“Maybe I don’t find you funny anymore,” he growled.
She threw her rod down and fisted her hands on her hips. “What’s wrong with you, Drew Montgomery? You’ve been an asshole ever since you got here.”
His eyes widened, and she glared at him. “Did you just call me an asshole?”
“Yeah, I said asshole. Asshole,” she muttered.
He dropped his fishing rod and took a step toward her, his face dark.
She took a step back, holding up her hands. “Okay, so maybe asshole was harsh.”
Saying nothing, he took another step toward her.
Hannah stepped back again. “Seriously, Drew. You’ve been a jerk.”
“First asshole, now jerk. Wow, Hannah, your vocabulary grew about as much as you have.”
This time, she didn’t take a step back. Oh no. She marched right up to Drew and shoved a finger in his muscular chest. “At least I didn’t grow up to be so ornery.”
He grabbed her wrist. “I’m not ornery.”
“You’re more ornery than my grandmother’s cat. At least he has a reason.”
His lips quirked. “And that would be?”
“She had him neutered.”
Drew threw his head back and laughed.
“It’s not that funny.”
He grew serious. “I’ve been a real pain this summer, huh?”
“Yeah, you have. I want the old Drew back,” she said.
“Does that mean I get the old Hannah?”
She blew out a breath. “I’m the same.”
His gaze roamed over her body, making her hyper aware of the bikini she’d worn to impress him. Although, until this moment, she had been positive she could have showed up naked and he wouldn’t have been impressed.
“No, you’re not.” His hot gaze met her eyes. “You don’t look the same at all.”
“I’m seventeen, Drew.”
“Don’t remind me.”
Here they went again. “I know, I’m soooo much younger than you, but geez, could you give it a rest this year? Don’t even know why we hang out anymore,” she grumbled.
“Because you mean something to me,” he said, and her jaw dropped.
“Did you hit your head playing water polo?” she asked.
He pulled her in closer and laid her hand on his chest, right over his heart. “I’ve been a dick to you all summer because, otherwise, I’d screw up what we have.”
“You have other options, you know. Like talking to me,” she said. “We used to talk all the time.”
“And say what?” He cupped the side of her face. “That I want you? More than a friend should. Yeah, that would go over really well.”
Her heart slammed against her chest. “What?”
“Never mind.”
He let go of her hand and face, but she didn’t move an inch. In fact, she pressed her palm harder against his bare chest. “You can’t say you want me more than a friend should, and then follow it up with never mind.”
“I can and I did.” His jaw hardened, and she got a glimpse of the man he was becoming—hard and unyielding. Stubborn.
Well, she could be stubborn, too. “Chicken.”
“Excuse me?” he all but bit out.
“I can’t believe you’re afraid of me.”
He gave her a look. “I’m not afraid of anyone.”
“Yes, you are.”
His heart beat faster against her palm. So cool on the outside, but inside…
“I still have the IOU,” he said. “Are you prepared to give me anything I want?”
Hannah knew she had stars in her eyes where Drew was concerned, and if he had asked her in any other tone of voice, in any other setting, she would have said yes. All because he had kept that stupid piece of paper.
“No.” It killed her to say the word, but the boy in front of her had turned into a guy she wasn’t sure if she liked anymore.
“There’s something I want to give you,” he said and grasped her shoulders. He dipped his head. “Have you ever been kissed?”
No. I’ve been saving my first kiss for you. “A billion times.”
“Liar,” he said softly.
She licked her lips. “A million?”
He grinned, and her heart flipped. In that grin, she saw her long-time friend. The boy she’d loved for years.
“Try again.”
“Zero,” she admitted.
“Good.” He brushed his lips across hers, and her toes curled into the sand. “That’s one kiss.”
“Are you going to give me a billion kisses?” she asked, all breathless.
“I couldn’t last a billion kisses,” he said right before he kissed her again. This time, his tongue licked at her bottom lip. “I don’t think I can last three kisses.”