“Stop apologizing,” he said, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, even if it was just an excuse to touch her. “I love your family.” He meant it. He loved that they were close and open with each other, happy, and not afraid to show how much they cared for one another.
She looked up at him with compassionate eyes. “I’m sorry if this is hard for you.”
He knew she probably meant the sibling relationship, but surprisingly it wasn’t difficult to watch their banter and close bond. “It’s not hard at all,” he assured her, then leaned closer. “And if you apologize for something one more time, I’m going to use those handcuffs on you when we get back to the cabin and give you a spanking.”
Desire warmed in her eyes, telling him without words that she wasn’t opposed to the idea. She cleared her throat. “I . . . uh, think we should go eat. Food,” she clarified before he could make a dirty remark, which had been on the tip of his tongue. “We should go eat food . . . breakfast stuff.”
He chuckled, because he found her so damn irresistible. “Yes, we should.”
Grabbing her hand, he led the way to the buffet, grateful when there were no more interruptions. He piled his plate high with scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns, and she opted for a bagel with cream cheese and fruit. They found an empty table away from where everyone was talking and set their plates down, then they each went for a cup of coffee and ate their meal without interruption.
Just as they finished and put their plates, utensils, and mugs in the bin that had been set out for dirty dishes, Lauren announced that breakfast would be cleared away in fifteen minutes, and the canoe race would start in an hour. The woman had an itinerary and she was sticking to it, Eric thought in amusement.
“Want to go hang out at the lake until the race starts?” he asked, taking her hand and walking toward the door, where other members of her family were starting to filter out, as well.
Smiling at him, she nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
She glanced ahead, and a few steps later, before they reached the exit, a young blonde woman walked in, with a guy following a few steps behind . . . like a well-trained dog, Eric thought.
“Shit,” Evie muttered beneath her breath, her steps slowing in an attempt not to become the focal point of the couple who’d just entered. “And here I thought I was getting lucky and wouldn’t have to deal with her until later.”
Her, he already knew, was Raquel. Even if Evie hadn’t said something, he would have pegged the privileged, snooty-looking blonde as her cousin. Physically, she was stunningly beautiful, no doubt about it. She wore a white, sheer cover-up that deliberately contrasted against the tiny black bikini she had on underneath, which barely covered the essentials. Eric wondered why she’d even bothered to wear it . . .unless she wanted eyes on her.
A few people greeted the two of them, and Raquel basically waited for everyone to come to her, like she was holding court. And Graham . . . well, he seemed to go along with whatever Raquel did or ordered him to do . . . like get her a plate of fruit because she was starving. The only thing that was missing was a finger snap, but the other man jumped to do her bidding, even though he didn’t look happy about it.
“Interesting dynamic between the two of them,” he observed to Evie.
“Yeah, they couldn’t be more opposite, but when you have a face and body like that, I suppose Graham could overlook a lot of other things.”
Eric arched a debating brow. “Being a beautiful bitch doesn’t make her any less of one. She’s still a bitch.”
Evie’s mouth twitched with humor and appreciation. “Yes, I suppose that’s true.”
He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Want to make a beeline for the door and deal with them later?”
“No.” She exhaled a deep breath and shook her head. “No sense stretching out the inevitable. Let’s get this over with so I can keep my distance from them the rest of the weekend.” She looked at Eric, her chin lifting a few determined notches. “Besides, I’ve got this.”
His heart knocked around in his chest a little bit at how fucking sexy her confidence was. “Damn straight you do.” He couldn’t wait to see how this played out. His money was on Evie coming out on top.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The moment Raquel noticed her and Eric, Evie braced herself for her first face-to-face with her cousin in three years. While Graham did Raquel’s bidding at the fruit table, she sauntered their way, hips swaying seductively, her gaze all over Eric—probably wondering how Evie had landed such a gorgeous catch. A few feet away, Raquel finally looked at Evie, her eyes facetiously wide.