While We Waited (Smuggler’s Hideaway #3)

Chapter 8

Bikini – an excuse for Hudson to lose his mind

Nova

“T his is going to be fun,” Chloe says as Sophia parks at the lagoon.

“I don’t know about this. We have to wear mermaid tails?” Maya shivers. “I don’t want anyone to see me in one.”

We’re at the first annual Mermaid Lagoon Race . I don’t know who keeps coming up with fun stuff for tourists to do, but they’re a genius. Last month there was a Bootlegger Escape Room . It was a ball. Or, rather, what I remember of it was. It involved way too many shots of moonshine.

I’m certain the Mermaid Lagoon Race will be as much fun if not more. Especially since there’s no drinking involved. Moonshine hangovers are the worst.

I wrap an arm around Maya’s shoulders. “You’ll look sexy.”

Chloe waggles her eyebrows. “We’ll all look sexy.”

Paisley studies Chloe. “You’re different since you’ve fallen in love with your husband.”

I knew Lucas couldn’t resist Chloe. Not only is she beautiful but she’s fiercely loyal. When she went all mama bear to protect Lucas’s daughter, Natalia, Lucas fell hard and fast.

Maya sighs. “She has her happy ending.”

“Yep.” Chloe grins. “And I’m not even going to make fun of Maya for being a hopeless romantic.”

“She’s really in love,” Maya whispers.

“And married.” Sophia points to Chloe’s wedding ring.

Chloe throws her arm around Sophia. “Don’t you worry. Flynn will propose.”

We exit the car and make our way to the check in for the Mermaid Lagoon Race .

“Hey, Sloane,” I greet. Sloane is a bartender at the Bootlegger bar. She also does a lot of odd jobs around Smuggler’s Hideaway.

“Oh boy. The troublemakers are here,” she mutters.

I beam at her. “We’re not always troublemakers.”

“Are you forgetting about the time you broke into the manager’s office at the bar? I found you there in the morning fast asleep.”

I wrinkle my nose. “It was a dare.”

She chuckles. “At least you were dressed unlike this one.” She motions to Chloe who shrugs.

“Nothing wrong with nudity.”

“Disagree,” Maya mutters.

Chloe elbows her. “Don’t be shy. You have a banging body. I’d kill for all those curves.”

“No body shaming,” I order and Chloe holds up her hands before backing away muttering sorry.

Sloane hands us each a number. “Pin these to your swimming suits.” She points to a table. “You can get your mermaid tails there. The first event is the synchronized swimming competition.”

“Synchronized swimming as in music plays and we do tricks the way they do in the Olympics?” Sophia asks.

Sloane groans. “I don’t want to think of what act the lot of you would come up with. Probably some stripper song.”

“I was thinking more I’m too sexy ,” Sophia says.

“Anyway.” Sloane clears her throat. “The synchronized swimming competition is actually a race. Two mermaids have their hands tied together and swim across the lagoon.”

“Chloe should do this event. She has some experience with being tied up.” Sophia winks.

Chloe gasps. “How do you know?”

“My big brother’s a cop. I can recognize handcuff chafe anywhere.”

“This is why no one wanted the five of you on the cheerleading team,” Sloane says.

“Hey! I’m offended. The lead cheerleader asked me to try out.” I’m not lying. The only reason she asked was because my mom had died but still. She asked.

Sloane lifts an eyebrow. “And how did that work out for you?”

“I tripped. It happens.”

“Except you tripped and literally caused the entire row of cheerleaders to fall down,” Paisley says. “I believe one girl broke her wrist.”

“Shall we get our mermaid tails?” I don’t need to be reminded of how embarrassing my try-out was. Although, banning me from cheerleading for life was a bit over the top.

I herd everyone to the booth set up with all shapes and sizes of mermaid tails. Despite living in Smuggler’s Hideaway – where believing in mermaids is the norm – my entire life, I’ve never seen this many mermaid tails gathered in one place.

“They’re pretty,” Maya murmurs as she trails her finger along the display.

“Come on,” Sophia orders. “Pick out a mermaid tail and get changed. We don’t want to miss the first event.”

Paisley pushes her glasses up her nose. “Chloe and Nova should participate in the race. Nova’s the best swimmer and Chloe’s the best athlete.”

I don’t argue since Paisley’s right.

Chloe picks out a blue tail with fish scales on it while I choose a rainbow one. We sit on a bench to put our tails on. Chloe’s quicker than me. She’s tall and slim. The perfect body for a mermaid.

“I think I found my Halloween costume,” Chloe says as she hops to her feet.

“How are you going to trick or treat with a tail on?” I ask.

“I can hop.” She proceeds to hop all the way to the starting line of the race. Paisley wasn’t kidding when she said Chloe is the most athletic of us.

