Chapter 8 Sophie
SOPHIE
I let out a contented sigh, basking in the warmth of the sun like it will fix all my problems. And for the moment, it certainly does.
The air here is crisp and salty and I breathe it in deep, letting it fill my lungs.
“I take it that nap helped?” Raegan asks.
I slowly open my eyes, turning on my chaise to glance at her. She smiles back at me, though I can’t see her eyes behind her large sunglasses.
“Ever sleep so good you wake up and don’t know what year it is?” I say. Raegan laughs. “Let’s just say I thought for a minute I was back in high school.”
I catch sight of Lucy and Natalie turning over like rotisserie chickens to evenly spread their tans. They don’t say much, but then again, they never do. Tiffany is the chatterbox of their little group and she’s…
My eyes scan the beach, looking for her, and when I settle my gaze on her, I feel a slight tinge of panic because I see what’s she doing, or rather who she’s watching.
In the center of the beach, amidst the towels and sun-drunk vacationers—including my parents and family—are my brother, Benny, Elijah, and Matt. They’re playing cornhole, of all things.
I shift up onto my elbows, blinking as if to shake off the mirage in front of me.
Benny and all his tattooed glory catches my eye first, and I don’t hesitate to let my gaze rove over his body.
I already know he has a solid, sexy chest full of tats and muscles, and his skin glimmers in the sun from sweat between all the ink.
And then I look down, finding the answer to my question.
His legs aren’t covered in tattoos, but he does have one on the back of his right leg, though I can’t make it out.
He leans forward, throwing the beanbag, the motion drawing attention to his biceps, and I almost miss his beanbag landing on the sand.
My brother grumbles loudly. “What the hell, man? Aim for the hole!”
“I did!” Benny snaps.
“Don’t be mad.” Matthew chuckles. “Benny couldn’t find a hole unless there was a woman attached to it.”
“Fuck you, Matt.”
Matthew laughs, the sound carrying on the wind, and I can’t take my eyes off of him. He runs a hand through his blond hair, his smile like something straight out of a damn toothpaste ad.
“Awww thanks, Benny, but you’re not my type,” Matthew says as he picks up his beanbag and tosses it. It goes right in on the first shot.
Sam groans as Elijah whoops, high-fiving Matthew. Tiffany jumps up and down, squealing, “You won! Way to go, Matty!”
Disdain blankets me, along with a tinge of jealousy, as Raegan chuckles quietly beside me. “Sometimes I feel like we’re still in high school,” she says. “Like no time has passed at all, and then I blink and remember we’re not teenagers anymore.”
Her soft tone speaks to me and I let out a breath, watching as Matt smiles, celebrating with Tiffany and Elijah before turning to catch my gaze. He smirks at me, that boyish grin a mix of flirtation and friendliness that is so Matthew. So sweet and fun and bright.
My gaze drifts from his face to his bare chest, to the outline of his defined pecs.
And then it travels down to his hips, to his tiny Speedo that looks tighter and smaller than should be humanly possible due to the sizable bulge.
I feel my cheeks heat as the memory of his words echo in my brain.
“Uh-huh. Sand, sun, and lots of tan buns in Speedos for you to stare at.”
He’s a far cry from the sweet boy I used to tutor, that’s for sure.
“Yeah,” I say, swallowing hard. “I know what you mean.”
I regrettably tear my eyes from Matthew, and Elijah’s gaze finds mine. His hair is wet, hanging in his dark eyes. He says something to Tiffany before she scampers off. I watch them all intently, not paying any attention as Tiffany finds her way back up to us.
“Have fun watching the boys?” Raegan asks sweetly.
Tiffany plops down on the chaise next to me. “I could watch them all day, are you kidding me? They’re all hot as hell and they’re hilarious.”
Lucy and Natalie giggle, the only sign they’re still with us.
“Hey, one of those boys is going to be a married man,” Lucy chimes in.
Raegan laughs. “Yeah, the hottest one of the bunch too.”
Tiffany laughs. “Well, that leaves the three remaining hotties up for grabs, for the three of us,” she says smoothly, her gaze fixating on Matthew. “I call dibs on Matty.”
I don’t think, I just see red. I get up, not answering her.
I vaguely hear Raegan call my name, but I ignore her for now as I make my way down the hot sand to the group of men hovering around the cornhole area.
“Hey,” I say, smiling as wide as I can. All at once, Benny, Elijah, and Matthew turn to look at me.
My brother nods in my direction. “Oh, hey, Soph. Finally decide to grace us with your presence?”
I grin at him, then at Matthew. “Yeah, I thought maybe I could tap in, play a round?”
