by Claire Adams
"Hey. There's the guy's red boat." Emily sat down next to me, forcing me to sit up and scoot over.
I blinked a few times and let out a yawn as I turned to see Brody in the boat with a pretty blonde in his lap.
"Is he..." I scrambled to my feet to try to get a better view of him. Was he making out with the girl? No, surely not. "Move closer."
"What? Why?" Cindy stood up and turned toward the island. "Oh, shit."
"Move closer to their boat,” I barked and moved to the edge of our boat, standing on railing. I had to extend my arms to keep my balance, and though I probably looked like a dork, I could not have cared less. I needed to see if he had already moved onto his next victim. Where it would hurt like crazy, it would be a good thing, too. It would force me to abandon the what-if game playing in my head.
We got close enough for me to see the blonde in his lap, and they were laughing, but not making out from what I could tell. Obviously, I'd missed that part. He glanced my way and his eyes widened.
"Good day for boating." I smiled and tilted my head to the side.
He stood, almost dropping the poor tramp on the floor. "Hey. Cora. How are you?"
"I've never been better. Where is the rest of the group? We were thinking about skinny dipping tonight." I pulled my glasses off my face and kept my expression friendly. "I see you're busy, but can you give them the message? We just wanted to have a bit of risqué fun before the big event on Monday night."
"Skinny dipping?" The girl beside him moved up to his side and put her arm around him. "I wanna go."
He ignored her. "I'll be there. We'll all be there. What time?"
"Around ten? Bring your friend, too." I waved at her. "I'm Cora. Brody's little sister."
His expression turned sour as he shook his head. "Alright. Keep it up."
"Seems you have no problem keeping it up yourself." I chuckled as if we were old friends. "See you later, playboy."
I turned and dropped down into the seat beneath me as my heart contracted painfully.
"What the fuck was that?" Dedra turned to me, whispering roughly.
"I don't know." I shrugged. "But you guys have to go skinny dipping now."
"So do you." Emily pressed her arms to her legs as she leaned toward me. "And, you know he's coming now."
"No, he's not." I glanced up at her. "And no, I don't. I'm not going anywhere near him."
"Then, he wins." Cindy pulled off her hat and started the boat.
"Fuck. Fine." I glanced back over my shoulder to watch him watching me intently. "He's not winning. I'll go."
"Of course, you'll go." Dedra patted my leg. "It was your damn idea, anyway. Crazy girl."
Chapter 20
Brody
Skinny dipping? Shit.
"So, what time are we meeting up with your sister tonight?" Veronica squeezed my middle as she held on tightly to me.
"I'll let you know later." I unwrapped her arms from me and took her hand. "Come on, let's get you off the boat and let me go find my friends. I'm sure I'm going to get an ass-chewing for not being there when the game started."
"Sounds good. I can play if you guys need me to." She gave me a warm smile as my stomach sank. I didn't want her touching me, or hanging around me, or anything. I wanted Cora. I'd wanted Cora since first laying eyes on her. Just the thought of pressing my lips to hers drove me toward need like I couldn't remember experiencing before.
Why though? What was it about her? Was she really so different than every other girl I'd tried to get in bed? Was I trying to get her in bed? If so, I'd fucked that up royally a few days back.
"Come on. We'll see if they need extra players." I pulled out my phone and wrapped my other arm around me to ensure that Veronica wouldn't grab it. We weren't together, nor would we be. I had no doubt that Cora would have assumed that I was trying to seduce the girl beside me, but it was just another strike in my corner.
I texted the guys to let them know that I was headed their way and that they needed to help me get rid of my new tag-along.
"Veronica?" a girl called out and waved wildly.
"Tanya?" She turned to me. "Oh my God. Come meet my old friend from high school."
"No, you go ahead. I'll see you in a little bit." I smiled, grateful for the chance to slip away without hurting her feelings.
Since when the fuck do I care about anyone's feelings?
