PROLOGUE

LUKE

I always knew the day would come when I would face the inevitable. I would find myself in the presence of the one woman I want beyond all reason. The one who would make me want to give up my bachelor ways and settle down into a blissful family life. If I'm honest I've been waiting for her. I just never imagined it would be my best friend's daughter.

She's too young, too innocent, and Cameron's sure to murder me if he even sees me looking at her with desire. But fuck me, she is gorgeous. The last time I saw her she was just out of high school. Cameron had guilted me into attending her graduation party and I saw her in passing. She'd been eighteen and ready to get away from her overbearing dad. I can remember thinking she was pretty that night, but she didn't affect me like now. It's been four years and once again we are celebrating her graduation. The party full of teenagers is now a cocktail party at an upscale restaurant with champagne flowing.

Natalie moves from group to group with the grace of a ballet dancer. She's tall, especially in the sexy silver heels she's wearing. Her blonde curls are confined in some bun thing and she's wearing her black-rimmed glasses. I've never had a librarian fantasy, but I'm seeing the appeal now.

I'm startled out of my thoughts when a voice to my left says, "She's amazing, isn't she? So much like her mother."

Cameron, my best friend for the last ten years, stands beside me proudly watching his daughter as she heads our way. When we met, his wife had just passed away and he was the single father of a young teenager he didn't know how to handle. I know he still misses his wife, but mostly in moments like this when he wishes she was here for Natalie.

"I need a favor, Luke." Cameron smiles in his daughter's direction, but the smile drops when he turns to face me.

"What's up? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. Are you traveling this summer or staying in Love Beach?"

"I'm staying in Love Beach. I haven't lived there since I bought the house. I'm hosting the family at Christmas this year, so I thought I would move in this summer and work on the house." I love my house in South Carolina. It was one of the first major purchases I made after selling my company, but I've never really moved in and am ready to put down roots.

"I was hoping you would say that." Cameron looks guilty as he continues. "I need to be out of the country for part of the summer. I'm hoping Natalie can come to stay with you."

Stay with me? That's a very bad idea. "Why would she need to stay with anyone, buddy? She's twenty-one? Twenty-two? A college graduate. I think she can stay home by herself for the summer."

Cameron rolls his eyes. "Of course she can, you idiot. I know I still think of her as my little girl, but I'm not that bad. She wants to continue a project she was working on at school. It has to do with weather patterns and beaches and who knows what else. I was going to rent a house in Love Beach, but now I can't. I thought about renting her a place, but if she can stay with you that would be perfect."

Natalie at my house for the summer? Cameron would punch me in the face if he knew the thoughts running through my head. "I would love to have her for the summer." What else can I say? Sorry, your daughter can stay with me. I'm afraid I'll fuck her on every available surface.

Then she's there, standing in front of me. "Hi, Dad. Hi, Luke." A blush spreads across her freckled cheeks. I want nothing more than to pull her into my arms and kiss the hell out of her. What the fuck is happening here?

"Hello, Natalie. Congratulations." I lean toward her and place a chaste kiss on her cheek, inhaling her sweet peachy smell. My heart beats rapidly, no one has ever affected me this way. "I hear you're coming to Love Beach for the summer?"

She looks at her dad and nods. "That was the plan, but Dad has to go out of the country for some work thing. I'll have to find a place closer to home to work on my project."

"You can stay with me." I offer, knowing it's a bad idea, but unable to stop. I want her with me. In the space of seconds, I've made a decision. Natalie is meant to be mine and I'll have the summer to convince her and figure out a way to explain to my best friend that I'm the man for his daughter.

* * *

NATALIE

Stay with him? It's not a completely strange offer. He's my dad's friend and has an enormous house. We probably wouldn't even run into each other. On the other hand, I've been in love with him since I was a teenager and I'm not sure I can handle a whole summer of him not seeing me as an adult.

"You don't have to do that, Luke. I can stay home and drive to the beach on weekends. I don't need a lot of information from the actual source." That's not exactly true, but what my dad and Luke don't know won't hurt me.

"C'mon, Nat. You know Luke wouldn't have offered if he didn't mean it. Plus, I will feel better knowing you'll be with someone who can keep you safe and out of trouble."

Luke hasn't said anything else, but when I look at him it's like he's asking me to say yes. Which is most definitely my overactive imagination. Then he gives me a small nod like he's giving me permission to say yes. Why is that hot? "Okay, Dad." I fully face Luke, feeling my fair skin overheating, "I guess you have a roommate for the summer."

A smile breaks out across his face and my knees feel a little weak. Luke Ashford is one of the sexiest men I've ever seen.

I first met him when he and my dad became friends through work. Luke is younger than my dad, but still thirteen years older than me. My best friend, Brooke, calls him Beard Daddy. Threads of silver can be found in his hair and beard, but his body looks better than most of the college guys I've seen shirtless.

He retired at thirty-three and has spent the last two years traveling and enjoying everything he missed while building his company. Instagram has been my best friend and thank goodness he's not too cool to keep his family and friends updated.

I've never heard about him having a relationship, but that's not exactly something my dad would talk to me about. I can't imagine someone like Luke wouldn't have had lots of women. Maybe he has a girlfriend now. What if she lives with him and I have to watch them together all summer? I don't think I can do that. I know there is little chance of Luke thinking of me romantically, but I don't want his love for someone else rubbed in my face.

"Um, will there be anyone else there?" I ask Luke.

Confusion followed by a grin crosses his face. "No, no one else with be with us. It will just be you and me. Alone."

Huh.

We stare at each other, the tension between us something I've never felt before when my dad breaks in. "I'm going to let you two make plans and get ready to make my speech." He kisses my forehead as he passes, and I fight to not roll my eyes like a teenager.

"He's very proud of you." Luke steps closer to me, so close I can feel the heat coming off his body. I almost sway toward him so I can feel our bodies touch but catch myself and stop.

"I know, but sometimes…" I don't want to finish that thought, but Luke is looking at me expectantly. "…he still treats me like a kid."

Luke slowly lets his eyes drift down my body and then back up to my face. "There is nothing childlike about you, honey."

"Um, thank you?" I stand there, unable to move away as my dad begins his speech. I want so badly to ask Luke what he meant, but his attention is now on the front of the room. Slowly, I turn and face my dad and try to listen. There's movement out of the corner of my eye and I can feel Luke's gaze on me, but I don't look back over at him.

It's going to be a very long summer.