Page 66 of The Masks We Burn
Spencer huffs, peeking his head out just enough to spot the white flag hanging in the distance. He turns back around, shoving his shoulder into the fence. “Alright, Blaze, I have to stay here and guard our flag, but you and William can run center. There’re barrels in the middle, hide behind those and then—”
“We got it.” Blaze hits my fist with his before we break loose, running down the center.
My pulse thrums in my veins, adrenaline buzzing against my nerves, and seemingly slowing down everything around me. It reminds me of the first time my dad took me hunting and I got my first doe. Ha. I must have forgotten to tell Amora that.
I see the two girls in the next heartbeat.
Pop. Pop.
Two chest shots and squeals ring out in the arena as the girls stomp toward the exit, guns in the air.
“Still alive, baby?” I call out, laughing, when Blaze shakes his head.
“Don’tMr. and Mrs. Smithme!” she yells.
She’s still in—good. With the equipment and face shields, it’s hard to see underneath. Blaze gets my attention, holding up three fingers and jutting a thumb to the right. I nod, motioning to the left.
Three.
Two.
One.
Ready or not, here I come.
I can’t believehe shot me in the back. What a freaking cheap shot. But really, that’s not even what pisses me off the most. It’s his stupid bet—sleeping without him.
Seriously?
He must be doing it to see how long I’d last without wandering to find him in the middle of the night. Well, if this is the case, he’s got another thing coming.
I fold my arms across my chest and ignore him as he swims up to my float. “Are you mad at me?”
“No,” I huff, looking away.
“Aw, I shouldn’t have tagged you. That wasn’t very fiancé-like of me. I’m sorry, bunny.” William tugs on the handle of my float. “Want me to leave you alone for a bit?”
Have you ever met someone that annoys you so badly you just want to fuck them? That’s William. He didn’t gaslight me by saying things like “I wouldn’t have shot you if I’d known you were such a sore loser,” or “It’s just a game.” No. This freaking asshole just apologizes and asks if I want space.
Ugh.
I look out at the lake, our last stop on the trip before we go back to the tents and eat our weight in street tacos. It’s an incredibly beautiful day, the sky nearly all blue except the rare white cloud. The water is just as pretty, reflective and smooth, only our movement making it ripple beneath us.
“Can you scooch me closer to the group?” I ask, my eyes cutting to Will briefly.
He smiles and nods, an extremely suspicious gleam in his gaze. “Anything for you.”
Ignoring his bait to get me to talk to him, I shift in my donut float, draping the thick towel over my waist. With the sun out, it’s a nice sixty-eight degrees, but the occasional breeze gives me goosebumps.
When he gets me back near everyone in the slightly shallow end, we fall into the conversation, laughing when Spencer starts making jokes about stuff from his and Lily’s childhood. It isn’t until he talks about when they were setting up the treehouse that I feel a hand snake between my thighs.
I jolt, but William holds the float steady, twisting between my legs, forcing me to part them slightly so he can dry them on the underside of my towel.
But when he’s done, his hand only slides closer to my pussy.
“William,” I whisper-shout, my eyes darting around to see everyone engrossed in the bride and groom.
He smirks but doesn’t look my way, slipping his finger in my suit while the other hand holds the float steady. My nerves ignite, every touch and twist of his fingers enhanced as he searches between my folds until he finds my clit.
