Luscious brow quirked, Ezra hauls me off the ground and throws me over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Then he takes off toward the water, his shoulder digging into my hip as he runs.
Boobs bouncing against his back, I squeal and smack his ass. (Instant regret. It’s a nice fucking ass.)
As salt water splashes in my face, I close my eyes and sputter. “Put me down.” I smack his backside again, though a little higher this time. “I didn’t think you were serious, you jerk.”
Ezra sinks until we’re fully submerged, and when we come up for air, he sets me on my feet in the water, causing a cool sensation to sweep against my skin at the break in contact.
“I was seriously getting sick of you covering up that smoking-hot body.”
I splay both hands over my chest where the wet fabric of my cover-up is plastered against my skin. “What. No, it’s not—I’m not?—”
“Millie, stop.”
Flabbergasted, I search his dark eyes for humor; it’s not the comment I was expecting.
“Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you’ve been hiding your body. That’s not like you.”
My stomach twists painfully. “You don’t even know me.”
He breaks into a knowing smile, backlit by the sun. “I wouldn’t saythat.” He flicks water at my face. “I know you’re not shy about your body.”
“That was before…” I let what I really want to say float away on the horizon.
“Before what?”
I shake my head. Are we really having this conversation right now? “I’ve gained weight,” I whisper. “Haven’t you noticed?”
His lips turn down in a frown. “This feels like a trick question.”
A shallow wave crashes, splashing our faces, and in unison, we wipe our eyes.
“Can I be completely honest?” he asks, though he doesn’t wait for me to respond before going ahead with the statement. “When we met in Greece last year, you looked… great. Wonderful. But now? You’restunning. So fucking sexy I can’t keep my eyes off you.”
My heart trips over itself just as another sapphire swell crashes. It forces my feet off the ocean floor and shifts me closer to Ezra before setting me back down. “Really?”
“Really. Every new curve…” He raises a hand like he’s going to touch me but submerges it again quickly. “Fuck. Let’s just say I’m glad the water’s covering me right now.”
I’m grinning when another wave crashes over us, this one with more force, and I’m tossed against Ezra. He catches me by the waist, and I feel just what he’s talking about.
“I felt his thingy, Jo,” I whisper-shout at my cousin over FaceTime.
She cackles, her voice tinny through the speaker of my phone. “You did not just call Ezra’s dick his ‘thingy.’ Please tell me that’s not what the cool kids are calling it these days.”
“Ugh.” With a groan, I peek out the door one more time. Ezra left for a run a few minutes ago, and I absolutely do not need him to know I’m talking about his package. Hispackingpackage.
“What did you do?” Joey asks.
I settle on the sofa, basking in the late afternoon breeze coming in from the open window. “Nothing. I schlepped my ass back to the car. I didn’t even fully dry off. It was awkward as hell.”
Rather than respond, she tilts her head and assesses me quietly.
“What?”
She shrugs. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Yeah, but you’re giving me a look.”
“Fine. Did you like histhingy?” She can’t help but giggle.
