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Then there’s the other small issue. If I couldn’t make her come last night, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to. But, fuck, I’ll try even harder to get her off if it means I get to touch her too. And, oh God, she might touch me.

“I’m determined,” I say, assuring her I got the message.

She pauses, one hand on the open slider door. “So far, I’m not impressed, dough boy.” One eyebrow raises in a defiant arch.

Her eyes are brilliant. Glittering. And her skin? Sparkling, like she’s covered her creamy skin in stardust.

Is it?

I blink to make sure my brain isn’t playing tricks on me, but when I focus again, she’s gone, like a life-saving mirage in the desert. I wipe my drooling lips. Sinful Sophia is a tease.

I stroll in a circle and stop to face the ocean. The indigo waves are higher today, crashing harder, louder, just like the pulse building in my ears.

Something between Sophia and me has pivoted. We’ve entered a new game, one more fun than the last one—or possibly heart-annihilating, depending on how it ends. If I’m not careful, she’ll obliterate me.

I draw in a breath of the salty air. Birds shriek overhead, but that’s not all I hear. An inner voice suggests Sophia’s worth the risk, and I know it’s true. I would let her destroy me at a chance of being with her in any capacity. The key is not to let her know how much power she holds over me already.

I remove my phone from my pocket. With a few quick swipes, I’m carrying out a new devious plan.

A plan to make her mine.

34/

sophia

Circling Sharknados

The following week, Gio and I circle each other like animals in heat. Despite the growing tension, we adhere to our unwritten rules of engagement. We prank each other at every opportunity, and banter like our lives depend on it.

Physically, though, Gio keeps his distance. He works late into the night and then falls asleep anywhere but our room. I know why. He’s waiting for me to give him the green light. It’s up to me to set the pace.

I’m nervous to try again. The next time, I may not be able to hold back. No matter where Gio resides on our enemy-to-friends scale, I’m having too much fun to let this end.

On Friday, I make another inappropriate innuendo to Gio. I leave him with his jaw hanging open, like he didn’t realize I could be such a vixen.

Heck, I didn’t know I could. Somehow, he draws it out of me.

I’m proud of myself until I turn a corner and bump into Amelia. The inquisitive arch in her eyebrow suggests she heard everything.

“What was that?” she asks.

Dodging her question, I make a run for it. She easily keeps up until she trips on the stairs and rights herself. It allows me just enough time to race into my bedroom and slam the door.

“You can’t hide forever,” she calls out, her voice muffled from the other side.

I change into my swimsuit, shimmy into my cover-up, and reach for my pre-packed beach tote. I open the door with a whoosh, making Amelia’s hair lift in the air. She’s still waiting like an immovable statue, wearing the same expression as she did downstairs.

“Are you ready?” I ask with a smile, hoping to change the subject.

“Give me five seconds.” She hurries away, calling over her shoulder, “You’re not off the hook yet.”

Moments later, she reappears, mirroring my outfit but in jewel tones. We head down the stairs while I pray she lets the Gio thing go. Knowing Amelia, though, she’s merely biding her time like a sea witch.

Glancing toward the backyard, I see there’s a kitchen island on wheels in the middle of the pool deck. Fresh vegetables are stacked on one side. Utensils are on the other.

Matt sets up the lighting equipment in strategic locations. With a squirt bottle in hand, Casey unenthusiastically sprays Gio with oily lotion while he rubs it across his enormous pecs. In the sunshine, he gleams like an oil slick. He’s so radiant, I’m mesmerized.

He catches me watching and has the nerve to wink. Then, because he thinks I’m obsessed with his body (spoiler alert, I am), he forces each pec muscle to flex and bounce in quick succession. The movements are so controlled that they could lip-sync to a rap song with lightning speed.