“Just a little swimming race.”
“I’m not swimming with you in the nude.” She slams the door closed and flicks the lock.
I lean into it, typing a text out to Bodhi.
RIVER: Can you drop some clothes off at the bar for Dove.
BODHI: Already done, combi is out the front as well.
That man thinks of everything. I leave Dove in the bathroom to sulk while I make my way downstairs to the main bar. Sure enough, there is a bright pink suitcase sitting beside the bar. I drag it back upstairs and open it up on the bed, locating a cute-as-fuck baby-blue-checkered bikini.
I tap at the bathroom door. “I have your swimmers,” I call to her.
The door opens just a smidge, and she snatches them right out of my hands, then closes the door back up again.
“Thanks, Riv, love you, Riv,” I call back to her.
I hear her huff out a laugh, but she doesn’t actually thank me. This time when she opens the door she’s dressed in the bikini. The blue makes her tan pop even more, and her tits, well shit, the fabric hardly covers them. She might as well have joined me in her birthday suit. “Stop staring, River,” she chastises me.
“Can’t help it when you look like that,” I mutter, moving through my room to my wardrobe to grab a pair of board shorts since apparently we’re not allowed to go in naked. I strip off my pants and slip them on. When I turn around again, she’s watching me. “Stop looking at me, Dove,” I snip back playfully.
“I… I wasn’t, you dropped your pants right in front of me,” she complains, trying to look anywhere but at me.
I close the gap between us. “You didn’t have to look.” I tug her close with a hand at her waist. Goosebumps scatter over her skin. “But I like that you did.” My hand skates down her back, playing with her long silky hair.
She inhales deeply then pulls away from me. “Let’s get this race underway, hey.”
It’s one step forward two steps back with her every damn time. Just when I think we’re getting close again, she disappears on me. And I know for a fact it’s not because she doesn’t want me. She’s hiding her true feelings, trying to block us and her past out when she should just give into desire. “I don’t know, maybe I should change the bet… make it something more interesting.”
She stares me down like she’s about to fight me. “Nope, you said a race, so a race it is.”
I take her hand, pulling her back in close. “Don’t hate me when you’re tired later, baby, and you could have had the orgasm of your life instead.” I grin from ear to ear, loving the way her mouth pops open with that O when I surprise her. It’s easy to push her when she’s so fun to toy with.
“Where is the race, River?” Her voice holds a warning, but I’m not scared. Something tells me I’m closer than ever to having Dove right where I want her. But this race is important, so first things first.
“First to the orange buoy and back wins,” I say, opening the front door for her.
Her hand comes to my arm, her touch light but deliberate. “Don’t go easy on me.” I wish I could tell her how adorable her serious face is but now is not the time.
“You know I’m too competitive for that.”
She nods, pleased with my response. Then we make our way down to the beach, the cool sand squishing between my toes, and I’m home. This is my safe place. My calm in amongst the crazy that is my life, and with her by my side, even more so. It just feels so right she’s back home now, right when we all need her.
“Okay, but just to make sure you’re not going to throw this race, I’m upping the stakes. I win, I’ll give you anything you want.”
My brow rises as my heart kicks up a beat. Is she saying what I think she is or am I the one being played here? “Sexually?”
She smirks, a playfulness in her eyes that I love. “If that’s what you want, I’m sure you can be creative.” She places a hand on her hip, and I can’t help the way my eyes run down her beautiful body. Her paying her own way is more important to her than I realized. Shit, this might be harder than I originally thought. I just wanted to help her, make her life easier, but maybe I’m the asshole for taking that right away from her.
I hold my hand out, and she places hers in mine, crazy chemistry zapping between us. Yeah, she can deny it all she wants, but she wants me. “Done.” I keep my hand in hers longer than necessary. She blinks up at me from under her long dark lashes. “Five, four, three, two, one. Go!” I call, releasing her as I make it to go, and we both take off up the beach.
She makes it to the water before me. I’m shit on land at the moment, but once we hit the water, I can feel myself catching up with her, every determined stroke takes me closer. She dives under a wave, and I follow, until we’re out in the still water heading right toward our target. I catch her just before she turns at the buoy.
But she turns with ferocity, me overtaking her giving her fresh reason to fight harder. This is one of the things I love about this girl so much. She’s so competitive, has that fire in her veins that pushes her forward even when the odds are stacked against her.
I ease back, not to give her the win, she’s still going to have to take it, but I was never going to beat her today. I know how badly she needs this. To feel in control of her life. Life has thrown her one shitty thing after the other, and if I can give her back some independence, then I’m all in.
She pulls ahead just a little, her arm strokes becoming more frantic. She’s tired. I move to overtake her again, and she glares at me, a fresh wave of determination coming over her as she keeps pace with me. My feet hit the sand and so do hers. She takes one more look back at me and races up the beach back to where we started.
