I reach into my bag and pull out my beach towel. “I have my bikini on under this,” I say, pulling on the hem of my dress.
“Need some help getting out of it?”
“Been dressing and undressing myself since I was four, Colt. Pretty sure I can slip the dress over my head.”
He pouts. “I miss the days you were injured.”
I arch an eyebrow.
“Those days were fun.” He steps closer.
“Speak for yourself.”
Colt slips his finger under the strap of my dress. “Made me feel wanted. Needed.” His voice is soft. “I liked that. A lot. Like I meant something. Like I was important.”
“You mean everything to me. You know that.” I drop the towel and my book to the floor of the tent and cup his face. There is something in his eyes. A look I’ve never seen before. Vulnerability. “You are wanted and needed. Never forget that.”
I drop my hands and step closer Colt squeezes his eyes shut and swallows.
“Help me with my dress?” I ask.
He gives me a half-smile, knowing I’m only asking to appease him. To make him feel needed. He pushes on my shoulders, gently turning me around so he can reach the zip.
Sliding it down my back slowly, the heat from his fingertips radiates through me, leaving trails of goosebumps in their wake as he drags them down my spine until it reaches the bottom of the zip.
His breath is hot on my neck, his fingers soft as they slip under the straps of my dress once again, sliding them over my shoulders, down my arms until my dress bunches at my waist. Colt’s arms glide around my waist, holding me tight, pulling me to him.
“Thank you,” he whispers in my ear, dropping a kiss to the top of my shoulder. A chill runs down my spine, a spark of desire ignites deep within me, and I will his hands to drop further.
I take a deep trembling breath. My nerves are on edge as neither of us move. Neither of us speak. Colt’s lips still on the top of my shoulder, not kissing, just resting. His hands squeeze, gripping my stomach before gliding across my ribs and brushing the underside of my breasts.
The air shifts. His breathing deepens as his hands grip the bottom of my dress and tug it the rest of the way over my hips until it drops to the ground. I’m on edge, out of my depth. Entirely at his mercy.
How’s that for trust?
Colt’s fingers drift across my stomach, gripping my hips. He’s waiting for a reaction from me, like always. He toys with the waistband of my bikini bottoms and I relax back against him. It’s a subtle move, but Colt’s as aware of me as I am of him.
His erection presses against my lower back as he dips one hand into the front of my—
“You guys in here?” Austin calls out. “What’s taking so long?”
Colt releases me, stepping back and dropping to his knees on the tent floor in front of his bag.
The absence of heat from his body is jarring and a chill falls over me. I’m left standing there, trying to catch my breath as Austin sticks his head inside the tent.
“Ahh, there you are. We’re about to start a new game. So I thought I’d see if either of you want to join?”
I glance at Colt. His shoulders are tense, his back stiff. Giving Austin a smile, I say, “Thanks, but the sun is calling my name and I want to catch up on some reading.”
Austin nods. “Colt?”
Colt’s fingers clench on the zipper of his bag, his knuckles turning white. The muscles in his forearms strain and flex. He clears his throat. “I’m going for a swim. Cool down.”
He pulls his bag open and drags a pair of board shorts out.
“Fair enough. Come on, Em. I’ll walk you down there.” Austin steps back and holds the flap of the tent open for me.
“I’ll meet you down by the water?” I ask Colt. He nods. “And we can finish this...conversation later?” I try not to let the hopefulness shine through in my voice, but it’s pointless. I sound like a giddy schoolgirl talking to her crush.
Colt relaxes and lets out a deep breath. “We can discuss it tonight.”
“Can’t wait.” I step out of the tent but don’t miss the unmistakable sound of Colt’s deep chuckle.
“Everything okay?” Austin glances back at the tent as we walk side by side toward the others on the beach.
“Yeah.” I smile. “Of course.”
“Just thought I might have interrupted something. Seemed tense in there.”
I snort back a laugh. Real ladylike. “We were arguing over whether I should take the other tent,” I lie.
“Do you want the other tent?”
Absolutely not. But I couldn’t tell him I hadn’t spent a night without Colt in over nine years. He wouldn’t understand. I’m sure he’s already confused who sleeps where in our apartment. Unless he assumes that there’s something going on between Colt and I like almost everyone else does.
“I told him I’d take the other tent if he wanted time alone with Jane.”
“Ahh.” Austin laughs. “He didn’t go for that?”
“Definitely not. Said I’m his safety blanket. Ensuring she stays out of his tent.”
Austin grabs my hand and helps me down the few rocks to the sand. “Smart, considering he’d get her name wrong and then all hell would break loose.
Now it’s my turn to laugh.
“Dude, hurry up. We’re waiting for you,” Rome calls out before smiling at me. “How’s it going, Em?”
“Good.” I give the others a wave.
Jane turns away and whispers to her friends before standing up and walking back toward the camp. “He better get out of that tent soon,” Austin mutters.
Dread settles in the pit of my stomach, hard and heavy. I swallow and force a single word out of my mouth before changing the subject so I don’t throw up all over his shoes. “Yeah... So, where’s Keely?”
“Ahh...” He rubs the back of his neck and glances back towards the camp. “She’s hiding in her tent.”
“Too shy?”
“Yeah, I—”
“Dude, hurry the hell up. We’re waiting on you, sunshine,” Fletcher calls.
“I better go. Catch up with you later.”
I smile. “Okay, kick some ass.” I nod toward the guys as Rome spikes the ball over the net, kicking up sand.
“Done.” Austin smiles and walks away while I go in search of the perfect spot to lie in the sun and read.
Alone.
Uninterrupted.
Peaceful.
27
Colt
I need a few minutes alone to cool down before I step foot on the beach or go out there and squeeze Austin’s neck until his head pops off.
Damn cock-blocker.
We were so close. Two more minutes and he would have witnessed a different scene. Two more minutes and I wouldn’t have been able to pull away from her.
I could kill him.
I want to kill him.
But hindsight is a freaking wonderful thing. In those few moments in the tent with Em, I was so close to losing control. Something I never want to do with her. It’s Em. She’s special. My best friend. She’s sweet, innocent, and a virgin in more ways than one.