Liam lets out a long exhale, and I know he’s staring at her too. He’s gone over her. He’s admitted as much, but it’s grown since the lake. We haven’t spoken a word about that night to each other, but I see the way he looks at her, the attraction displayed in the way his body finds hers. And the way his hands always find a way to touch her. I get it, and I hate it, too. But the difference between Liam and me is something that works in my favor. Liam respects her wishes to be friends. He doesn’t push; he patiently wishes for more.
I’m too much of a prick for that.
“Mmhmm.” I hum my answer to his thought before he says it.
“Are you as irritated as I am that we can’t tell which one of us she’s staring at?”
Like I said, mmhmm. But I don’t answer aloud again and turn my attention back to the coach, trying to listen to him complain about our drive. It’s all hot air. Something he thinks is motivational, but our success is already motivation enough. Out of the side of my eye, I see Liam lean back, and I know he’s doing something to get her attention—he can’t help himself. It makes me want to take his head off.
“Remember when we used to make her row with us?”
My shoulders shake, relaxing as I remember how scared she always was, until Liam called her a chicken, and then she pretended to be indifferent while basically pissing her pants.
I turn and stare at her again, remembering her face back then, her giggles, the way she would blow out little screams as we rowed, and before I register what I’m doing, I’m walking in her direction. “McCallister,” the coach calls out, but I keep going, undeterred, until I reach where she’s sitting.
She smiles, looking around me at what I assume is the team staring at us.
“I think you’re wanted.”
“Probably,” I answer down to her. “But you know what I was thinking? Remember when Liam and I used to take you out—”
She snaps up a finger, halting the rest of my sentence.
“Umm. No. I don’t remember being terrified of that little boat and you two rowing like maniacs. That memory isn’t stored in my brain like trauma. Nope. Not at all.”
I hear my name called out again behind me, but I’m busy.
“Come on,” I direct, tilting my head. “We need a coxswain, you know, someone little to sit at the very front.”
Her finger points in Ethan’s direction. “He looks fine.”
“E!” I yell over my shoulder, not taking my eyes off of her.
I hear a faint “Ow” followed by Liam laughing as her head starts to shake furiously.
“Absolutely not.”
Her body is rigid as she sits up, stalk straight. The expression on her face is a big “hell no.” But I wasn’t asking. I squat down, noticing how her eyes dart to my thighs, then back to my face.
“You’ll come willingly, or I’ll make you. Pick it, Cherry.”
“Make me? I dare you. I fight back, Grey. I may even bite.”
“Promise?”
I place a hand on the ground and lunge forward with a deep growl, wrapping my arm around her waist and hoisting her roughly over my shoulder before I dead-lift her back to standing.
“Grey! Oh my God! What the fuck are you doing?”
Her screams have me laughing as I turn around and slow-jog back down to the guys. She’s too afraid of her ass showing to fight me off and keeps one hand on the back of her skirt, the other gripping the waistband of my bike shorts, which makes what I’m doing much more manageable than I anticipated. The moment my feet slow, she starts up again, yelling profanities and threats, but her complaints are drowned out by the claps and hollers from the boys.
“Fellas, we got a newbie. Time to break her in. She needs a long, hard ride…real bad.”
“I’ll kill you,” she yells, slapping at my back and laughing.
Liam claps his hands together. “Hell yes.” The coach throws up his arms, like he’s pissed, but he won’t push back. Not to me. I’m the number one rower in the country. Maybe the world. He’ll let me have my fun.
She starts to wiggle again as the guys prep the boat.
“Liam! If you don’t stop this, you’re dead to me!”
He shakes his head at me and walks around, leaning down toward her face. He might be enjoying this more than I am.
“Still chicken, huh? Trust us—there’s no more fun place to be than with both of us. Remember? You’ll love it. We’ll break you in slow and easy. Then drive it home, nice and hard.”
“Dead. To. Me.”
I give a little pop of my shoulder to readjust her, making her squeal, before I carry her down toward where the guys are waving to let us know they’re all set.
“Grey. I swear to God.”
“Be good,” I warn as I carry her the last few steps and bend to set her on her feet.
Donovan narrows her eyes at me, then looks at the water, her brows drawing together. My fingertips sweep across her bangs, giving me more of her eyes.
“It’s nice and smooth over here. You don’t have to be afraid. I got you, Cherry. It’ll be almost as fun as the car.”
“Or the Ducati.” Liam winks, extending an arm out from where he’s sitting as she steps into his grip. He steadies Donovan by the waist as her hands find his shoulders. Her head is still twisted, staring at me, unsure and nervous as she places one foot inside the boat.
“Come on, Van. You can trust us.”
She shifts her attention to Liam’s voice as she chews the inside of her cheek. I take the opportunity to lean down and let my lips come close to her ear. “Don’t worry, Cherry, we’ve had way more practice since we were twelve. Don’t I always make it worth your while.”
An exasperated smile blossoms on her face, as she glances back at me over her shoulder, and takes the other step down.
Her smile is set firmly in place as she lets Liam guide her into her seat. He places her at the bow of the boat, where there’s a little seat that faces us. He laughs when she bites her lip as he leans back away from her, leaving her alone.
I lower myself in, facing her, Liam directly behind me, and give her a wink.
“Ready?”
“No.”
We push off away from the dock, and she squeals, sealing her eyes shut with her hands, only to immediately dig her fingernails into the edges of the boat when it dips.
“Oh my God, Grey.”
Her raspy laugh cracks the air, and I’m lost. She’s breathless, eyes shining, hair blowing in the wind gorgeous. She’s fucking Aphrodite.
“Fuck,” Liam whispers from behind. Agreed.
I yell out a command, and she jumps out of her skin, beaming again, eyes focused on me. Now I have your attention. Everyone stills, readying their oars. And before she can anticipate it, we’re off. The first few pulls make her rock hard against the drag of the boat, but as we pick up speed by the second, the rocking becomes fluid.
“Holy shit.” She giggles again, letting her head fall back against the wind.
Our bodies move in motion, back, forward, back, forward, as we dig harder, grind more to set the pace. My shoulders swell and contract with each row. All my focus is honed in on her. Fuck, I can’t look away.
She’s a goddamn vision.