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Hello, my name was Ariel Kimber, and I was growing up.
The problem was I’d never worn a bikini before, and it felt all kinds of wrong to be mostly naked and headed through the house toward the back deck where everyone else waited for me. And this bikini seemed absurdly small.
“Damien, I don’t think—”
His hand on my back sent warm tingles shooting through my body as he gently urged me forward. “Nope, I don’t want to hear anything else out of you about it. Besides, this one might actually be the one I got for you that covers up the most of your body.”
Oh, good grief. I was picking out my own clothes from here on out, no matter how hurt his feelings got.
At least when Quinton was teaching me to swim I’d been allowed to wear a one piece swimsuit he’d gotten for me. He’d been smart enough to know better than to push his luck and went for my comfort so I wouldn’t try to drown him in the pool like the crazy girlfriend I actually was.
This was what I got for asking for help.
Never again.
“Come on.” Julian squeezed my hand and pulled me forward. “Stalling isn’t going to help your situation. You need to get out there and stick it to our resident ginger.”
“Yeah, so that maybe he’ll stick it to you later.”
Damien snickered, and I briefly wondered if they’d perhaps switched brains with the salt and pepper twins because they were usually the immature ones of the group.
I dragged my feet while they forcibly dragged me toward the sliding back door that led to the deck. I was practically shoved through the open doors and stumbled on the wooden planks in order not to fall on my face in front of everyone.
“Yay! The birthday girl is here! And looking hot no less,” one of the salt and pepper twins called out, and my cheeks immediately began burning with embarrassment.
Every single person standing around the deck and the pool turned to look at me and call out their own happy greetings.
“Happy birthday, pretty girl,” Tyson said.
“My baby girl is eighteen today, and I can’t believe I actually get to be here for it this year,” Rain remarked.
“Babe, come here,” Quinton called.
“You look beautiful today, Ariel,” Addison said, which meant it’d been Abel who’d originally gotten this farce started. Go figure.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” Marcus told me.
“Eighteen isn’t really anything special. Don’t let them fool you with their lies,” Romero scoffed.
That last one made my lips twitch into the semblance of a smile. Romero remained prickly, and I was one of the only ones who found it endearing.
Dash said nothing verbally, but his eyes did a whole lot of talking as they left a trail of scorching heat across every inch of my body they ate up. That was greeting enough for me, and I no longer felt uncomfortable in my bright orange bikini. It worked like freaking magic, and I felt like jumping up and down while pumping my fist in the air.
Now I just had to get him alone and corner him so I could have my wicked way with him. Not happening while the dads were here though, they killed the vibe.
“Happy birthday, Ariel,” Trenton said.
“What my brother said,” Simon added.
It felt wrong to be missing Isobel and Baxter. They were family, and they belonged here with us while we celebrated this milestone in my life, but they couldn’t be here because their safety had to be taken into consideration and they needed to be kept hidden. So long as their existence remained a secret, they remained safe.
“Fuck it,” Quinton muttered irately. “If you won’t come to me, I’ll come to you. Like usual with your stubborn ass.”
Both Damien and Julian laughed openly as they released me, leaving me alone to wait for Quinton’s approach.
He wasted no time wrapping his arms around me and lifting me off my feet.
He shoved his face in my neck and inhaled. “Jesus, baby, why the hell are you wearing this thing? Are you trying to kill me? Your dad’s here, and the guys are all going to be walking around with hard-ons.”
