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I leaned in and pedaled faster.
Chapter Nine
Clay
My eyes were closed but I knew instantly she was there. Watching me as I lay out by the pool in the midday sun. I smirked, feeling her eyes on my skin.
Nevada.
I knew it. I knew she couldn’t stay away forever.
I stretched, flexing my muscles. Hoping she liked what she saw. How could she not? I didn’t have a spare inch of fat on me. Still, who knew what was going through that pretty head of hers these days?
I’d been home almost a week and the girl was clearly avoiding me. Most summers I’d see her out by the pool, walking around or talking to the horses.
Yes, she talked to horses. Ever since she was a kid. It was one of her more endearing qualities.
I opened my eyes a crack and frowned.
It wasn’t Nev who was staring at me.
It was Jen.
Shit, I’d never texted her.
Whoops.
“Hey, Jen.”
She raised an eyebrow at me. She looked pissed. That was the last thing I wanted to deal with. I decided to make nice instead of being the dick I was capable of being with girls.
“Been busy?”
I sat up and pushed my hair back.
“Uh yeah, just catching up with the guys.”
“Right.”
She stood up. I realized I had to stop her if I ever hoped to be friends again. Even though I was experiencing a startling lack of attraction to her.
Like, no heat. Zero. Zilch.
“Hey – wait. Don’t go yet. Have some iced tea.”
There was a pitcher on a table under an umbrella. I’d actually been thinking about adding some bourbon to it. It was never too early to start drinking after all.
Especially on vacation.
She gave me the side eye, considering. Then she nodded. I got up and poured us each a cup. I knew someone would come around and refill it within ten minutes anyway.
Someone always did.
“How was school?”
Jen was pre-med. She loved regaling me with gross stories of anatomy class. But today she only shrugged. She was distracted, looking at something.
A slim blond girl was walking up the path.
She had a bikini top and denim cut off’s on.
She looked phenomenal.
Nevada had finally chosen to show up.
Now of all times.
Perfect.
Still, I was really fucking glad to see her. My big brain and my little brain. Fuck, especially my little brain.
Which wasn’t so fucking little for the record.
She rounded the bend and stopped short. Clearly she thought I had left when I got up to get the ice tea. It kind of hurt my feelings that she was avoiding me. And this was pretty much proof that she was.
“Oh sorry, I didn’t know there was anyone here.”
She turned to leave but I stopped her.
“Nev, you can use the pool whenever you want. You know that.”
She gave me a look that clearly said ‘I’d rather not.’ But then she shrugged.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to interrupt you guys.”
She looked at Jen with a supreme lack of surprise. Disdain too – just a little but it was definitely there. But she was 100% not surprised that there was a hot girl hanging here with me.
Why should she be surprised? It was a common occurrence. At least, it used to be.
I frowned.
“Nevada this is Jen. Jen, Nevada.”
Nev smiled and nodded.
“Hi Jen.”
Jen was staring at Nevada with a cold look.
“I know who she is.”
Jen turned around and grabbed her bag from the lounge chair.
“See you around, Clay.”
Nevada’s mouth dropped open a bit as she watched Jen walk away. But my eyes were on Nev. I couldn’t look away. God, was she a sight for sore eyes.
Her bikini top was nothing overly revealing, but fuck if she didn’t fill it out like a Victoria’s Secret model. Her tummy was flat and tan. I could almost reach out and rub my palm over it…
But I didn’t. I had some self-control after all. Less than usual with this girl though.
She cleared her throat and I lifted my eyes to hers. She’d caught me staring. I smiled at her, unconcerned. She was going to have to get used to that.
“Earth to, Clay. Come in, Clay.”
“Do you want some iced tea?”
She shook her head quickly, pulling the grungy looking beach towel off her shoulders,
“No, I’m good thanks.”
I watched her walk over to one of the lounge chairs. Not the one next to mine as I’d hoped. No, she’d chosen one as far from mine as she could get. She spread out her old beach towel and sat down on it.
“You know, we have towels here. Big white fluffy ones.”
She gave me a look and kicked off her tennis shoes. I watched hungrily as she started unbuttoning her jean shorts. I knew she felt funny about using any of the services provided by the staff. Her mom was one of them and she didn’t want to make extra work for them. I knew her reasons but it still annoyed me.
