Page 54

Almost.

“Drink,” Beckett half-asks, appearing at the edge of the tub, holding two sweating glasses. He’s wearing swim trunks that sit low on his hips, his chest tattooed and tan, droplets of water clinging to the dark hair that trails down his abdomen. “Baldwin made them. They’re lethal.”

“Everything Baldwin makes is lethal,” Vance mutters as I accept the glass, the condensation cool against my palm.

“That’s the point,” Baldwin calls from the open threshold to the lake house, his own glass already half-empty, his grin wicked and boyish. “Xander isn’t coming. As usual, he has his nose in a book.”

Baldwin and his Beckett share a face that suggests maturity with personalities that are quite the opposite. They’re teenagers in the bodies of grown men, all sarcasm and inappropriate jokes. The two of them regularly finish each other’s sentences, as if they share a single chaotic brain.

Vance’s hand slides up my thigh beneath the water, his pinky brushing against my pussy as his fingers dig into my skin so possessively that it makes my breath hitch. He’s been touching me like this all evening—like I belong to him. Which I do. But here, in the hot tub, surrounded by fall leaves and the smell of cedar, it almost feels affectionate.

“To autumn,” Beckett says, raising his glass, his eyes finding Kiki across the tub. “To cold air, warm water, and beautiful women who won’t get their hair wet.”

“To hypothermia,” Kiki counters with a smile, Beckett having teased her for at least the last thirty minutes about going in the pool. Her cheeks flushed, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s from the heat of the jacuzzi, the alcohol, or the way Beckett is looking at her. It had better not be Beckett. “To pneumonia. To freezing to death in a pool in November.”

“You’re being dramatic,” Beckett accuses, a playful smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. “It’s not even that cold.”

“It’s forty degrees,” she protests.

“Forty-five,” Baldwin corrects. “Practically tropical. And the pool’s heated, anyway.”

With his arm draped along the back of the tub behind my shoulders, Vance shifts beside me, his thigh nudging mine as his fingers trace lazy patterns over it. Leaning close, he whispers, “This would be a hell of a lot more enjoyable if we were alone. With you sweaty, wet, and riding my cock as the neighbors and staff watched.”

Heat blooms beneath my skin, a sharp contrast to the cold November chill, and I have to bite back a smile as excitement flickers through me.

“I’m getting out,” Vance says suddenly. “Need to cool off.”

He rises in a surge of water, droplets cascading over his chest and the sharp lines of muscle that cut descending to the waistband of his trunks. He climbs from the tub with easy grace, my gaze following, watching the way the steam rises from his skin as the cold air pebbles his flesh.

“Careful,” Beckett calls after him, laughing. “Cold water like that will have you looking like a fucking Ken doll by the time you get inside.”

“It’d still be bigger than yours,” Vance returns without looking back before diving into the pool in a clean arc that barely ripples the surface. He surfaces at the opposite end of the pool with a gasp, his head tipping back as water streams from his face and shoulders. He drags a hand through his wet hair, sending droplets trickling down his chest as he catches his breath.

Heat stirs low in my stomach at the sight, and suddenly I’m acutely aware that I could use a dip in the frigid pool myself.

“Your turn,” Baldwin announces, pushing from his seat beside Kiki, his grin wide and mischievous. “Swimming time. Hot tubs are for old people.”

“I’m not getting in that pool!” Kiki exclaims. “You’re crazy. It’s far too cold.”

“It’s heated,” Beckett protests.

“Not heated enough!”

Before she can react, Beckett crosses the tub in two strides and scoops her up. She shrieks, her arms flailing and her drink spilling into the water, as he lifts her easily.

“Beckett! Put me down!” she squeals as he proceeds to throw her over his shoulder.

“Make me,” he teases, his hand firm on the back of her thighs, holding her in place as he climbs from the hot tub. “I’m going to throw you in. I’m going to toss you into the deep end and make you swim.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“But I would,” he taunts, walking toward the pool. Her hair dangling toward the ground, Kiki pounds on his back, her cries a laughter-filled protest.

“He totally would,” Baldwin adds, following behind them. “Because I would.” He closes the distance in a blur, tackling his brother with Kiki still over his shoulder, sending all three of them into the pool with a splash that sends water cascading across the deck.

Beckett surfaces first, coughing, his hair plastered to his forehead. He reaches for Kiki, who splutters and shoves at him, her sweet laughter billowing into the cold night. Scooping her into his arms, Beckett carries her to the ladder. He climbs out behind her, reaching for a towel. His hands linger on her arms, rubbing warmth into her skin when her teeth begin to chatter.

“Asshole,” Beckett mutters, shooting his brother a murderous look as he drags a hand through his soaked hair while still running the other over Kiki.