Page 7 of Blame It on the Bikini (Ocean Shores #4)

The hostess motioned to a young man who took them through the restaurant and out another door onto a covered deck that was cozy and warm but also offered a spectacular view of the ocean. They'd barely sat down when a dark-haired, dark-eyed man wearing a chef's coat came over to the table.

"Hi, Lex," he said, then turned his gaze to him. "Mr. Holt. I'm Gabe Herrera. My fiancée, Madison, and I live right next door to you in 12B."

"Nice to meet you."

"I'm glad Lexie brought you in. If you don't mind, I'd love to treat you both to some special dishes we're making tonight. Of course, you can also pick from the menu, if you'd prefer that."

He wasn't usually that into surprises. He preferred to order what he wanted. He liked predictability, but judging by the expressions on both their faces, that was clearly not the correct answer. "Sure," he said. "I'd love to eat whatever you choose to serve."

"Great. Any allergies or dislikes?"

"Nope."

"That makes it easy," Gabe said, picking up their menus. "Madison will be out in a while to say hello. And the waiter will take your drink orders shortly."

"I love the view from here," Lexie said as Gabe left them alone. "It's too bad the sun has already set, but we still have a painted sky."

The sky was a mix of fading orange, pink, and purple, casting a glow over the water. "I'm surprised you're not taking a photograph," he said, looking back at her.

"I've taken a million shots of the sunrises and sunsets around here. I don't need more."

"Do you sell your photographs or show them somewhere?"

"I've been talking to a gallery in town about a show, but I don't have quite the collection I want yet."

"What are you waiting for?"

She frowned, bristling a little at his question. "I'm not waiting for anything. I've just been busy. I have a lot of jobs right now, and I help my aunt at Ocean Shores, and it's just…busy." She picked up her water glass and took a sip.

"Okay."

Judging by the spark of fire in her eyes, she didn't like that comment any more than she'd liked his question.

"I will have a show," she said firmly. "But I'm not going to do it half-assed. I want it to be perfect, the best it can be."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" he challenged.

"I don't have to convince you of anything."

"You don't. But it feels like there's something stopping you besides time."

A frown turned down her mouth. Then she said, "I want to show photographs that are different, that make people think, that create emotion and feeling. It's important to me to put out something great, not just good enough. And I don't have enough photographs that fit that description."

The passion in her voice told him far more than her words. She had bigger ambitions than he'd realized, and she also didn't like to fail. "Then you're smart to wait until you have exactly what you want."

"I think so. And I appreciate you saying that, even though you probably don't think much of my business acumen in turning down a great opportunity like this."

"I don't know enough about your acumen to make an assessment," he said with a light smile.

She reluctantly smiled back. "And we're not going to get into that tonight." She paused as the waiter delivered a very expensive bottle of wine to their table. "Gabe is pulling out all the stops."

"The chefs insist that this will complement the meal," the waiter said. "Do you want to taste it first?"

"No, please just pour," she said. "I trust Madison and Gabe."

The waiter filled their glasses and told them their appetizer would be out shortly.

"This is good," he said, taking a sip of the merlot. "Your friends are very generous. They must like you a lot."

"I think this is about impressing you."

"To save the building," he said with a nod. "I'm very aware of the ground game, Lexie, and I know you won't believe me when I tell you that this isn't personal, but it really isn't. I'm not trying to hurt anyone."

"But that would be the result," she argued.

"Life is about change. Sometimes moving on is a good thing. A different location can give you a different perspective." He frowned as he finished speaking.

"See, even you couldn't get through that with a straight face," she said, giving him a pointed look.

"Actually, I was just thinking that I was repeating someone else's words."

"Whose?" she asked curiously.

"My mother. Funny, it's usually my dad's voice that rings through my head, but that was all her. Every time we moved, and I complained, she pointed out all the positives."

"Did you believe her?"

He met her gaze. "No. But she wasn't always wrong."

"Always?" she echoed. "But sometimes?"

"Sometimes," he admitted. He shook his head in bemusement. "I never really thought her words would come out of my mouth." He took a long sip of wine.

"That has happened a few times to me, too," she said with a laugh. "It shocks me every time, and I don't like it at all."

"I'll drink to that," he said, raising his glass.

She picked up her glass and clinked it against his. "Cheers." As she set her glass down, the waiter appeared with their appetizer.

"You have three perfectly seared scallops perched on a bed of silky corn purée and roasted poblano chili with a citrus beurre blanc and a blue corn tuile. Enjoy," the waiter said.

As the man left, he said, "I didn't get all that, but it sounds impressive."

"It tastes even better. Gabe created it a few weeks ago. I've already had it once, and it's unforgettable."

He felt a little guilty that her friends were going all out for him when he wasn't going to base his decision on one incredible meal. "Maybe you should tell your friends that they don't need to try—" he began.

Lexie cut him off with a shake of her head. "Just enjoy. There aren't any strings."

"In my experience, everything comes with strings."

"That used to be my experience, too, when I was surrounded by lawyers and other sharks, but not anymore. The people at Ocean Shores are good people, and all Madison and Gabe want is for you to enjoy their food. So, let's do that, because I'm starving, and it's been a long day."

He relaxed at her words. "That sounds good to me."

