Four Day Fling

“Mm. Maybe I’ll slow down when I find someone worth slowing down for.” He kissed the top of my head. “You wanna go for a swim?”

“Now?”

“No, next week. Of course now.”

“I don’t have a suit with me.”

“Do I look like I’m wearing swimming shorts under these pants?”

“Adam, I’m not even wearing a bra.” I sat up and gave him a stern look. “Just panties.”

“Red,” he sighed, sitting up. “If you’re trying to convince me that swimming in our underwear is a bad idea, you’re failing miserably.”

Jesus, Poppy. Live a little. Go swimming in your panties with the hot guy.

CHAPTER NINETEEN – POPPY

Seaweed and Sharkbait

I rolled my eyes. “Do you think they can see us?”

Adam looked over at the party. “I don’t think they even know we disappeared.”

“Aunt Blythe is probably halfway to hammered and dancing,” I said, noticing a lot of people around the dance floor.

“Sorry to miss that.”

“No, really, you’re not,” I assured him. “It’s scarring. I’ll never recover from the time she flashed everyone her thong.”

“I take it back. I’m not sorry at all.” Laughing, he undid the buttons of his shirt and shrugged it off his shoulders.

Carefully, I removed my beach shoes as he kicked his shiny ones off. I turned away from him and twisted my arm to undo the zip at the back of my dress.

Why were dresses made like this? Not only were we denied pockets, but you had to be a freaking contortionist to get the damn things off.

You wouldn’t give a man a shirt with buttons on the back, would you?

No, you wouldn’t.

Equality my ass.

Adam chuckled, stepping behind me. “I got it.”

“Thanks.” I pulled down the thin straps and immediately used my arm to cover my boobs.

Adam snorted, but he didn’t say anything as he took my free hand and led us down to the water. It didn’t take us long to get down there, and I gasped as the water rolled over my feet. It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t anywhere near as warm as I was expecting it to be.

“It’s not cold,” Adam said, stepping in front of me and dragging me into the water.

“Slow! Slow! Oh my God.”

“It’s not cold.” He let go of me and walked farther back into the water. “It’s nice.”

Tentatively, I took a few steps forward.

“Stop being a wimp, or I’ll throw you in the water,” he threatened me.

“You wouldn’t!” I pointed at him, clutching tighter at my boobs.

He simply looked at me as if to say I should try him. Given earlier when he’d picked me up and spun me around, I should have known better than to stop dead in ankle-deep water in protest.

A wave helped propel him forward to me, and he snatched me against his body before I could do anything. My arm was squished between us, but he didn’t stop to let me move it as he walked backward in the water.

He dropped his lips to mine, stopping me from protesting as the water splashed higher and higher up over my thighs and, thanks to one adventurous wave, over my ass. I gasped into his mouth and felt his grin against me.

Right before he picked me up at the waist and tossed me into the water.

I was saved only by the fact the water wasn’t really that deep at all. I still went under to my chin, meaning half of my hair was now soaking. “Asshole!”

He laughed.

Halfway to standing, a wave crashed into me, and I went over again, this time getting fully covered by the water.

Oh. My. God.

I pushed the hair from my face and felt for the flower. It was still clipped in, thank God, but I couldn’t damn well see.

Carefully, mindful of my mascara, I wiped under my eyes and touched my eyelashes. “I’m going to kill you!”

He laughed harder, and I took my chance. I jumped at him and pushed him. He lost his balance on the sand, and a wave full of karma dealt him the same hand I’d just been given.

I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. Karma was a bitch, but man, she was a beautiful one. It was hard to stay on my feet thanks to the rolling of the water and my inability to, well, stop fucking laughing and stand upright.

Adam wiped water from his face and pointed at me. “You—”

“No! It’s fair! You pushed me first!”

“The water pushed you. I threw you.”

“Whatever. I’m not arguing semantics in shark-infested waters.”

He laughed. “I’m sure the nurse sharks would be delighted to eat you.”

I slapped him. “They’re nocturnal. Of course they’re around.”

“And they’re not at all interested in eating a spunky redhead with a great ass.”

“You think I have a great ass?”

“You got over the sharks pretty quickly.” He slid his hands around to my ass, pulling me against him.

“Yeah, well, like you said, they aren’t interested in eating me.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. My bare breasts were pressed against his chest, and my nipples hardened as they rubbed against the light smattering of dark hair on his skin. “Besides, I’m small and relatively scrappy. If anyone hungry comes along, there’s much more meat on you.”