My fingers gripped my scalp as I stared down at Millie, dumbfounded. “Why?
The girl peered up at me, the sand falling through her fingers as she shrugged. “Why, what?”
“You have sand all over you,” I exasperated, tension rising in my muscles. “I disappeared for two seconds.”
Her lips pulled into a frown—a genuine one this time. “Sorry.”
I pulled her out of the sand and tried to dust her off as best I could so we could head home. The sky was a mix of purple and orange as the sun made its exit. I’d been out here longer than I intended and had done nothing productive in the time. I sighed, dreading the long night ahead of me.
My breath hitched at the sound of my stranger. “Damn, did you come from the beach?”
Standing next to me was a shirtless River with his hands on his hips and his shirt tied dysfunctionally around his waist. He stood so close that his elbow brushed against my arm, like it wasn’t an option for there to be a distance between us.
“Did you finish your game?” my niece asked. “Who won?”
River parted his lips to speak, but I cut him short. “Neither of us won today, because we’ve got to go. It’s way later than I thought.”
I bent down and unzipped Millie’s backpack to make sure she wasn’t missing anything. I had learned my lesson about trusting the child to keep all of her things together.
“Nice, so I win.”
I paused, eyes trailing up River slowly. “No. We can pick up later.”
He shook his head with a ‘gotcha’ look. “If you leave, that means you forfeit, which means I win. If you want a rematch later, then I’m down, but I won this one.”
He can’t be serious.“I had one point left, so I would have won anyway.”
River shrugged, his smirk playful. “I don’t make the rules.”
No, actually. He did make the rules, but there was too much in store for the night ahead of me to argue like toddlers about a ridiculous basketball game.
I accepted my defeat. “Fine. What’s your wish?”
Mills tugged on River’s arm and then shook it with all her force. “Wish for Alex to buy me pizza for dinner.”
He rolled his lips together, and his eyes stared into the sky as he thought. Ten seconds later, he shook his head. “I’m going to save my wish for future use, but I will buy the kid a pizza.”
My brows knit. “You can’t do that.”
“Buy Millie pizza?”
I stared at him dully. “Not use your wish.”
“We never saidwhenI had to use the wish.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket, and I could see the local pizza place logo flash on his screen. “What’s the harm? It just means you don’t have to do anything right now.”
What was he playing at? What was the point of holding his stupid wish for later?
River was a confusing man, so the possibilities couldn’t help but run through my mind. I mean, he showed absolutely no interest in me when we were kids—during the seventh grade, all he could do was talk about the girl he had a crush on. Absolutely no signs of him liking boys whatsoever. Now? I had a permanent memory of his body against mine, his lips moving with hunger, and the mesmerizing glint in his eyes that threatened my body to come all over again.
So, sue me for over-analyzing his reasons for dangling a wish above my head.
“Whatever, fine.” I handed Millie her backpack before slinging mine over my shoulder.
River adjusted the shirt he’d stretched around himself to discreetly cover his crotch. “Your pepperoni pizza will be ready in fifteen minutes.”
“Yes!” she all but screeched. “You’re the best!”
“I sure am. Bye.” River walked backward as he waved. Then, more gently, he said, “See you later, Alex.”
