I shook myself out of my reverie. Fuck.
“Shocking that you showed up right when we were talking about my underwear,” I muttered.
“Good to see you, too, babe,” Austin said with a grin.
“Wish I could say the same.”
Patrick trailed behind him with a dopey smile on his face, carrying a six-pack of beer. They both looked loaded. But Austin always held his alcohol better than everyone else. Probably because his tolerance was through the roof, considering he drank all the time.
“What’s up, Julia?” Patrick said.
“Y’all coming in?” Heidi called from the water.
“Hell yes!” Patrick dropped the beer at the edge of the dock, then ran and jumped into the water, next to Heidi.
She giggled and splashed him back when he surfaced.
“Austin, man, we need something to float our beer!”
“Oh, you’re drunk already and still drinking,” I snarled. “How shocking!”
Austin set his dark eyes on me, and he smiled wickedly. “Heard you broke up with that tool you were seeing.”
“Not that it’s any of your fucking business.”
“Just trying to figure out why you’re still acting like this.”
“Like what?” I demanded even though I knew it was a bad idea.
“Like you’ve got a stick up your ass.”
I narrowed my eyes and clenched my hands into fists.
“And not even the way that you like it either, babe.”
He winked, and I flushed scarlet.
“Why are you such a dick?”
He held his arms wide. “Just your average Prince Charming.”
I snorted. “There’s nothing about you that’s charming.”
“Nothing about me that’s average either.”
Then, he looked at me in a way that made my shorts and thong melt off. That seductive, eye-fucking, take-me-right-now, all-consuming look of desire that had set me on fire and pushed me into his bed the first time. The same smile that said he was bad, bad news, and I was happy to be on the front page.
“Fuck off, Austin.” I turned to leave, smoke pouring out of my ears.
But Austin latched on to my wrist as I tried to break away. “Come with me.”
“What part of fuck off did you not understand?”
“Swimming.”
“What?” I asked, realizing a half-second too late what was about to happen.
He tugged me toward the edge of the dock. I stumbled into him, completely losing my footing. Then, vertigo hit. I felt weightless, suspended in midair for a split second, with Austin’s chest pressed against mine. His smile was magnetic. His lips so fucking inviting. He looked…younger, happier, freer than I’d ever seen him.
Then, we crashed into the water. I came up soaking wet in my fucking street clothes, sputtering for breath. Austin popped to the surface right after me. His hands slid down my sides and twirled me back around to face him. He yanked me tight against his body, and all cognitive thought fled my mind as I felt the press of every inch of him against me.
My body went into hyperdrive, as I imagined all the ways he could touch and lick and caress and pleasure my body. All the ways that mouth could make me come. All the ways his dick could lay claim to my body. And I didn’t pull away.
I leaned in, letting my body take over for once and entirely ignoring my mind. His lips were so close.
So inviting.
So easy to forget.
“Fuck, I love getting you wet, Jules,” he breathed seductively.
And then reality crashed back into place.
Two
Austin
“You motherfucker!” Julia screamed.
She shoved me in the chest, trying to get away from me as fast as she could in the lake. I released her with a laugh.
She just glared at me. “Don’t fucking laugh at me.”
Then, she punched me in the shoulder. Hard.
“Shit, Jules!”
The girl knew how to fucking punch. Jesus Christ! I hadn’t had the privilege of finding that out the last time we were together. No, the last time she’d just slapped the shit out of me. Two for two.
“Austin, leave her alone,” Heidi said with exasperation in her voice.
“It was just a joke,” I said with a shrug.
Julia splashed water at me in a huff and began to swim back to the dock. I could hear her cursing my name under her breath.
“Seriously, Jules, lighten up a bit,” I said, leaning backward in the water and grinning up at her.
She climbed out of the water, and her eyes were fiery hatred when she whirled back to look at me. I could barely hold her gaze.
Not because she was so angry. Seriously, she needed to chill the fuck out. It was Memorial Day weekend. We were supposed to be having a good time.
But rather because she was dripping wet from head to toe. Her short jean shorts clung to her muscular legs, and the flimsy black tank stuck to her curves like a second skin. I could just envision the black lace bra she was wearing beneath the material, and suddenly, I wasn’t thinking with the right head any longer. Fuck.