Breaking Even (Sterling Shore 5)

“She’s pretty,” I mumble, trying and failing to not sound bitter.

“Pretty what?” he asks, rousing my curiosity and prompting me to look up just as he looks down. “Pretty annoying? Pretty vain? Pretty odious?”

I want to laugh, but I’m too confused.

“She seems like your type.” The words are out of my mouth before I realize it, and I start to apologize, but he shrugs and speaks before I can.

“Not my type at all. I had to meet with her to finalize the plans for Tag’s party. I’ve had to meet with her three times now, and every time she tries to touch... things.” He shudders and I almost laugh. “It’s exhausting to constantly find polite ways to escape her grasp. I’ll be glad when this damn party is over. You coming?”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

She wasn’t his date? Double shit. I told Ash I’d go on a date.

“Yeah. Ash was going to set me up with someone, but—”

“That’s good. Probably George Carpenter. Nice guy.”

He pauses in front of the drycleaners as I choke on my heart that has flown from my feet to my mouth and back down to the pit of my stomach. He wants me to go out on a date with someone else. And he’s not the least bit jealous.

“Oh,” I say, unable to keep the disappointment out of my tone.

He looks around and shoves his hands in his pockets. “I have to go, but I’ll see you at Tag’s party.”

That’s two days away. And he wants me to go with a date. This day sucks.

***

BRIN

“I could show up for moral support,” Maggie says as I walk toward the back gate of Tag’s enormous home.

It’s a pool party tonight. They have a heated pool that battles the cold—which is good, since there has been a chill at night. I chose the sexiest bikini I could find, to hell with it all.

“I may call you if things get bad. Or if I get drunk,” I grumble, and she chuckles lightly.

I hang up before putting my phone away, and I take a deep, calming breath while heading into the party. Brazenly, I only wore my bikini and a tiny, see-through sarong. Oh, and of course my flip-flops.

When I walk through the gate, I cringe noticeably. Dresses? Every single girl here is wearing a damn dress—and there are a lot of girls. Really?

I almost want to stomp my foot right now. I know she said pool party. And she meant it literally—I asked.

“Damn,” Ethan drawls as he walks over to me, tilting his head as his eyes rake over my very, very exposed body. “This is going to be interesting,” he adds, looking around as though he’s searching for someone.

I could die.

He’s wearing his swimming trunks and no shirt, revealing the fact that he has almost as many tattoos as Rye. It seems that only the guys are dressed to swim. All the girls are dressed to kill.

Ash comes up behind him, and her eyes widen in surprise when she sees me. “Wow. Love that bikini,” she says, eyeing the small red shards of my top that give an eyeful.

Her eyes trail down to the see-through red sarong that stops mid-thigh, and comes up to my waist on the other side. The black bikini bottoms have red strings that tie the sides together, making it a little skimpier. But with everyone else all dressed up, I don’t look sexy; I look trashy.

“You said pool party,” I hiss, and she bites back a grin.

“It is a pool party. I don’t know the rules on swimming while pregnant. Rain doesn’t know how to swim. And the other girls don’t want to get their hair wet since it’s a little chilly. Sorry,” she says, sounding sincere.

“You need to start sending out a dress code for your parties,” I growl.

Ethan laughs while walking away, and I huff all the way to the bar, putting my purse on top. I can’t help but scan the place for Rye, but I don’t see him.