"I'm busy."

"Working yourself to death for that piece of land."

"Because I want a home. A real home. On that cove."

"I understand. And I'll let you know the instant the owner is interested in selling. But in the meantime you have got to loosen up."

As much as Lexie hated to admit it, Darla had a point. "I guess I have been sort of tense lately."

"Sort of tense?" Darla shook her head and made tsking noises. "You're a volcano on the verge of eruption. If I looked up 'tense' in the dictionary, your picture would be right there. You need stress relief like no one I've ever met before. And believe me, the best stress reliever in the world is sex. Why do you think I'm always so relaxed?"

"I thought it was all that time you spent in the spa with my discount."

Darla laughed. "Facials and massages are great, but sex is better. Trust me. A couple of bouts of steamy sex and you'll be a new woman. Good Lord, your body must be literally starved from all this celibacy. You are primed for a fling."

Lexie sighed. "Maybe. But I don't want a serious relationship."

Darla wrinkled her small nose. "Of course you don't. Relationships are highly overrated, as you and I both well know. I'm talking strictly a fling. No-strings-attached sex to get you out of your rut. Fling rules apply."

"And what are those?"

"There's only three." She released Lexie's hands and counted the rules off on her fingers. "It has to be fun, wild and temporary. Think you can handle that?"

Fun, wild. She hadn't done anything like that in a long time. And temporary? She'd never done that-at least not in a premeditated fashion. It sounded… intriguing. And exciting in a way that had her hibernating hormones peeking open their eyelids.

"You know what, Darla? I think I can handle that."

Darla's smile lit up her heart-shaped face. "Excellent. Now all we have to do is find the right man."