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Wow.

His laughter fades into a smirk as he looks down at me.

And then he catches me staring.

The smile disappears.

His eyes hold mine, the green suddenly darker, and I feel his breathing change beneath my hand. His fingers twitch against my waist.

Once.

Twice.

For a moment, neither of us moves.

Then Jude steps back, his hands slipping away from me.

“Payback's a bitch,” he mutters.

I blink, still trying to remember how to form a coherent thought.

And that's when Dex appears behind him.

“YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!”

He launches himself at his brother, and Jude disappears beneath the water with an almighty splash.

I burst out laughing.

Dex turns towards me, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

“You're welcome, Nora!”

But I'm barely listening.

Because when Jude resurfaces, pushing his wet hair away from his face, his eyes find mine again.

And this time, neither of us smiles.

Thankfully, Dex has no intention of letting the evening become remotely civilized.

Within minutes, he's started a full-scale water fight, dragging Lexy into it, while Matteo and Chiara join forces against him.

I try to retaliate against Jude, planting both hands on his shoulders and pushing with everything I've got.

He doesn't budge.

Not even an inch.

“Oh, come on!”

He raises an eyebrow.

“Having trouble?”

“You're annoyingly large.”

“So I've been told.”