“I’ll secure us a couple barstools while you go rescue it,” Mack said.
The water was perfectly cool as it slid over her sun-warmed skin, so Kayla took her time swimming over to get her hat. Once she’d secured it, she flopped onto her back and let herself float. Water lapped gently against her cheeks. Her ears settled below the surface, blotting out the sounds of the world. The sun was so bright overhead that she had to close her eyes against the glare. For several long moments, she floated, weightless in a world without stimulation. It was beyond glorious and just what she needed to recover from an expensively mediocre morning.
When she finally forced herself out of that simple world, she stood to discover the seat to Mack’s right was waiting for her. The seat to Mack’s left, however, was occupied by a shockingly gorgeous woman in an equally shockingly small bikini. She was doing her best to make it even smaller, in fact, as she leaned toward Mack to display her impressive cleavage.
A little growl of annoyance stirred inside Kayla. This was the woman who had received her drink when Mack carried her upto the bar, so she had to have seen them together. Why would she so blatantly flirt with someone she knew was taken? Kayla pushed her way through the waist-deep water. She would give that little hussy a piece of her mind.
She’d taken about four steps when she remembered that, despite what they told Skye and Amy, Mack was not her fiancée. How had she gotten so lost in the illusion? Of course, Mack could flirt with this woman if she wanted to. Although Mack wasn’t flirting nearly as hard as she should have been. Maybe Mack was also momentarily forgetting their relationship was just for show?
Kayla whispered to herself, “Time for me to do that saving you from yourself thing, Mack.”
She hopped up onto her barstool and snatched her drink. It was a strange, frozen concoction of layered vivid yellow, red, and green. When Mack turned a smile on her, she pointedly looked at the busty newcomer rather than her drink. “Now this looks delicious.”
“It’s called a Bob Marley,” the stranger said in a thick Alabama accent.
“It’s really good.” Mack’s eyes sparkled with healthy mischief.
“Well, y’all enjoy your afternoon. It was nice meeting you, Mack.”
The stranger slid off her barstool, but Kayla reached out to put a hand over hers. “Oh, don’t head out so soon. You just got here. I’m Kayla.”
“That’s a real pretty name. I’m Ali.”
“Ali is from Huntsville, but she went to college at Duke,” Mack said.
Just how long had she been floating, that Mack had learned so much about her? Or was she that interested? “That’s where you went to school. You two must know some of the same people and places.”
“A few, yeah. But she was there a while before me,” Ali said.
“Well, don’t let her age fool you. She’s got an awful lot of energy.” Kayla gave Ali a wink that made her laugh.
“You have to forgive Kayla. She’s never met a stranger.”
“It’s called being friendly, Mack. You should be more friendly, don’t you think, Ali?”
Ali’s smile didn’t falter, but she gave Kayla a shrewd look and bit her bottom lip. She leaned forward so the bartender couldn’t hear and asked, “Are y’all looking for a third?”
Kayla nearly choked on her drink. “Um, no. Thanks. I’m not into that.”
“Really? Because Mack says y’all are getting married on Friday, but it sorta sounds like you’re encouraging me to flirt with her. Are you open?”
That was interesting. Maybe it would be easier than she thought to get Mack to loosen up.
Mack turned a panicked stare on Kayla. “No, we aren’t.”
“Don’t be so hasty, sweetie.” Kayla slid her fingertips over Mack’s arm. “We haven’t talked about it, but if you’re interested—”
“I’m not.” Mack jumped off her barstool like she’d been electrocuted. She turned a pained look on Ali and said, “No offense. I’m flattered, but I’ve got my hands full with this one.”
“No worries.” Ali stood and made a business of adjusting her minuscule bikini. If she was delaying in hopes that Mack would change her mind, she was bound to be disappointed. Still, she handled it well. “It was nice meeting y’all.”
She swam off, and Mack definitely watched her go longer than usual. Kayla laughed and swatted her arm. “You should’ve gone for that. You obviously think she’s hot.”
Mack walked around behind Kayla. She turned just in time to find Mack looming over her, sliding into her space and leaning in. There was a wicked grin on her lips and that same twinkle inher eye. Kayla’s breath stuttered to a halt, and her heart started to race. For a wild second, she thought Mack was going to lean in for a kiss, and she tilted her head to accept her lips. What the hell was going on? Why was her body reacting like this? It was Mack, not Skye, standing in front of her, putting on the seduction routine. Her body never reacted to Mack like this.
Mack leaned close, holding herself up with a hand on the bar right next to Kayla’s shoulder. Kayla could feel the heat of her skin. She smelled like vanilla from her sunscreen and something fruity from the drink.
“LaLa,” she purred.
