“Adding a little intrigue?” she called.
“Yes.” He stared out at the gentle waves and mentally composed the note he would send to Lucy.
Good Morning, Naughty in Pink,
You’re beautiful. I want to know more about you.
His brow furrowed. I want to know more about you? That sounded lame. He mentally deleted the first two lines.
Dear Naughty in Pink,
You said you would match me risk for risk. I dare you to meet me for a walk on the beach. Sunrise or sunset—your choice.
Your daring suitor,
Philip
He grinned. That was a helluva lot better than a dick pic on a Sunday morning.
Chapter 10
“Stop pacing.” Nicole’s voice filled the kitchen and slipped down the hall to where Lucy balanced on one foot as she adjusted her left heel. “Your sister will be down in a minute. Have a drink while you wait.”
“Is that an order?” Finn’s deep baritone demanded.
“A what?” Nicole asked.
Lucy paused in the hallway. Her friend sounded flustered. Or maybe the late night, followed by a long morning princess party, was wearing on her.
“I’m ready.” Lucy carefully walked into the kitchen on the black, open-toed stilettos that had looked better on the shelf than they felt on her feet.
Finn turned to her. His thumbs were hooked into his pockets. He leaned back against the counter—the picture-perfect, calm businessman. But she recognized the tension in her brother’s jaw. Still, the classic tuxedo was undeniably elegant on his tall, broad frame.
“Nice dress.” Finn inclined his head in her direction.
“Same L.B.D. I wear to every charity event that you drag me to,” Lucy said. “You should think about finding a real date. Emma could write up a profile for you.”
He snorted. “So I can hide from strange women in the kitchen of my own damn restaurant? Nah, sounds like a waste of time.”
“I’m not taking my next date to The Taco Bar.” Lucy moved around the kitchen filling her clutch with a spare lipstick, a few dollars from their cash jar, and a pack of tissues.
“What makes this one so special?” Finn demanded.
“Arm porn.” Nicole raised her hand to her mouth and issued a fake cough to cover the words.
“You’re watching porn now, Luc?” He cast a sidelong glance at Nicole. “I’ll take you up on that drink offer now.”
Nicole marched to the pantry and pulled out a mixed berry pouch. She tossed it across the kitchen to Finn.
He caught it and peeled off the straw. “Thanks.” He stabbed it into the top of the box. “I didn’t realize arm porn was a thing.”
“Shut up, Finn.” Lucy snapped her purse closed. “I’ll drive. You can drink that in the car.”
Her brother shook his head. “Open container laws.”
“Finn, it’s a freaking—”
“Where are you taking the guy with the great arms?” he asked. “I thought we had a deal. You could date the nut jobs that you met online as long as you went to The Taco Bar and Minny kept an eye out for you.”