Millie wraps an arm around his shoulder and pulls him in for a hug, but at the concerned look on his face, my heart sinks.
“What’s wrong?”
“So you guys aren’t married, but are you together?”
Millie releases him and looks at me. I stare dumbfounded right back.
“Um…”I mean, I’ve given her one and a half orgasms in the past week. That’s gotta count for something, yeah?
“We’re not.” Millie’s abrupt answer is a dagger straight to my heart.
“M’kay” is all he says.
“But that doesn’t mean I can’t be in your life.”
Her words nearly bowl me over. A warmth that has nothing to do with the heat of the day blooms in my chest as I observe her while she talks to my brother.
“How about as an honorarycoolaunt?” She nudges him.
“Yeah, sure,” Kane replies, though his tone is subdued.
Millie and I look at each other helplessly, but neither of us says more.
“Let’s go.” I pat my brother’s knee and hop up. “I’m dying to see this waterfall I’ve heard so much about.”
As we make our way down the trail, the whooshing sound grows progressively louder. A glimmer of silver peeps through the rainforest, and as the bamboo thins out, we’re met with the most gorgeous sight. The three of us stand in wonder at the majestic veil of water that plummets with relentless force into a clear, natural pool. The force of the waterfall causes the ground to vibrate beneath us, and the mist in the air creates tiny rainbows in all directions. As awe-inspiring as the view is, I can’t help but stare at Millie, who’s fixated on the scene in front of us, her face lit with fascination.
She kneels and dips her finger in the water just as two tiny neon green-and-yellow birds swoop by. “Did you see that?” The grin on her face is brighter than the Hawaiian sun.
The three of us stand at the water’s edge, my hand brushing Millie’s as I wrap an arm around my brother. “Who’s ready for a swim?”
“Me.” In a rush, Kane tosses his shirt aside and kicks off his shoes. “C’mon, Millie.”
“Yeah,c’mon, Millie,” I echo, pulling my shirt over my head. “We had a deal.” I waggle my brows.
“Get in the water,” she commands, no doubt fighting the urge to roll her eyes.
I raise my hands in submission. If she’s stripping down, I’ll do whatever she wants.
Except tear my eyes away.
I’m waist-deep in the cool water when she finally slides her thumbs under the elastic of her athletic shorts and shimmies them down her thick thighs. Next, she grabs the hem of her tank and lifts it over her head. With her arms lifted and the shirt covering her face, she stops, her whole body tensing.
When she spins, her movements jerky, panic jolts through me. Shit. Something’s wrong. I climb out of the water quickly, nearly slipping on a rock and landing on my back in the process.
“Help me,” she shouts, her words muffled by the fabric of her tank. “I’m stuck. I can’t—I can’t breathe.”
“Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you.” Keeping my tone even and calm, I slip my fingers beneath the shirt. She’s sweaty, and the stretchy fabric is plastered to her skin, but with a strong tug, I pull it over her head.
The only problem?
Her bathing suit top comes off with it.
My instinct is to cover her, so I press my body against hers to prevent passersby from getting a peep show.
“Ezra?” she pants, still worked up.
“Yes?”
