Fast & Wet (The Fast 2)

“Maybe,” I answer him, keeping one hand on Em’s legs that are still wrapped around me from behind.

I have no intentions of drinking shitty beer at Bryce’s tonight when I have this goddess wrapped around me, wrapped up in me, wrapping me up in her.

“Come on, man, we haven’t partied in weeks.”

Uh-huh, see the aforementioned goddess.

“You should come, Cole,” one of the other chicks bats her lashes at me. She pushes her chest out, then peers around my shoulders and purses her lips at Emily, “Hello, Emily.”

“Hey,” Emily answers from behind me, disgust echoing from her voice.

“Want me to get your kayak, man?” Chuck asks as they float past it.

“Nope.”

“Leave the lovebirds alone, dude,” Kyle laughs as they finally pass us.

“Bye, Cole!” The three girls wave and giggle.

As soon as they’re out of sight, I spin back to Emily and vow to murder those pricks when I see the crestfallen look on her face. I was very fucking clear with them.

“They still leaving you and Makenna alone?”

“Yep,” she tries to unwrap her legs from me, but hell no. Not over these jealous assho

les, anyway.

“I like those legs right where they are.”

“You should go to the party,” she sighs.

“Do you want to go to the party?” Because that’s the only way I’m going.

“No,” she shakes her head. “The Major General wouldn’t let me, anyway. He thinks I’m at Makenna’s house right now, but that won’t work all night.”

I groan. This asshole treats Emily like she’s made of porcelain, like she’s not a straight-A student, a girl who thinks deliberately overturning a kayak is naughty.

I mean, I can’t blame him for not wanting his pristine daughter hanging out with the likes of me. But Emily is smart and capable and doesn’t deserve to be kept in an ivory tower. She doesn’t deserve having to sneak around just to go kayaking or lie every weekend to spread her wings a little.

“How long do I have you for?”

“We’ve got time,” she smiles and throws her arms around my neck. “Do you have to go to the track today, too?”

She’s getting goosebumps up and down her arms, so I walk us into the sun. Slinking back down in the water, I run my hands over her to warm her up. It’s ninety degrees out, but the girl is perpetually cold. “Yeah, I need to get some laps in.”

“Can I come with again?”

“Absolutely,” I can’t fight the grin that overtakes my face at her wanting to come to the kart track with me again.

“Stanley won’t be pissed?”

“Fuck him.” Stanley will most certainly be pissed. I’ll catch more shit about it from the old man, but it’s well worth it to have Em with me all day, beaming down at me in the bleachers, looking at me like she wants to climb me when I’m in my race suit.

“We should go, then,” she kisses me, and I fight the urge to keep my vise grip around her waist when her legs fall off my hips.

Wading downstream to the kayak, I drag Emily behind me. She’s laughing and floundering about trying to stay above water. She goes quiet when I right the kayak and throw one waterlogged shoe back inside that was floating nearby.

“Cole…”