Chapter 18
“Don’t worry, it’s going to be a friendly game,” Anna tries to assure me.
I laugh. “Yeah, right! When has a game of volleyball ever been friendly when you are involved?” Anna was one of the best volleyball players in the history of our high school. Not only is she super talented, she is probably the most competitive person that’s ever played the game. I remember how she used to be on that court–absolutely ruthless.
“True. I know my team is going to dominate Dan’s team. I mean there’s both of us, and of course your absolute hunk of a boyfriend. I’m sure he is super athletic, playing a superhero on screen. There’s no way that body is going to waste. Plus, we can use his hot shirtless body to distract every woman on the other side of the net. You don’t mind other women ogling your beau, do you?”
My cheeks get hot thinking about the fact that I’m about to see Aidan without a shirt for an extended period of time. I hope he decides to wear a tank-top or something. I am also extremely nervous about being in a bikini in front of him. I brought a one-piece, too, just in case an event like this popped up in the itinerary, but Anna snatched it from my hands and said absolutely not. I need to show off my rocking body in front of Robert, remind him of what he walked out on. Anna holds grudges close to her chest and won’t ever let go, especially when it comes to the people closest to her. I really don’t care about what Robert thought of my body. Granted, I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in my life because of all the running and occasional barre class, but I did that for me–not to get revenge on Robert just in case we ran into each other again.
The teams are divided up between all of Anna’s bridesmaids and their plus-ones, and all of Dan’s groomsmen and their plus-ones. That is, if they want to play. When I told Aidan about the plan, he just grinned and said that he plays volleyball every once in a while on the beach with some of his closest friends, so it will not be a problem. “It’s gonna be fun, Hales.”
Yeah, that’s a word for it…fun. It’s one thing to play indoor volleyball with a jersey on and a solid court under your feet. It’s a whole other thing to play in a bikini, on shifting sand…in front of your boss, who might be shirtless.
“Um, hello? Earth to Haley!” Anna interjects on my thoughts.
“Oh, sorry, I was spacing out. Um, to answer your question, I’m kind of used to women ogling at my bos–boyfriend! It kind of comes with the territory. It’s fine.” Phew, that was close. I grab the sunscreen out of my bag. “Do you mind helping me apply this on my back? Anna?”
My best friend has lowered her sunglasses down to the bridge of her nose, and her jaw is almost touching the sand.
Mimicking her earlier taunt, I say, “Hello, earth to Anna! What the heck are you staring at?”
“Girl, I don’t know how you get anything done. Look at that fine specimen of a man. You are one lucky woman.”
My pulse quickens as I follow her laser-focused eyes. Aidan is jogging toward us. Unfortunately, he is in fact shirtless. He looks like a fricken underwear model, perfectly tanned, every single ridge of his abs oscillating with every step, every slight twist of his body. To top it off, his skin glistens from the combination of the salty air and sweat. He is wearing a backwards hat and black Ray Bans. My stupid eyes cannot help but gaze upon his exposed taut abs again and notice that his swim trunks are hanging just low enough to showcase a perfect V. How is it fair that a human being can be this hot? The rest of us mere humans look inconsequential in comparison to this god of a man.
It’s official. I don’t want to take off my swim cover. I know what Natasha looks like in a bikini and I am nowhere near like her.
Yup, the cover up is staying on.
But apparently, Anna has other plans.
“Aidan, hi! I’m gonna start warming up out there. I think your girlfriend needs some help applying her sunscreen.”
Instigator. Even though I feel super hot inside, I know that I probably look like a ghost right about now, as I feel the blood drain from my face. No way is Aidan Stone going to rub sunscreen all over my practically naked body. But what other choice do I have?
Act the part.
This is something a boyfriend would do.
As Aidan reaches his final destination, AKA the spot right next to me, I reluctantly hand over the SPF. Anna winks at me and starts running out to the court to greet the rest of the wedding party, including Robert who catches sight of me and Aidan sitting next to each other. His stare is interrupted by Julia, who throws her arms around Robert’s neck and starts making out with him. Stupidly, my feelings revert back to three years ago. I thought the upset stomach wouldn’t show up again, seeing them together. I thought last night was the last time I would feel my insides twisting in unbearable positions.
My intrusive thoughts come to a halt when the cool sensation of lotion hits my warm skin.
“Stop,” Aidan whispers in my ear, causing goosebumps to travel along my entire body. I’ll blame the cool sea breeze.
I furrow my brows. “Stop what?”
Aidan lets out a small laugh. “You think I need to see your face to know that you are closing in on yourself with your thoughts?” Damn, he’s good. “Stop comparing yourself to Julia. She has nothing on you, Hales. Trust me.”
I stay silent as he continues to rub lotion along the length of my back. Those intrusive past memories dissolve and I shudder a little when he slides his hands underneath the string of my bikini top and grazes the very top of my bikini bottom. This is uncharted territory, yet Aidan is quickly discovering it. And the scary thing is–I don’t hate it. It is terrifying how comfortable I am becoming every time Aidan touches me. Quick! Call the Academy! He could definitely win an Oscar for this performance because right now, he is convincing me this is real. I am discovering that Aidan has the innate ability to ground me in a way that no one else does. He always brings me back to the present and magically, my worries scatter into oblivion, even if only for a moment.
I hear the click of the sunscreen cap and Aidan clears his throat. “Okay, Swann. Are you ready to kick some ass?”
He stands up and reaches his arms down, helping me up. I take his hands and he lifts me off the ground with great ease. I wipe excess sand sticking to the back of my sweaty thighs. “Ready.”
