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“No, thanks. I’ll just take a water if you’ve got it.”
Sandra calls out from the front. “Hang on! Here we go.”
I look back to see Dean in the water holding the line. The side of the board breaks the surface in front of him. I’m still looking back when Sandra floors it, and I stagge
r into Jerry.
“Oh, shit!” I cry as he catches me around the waist, sliding his hands up to cup my breasts. “Let me go!” I shove at his hands.
“Hey, take it easy. I’m just making sure you don’t fall.”
I’m pissed now. He knows exactly what he’s doing. “Copping a feel is not making sure I don’t fall.”
He laughs, sliding his hands down to my bare midriff. “You’re going to be working with Europeans. You’d better get used to being touched by men.”
My forehead is hot, and I want to smack him across the face. “I think I know how to do my job.”
Sandra lets off the throttle and looks over her shoulder smiling broadly. “How’d he do?”
“Did you see that?” Dean shouts from the water like a little kid.
I shove Jerry’s hands off me and pick my way to Sandra. “I didn’t get to see it. Can you go again?”
“See if Dean’s up for it!” She has no idea what just happened between Jerry and me, and I’m not interested in returning to the stern. “He can’t hear us from here.”
Pressing my lips together, I stay low and make my way to the back of the boat. Of course, bending over makes the top of my breasts more visible, and Jerry’s right there grinning at me like an asshole.
I ignore him, focusing on Dean. “Want to go again?”
“Yeah!” He gives me an enthusiastic thumbs-up, which I relay to Sandra.
She nods and whips her head around, hitting the gas a little slower this time. Still, the sudden movement throws me off balance, and Jerry is right there to catch me.
He only touches my arm, but I’m still pissed. “Hey, I’m just trying to help you.”
“I’ve had enough boating for one day.” I walk over to the side and jump into the water.
At once, I realize my mistake. They fly on, Dean jumping over the wake with the surfboard, leaving me in the deep waters, a good distance from the pier. It only looks closer in the boat.
Fuck, I think to myself and start swimming.
Growing up near the ocean, I swam all the time, but I’m far from the pier, and it’s dangerous to be in a lake outside the swim zone. I look up and see that fucking wave runner cutting through the water between me and the pier. I also see a dark-haired figure striding across the boards, his attention fixed on me. Patton.
Pushing harder with my legs, I do my best to swim to safety. The currents are against me, and I’m starting to get tired. Still, I’m making progress when I hear the high-pitched engine growing louder at my side. My eyes go wide when I realize the kids’ coming straight at me, and he’s not slowing down.
I gulp a large breath of air and dive down, going under just in time for him cut across above me. My heart races in my chest, and I kick, trying to stay down until I’m sure he’s gone. When it seems safe, I resurface, but exhaustion is setting in. I’ve got to swim harder.
Looking up, Patton is on the edge of the dock, and I’m pretty sure I recognize his frown. Then I hear that motor again. Already? Looking up, I see the wave runner is coming back.
Shit. I’m not sure I can swim any faster. My heart is hammering in my chest, and I know in this dark water with my hair wet, I’m practically invisible to anyone on a watercraft.
Panic tightens my throat, then I see Patton strip off his shirt and dive into the lake.
The wave runner skims across the surface, heading in my direction like a rocket. I’m about to go down when a strong arm grips me around the waist like a band of iron. He pulls me to him with such force, and the kid veers away just in time.
“Holy shit!” I squeal.
“Hold onto me.” His chin scuffs my eyebrow, and I close my eyes, doing as he says.
