“The good thing is, you never have to see this guy again.”
She glances at me guiltily.
“What?You didn’t make plans with him…”
“No!But I sort of made plans to meet Nessa tomorrow.They’re friends.He may be there.”
“So, don’t go.”
“Awesome.”She glares.“I’ll just become a hermit.You’re the one who pushed me to get out.”
Dammit, she’s totally right.Foiled by my own advice.
“Look, come with me,” she says.“They’re going to that place you talked about, Zephyr Cove.It’ll be fun and you’ll be there to intervene if I need it, which I won’t.The guy… he doesn’t seem the aggressive type.This is probably all one-sided anyway.There’s nothing to worry about.”
ChapterSix
Eleven in the morning is pretty early given our swing shifts.Even on our days off, we stay up late and sleep in late.But some of Lake Tahoe’s best experiences occur in the a.m., which is why I’m on the sand at eleven in the friggin’ morning, waiting for Gen’s friends to arrive.
I’m facedown on my towel and Gen’s sitting next to me, fidgeting with her purse and her romance novel, and anything else her hands graze.I so have a bad feeling about this outing.It’s her life, but it’s hard to watch someone you care for make the same mistake twice.
Nothing actually happened between her and the guy she met last night, so I remain quiet and attempt to simmer down.Matter of fact, I’ll take a catnap while we wait.
I’m just getting into pre-sleep body twitch mode when a shower of sand splashes the side of my face, shattering the beginnings of a dream involving me buck naked, sitting on the rock in the center of Eagle Lake, completely alone.I’m not disappointed that one ended.It was one of those anxiety dreams, but still.What the hell?
I sit up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my face, along with a bucket of sand granules.Long, muscular golden legs with a dusting of blond hair obstruct my vision.I gaze up, shading the sun with my hand.
Mason.Thank God.This is who I need to get Gen’s mind off bad influences.
“Cali!Sorry about that.You okay?”He squats in front of me and grabs the football that wedged in my armpit.He smiles at Gen.
Gen’s leaning on her arms, grinning back.She looks comfortable and relaxed.Which I can only assume means that the fidgets earlier were because of the other guy, not Mason.It’s not like she knew Mason would be here today.
“I’m okay,” I say, a sinking feeling settling in my belly as I consider just how much this other A-hole has affected my best friend, and what that could mean.“No harm done.”I try to look around Mason, but his snowboarding behemoth shoulders block my view.“Who are you with?”
“Jaeger.”Mason plants the football in the sand beside him and drops to a seated position.Guess he’s staying a while.“Too beautiful to go to the gym this morning.We came here instead.”
I lean all the way to the side, and that’s when I see Jaeger—talking to a petite brunette.She’s wearing a tiny red bikini and smiling at him.The dread from a moment ago vanishes, and my stomach tightens, chest burning.Who’s that?
Jaeger looks over and our gazes connect.My breath catches, and suddenly my heart’s humming like he wasn’t just talking to another girl, igniting jealousy.
He says something to the brunette then walks toward us, his long strides eating up the sand.The girl stares after him, her face a bit forlorn, and then I don’t know what she’s doing, because my mind goes blank.
Jaeger is shirtless, his broad, muscled chest and shoulders lightly tanned, narrowing to an eight-pack above low-slung swim trunks.His legs aren’t skinny like most tall guys, they’re proportional and well muscled, just like the rest of him.Even the vertical scar down the middle of his knee appeals in a rugged way.
My heart hammers.Suddenly, it’s hot as hell out here, though my hands are ice cold.I smooth out my towel and dust off the sand the football splattered on me.
Jaeger walks up and sits next to Mason.He leans forward with one arm on his knee.“Hey.”
I smile.It’s all I can manage.He smells like sunscreen and something so yummy… I’m trying not to let it show, but I’m literally sniffing out his scent.I have issues.
He grins playfully.“Been fishing lately?”
There are several ways to interpret that comment.Immediately, my dirty mind goes to innuendo.“No, you?”
He shakes his head and grabs the football Mason propped between his hand and the sand.Mason doesn’t seem to mind, since all his attention is on Gen, who’s telling him about the friends we’re meeting here.
Jaeger looks over my shoulder to the barbecue section, and I do too.It’s still early and no one’s there yet.“Come on.”He stands with the football under his arm, hand outstretched.
