AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Three? Ew, no, that is way too much, even for me.”
“You’ll eat three hot dogs or no deal,” he said, looking tough.
“Then no deal!” She shot him with a water cannon, but before she could enjoy getting one over on him, a stream of cold water poured over her face and shoulders. She gasped out. It was freezing! Dakota had fetched a pail of water, using Nash’s distraction to his advantage. “Traitor,” she shouted.
Sprinting after Dakota, she tried to catch the small boy. He dropped the pail to get away. She confiscated it and easily filled it to the brim. She chased after Nash this time. Nash dodged away from her like she wielded hot lava.
She doubled over with her laughter. Thinking that the coast was clear, Nash came closer, but no, he would never be safe from her. She tossed water all over him. His white shirt stuck to his chest.
“Big mistake,” he said. “You’re out of ammo!”
She tried to fill up the bucket again, but he caught her around the waist and dragged her away from the pail. “Dakota!” he said. “Get the pail before she causes more damage.”
Dakota was quick to comply, and he began to fill it with more cold water.
“No, no!” She wriggled in Nash’s grasp, playing the role of supervillain, mostly for her own amusement, though she noticed Dakota smirking, too. “You’ll never defeat me. Never!”
Dakota came closer with the pail.
“Get her!” Nash said.
Almost falling over with his own laughter, the boy turned the pail of water over Nash’s head. Dakota’s small fingers went to hers. “Run!” he shouted.
Well, this was a surprising turnaround. The kid had defected again. She grabbed Dakota’s hand and they ran up the hill. Lizardman led the way. Nash came after them, though she suspected at a slower pace, so that he wouldn’t “accidentally” catch the girl and her hero.
She reached the porch and noticed a kiddy pool full of water balloons. Was this Millie’s doing or Dakota’s? And why question manna from heaven? “Quick!” She gathered two water balloons in each hand.
Nash saw her intention and came at her like a bullet. She managed to smash two of them into him before he had her over his shoulder. Water exploded over them, even as she smashed the remaining two into his shoulder while he lowered her into the kiddy pool of swollen water balloons. She felt them popping under her as Dakota pelted Nash with more of them.
The water felt great in this heat, but Nash’s hands? Even better.
But they were still playing, so she tried to get away. He tried to hold her still and ended up falling into the kiddie pool himself.
“Ha!” she cried. She was rather proud of that feat. He let out a grunt, like she’d felled him forever, and he collapsed over her, turning into a weighted blanket.Nice try, buddy.
She grinned at his act, her eyes going up to Dakota. “I think he’s bonked out.”
Dakota’s mouth formed an “O.” Emily winked. “Do you think that I should try to save him?”
Nodding, Dakota agreed that it was only right. Emily wriggled under Nash’s weight, seeing that he wasn’t going to make this easy on her. “Dakota, maybe you should help me,” she said out of desperation. “If you could only hit him with more water balloons, I think that would work.”
Nash growled in his throat, like the monster was rousing. Dakota and Lizardman jumped back. Nash’s arms snaked around Emily and his eyes snapped open. “Hello, my pretty.”
She kicked at the water, squealing as he brought her even closer. “I give! I give!”
“Do you?” he asked. “What do you give?” She really wasn’t sure as she studied his face, but judging by the passion clouding his expression, she couldn’t wait. Her head rested against his forearms as he lowered his head over hers to kiss her soundly. Her breath caught as she felt more water balloons pop under them.
He smelled like the dust from working out at the ranch, mingled with a soggy cedar scent. All man. Definitely all man. This is how she imagined finding him after a long day at the Slade Ranch, after he came home to her and kissed her just like he was kissing her now. Her hands went to his hair. The dirty blond tendrils were thick and tangled, his jaw rough. Her fingers slid there next as she explored the chiseled texture of his face. He stopped her devilry with another kiss, then pulled back from her with a groan. “Am I going to hear from your brother again?”
She smiled, staring into the stormy depths of his eyes. “Yes… because I was the one who was supposed to give you mouth to mouth.”
“Were you?” He smoothed her wet hair away from her face. “So kind… after all the grief that I put you through.” Nash brushed his lips against her cheek then glanced over to the side with a wary eye. He exhaled with a blustering laugh. “They left us,” he said. “What did we do?”
Following his gaze, she saw that Dakota and Lizardman had found their way out.
She chuckled, sitting up against his arm. “I would’ve run too, if I had the chance.”
“To get firewood?” he asked with a sudden grin.
Emily laughed. She liked this game. “Yes, and hot dogs.”
