Her lips twitched."That's the name we're going with?You realize you've touched them more than a few times since last night?"
"Umm, no?I mean, yes, I've touched them, and no, I don't want to call them that."He rubbed the back of his neck."What do you want me to call it...them?"
"Boob?"
"Boob?"He made a face."No.Wait, you don't have weird pet names for them, do you?"he teased, raising a brow.
Riley shook her head, but a hint of pink bloomed on her cheeks.
Gray's eyes narrowed."Wait.Why are you blushing?"He leaned in, cupping her cheek."Do you have secret names for them you're not sharing?"
She swatted his hand away."No!I just remembered something embarrassing, that's all."
Gray grinned."I love embarrassing.Spill."
Riley opened the driver's side door."Nope.If I tell you while we're walking, I don't have to look at your face while I relive my shame."
She hopped out, grabbed a couple of bags from the backseat, and slung a small cooler over her shoulder.
Gray eyed the supplies suspiciously."Is this...bedding?Are we sleeping on the beach tonight?"
"I brought stuff so we don't get sand in places sand shouldn't be."
He shot her a skeptical look."Why would sand be getting into places it shouldn't be?Are you planning to seduce me under the stars?"
Riley snorted."Get your head out of the gutter.I like the beach.I don't like sand-burn.A little prep work means I won't spend the entire night scratching like I have fleas."She jabbed him in the ribs."And do I strike you as the kind of person who wants to put on a show for random beachgoers?"
Gray chuckled as he followed her down the narrow, overgrown path.He'd learned to trust her sense of adventure; she always led him to incredible places.At this point, he'd follow her anywhere.
"Okay," he said, "back to your embarrassing story, tell me."
Riley shot him a mock glare."It's too embarrassing, and you look too gleeful."
Gray grinned."Definitely go on."
She sighed."A few years ago, we had this Jamaican guy, Justin, working at the facility.Funniest guy, super dry humour.He'd sit in silence, then just drop these one-liners out of nowhere.Took a second to process, but when you did, everyone would be howling."
She smiled at the memory."One day, I was walking down the docks to do a session with Phoenix.Justin was heading back to the fish house, grinning at me.So, naturally, I smiled back.As we passed, he casually said, 'Your top fell down.'And then just kept walking."
Gray stopped in his tracks."No."
"Oh, yes."She winced, laughing."It took me a second to process, but when I looked down, yep.Bikini top had slipped, and I had just been strolling along, completely oblivious."
Gray doubled over, gasping for breath between laughs."Riley, no!"
"Oh, it gets worse."She shook her head."I finished my session, went up to the lab for our afternoon break, and Justin, without even cracking a smile, announced to the entire team, 'I saw Riley's boobies.'"
Gray let out a bark of laughter so loud it startled a nearby sleeping bird."Where is this man?I need to thank him.Boobies it is!"
Riley groaned."It was mortifying.The team thought it was the funniest thing ever.Declan wouldn't let it go for weeks."
"I love this story.I love Justin.I love everything about this."Gray wiped a tear from his eye.
"Glad my suffering brings you so much joy."
She rolled her eyes and grabbed his shoulders, steering him forward."Come on, if you don't stop laughing, you're going to miss what I brought you here for."
As the trees thinned, she grinned to herself.Any second now, the view would open up, and she couldn't wait to see his reaction.