"Oh-okay. Or just wait here and I'll be right back." She left me there as if I was going to wait for her return.
"Right," I mumbled and walked toward the volleyball courts. The guys were knee deep in a game with another group of guys, but called me in the minute I walked up. I dropped my phone into my back pocket and moved onto the make-shift court.
"We're going skinny-dipping with the girls tonight. About time we got to see some tit. Jeez. How long have you guys been working this group? A week?" I moved into place and ignored the looks I got.
"We are not going skinny-dipping." Clay glanced back at me. "Who told you that, or are you back to being your dickish self?"
"Well, there is that, but Cora and the girls came by the boat while I was dropping the anchor and shit."
"You mean while you were making out with that hot blonde?" Derek chuckled. "You're depravity knows no bounds, my friend."
"Right. Fuck you, too." I winked at him and turned to spike the ball. "We're meeting them at 10. One of you in a committed relationship can text and ask them where. I've yet to get the girl's number...remember?"
"First time for everything, right?" Daniel glanced back at me. "Stop mulling over seeing Cora naked and help us win this game."
"I'm not the one sporting a boner." I laughed as Daniel glanced down toward his shorts as if checking to see if he had an erection. The ball hit the side of his head and knocked him back.
"Dick." He looked over at me with a smirk on his mouth. "I'm going to get you for that."
"What? No fucking way. You've never threatened retaliation. Is this a new man I see coming into the light?" I could feel my emotions settling.
Cora wanted me.
Her request to go skinny-dipping was a bitch move. It was something I would have done if I wanted her attention. If I wanted to drag her out to the lake and then deny her. I had no clue what the night held for us, but I was all in. I owed her an apology regardless if things were going to go anywhere with us.
The tension between us had gone from hot and palpable to uncomfortable. Time to right at least that much.
*
"Did you grab the marshmallows?" Clay dropped down in the sand near the lake and worked on the fire Derek had started. It was just a small flame at that point, but we would have it roaring within a few minutes.
The girls had decided to meet us just after nine across the lake where not too many people went that late at night. We'd offered to pick them up in our boat, but they wanted to drive their own, so we grabbed the stuff that would be needed for a weenie roast and got our asses over there. Each of us seemed to want to make the night perfect for the others.
"Yeah." I bent over and pulled them out of the bag, wagging them around. "You alright?"
"Me?" Clay stood up and dusted his hands against his shorts. "Yeah, just a little concerned over how this night is going to go. Emily and I have been avoiding the discussion over you guys, and I'm sure it's coming."
"What?" I smirked, knowing exactly who he was talking about.
"Right." He turned to face me. "What's going on, anyway? Anything happen since the date night that went belly up thanks to you being a dick?"
"No, dude." I pressed my hands to my hips. "And, I wasn't being a dick. I was trying to be a good guy for the first time in my life. It worked out really well for me. See if I do that shit again."
"I really like this girl, Brody. I'd rather you not fuck it up for me." He walked past me, popping me in the stomach with his hand.
"What? That makes no sense, at all." I turned to follow him, tired of him acting like I was the only jackass in t
he house. "The only one that's going to fuck things up is you, when you pull out your miniature cock and scare her."
Clay turned and moved toward me aggressively. "She likes my cock, so you shut the fuck up."
"Whoa...what the hell?" Daniel moved in between us as Clay lifted his fist. I was almost looking forward to putting a hurting on him. It would have felt good for both of us to release some of the tension we had in our lives. Funny how it wasn't really related to the other and yet we were going to act like it was. We'd been doing the same song and dance our whole lives. It was one of the many reasons why we were best friends.
"What's up?" Derek jogged toward us as I backed up.
"Nothing. We're just tense." I turned to Clay. "Sorry, dude. I'm not going to fuck anything up, alright?"
"Wow." Daniel laughed. "Who are you, and where is our friend? What have you done with him?"
I smirked. "Maybe I'm growing up. Nawww...just not in the mood to explain to the girls why Clay is missing a tooth."
