. She didn’t feel like being admonished for not going to the function with him. She’d rather wait until tomorrow.
    Sarah grinned at her. ‘You do know, hate is the first sign of love.’
    Alexa’s stomach rolled. ‘I don’t hate him, I just don’t like him.’
    This discussion was getting old. Jenna had dropped it knowing Alexa would never change her mind about someone. Ric was hot, she couldn’t deny that. What woman wouldn’t notice? With a chest like his, Alexa was sure all he’d have to do was crook his finger and women would jump straight into his bed, waiting for further instructions.
    Not her. Alexa could see past the sexy exterior into the boring, arrogant, control-freak at the centre. Ric liked to be in charge, he expected to be obeyed and both were traits of her father. She shuddered, despite the warm sun shining from above. Getting involved with him wasn’t something she was willing to do. She’d even managed to forget her curiosity about the speedboat racing and the way he broke them out of the room.
    ‘Come on,’ Jenna said. ‘Let’s forget about the sexy hotel owner. There’s another sexy guy scoping Alexa out.’
    In a gay bar? Alexa turned to see the English rock star’s publicist, Daniel something, sitting a few