“Oh my?—”
"If you win..." His gaze lowers to my lips and back up to my eyes. "I get to take youout to dinner."
He studies me while I contemplate his offer. We used to make bets all the time for fun. If we were bored, we'd challenge each other at something. Silly little bets. Who can hold their breath underwater the longest, who can stuff more marshmallows in their mouth, or who can make the other spit out their water first by making them laugh?
But going out to dinner, regardless of who wins, I’m not dumb. I’m letting the walls fall that I built around me when my feelings for him started to take over my every thought.
"So? Are we jumping?" he asks in a low, sultry tone that has me feeling things between my legs that I don't want to feel with him.
Biting my lip, I listen to the waves again, take a breath, and nod. “Okay, yeah.”
August holds out a hand. “I promise, you’ll be okay.”
After hesitating for just a second, I take his hand in mine, and he squeezes it once in reassurance. We step back, making sure we get a good running start, and then we jump.
The air rushes around us, and I find myself screaming, but I’m not scared. Within seconds, we hit the water, and our hands let go. I fall deep into the ocean, adrenaline coursing through my veins, and for a moment, I stay under, absorbing the quiet around me.
Then it’s time to come up for air. I swim up to the surface, take a deep breath, and let out a laugh.
“I can’t believe I did that.” I look around me to see where August is. “August?” My feet kick, and my arms sway as I keep myself afloat. “August!”
I start to count the seconds—five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven. Someone comes up from the water behindme, and when I turn, there’s August—with a grin on his face. He whips his hair out from his eyes.
The pounding of my heart doesn’t slow down, even with August being right in front of me. The waves push us closer together, and I splash water in his face.
“What the hell, asshole!”
He runs his hand down his face and knits his brows. “What?”
“Where were you? Why did it take you so long to come up?”
“Riley, I’m fine. I’m okay.”
“I thought something was wrong!” My arms start to tire as I keep myself above the water. I pump them up and down, against the water's pressure.
“Come here.” August presses his hand against my back, pushing me toward him. “Wrap your legs around me.”
“What? Why? I’m fine.”
“I can tell you’re getting tired.” A drop of water falls from his nose as our bodies press together. “I won’t let you go. I promise.”
I don’t know what’s happening. What I do know is we can swim back to shore, but being alone with him like this, not knowing where everyone else is—I want to take advantage of this moment where no one can see us.
“Okay,” I whisper, then wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. We’re in deep water doing this. Literally and figuratively.
“Is this okay for you?” He holds me with one hand while the other glides under the water. His hips move when his legs kick. I nod.
“Looks like you’ll be taking my class.” I lick my wet lips, and his blue eyes drop to them.
“What class?”
“Did you already forget what you promised?”
His gaze still roams my face, and I feel him push my body into his, keeping his word that he won’t let me go.
“Oh, right. Yeah. Set it up when we get back home.” He says, sounding out of breath. The tips of our noses practically brush against each other, and I take in the silence around us.
The water covers his long, dark lashes, making his deep blue eyes intense and beautiful. I can stare into them forever. He licks his lips, and I wonder what they feel like. What they taste like. I wonder if he’s thinking the same thing about mine.
