“Well, that was an experience,” I say after we go outside. “But I still feel like I need to redeem myself. Prove my…what’s the female equivalent of manliness?”
Ryder rolls his eyes. “Cora, you’re a successful businesswoman. I think your badassery is pretty well established.”
I shake my head, a glint in my eye that Ryder’s come to recognize as trouble. “Nope, not good enough. I need to do something impressive. Something Hawaiian.”
Ryder narrows his eyes. “What exactly do you have in mind?”
My gaze wanders to a palm tree on the beach, its coconuts swaying in the breeze. The warm Hawaiian air carries the scent of salt and plumeria, but all I can focus on are those tempting brown orbs.
“Cora,” Ryder says, following my line of sight. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop thinking it.”
I’m already standing, my chair scraping against the wooden deck and a determined set to my jaw. “I’m going to get us some fresh coconut water.”
“There’s a vendor right over there selling coconuts,” he points out, but I’m already striding toward the palm tree.
“Where’s the fun in that?” I call over my shoulder.
Ryder hurries after me, equal parts exasperated and amused. “Cora, you can’t just climb a palm tree.”
I stop at the base of the tree, looking up. “Who said anything about climbing?”
Before he can ask what I mean, I circle the tree, my eyes scanning the ground. I bend down, picking up a rock about the size of my fist.
“Cora,” Ryder says, “what are you doing?”
I toss the rock in my hand, testing its weight. “I’m going to knock a coconut down.”
He blinks. “You’re going to... Cora, that’s insane. You’ll never hit it.”
I grin, giving him that cocky smile I know both infuriates and attracts him. “Wanna bet?”
Ryder’s eyes darken, a mix of exasperation and something else—desire?—flashing across his face.
“Make it interesting,” he counters, his voice dropping to a husky whisper that sends shivers down my spine. “If you knock one down, I’ll do that thing you like. All night.”
My breath catches in my throat, memories of his lips and tongue on my pussy flooding my mind. Heat pools low in my belly. “And if I can’t?”
His lips curl into a wicked grin. “Then you do it for me.”
Challenge accepted.
I take aim, my tongue poking out in concentration. The rock sails through the air...and misses by a mile, disappearing into the darkness with a soft thud.
“Damn,” I mutter.
“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Ryder says. “Are your knees ready for later?”
But I’m not listening. I’m already searching for another rock. “That was just a warm-up throw. This time for real.”
Ryder sighs, settling in for what he suspects will be a long night.
Five rocks later, my aim hasn’t improved, and my determination has only grown. A small crowd has gathered, watching the spectacle with a mixture of amusement and concern.
“One more try,” I insist, picking up the largest rock yet. Its jagged edges dig into my palm, but I barely notice. “I’ve almost got it.”
I launch it with all my might, my muscles straining with the effort. For a heart-stopping moment, I think I’ve done it. The rock arcs perfectly, seeming to hang in the air forever. Then, horror dawns as it ricochets off the trunk, hurtling back toward us with alarming speed.
“Duck!” Ryder yells, pulling me to the ground.
