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Even if he was willing to do that—and piss-poor mood or not, he couldn’t let Jules down so spectacularly—the chance to bolt disappeared when Grant came around the back of the truck and waved. “I’m glad you made it.” He did a double take when he saw Jules. “I can’t believe your mama let you out of the door dressed like that.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Funny thing—I have my own place, and I’m not sixteen anymore.”
“I can see that.” And then he proceeded to rake her with his gaze in a way that had Adam seeing red. He stalked over to slip an arm around her waist, telling himself all the while that he was playing a part.
It sure as fuck didn’t feel like a part. It felt like he was half a second from beating that smug piece of shit’s face in. Adam put every ounce of that desire onto his face when he clenched his teeth in a way that only a fool would call a grin. “Didn’t your daddy ever teach you that it’s not nice to eye-fuck another man’s woman, let alone when he’s standing not two feet away?”
Grant took a step back and seemed to catch himself because he straightened, his shoulders going back. “You know as well as I do that she’s not the kind of—”
“Boy, I suggest you rethink the words that are about to come out of your idiot mouth.”
Grant’s teeth clicked together when he snapped his mouth shut. He glared. “Hurry up. The party’s already started.” Then he strode away, yanking his shirt off and pausing to shove it into his truck before he disappeared down the path leading to the swimming hole.
“Well, that was…” Jules let out a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry I got you into this.”
“I offered to keep this thing going, remember? You didn’t get me into anything I didn’t want to do.” He forced the tension out of his body. He’d wanted to do this because Jules offered a one-of-a-kind distraction from the shit his mom was going through, but that didn’t do a damn thing if he didn’t let her distract him. “I’m just in a piss-poor mood, and it has nothing to do with you.”
“Okay.” She didn’t sound sure, though. But she brightened immediately. “I’ll grab the beer.”
He was quickly learning that Jules covered up nearly any uncomfortable emotion with cheer. It should have been annoying as fuck, but it was strangely endearing. Then she shimmied out of her shorts and he forgot about everything but the fact her heart-shaped ass was barely covered by her bikini bottom.
He rubbed a hand over his face, his chances of making it through the day without killing Grant Thomas—or fucking Jules senseless—disappearing before his eyes.Chapter EightJules could feel Adam’s eyes on her, and it was driving her crazy. She tried to focus on where Aubry floated next to her, her friend’s giant hat shielding her face and chest, and her equally giant sunglasses masking any expression of judgment that she was sure to be leveling at Jules right about now. “Sorry.”
“You keep saying that. I keep not believing you. In fact, I don’t think that word means what you think it means.” She held her hand out, and Jules passed her another beer from the cooler strung between Jules and Adam’s tubes. Aubry took a long drink and sank lower into the hole in the middle of her tube. “But it could be worse.”
“Dear God, was that an actual admission of you having fun doing something outside surrounded by nature?”
Aubry laughed. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s entirely possible that some undiscovered-until-now alligator will appear to pick us off one by one.” She seemed to consider. “But if that bastard starts with Grant, I might be okay with my inevitable fate.”
She looked over to where Grant floated near them, surrounded by Kelly, Kelli, and Jessica. They were all former cheerleaders, and all were conveniently single and looking to sink their claws into an up-and-coming lawyer.
That’s not fair. You were panting after Grant for years.
As if he could read her mind, Grant shot her a look over his shoulder and grinned. “Hope you’re having as great a time as I am, Jules.”
She gritted out a smile. “Of course. This is just peachy.”
“Sugar, you’re lying through your teeth.” Adam snagged the line between their tubes and towed her closer to him until they squeaked as they rubbed together.
“Only totally.” She lowered her voice. “The water’s freezing, I’m mostly naked, and now Aubry’s got me thinking about mutant alligators. I used to love this, but for the life of me, I can’t remember why.”
“Is it because of that trio?”
“No.” She let her head drop back to rest on her tube. “Yes. Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t want anything to do with him, but seeing him makes me crazy.”