"Just be cool tonight, alright? Don't upset anyone. Can you do that?" Clay barked at me, still pissy over something, but I wasn't going to dig to find out what it was. He could figure that shit out on his own.
"Yep." I turned and walked back toward the fire as I rubbed my chest and watched the flames dance in front of me. I could be completely chill, or so I hoped.
The sound of another boat approaching caused my stomach to tighten as nervousness blasted through me. I glanced down the length of my body, brushing off the sand I'd gotten on me and making sure I looked as good as I could.
The girls’ laughter lifted in the air, and I could pick out the sound of Cora as if she were standing beside me. I turned to watch Derek help her out of the boat and couldn't help but groan. One week. It had been a little over one week, and I could feel myself changing. Why? And, how the fuck did I stop it?
Her eyes met mine, and a cocky smile lifted her lips. One stained my face, as well.
"Don't you look like you're up to something over here?" She walked toward me, and I was grateful that everyone else stayed near the boats for a few minutes. Her white dress looked amazing on her in the firelight, and with her hair down and playing along her shoulders, I could have sworn she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.
"I'm always up to something. I'm the black sheep, remember?" I gave her a cheeky grin.
"Where's your friend?" She glanced around as if she really had expected me to bring Veronica.
"I don't have many friends." I moved around the fire to stand beside her. "That girl just needed a ride to the island. Nothing more."
"Right." She glanced over and smiled at me, not showing a hint of jealousy or being upset. "And, the ride including sitting in the captain's lap?"
I lifted my eyebrow at her. "Don't all rides?"
"Not the ones I've been on." She chuckled, and I was surprised by her calmness. Was she upset over Veronica, or did my dealings with other women really not matter to her?
"You've been tricked." I licked at my lips as my pulse spiked. The smell of her perfume rolled over in as the breeze picked up. Vanilla. Clean. Delicious.
"Clearly." She smirked.
"You look good. Really good." I let my eyes run around her face, taking in the intensity in her warm brown eyes.
"Thanks." Her eyes moved down to my arm, and she turned, pressing her hands to my shoulder. "What's this tattoo mean? I meant to ask the last time we were together."
I pulled up the sleeve of my white shirt and glanced down at it. "It's a symbol of brotherhood. It's the sign my fraternity back at Arizona State uses."
"I like it." She brushed her fingers by it and smiled before stepping back and breathing in deeply. "It feels great out here tonight."
"Cora. About the other night." I turned as she lifted her hand.
"No. It's good. I came onto you and overstepped our friendship boundaries. It's okay. Really. It's better that we're just friends. Sleeping together and me breaking your heart after a good night of fucking would leave the rest of the summer a shitty mess." She smiled as if she were good—right as rain.
"You breaking my heart?" I reached out and took her hand before lifting it to my face and kissing her palm. "Actually...that's probably exactly what would have happened."
She pulled her hand back slowly. "Then we'll just have a good time acting like fools while the rest of our friends pretend to have found everlasting love."
I glanced over at the rest of the group who had split off into couples. Couples that looked happy. Thrilled, even.
"I didn't take you to bed because I wanted to be the good guy for once. That shit blew up in my face. It won't happen again." I licked at my lips and bent down, picking up the sticks for the weenie roast.
"You won't be the good guy with another woman?" She moved closer and pulled out the hot dogs.
"No, I won't be the good guy with you again if I get another chance." I pulled a few more things out of the bags before turning to glance up at her. "I just didn't want you to think I was another Brandon, or whatever dude's name was."
"But you are." She smirked and took a few sticks from me before walking toward our friends. "Get over here, you weenies, and claim your...weenie?"
I stood up, ignoring her comment and trying to figure out how the fuck I was going to get fully back into her good graces. My emotions were all over the place and I felt like I might need meds to keep myself on an even-kilter. The warring desire to grab her and force her to acknowledge that the tension between us was still very much there was almost overwhelming. I wanted to be the good guy, and yet... I wasn't sure I could.
