He takes my hands and places them on his waist, keeping his hands over mine. I swallow the lump in my throat, trying - and failing - not to focus on the fact that I'm touching his slim, svelte body. "We need to work on your hips, Belle. You're way too stiff."

"My hips are as loose as they're going to get."

"We'll see about that."

I give him a disbelieving stare, but it doesn't seem to faze him.

"The sand is uneven, and that makes it easy to ...