“Absolutely,” my brother says, and I can feel Tiffany’s eyes on me from behind me.
“Who wants to tap out?” Sam asks, but no one says a word.
“Come on, guys, someone’s got to go…” Then a smile graces his face. “Unless…” He turns to the girls, bringing his hands around his mouth as he shouts, “Hey, honey, come play! I need you!”
Raegan shakes her head, but I can see the smile on her face from here.
She gets up and scampers down as Sam shoots me a grin.
“You guys can have Soph, and I—” He lunges forward, grasping Raegan like he’s a starving man, pulling her into her arms as she squeals with excitement.
“Will have my future wife on my team.” He wiggles his eyebrows as she tells him to stop, but her words are pointless, moot threats.
He kisses her, and we all can’t help but grin because they are just too damn cute for words. So perfect for one another. When they break away, I don’t miss the blush on her cheeks. I hope they’re like this forever.
So in love.
So happy.
“Perhaps we should sweeten the competition,” Benny says coolly. “Loser buys the winner a round of drinks tonight.”
Sam grins as he squeezes Raegan, his hold making her boobs nearly pop out of her damn bikini top. “I like the sounds of that!” he says as Elijah sighs.
“Come on, Eli, don’t be such a square,” Matthew chirps as Elijah’s gaze drifts to mine.
“It’ll be fun, right?” I say with a grin. “Like old times. When you guys used to have pool parties in the backyard?”
I remember those days fondly. The endless nights of cornhole and beer pong after my parents went to sleep. How they never found out what Sam and the guys were up to is beyond me. I’m fairly certain if my mother knew, she would have had a coronary.
Elijah gives me a half smile as Matthew settles one hand on the small of my back, instantly making me freeze.
“We’re going to kick your asses,” Matthew says, his voice full of competitive spirit.
Benny grins slyly. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Matty.”
Sam lets go of Raegan, clasping his hands together as he says, “Let the games begin!”
It’s a blur of sand and skin, a symphony of cursing and groans, and in the end it’s damn near anyone’s game, as we’re tied. If I get this, we win. But if I miss…
Suddenly, the pressure is on and I’m feeling it.
“You got this, Soph,” Elijah says from behind me.
Matthew flanks my side. “Don’t overthink it, just…trust your instincts,” he coaxes.
Yeah, easy for him to say. He’s the one who’s been scoring most of the points in this damn game.
“What’s a matter, princess? Scared you’ll choke?” Benny says with a grin.
“No,” I huff out indignantly as I pull my arm back, trying my hardest to focus on the hole. It should be easy, right?
“Choke, choke, choke,” Sam chants, and I look up at him, noting the excitement in his eyes. I’m glad he’s having a good time. He deserves it, truthfully. And all things considered I guess I am having fun too.
But I’ll be having a lot more fun if I can make Benny eat my dust and buy me a drink or two.
Or three because hell, I’m on vacation, right? I’m supposed to be getting over an awful breakup, and there’s no better way to do that than to sip margaritas and crush your opponent who happens to be your childhood fantasy in a game of cornhole.
Who needs therapy?
“Ow!” Sam yelps as the sound of a smack rips through the air.
Waves crash on the sand below and I do everything I can to focus my attention on the small, circular hole.
Benny watches me intently. I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I pray to whatever God is listening to land this fucking beanbag smack in the center.
And then I throw it, light and underhanded, and it hits the rim of the opening, the corner dipping into the hole, but the rest poised outside of it.
“Yes!” Sam says, whooping with his hands in the air as Matthew and Elijah groan. “We won!” Sam says, jumping up with victory, and then…
The bag slides right in, falling to the darkened shadows beneath, and Benny screams, “Noooooo…”
Raegan laughs as Elijah and Matthew scream in excitement, their victory well-deserved.
Matthew’s arms go around me first and Elijah follows, pulling me close.
Close enough for his lips to graze mine just slightly, stirring up the longing and desire I’ve always felt for him.
Part of me wants to bridge that gap again, take his lips against mine like a thief.
But I can’t do that. Not here, and certainly not now.
So I push off of Elijah, turning to grin victoriously at Benny, who I notice is watching me once more. Intently.
“You were saying?” I flip some hair over my shoulder defiantly as I approach him. He stands in front of me, the sun illuminating the dark lines of tattoos on his chest, his arms…his hips.
I glance down at his prominent V, his black trunks sticking to him rather tightly in all the right places. His dark hair falls in his face and he shakes his head. “You think because you won a game of beanbag toss that that makes you the winner, is that it?”