“Weren’t you?” He took a deep breath. “We should talksomewhere—less distracting.” His gaze dipped slightly, then flicked away.
Had Noah Barbanel just checked me out? He had. He definitely had. He thought this wet-shirt thing wasdistracting.
I felt a very non-nemesis-like flicker of delight.
Though maybe he merely found it unprofessional or whatever to talk to a sopping-wet girl. And in any case, talking to him was a bad idea. He’d just try to convince me not to do what I wanted to do. “I don’t think so.”
“Come on.” He took a step closer and lowered his voice. “Please?”
This was unfair, a hot boy blasting his good looks in my face. “I should get back to my friends.” I scanned the crowds, hoping to spot Evan’s six-two frame or Stella’s sparkler headdress.
He caught my forearm. Now we stood perilously close. Ellie Mae sat and panted up at us. “Seriously, what will it take for you to hear me out?”
Good lord. I could smell him, all beachy sunscreen and faint cologne. “Well, not threatening me, for one. And not grabbing my arm.”
He let go and raised his hands. “Anything else?”
“Hm.” I wrapped Ellie Mae’s leash more securely around my hand, pulling her close to my side. A child walked by with a giant stuffed animal in her arms, holding it out for Ellie to sniff. My gaze transferred to the booth she must have come from, rafters full of stuffed animals. I smirked at Noah. “I’ll talk to you if you win me a giant unicorn.”
“What?’”
I shrugged. “I don’t make the rules.”
“You literally just did.”
I raised my hands, palms skyward, and started to walk away.
He caught up with me, practically bleeding haughty dignity. “I don’t do carnival games.”
“Pity.” I shot him a sickly-sweet smile. “I don’t talk to threat-makers.”
He narrowed his eyes at me and then, to my shock, stalked toward the vendor.
I blinked and trailed after him. “I didn’t—I wasn’tserious—”
“You had better damn well be.” Noah exchanged his money for a giant water gun.
“No, I just said it because I knew—”
“I wouldn’t do it?” Noah looked pained. He hefted the gun, took aim, and missed by a mile.
I couldn’t help it. A laugh escaped me.
Noah sounded wounded. “It’s harder than it looks.”
“Is it?” I ruffled the fur behind Ellie’s ears. “Who knew.”
He took aim again.
Ten minutes and many shots later, Noah proudly presented me with a desolate-looking elephant. It sat on its haunches, staring out at the world with a tragic gaze. Its brows curved downward in an expression of despair.
I held the elephant at arm’s length. At my feet, Ellie looked equally confused. “This is not a unicorn. This is the saddest elephant in the world.”
“What are you talking about?” Noah sounded like a mighty hunter told his bounty was not worthwhile.
“He’s so sad. Look at him. The last time an elephant was this sad, it was Dumbo and his mom had just been locked in a cage.”
“He’s going to be even sadder if you reject him.”
