AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"What?"
"Well, I'm sure as hell not staying to look for the contact you lost in a barrel of water. Don't you know you aren't supposed to open your eyes underwater when you're wearing contacts?"
"Yeah, you're on your own, buddy." George slaps me on the back as he walks away with the others who won't even make eye contact with me, like they might feel bad and give into taking my place if they look at me directly.
I head in the opposite direction to get my glasses from my truck. There's little point in trying to find that contact, but I'll do my best for the team.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Dani
Ipause in my scooping and look up, sensing his presence even before I hear or smell him. And damn, he smells good. Even after an afternoon of competition, he still smells like pine wood and man.
He looks better than he smells, in shorts and a t-shirt that clings to every one of his lean muscles. The scruff on his chin only highlights his light eyes. I want to ask if he forgot to shave or if he always gets scruffy in the afternoon, but I don't.
I won't ask.
I don't need to know.
I don't care.
He steps closer, the waning sun glinting off his glasses, and I suck in a breath. How does he even make glasses look good?
I shake it off. He hasn't called since our accidental kiss and all he's done today is threaten and criticize me. I won't allow myself to like anything about him.
"You're the only one who stayed?" he asks.
His voice, deep and full, makes my whole body vibrate. I lo-like it. I can like his voice and still hate him. That's reasonable.
"We need these ten points to beat you." And that is the only reason I'm here when everyone else declared the task impossible and left for more enjoyable activities.
I didn't stay for him. Absolutely not.
His smirk makes it clear he doesn't believe me.
Gah!
He is so annoying.
"I don't know if you noticed, but my family takes competition seriously. If a crew of outsiders beats my sisters and me, we'll never live it down."
"And yet, no other member of your family is here to look for the contact."
I am going to destroy him and his smirky smirking face. "They trust me to handle the situation."
He nods at the measuring cup in my hand. "That's your plan? Scoop out the water bit by bit and sieve it through cheesecloth? It's going to take all day."
"Got a better idea? It's a wooden barrel. Pretty tough to heat it up enough to evaporate the water without burning the barrel."
He saunters over like he's going to take charge of the situation, but doubt flickers across his face.
"What was your plan? Swish your hand around in the water and hope the contact sticks to your skin?"
He looks at me, jaw tight, before a smile blooms over his face. I bite back a gasp at how good that smile looks on him. "Honestly? I have exactly zero ideas how to find the damn thing. Don't suppose you want to share your cheesecloth and measuring cup?"
My shoulders loosen, and I laugh. "Not a chance, Forest Dude. You're going to have to come up with your own tools. Last I heard, your team is failing miserably at the wildflower picking contest, so I doubt they're going to be any help."
"A wild flower picking contest? Seriously?"
