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“Oh, okay then.” Alexi went over to the side and lifted out of the water. Wow. His arms, his upper body strength… That move was better than the soccer field chin-ups. She wished she could pull him back into the pool, so she could watch him do it again. Alexi lay on the khaki mesh lounger and took a glass of the lemonade. Beside it was a spray bottle of 50-block sunscreen lotion. He stared at her and she waited for a comment on her paleness. “Come here, and let me spray you.”
She’d have preferred he said, rub some suntan oil on you, but, ‘Ah, well.’ Mia climbed from the pool and joined him by the lounger. Wet and dripping, she extended her hand for the bottle. He pulled it back out of her reach. He lifted her arm. The sunscreen hissed as it sprayed from the blue canister. Mia rubbed it in then slapped the excess into her hands. “That’s too much.” She rubbed the extra across her chest and down her other arm.
Alexi eyed her pale skin critically and shook his head. “You’ll burn.” He depressed the pump, sprayed more into his hands, rubbed them together, and reached over to her midriff. He spread the lotion onto her skin, rather clinically, not missing a spot.
Mia froze. She could not have moved if the Earth had fractured and they were falling toward the molten core. Tingles radiated from his hand through her whole body.
Alexi’s hands reached her sides, and her lips parted. He gave a small nod. “That’s better.” He stopped when his eyes met hers. A glint appeared in his gaze. He turned her and tugged her down to sit in front of him on the lounger. Mia slid down to the woven seat. Alexi scooped up her wet hair, pushed it off her back and over her shoulder. Mia shivered when his hand brushed her neck. Stop, it’s just sunscreen.
The s
un was hot against her legs. Mia took the canister, stretched out, sprayed each one, and rubbed in the lotion.
The spray bottle hissed at her back.
More sunscreen. She stiffened.
This time, his application was less than clinical. His hand was warm and slick as it rubbed the sunscreen slowly down her arms and across her back, before it slid just under the strap of her top.
When he reached her sides, an actual shudder went through her. “Alexi,” she murmured. Her voice sounded deeper.
She wanted to turn and jump him. Move him from the friend zone to the ‘go’ zone.
Chapter 17
Alexi chuckled. He knew he was messing with her head. Mia spun toward the sound and glared at him. She walked away and did a flat dive into the cool water.
On her third lap, Hope came out. “Are you two okay? Got drinks? Are you wearing sunscreen?”
“Check.” When Hope tuned in, she was really caring. “50-block.” Good thing Hope missed its application. That would have resulted in a well-deserved, but less than delightful lecture. Hope nodded and left them. Mia used the steps to climb out and leaned over Alexi to reach her lemonade. She ensured maximum cool liquid chlorine drip onto his sun-heated skin. He jerked away, and this time she chuckled. She plopped down behind him, nudging for him to sit up with her palm on his shoulder. “I’ll do your back.” Mia swallowed some of the sweet, tart drink.
Alexi passed her the sunscreen without a word. The spray hissed from the bottle. The sound made her shiver. Mia rubbed it into his shoulders first. Her thumbs pressed into his muscles and made a circular motion. Her fingers glided across the top of his shoulders. My, she could do this for hours. His skin felt—stop it, concentrate. “When they do have one, I hope the baby gets your and Niko’s skin tone, it’s beautiful.” She stroked her white hand down the back of his arm. She kept one hand on his arm and used the other to spread more lotion across his back. Using both palms, she made long strokes downward. He had a circular white scar on his side. She brushed a finger over the scar and leaned closer. “What made your scar?”
“Stepmom smokes. She flicked a cigarette at me after I commented on her art. The piece was hideous.”
Mia’s throat closed up and she couldn’t talk. Her hand stilled. What the hell? Someone did that to him? The mark was old, so he must have been little. A knot formed in her stomach and she didn’t know what to say.
Alexi turned at her stillness and saw her face. He took her in his arms. “No, don’t, it was a long time ago.”
She bit her lip and pressed a cold hand against her hot forehead. “Did you try to leave?”
“That was the year after our mother passed. I was young. Niko was young. There was no other choice.” He shook his head. “I simply learned not to comment on my stepmother’s art.”
Mia closed her eyes. “Did you tell Niko?”
“He was just a kid, too. Stop. It doesn’t matter now. I’m not that kid anymore. I’m twice her size.” Alexi touched her cheek. “I like it better when you’re getting on to me. That’s how you say it, yes? Getting on to me?”
Mia swallowed. She could do that. “Quinn said he sent me flowers.”
Alexi looked away.
“Did you throw them out?”
He shrugged one shoulder.
She couldn’t be mad at him. “I don’t need protection from roses.”
***
