Noah shifts his weight and presses forward with fresh determination. Maya wobbles, grunting as she tries to stay upright. Then Noah gives one last shove, and Rick topples backward with a splash, taking Maya down with him.
“Yes!” Noah shouts, throwing both fists into the air, his thighs tightening around my neck. “We did it!”
I turn us in the water with a whoop of triumph. By the time Maya and Rick come back up, sputtering, Noah is still perched on my shoulders, one hand planted on top of my head like some victorious king.
“Lucky shot,” Maya says, pushing wet hair out of her face. “Best of three, remember? We’re just getting started.”
Rick says nothing, but there’s a tightness in his face now. He helps Maya climb back onto his shoulders, and we move into place again.
The second round goes faster. Noah seems to have found his rhythm, and I feel it in the way he moves, more in sync with me now. Maya’s tough, probably tougher than Noah, but Rick isn’t nearly as good at this as he wanted us to think. WhenNoah shoves hard and then suddenly pulls back, stealing Maya’s leverage, Rick loses his balance again and pitches forward, dragging her down with him in a mess of splashing and curses.
“Nice job,” Noah says, leaning down until his face is close to mine. “Let’s do one more, just to humiliate them.”
His breath skims my wet skin, sending a shiver down my spine that has nothing to do with the cold water.
“Let’s finish them,” I say, giving his legs an encouraging squeeze.
The third round turns into a real fight. Maya is dead set on not losing again, and Rick moves faster this time, making it harder for me to keep us upright. Above me, Noah and Maya grapple with their hands locked together in what looks like a painful grip. I can feel the strain in Noah’s body, every muscle tightening as he pushes against her.
For a moment, it looks like we might actually lose this one. Noah wobbles dangerously as Maya starts gaining ground. But then I shift my weight and sink lower into the water. Maya, who’s been throwing her whole body into Noah, loses her leverage all at once. She pitches forward, her grip slipping, and I move fast, stepping sideways and taking Noah with me. A second later, she goes down again, crashing into the water with a huge splash.
“Noah and Connor win,” Cassidy announces, smiling. “Three-zero.”
Noah lets out a victorious shout from my shoulders. “Woo-hoo!”
I can’t help laughing. The look on his face is so unguarded, so unlike the Noah I’ve been seeing since we gothere. He thumps my chest in celebration, and I pretend that doesn’t send another completely inappropriate shiver through me.
“Alright, champion,” I say, lowering myself into the water so he can slide off. “Time to come down.”
Noah climbs down, and when he’s standing in front of me, his face is flushed from the win, his eyes bright enough to make something twist in my chest.
Then, before I can process what’s happening, he rises onto his toes and presses a quick kiss to my lips.
“Thank you,” he says, pulling back with a grin.
I blink at him, caught off guard. The kiss is so quick I barely have time to register it, but my lips still tingle, and my heart gives an awkward kick in my chest.
“My pleasure,” I manage, hoping my face doesn’t look as hot as it feels.
I glance over and find Rick looking our way as he and Maya wipe water from their faces. That makes the win even sweeter.
Noah follows my gaze, then slips an arm around my waist, pressing into my side.
“You’re shivering,” I say, noticing the tremor in his shoulders.
“It’s cold,” he admits, his teeth starting to chatter.
“Let’s get you warmed up then.” I wrap an arm around him and rub his upper arm. “How about we try those hot tubs your mom was talking about?”
He nods and leans into me even more. “Yes, please.”
We make our way back toward the shore together, and when we step out of the water, Caroline beams at us.
“You two looked like you were having fun out there,” she says, her gaze flicking between us with impossible-to-miss delight. Then she looks at Noah. “Sweetheart, you’re shaking. There are towels in that basket.” She points to a wicker basket off to the side.
I grab two towels and hand one to Noah. He takes it with a grateful look and says, “Thanks,” draping it around his shoulders. But even by the time I finish drying off, he’s still shivering.
“We’re going to try the hot tubs,” I tell Caroline. “Warm up a bit.”
