"What a beautiful song," she said, her voice catching.
"You don't know it?" he asked, clearly surprised. When she shook her head, he said, "River by Joni Mitchell. One of the all-time greats."
"I can see why."
"You're so beautiful, Alexis," he told her, sliding onto the couch beside her. "It isn't fair to all the other girls."
"Tyler," she said by way of objection. Her flaming cheeks didn't escape his notice.
"I won't bite," Tyler said. "Unless you want me to," he added with a sly grin.
Boy, did he want to. He wanted to bite and lick and nibble every inch of her.
He still smelled like freshly cut grass and Alexis resisted the temptation to caress his chest. "First blindfolds, now biting. Whatever next, Tyler Barnes?"
Tyler kissed her forehead gingerly before standing up. "Okay, have it your way. Since everything's packed and ready, we'd better go because if I sit on this couch with you one more minute, I might not be able to control myself."
Alexis exhaled deeply before lifting herself off the couch. She understood the sentiment all too well.
Verde Beach was an isolated spot on the north end of the island that was popular with fishermen. Thanks to conservation laws, the north end remained relatively unspoiled and spotting wildlife was pretty much a guarantee. Algae were commonplace in the shallow part of the water, which was how the beach originally got its name.
They towed Tyler's yellow dinghy behind the golf cart and made the twentyminute trek to the beach.
"Are there still eagles here?" Alexis asked as they approached the beach.
"This time of year, especially. When it gets too cold up north, they nest here. One of the most amazing sights on the island. They're partial to those tall pine trees over there," he told her, gesturing toward a cluster of trees. "I brought binoculars in case they decide to make an appearance."
Alexis was impressed with Tyler's planning. He came fully prepared with a blanket and a backpack crammed with food, bottles of water, binoculars, and a change of clothes in case they got wet.
As Tyler rolled out the dinghy and set to work, Alexis took time to admire the surroundings. Verde Beach was so different from other beaches on the island, it seemed to belong someplace else entirely.
"Shouldn't we have gone out early if we want to see fish?" she asked.
"We haven't come to see fish."
"Oh." Alexis's interest was piqued.
"Are you hungry?" he asked. "I packed plenty of food. I thought we could have a picnic on the beach."
"What's the dinghy for then?" she asked.