Chapter Eleven
Istand up and toss my sunglasses aside. Now I’m all set to head right into the ocean with Willa.
But then she reminds me, “We probably should put on more sunscreen, especially on our backs. I mean, I need to do mine for sure.”
I blow out a breath. “Yeah, same here.”
I sit back down on the lounger and swing my legs over the side so that I’m facing her.
After I grab the sunscreen, I hold up the plastic bottle and ask her, “Do you want me to do your back?”
She looks a little hesitant at first, but then she nods and says softly, “Yeah, okay.” She moves her long strawberry blonde hair over one shoulder and sits up, twisting till her back is toward me. “Thanks,” she murmurs.
“No problem,” I reply as I begin to apply the lotion to her soft, smooth skin.
Damn, keep it together, dude.
Don’t be a creep.
Clearing my throat, I hasten to finish the job.
“There, all done,” I say at last.
When she swings around to face me, there’s a definite fire in her pretty green eyes.
Did she enjoy that as much as I did?
I don’t have time to ponder, because she holds her hand out for the bottle and says, “Okay, your turn.”
Hell, I’m not arguing with that.
I want her to touch me.
I turn around on the lounger so fast it’s not even funny. Well, maybe it is, as I tip it a little and almost fall off.
Smooth move there, buddy.
I play it off with an “Oops” that I throw out over my shoulder.
Willa just laughs as she starts applying the sunscreen to my back.
Fuck.
Just as I suspected, her hands feel good on me.
I’m not a player, and I haven’t had a girlfriend in a long-ass time, so feeling a woman’s touch on my body is amazing.
But maybe, just maybe, it’s this particular girl’s hands that have me enjoying a sunscreen application a bit too much.
After she works her way down to my lower back, she stops and says, “I think I’ve got you pretty well covered.”
“Thanks,” I say quietly over my shoulder.
She whispers, “You’re welcome.” And then, in a louder tone, she asks, “Are you ready to go in the water?”
It’s time to lighten up this turning-into-a-lusty-moment.
I stand and turn to Willa, stating, “You bet. In fact…” I take one step away. “I’ll race you down there.”
With that, I’m off.
And so is she.
This chick is surprisingly fast, but I still win, making it into the ocean first.
She splashes in behind me, complaining, “Hey, no fair. You had a head start.”
It’s true, so I don’t deny it, but I do snark, “Doesn’t matter. I still won.”
Frowning, she says, “You big jerk!”
Suddenly, she starts splashing me with water.
I’m turning and ducking and laughing my ass off. But fair is fair, so I get in on the game too. Pretty soon we look like foolish kids, both of us trying to get in the best, most punishing splash.
Then, out of the blue, Willa stops and covers her face with both hands. “Oh my God,” she cries out. “I think you just got salt water in my eyes.”
I immediately feel like the world’s biggest ass.
“Shit.” I walk through the water toward her. “Are you all right? Do you need to go into the house and wash your eyes out with clean water?”
Just as I place a comforting hand on her shoulder, feeling really bad, she drops her hands from her face and, with both arms, scoops up a big-ass amount of water that she proceeds to toss in my face.
Laughing, she says, “Ha ha, gotcha.”
I’m fine, and I have to give her credit for duping me too.
But it’s my turn now.
I make a show out of covering my face as I fib, “Ow, ow, ow. You really did get salt water in my eyes. They’re stinging like crazy.”
I’m playing it up, and she falls for it.
“Shane,” she breathes out worriedly. “I’m sorry. Can you see well enough to get out of the ocean? Here, I’ll lead you to the shore.”
She cups my elbow, and I know now is the time to make my move.
With a speed that even surprises me, I pick her up with ease, ignoring her surprised squeak, and walk her out to where the water is a little deeper. I then proceed to toss her into an incoming wave.
“Ha ha,” I throw back at her as she comes out of the wave. “Looks like I got you, too, babe.”
Sputtering out water from her mouth, she smooths her wet hair back and then levels me with those fiery greens.
“Oh yeah?” she snaps. “We’ll see about that. This is war, my friend.”
I’m laughing, because she’s clearly okay and up for teasing me still. But then she hops onto my back and starts trying to dunk me.
This girl.
She is so much like me—playful.
I love it.
She’s a good sport, seeing as I ward her off, and she gets in no successful dunking.
Still hanging onto my back, which I like far too much, she smacks my shoulder lightheartedly and says, “No fun. You’re too strong. I can’t take you down.”
“Yes, but…” I pause and grin. “I can take us both down.”
Just as she’s saying, “What does that mea—” I lurch forward into an incoming wave, submerging us both.
We come up laughing, and she finally—and sadly for me—slides off my back.
“Well, that was fun,” she declares as she once again smooths her hair back.
“It was,” I agree. “Are you ready to head back to the beach and just chill for a while?”
“That sounds perfect,” she says.
You know what?
It does.
But what’s even more perfect is this fun morning I’m spending with Miss Willa Avery.
Yeah, that is the real perfection.