Meanwhile, I can’t stand. I hold out my arms. “Someone help me up.”

Paisley and Maya help me to stand. Sophia’s eyes widen when I’m upright. “Too bad Hudson isn’t here. He couldn’t resist you if he saw you in this outfit. I think I have boob-envy.”

I feel my cheeks heat. Hudson did enjoy playing with my breasts the night we spent together. I shiver as I recall his mouth on me giving me pleasure. For a man who hates me, he sure knows how to give a girl an orgasm.

“Hudson is not interested in me.” Truth. “And I’m not interested in him.” Lie. Embarrassing but true. I want the man who can’t stand me.

Maya snorts. “Sure, you aren’t.”

“Nova, hurry up!” Chloe hollers from where she’s already standing at the starting line, twirling a rope in her hands.

I try following her but my breasts bounce and nearly escape my bikini top. I never should have let my friends talk me into wearing a bikini. I should have worn my one-piece racing swimsuit. At least it has a bit of support for my breasts.

“There’s no way I can hop over there.”

Paisley studies me as she circles me. “We should have brought a cart dolly.”

I’m not offended. She doesn’t mean anything personal with her comment. She’s merely computing the easiest way to get me to the starting line in her big brain.

“I’ll help.” Maya circles my waist with her arm and steadies me as I begin hopping to the starting line.

“We are totally gonna win this,” Chloe says when we reach her.

I giggle. “My performance thus far is less than inspiring.”

“Once you’re in the water you’ll be fine.” She attaches the rope to my right arm before attaching the other end to her left arm.

The rope is about two feet long and stretches.

“You better not drown me.”

“Don’t worry. My handsome husband will save us.” She nods to where the police and paramedics are gathered. Lucas notices her and she waves. He shakes his head in response.

“Where’s Natalia?”

“She’s at the beach with her friends since the Mermaid Lagoon Races are strictly adult.”

“Contestants enter the water!” Sloane yells over a megaphone.

We grasp hands and make our way into the water. Chloe is more graceful than me. But then again, she always appears more graceful. I blame her long, lean body.

“On your mark, get set, swim like a mermaid.”

I dive into the water with Chloe beside me. I swim as fast as I can while tied to another human being and wearing a mermaid tail. Although, the tail helps. Huh. Maybe I should buy one of these.

“Go Chloe! Go Nova!”

I glance to the right at the cheering and notice Sophia has pompoms she’s using to cheer us on. Why am I not surprised she has pompoms? Maya and Paisley don’t have any but they’re cheering as well.

“Almost there,” Chloe says and I return my attention to the swim.

The finish line is close. I push my legs a bit harder and Chloe falls behind. The rope pulls tight but I keep going. I can drag her if I need to. She doesn’t weigh anything.

We cross the finish line and cheers erupt. We did it. We won.

Sophia, Maya, and Paisley rush into the water toward us.

“You did it!” Sophia shouts.

I lay on my back as I struggle to catch my breath while Paisley unties us.

Someone grabs me under my arms and hauls me out of the water. “What’s going on?”

Hudson carries me to a bench and sets me down. “I wasn’t going to watch you drown.”

“I wasn’t drowning. I was catching my breath. In case you missed it, I’m an awesome swimmer.”

His gaze rakes my body and he scowls. It’s obvious he regrets having sex with me while the night we spent together was the best sex in my life.

I need to stop obsessing about the sexy former football player. I need to let him go.

“What are you wearing?”

My brow wrinkles. “A mermaid tail. You can hardly participate in a mermaid race without a mermaid tale.”

“You couldn’t have worn a one-piece,” he grumbles before whipping his t-shirt off. I did not exaggerate how muscular his chest is. I fist my hands before I reach out to touch him. To caress his skin. To feel how warm it is. To watch as his muscles ripple in response to my touch.

“Arms up.”

At his order, I force my gaze away from his chest. “Why?”

“Arms up.”

I’m ashamed to say it but my body doesn’t hesitate to follow his orders. I’d probably jump off the cliff at Mermaid Mystical Gardens if he asked me to.

He puts his t-shirt on me. “Much better.”

His t-shirt goes nearly to my knees. “I can’t swim in this. I’ll drown.”

He grunts. “Good.”

I rear back. “You want me to drown?”

“I want you to stay out of the lagoon.”

“You really don’t understand the concept of Mermaid Lagoon Races .”

“Nova!” Chloe yells. “It’s time to receive our prize.”

I stand and wobble since I forgot all about having on a mermaid tail. Hudson steadies me. “Be careful.”

I push him away. “Stop ordering me around. You hate me. Got it. Message received.”

I hop away before he has a chance to respond. I’m done listening to him tell me I’m not good enough for him.