Skinny dipping? Shit.
"So, what time are we meeting up with your sister tonight?" Veronica squeezed my middle as she held on tightly to me.
"I'll let you know later." I unwrapped her arms from me and took her hand. "Come on, let's get you off the boat and let me go find my friends. I'm sure I'm going to get an ass-chewing for not being there when the game started."
"Sounds good. I can play if you guys need me to." She gave me a warm smile as my stomach sank. I didn't want her touching me, or hanging around me, or anything. I wanted Cora. I'd wanted Cora since first laying eyes on her. Just the thought of pressing my lips to hers drove me toward need like I couldn't remember experiencing before.
Why though? What was it about her? Was she really so different than every other girl I'd tried to get in bed? Was I trying to get her in bed? If so, I'd fucked that up royally a few days back.
"Come on. We'll see if they need extra players." I pulled out my phone and wrapped my other arm around me to ensure that Veronica wouldn't grab it. We weren't together, nor would we be. I had no doubt that Cora would have assumed that I was trying to seduce the girl beside me, but it was just another strike in my corner.
I texted the guys to let them know that I was headed their way and that they needed to help me get rid of my new tag-along.
"Veronica?" a girl called out and waved wildly.
"Tanya?" She turned to me. "Oh my God. Come meet my old friend from high school."
"No, you go ahead. I'll see you in a little bit." I smiled, grateful for the chance to slip away without hurting her feelings.
Since when the fuck do I care about anyone's feelings?
"Oh-okay. Or just wait here and I'll be right back." She left me there as if I was going to wait for her return.
"Right," I mumbled and walked toward the volleyball courts. The guys were knee deep in a game with another group of guys, but called me in the minute I walked up. I dropped my phone into my back pocket and moved onto the make-shift court.
"We're going skinny-dipping with the girls tonight. About time we got to see some tit. Jeez. How long have you guys been working this group? A week?" I moved into place and ignored the looks I got.
"We are not going skinny-dipping." Clay glanced back at me. "Who told you that, or are you back to being your dickish self?"
"Well, there is that, but Cora and the girls came by the boat while I was dropping the anchor and shit."
"You mean while you were making out with that hot blonde?" Derek chuckled. "You're depravity knows no bounds, my friend."
"Right. Fuck you, too." I winked at him and turned to spike the ball. "We're meeting them at 10. One of you in a committed relationship can text and ask them where. I've yet to get the girl's number...remember?"
"First time for everything, right?" Daniel glanced back at me. "Stop mulling over seeing Cora naked and help us win this game."
"I'm not the one sporting a boner." I laughed as Daniel glanced down toward his shorts as if checking to see if he had an erection. The ball hit the side of his head and knocked him back.
"Dick." He looked over at me with a smirk on his mouth. "I'm going to get you for that."
"What? No fucking way. You've never threatened retaliation. Is this a new man I see coming into the light?" I could feel my emotions settling.
Cora wanted me.
Her request to go skinny-dipping was a bitch move. It was something I would have done if I wanted her attention. If I wanted to drag her out to the lake and then deny her. I had no clue what the night held for us, but I was all in. I owed her an apology regardless if things were going to go anywhere with us.
The tension between us had gone from hot and palpable to uncomfortable. Time to right at least that much.
*
"Did you grab the marshmallows?" Clay dropped down in the sand near the lake and worked on the fire Derek had started. It was just a small flame at that point, but we would have it roaring within a few minutes.
The girls had decided to meet us just after nine across the lake where not too many people went that late at night. We'd offered to pick them up in our boat, but they wanted to drive their own, so we grabbed the stuff that would be needed for a weenie roast and got our asses over there. Each of us seemed to want to make the night perfect for the others.
"Yeah." I bent over and pulled them out of the bag, wagging them around. "You alright?"
"Me?" Clay stood up and dusted his hands against his shorts. "Yeah, just a little concerned over how this night is going to go. Emily and I have been avoiding the discussion over you guys, and I'm sure it's coming."