The next thing I know, a squeal leaves my mouth as Aidan lifts me over his shoulder, my ass hanging in the air, my face in line with his butt. I try flailing my legs, and through a laugh, I plead, “Aidan, let me down.”
“Not a chance, Hales. Besides, I’ll do this all day if I could see that look on Robert’s face stay there for the remainder of the weekend. Like he wants what I have.”
I glance over. Robert’s expression is pure jealousy. Even though that wasn’t the intention, it is a little satisfying that the tables have turned. Now he is looking at me with someone else like that.
About an hour later, Aidan and I block the last spike from the opposing team. Icing on the cake? Robert was the one who attempted the spike.
“Dammit!” Robert yells out of frustration. Aidan has been shutting him down all game. It was seriously a sight to see two grown men volley back and forth as intensely as they did. Only once did Robert have a one-up on Aidan and his victory dance lasted for maybe a second before Aidan served the ball and it landed right in front of Robert’s dumbfounded face.
I could tell how defeated Robert was progressively getting during the game. It was always a tell that his nostrils started to flare. For a moment, I thought the sun was getting to him, but then I realized his face was turning red out of pure anger. That’s another thing about Robert. He hates to lose.
I turn to Aidan and high-five him. “You were absolutely ruthless! Robert doesn’t know what to do with himself. It’s almost unfair how good you are at volleyball.”
“Well, you know what they say, ‘All’s fair in love and war.’”
Before I can process what he just said, Aidan playfully scoops me up from behind and twirls me around, holding me so tight that he inadvertently tickles my sides. Did I mention that I am extremely ticklish? I squeal like a fricken teenager and start laughing so hard.
“Oh my god, put me down Aidan!” I plead between laughs. “You’re tickling me! Stop! I seriously can’t catch my breath!”
He lowers me to the ground and turns me around so I didn’t have the choice but to look directly at his Captain America (post super soldier serum) body. If I thought I was out of breath before, I was wrong. He lifts my chin up slightly and brushes the slightest kiss along my lips. Just enough to make my entire body liquify. How could the slightest brush of his lips cause my body to react this way? Scientific studies should be conducted on the phenomenon that is Aidan Stone.
“Out of necessity,” he says. It’s hard to read him with his sunglasses on, but I could’ve sworn he said that with a sarcastic tone.
“Right.” I can’t help but feel slightly disappointed. All of a sudden, I don’t want it to be out of necessity. I want it to be just because. “Out of necessity,” I repeat.
I look across the net. A pissed-off Robert glares at me and Aidan. Julia is at his side, attempting to console him, but it seems to have no effect on him whatsoever.
“I like your tattoo, by the way,” Aidan whispers in my ear. “A rainbow suits you.”
I quickly cover the side of my torso. I forgot I was wearing a bikini that almost bares all. Usually my tattoo is covered by my bra strap. Not that I’m ashamed of it or anything, I just don’t really want people to ask questions about it.
“Thanks,” I respond evenly, trying not to reveal that I’m a little taken aback.
“You are just full of surprises, Haley Swann.” It is ridiculous how perfect he still looks after playing an hour of intense beach volleyball. His backwards hat is still in place on top of his head. The sweat that glistens off of his skin makes him look like a vampire from Twilight. While my hair probably looks like I just rolled out of bed and my skin is probably crimson – not from sunburn, but the heat alone is enough to make my fair skin turn a deep shade of red, especially after working out.
Before I can respond, Anna crashes into me, knocking us both down onto the sand. “We won, Hales!! Ha ha, suck it Dan!” she yells back to the groom.
Dan shakes his head and smiles at the woman he is about to marry. Even though Anna is acting like a crazed woman, all I see is love in Dan’s eyes. He knows exactly who he is marrying and he wants it all, and that is such a beautiful thing to witness.
She pulls me up from the ground and my ass and most of my upper thighs are covered in sand.
Great.
“Drinks tonight are completely on Dan. That was the consequence of losing this game. The loser has to buy all the drinks for the opposing party’s entire team. Now do you see why I wanted to win so badly?”
I honestly don’t think Anna needed an excuse for her competitiveness, but that would have sucked to pay for all the drinks the bachelor party is going to consume, which I assume will be an exorbitant amount. Anna’s party will be no different.
“Hey McHottie, why don’t you help your damsel in distress here get the sand off her body?” Anna says to Aidan.
“No, no I got it!” I start brushing the back and side of my legs frantically. Hell no, is Aidan Stone going to touch my legs or ass for that matter.
“Nonsense! You’ll help our girl out, right handsome?” Anna devilishly winks at me and prances away toward her man.
Aidan smiles, inches closer to me and responds, “Yes, ma’am. I’ve got it covered.”
Now I am turning bright red for an entirely different reason. I am melting with the thought of Aidan’s hands all over me, attempting to get the smallest speck of sand off my body.
Once Anna’s attention is completely on her own man, mine leans down and says, “Relax, Swann. I’m not going to touch you.” At some point during my mortification and getting into my own head yet again, Aidan must have gone over to where I placed my belongings and grabbed my cover-up. “Lift your arms, Hales.” I do as I am told, completely shell-shocked that a man didn’t capitalize on an opportunity to touch a practically naked woman. This is the second time in the past few days that Aidan has seen most of my body, especially my legs, and he seems completely unphased. He is either the world’s sweetest gentleman, or he is completely repulsed by me.
I am convinced that it must be the latter.