"Claim your weenie? Sounds like a fun game we could play in the water later tonight." Dedra laughed as she walked up and took a stick from Cora. Her eyes moved toward me, and I gave her a smile.
"You look very pretty tonight, Dee." I walked around the fire and took a stick from Cora before offering everyone a hot dog and helping thread them onto the sticks for Cindy and Dee.
"You think so?" She turned around in a circle showing off her long legs and shapely arms.
"Absolutely. Do you play ball?" I asked and moved up next to Cora as we started to roast the hot dogs.
"I do. I'm captain of the team back at Arizona State." She smiled.
"No, you're not. How could I have missed that?" I lifted my eyebrow, trying to think through if I'd seen her before. I mostly stuck to the soccer fields with Clay, but I'd been to a few girls’ basketball games over the years.
"She looks a tad bit different with her hair back and all sweaty in her jersey." Cindy laughed and moved closer to Derek.
It was once again odd being the only one around the circle without a girl tucked up to my side. I was almost grateful that Daniel was too much of a puss to move closer to Dee. Otherwise it would have been incredibly uncomfortable.
"She's the best of the best." Cora pulled her stick back from the fire and blew on her hot dog.
"I like the way you blow on that weenie." I couldn't help myself.
Everyone chuckled, including her.
She glanced over at me and smirked. "Well, enjoy yourself. It's the only weenie you'll be seeing me blow."
The group laughed louder.
"Maybe. We'll see." I let my smile falter a little as the image of her on her knees in front of me blasted through me, promising to cripple me.
"You guys are too much." Clay shook his head. "Who wants to tell the first ghost story?"
"I think instead of ghost stories, we should tell stories on each other. I'll go first." Derek smiled and glanced over at me.
"Oh shit...why am I suddenly terrified?" I laughed as he continued.
"So a couple of years ago, Brody here decided that he wanted to try and steal the panties from the president of the Sigmas. It was a feat no man had yet taken on and come out victorious, but this bastard just knew he could do it."
"Hey...let's be fair now." Daniel cut in. "No man had done it before because Danielle didn't wear panties. Every
one knew that."
"Danielle Moore?" Cindy piped up. "I know her. We took a marketing class together."
"I thought you were going to be a chef?" Derek turned from the group and glanced down at Cindy.
"Keep going, please..." Cora begged.
I glanced over at her and let my eyes run down the length of her. She's everything I want in a woman.
She looked my way as her smile reached her eyes. "Did you get the panties?"
"Yep, but I didn't sleep with her." I winked and reached for her hand. "Come on, I'm not in the mood for stories."
"Awww, we're just getting started." Dedra called after us as I pulled Cora down to the water's edge with me.
She took another bite of her hot dog and tugged her hand from mine. "What exactly do you think you're doing? I wear panties, and you can't have mine."
"It's not your panties I want." I tossed my stick behind me. "First one naked and in the water is the winner. You ready?"
"No, I'm not playing your stupid game." She shrugged and took another bite of her hot dog, watching me with a false sense of disinterest.
"Fine, but the winner gets to pick." I reached down and tugged my shirt out of my shorts.
"Pick what?" She reached out and gripped my hand to stop me from taking off my shirt.
"Pick the inevitable. You know...which position we fuck in first." I moved back and pulled my shirt over my head, half expecting her to scoff at me. She had her shirt over her head and was headed toward the water before I could blink twice.
Good. At least I'd validated the one thing I needed to know most: she still wanted me.
Chapter 21
Cora
Damn him. I hated more than anything to lose a battle, and even though my actions would solidify the fact that I knew we were eventually going to end up in bed together, I was tired of moping. I was ballsy and controlling and got what the fuck I wanted out of life, too. He wasn't the only one with game.
Laughter bubbled up out of me as I ripped my top off and stopped at the edge of the water to tug my bottoms down. I glanced back to see him standing there stark naked with his eyes wide.