Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 97079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
But Nate is Nate. And when the guys start doing donuts and jumping each other’s wakes, I’m forced to hold on for dear life because Nate joins in. He launches us over a wake, making us airborne for several seconds before we hit the water again, and I nearly lose my hold.
“What the hell, Nate!” I shriek, clinging to him as he spins us around and heads for another wake.
“Hold on tight,” he calls over his shoulder.
I adjust my grip, but I can’t secure myself in time. He launches us over another wave, and I’m tossed into the air. A second later I hit the water, and a huge wave smacks me in the face. I splutter and cough as ocean water goes up my nose and into my mouth. Panic follows swiftly on its heels. Like most of the people in our group, I grew up swimming in fresh lake water, where there are no sharks who might think my feet are a tasty snack. It’s fine near the shore, but out here…who knows what’s lurking under the surface?
“Nate! Get me out of the water!” I’m annoyed at how shrill my voice is and how quickly the irrational thoughts take hold.
Nate circles me, just as I imagine a shark would.
“Now! Get me out now!” I shout.
He gets in close and cuts the engine. “Calm down, Ess. What are you afraid of?”
“Calm down?! Don’t tell me to calm down! What if a shark bites my foot off? How will I walk down the aisle for my best friend if I don’t have a foot?”
“You’re more likely to get stung by a jellyfish than bitten by a shark.”
“Not fucking helpful, Nathan!” I’m thrashing like a freaking walrus.
“Stop flailing so I can help.” Nate holds out his hand, and I curl my fingers around his. He pulls me closer, and I wrap my free hand around his ankle. He moves it to his shoulder. “Now link your hands behind my neck so I can pull you up.”
I do as he says, and the watercraft rocks toward me.
“It’s going to tip! Don’t let it tip or we’ll both be in the water!” I’m back to freaking out.
“It won’t tip if you don’t thrash.”
I stop flailing, and he winds his arms around my waist, pulling me out of the water and into his lap. I stay wrapped around him, mostly because I’m afraid if I move I’ll end up in the water again with the sharks and jellyfish.
He runs his hand down my arm. “You’re all right, Ess.”
“Am I, though?” I lean back. “I’m soaked because of you.” And all the time I spent on my makeup, that was supposed to make me look sun-kissed, was pointless.
His lip twitches. “Tonight I’ll make sure you’re soaked for the right reasons.”
“You think I’m inviting you back to my room after you tossed me in the water?” I shove his shoulder and the watercraft rocks perilously, so I throw my arms around him again.
His lips curve against my neck. “I told you to hold on. If you let me, I’ll make it up to you later and suck on that pretty little clit ring.”
“And my nipples. You’ll suck on those, too,” I demand.
“As if I would leave them out of the fun.” He repositions me so I’m nestled between his thighs, sitting in front this time.
His erection pokes me in the butt as he shifts forward. I’m about to comment, but Tristan and Rix ride up next to us.
“You okay, Ess?” Rix is wearing a worried expression, as is typical these days.
“Oh yeah, just fell off!” I say brightly.
“Be careful with Ess,” Tristan warns, then speeds off. Rix’s peal of laughter is drowned out by the sound of our engine turning over.
“You’re poking me in the ass,” I note.
“You are wearing a thong bikini, Essie. I’ve had to watch you parade around in it every time you got out of the pool to refresh your drink. And now your entire bare ass is pressed up against me. So yeah, I’m poking you with my hard-on.”
“Does this mean you’ve spent the whole afternoon thinking about bending me over the closest surface and fucking me from behind?”
“Among other, slightly less civilized things, yes.”
“Tell me about the uncivilized things.”
“No.” He takes my hands and puts them on the handlebars, settling his over them. I thought being wrapped around Nate was an experience, but this is so much better. His body creates a protective cage around me. His hard-on pokes me insistently in the tailbone, and it’s all I can think about. I wonder what uncivilized Nate is like in the bedroom. I wonder what it takes to bring out that side of him.
Eventually his hard-on calms down in time to return the jet ski. It takes ten minutes for the guys to decide they’re bored and want to play water volleyball after we return to the pool. Somehow, I get sucked into playing, along with Hemi, Rix, and Hammer.