A relaxed Grayson Holt was even more attractive, Lexie couldn't help thinking as she half listened to a story he was telling about his encounter with a stubborn sheep on a lonely road in Ireland.

"How did you finally get it to move?" she asked.

A gleam entered his eyes. "I whispered something in her ear."

"Really?" She definitely liked this more lighthearted side of him. "What did you whisper?"

"It's between me and her."

"Sweet, lying promises," she suggested.

"Sweet but not lying. I told her that I'd walk with her and find her a better spot to graze, so I walked down the road, and she followed. Eventually, I moved her onto the grass, and my driver picked me up."

The image of him walking a sheep down the road made her smile. "I have to admit, I'm surprised by your level of patience. I wouldn't have thought you had that in you."

"She was a test of my patience because she kept stopping, and I had to keep telling her we needed to go."

"In the end, you got what you wanted."

"I usually do," he admitted.

That reminder drove the smile from her face, but she didn't say that he wasn't going to get his way this time because that would make him try harder to prove her wrong. Instead, she'd take a page from his book and walk him a little farther down the road. That thought put the smile back on her lips.

Grayson gave her an inquisitive look. "What are you thinking?"

"That I wish I could have photographed you and that sheep on that lonely road in Ireland. Did anyone take a photo?"

"No. I'm not someone who immortalizes my every moment with a picture."

"Too bad. Because that would have been a moment worth capturing." She picked up her wineglass and took a sip.

"I hope you didn't take that as an insult," he said quickly. "I wasn't talking about you as a professional photographer; I was thinking about one of the women I used to see who only ordered food she could photograph, and half the time she didn't even like it. It made no sense to me."

"I'm not interested in food photography, either. Although that appetizer we just ate was definitely worth a post on social media, and I did take a photo of it the first time I ate it because I want people to see how good the food is here."

"I would have made an exception for that, too," he conceded. "It was ridiculously good, and I can't wait to see what we're getting next."

"It will be spectacular. Neither Madison nor Gabe believes in mediocrity, not when it comes to food. And even though they're on the same team now, they push each other to be better."

"I like their commitment to excellence. Too many people settle for average or good enough."

As Grayson finished talking, two waiters delivered their meals, with Madison arriving at the table, her face flushed, and her blonde hair pulled back from her face.

"Lexie, I'm so glad you brought Mr. Holt here. I'm Madison Baldwin."

"Nice to meet you," he said. "And I'm very impressed with the food."

"The appetizer was all Gabe. This course is mine," she said with a proud smile.

"I hope you like fish. I've prepared a pan-roasted halibut on a saffron-infused risotto with fresh sweet crab and grilled asparagus, with a dusting of smoky ancho chili salt.

The fish was caught this morning, so it's about as fresh as it can be. "

"I can't wait," he said.

"Please, eat," she said with a wave of her hand. "And let your waiter know if you need anything else."

As Madison left, they both dug in and spent the next several minutes eating in comfortable silence.

She hadn't had this particular dish before, and she loved the creaminess of the risotto with the salty pop of crab and melt-in-your-mouth fresh halibut.

She wanted to ask Grayson what he thought, but there was no need because he was eating with genuine enthusiasm.

Everything was absolutely perfect: the incredible food, the amazing view, and the interesting man sitting across from her. The hectic mania of the wedding had completely disappeared from her mind, and she couldn't help wishing that more of her days ended like this.

Grayson didn't say a word until he had cleaned his plate. Then he leaned back and gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

"For what?" she asked curiously.

"Not talking for the last twenty minutes."

"That was just a testament to the food, and, clearly, I was right there with you." She finished her last bite and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "That was excellent."

"Your friends are very talented. I can see why this place is packed."

"It's getting more popular every day, but I think they still have some nights that are slower than they would like. According to them, that's the restaurant business."

"One of the toughest businesses," he said. "My father invested in several restaurants, but only one of the three is still open. The other two didn't last more than a year. So, we don't invest in restaurants anymore."

"What if you tasted something amazing and the restaurant needed financial help? You wouldn't be tempted to invest?"

"Great food is one thing. What matters most is the bottom line."

She frowned at that reminder. "Do you ever stop thinking about the bottom line? You can't measure the value of everything by dollars and cents."

"You can, from an investment standpoint. And I thought we weren't talking about business tonight."

"You're right." She reminded herself she was supposed to be walking her sheep down the road, not yelling at it to do the right thing.

Before either of them could speak again, the waiter cleared their plates, and Gabe returned with dessert, setting it down between them. A molten chocolate cake, its shell just firm enough to hold in the lava of ganache, was paired with a scoop of coconut gelato topped with candied pepitas.

She broke into it with her spoon, the chocolate flowing out like a secret, and she took a sweet bite, thinking this might be the best thing yet.

"Oh, my God," she murmured.

"Oh, my God!" he echoed, meeting her gaze with a look of bemusement in his dark-brown eyes. "I didn't think they could top themselves, but they did."

"I agree. And I know this restaurant will be a long-term success."

"I don't doubt it," he said.

"I just hope Madison and Gabe won't be homeless at some point while they're sinking all their money into this place," she couldn't help adding.

Grayson shook his head. "And you just asked me if I ever stop…"

"Just giving you something to think about."

"Sorry, I can't think about anything except how good this is."

It wasn't what she wanted to hear, but it was enough for now.