“Let’s go,” I say.
“On the count of three. One, two, three.” Inez claps her hands, and then Mack is charging. I squeal as he runs directly at Collin. My arms lock onto Rose’s wrists, and I pull her forward as Mack backtracks. Collin is trying to keep up, but we get him in a vulnerable position, and he gets a face full of water. Rose falls forward off his shoulders.
“One down,” I cry, and Mack swivels around to where Piper and Ed are lying in wait, having easily dunked Mia and Patrick.
“Piper will go for your boobs,” Mack mutters as he and Ed circle each other.
“She and I don’t know each other that well,” I deadpan.
Mack splutters a laugh, Piper shoots me a wicked grin, and Ed uses that moment to make his move.
Piper is on me in no time, and like Mack said, she reaches for the tie of my bikini top. I’m expecting it, and Mack twists away from Ed but not before Piper draws first blood. She gets my suit untied, so I have to hold it in place with one hand, and I’m limited to only my other free hand to battle. “Low blow, Piper. Low blow.”
Piper shimmies her shoulders. “If Holland were here, I’m guessing he’d be thanking me.”
Mack back-pedals to give us some time to regroup, and I frantically try to tie my suit back on while I roll my eyes at Piper. The truth is, I haven’t thought a lot about Holland lately. I’ve been busy, and so has he. Is it bad that I don’t miss him all that much? Does that make me a terrible girlfriend? I need to send him another email—try to get back on the same page. I’ll do it tonight when we get home.
Mack grunts from below me, and all thoughts of Holland flee. I’ll worry about him later. For now, I want to win Chicken.
“Hang on, Boo.” Mack jukes to his right, and I wrap my free hand around his forehead to stay in place. When he jukes back to the left and Ed turns to try to follow his movements, I let go of Mack’s head, grab Piper around the shoulders, and tug her backward. She shrieks and tips off behind Ed.
I raise my hand and make a fist as Mack lets out awhoop.
“Victory is ours!” I call when Piper comes up for air.
Everyone else gives us golf claps from where they’ve started to retreat to the beach. Piper shakes her head, but she’s smiling. I like her.
Mack ducks down and lets me ease off his back. My shoddy tie job means my suit balloons up in the water, and I have to shove it back into place before I flash anyone.
“No one wants to see that!” Rose yells from near the shore. “Put the girlies back where they belong, Pops.”
My cheeks burn as I wrench my arms behind my back, trying to get a decent grip on the strings. I stick my tongue out at Rose, but she laughs and turns toward the beach.
“No licking, Boo,” Mack scolds from next to me. “You’re as bad as Jameson.”
I laugh and turn my back to him. “Could you help me with this?”
He doesn’t say anything, but the water shifts as he steps closer. I wait, and after a slight beat of hesitation, I feel his fingers, gentle against my skin. His warm breath tickles my neck, and goosebumps pop up on my arms. It’s dumb, really. I spent the last ten minutes skin-to-skin with Mack, but now he’s barely grazing my back, and I swear he’s leaving a trail of fire everywhere he touches. I inhale and wait as he tugs the strings into a knot.
“How’s that?” His voice is quiet.
“Good. Great. Thank you.” I step away and try to shake off the tingly feeling in my stomach and the echo of his touch along my back.
Inez is waving at us from the beach where the rest of our party is sprawled out on towels around the campfire that Lou is still tending. “I’ve got leftover pastries from the café.”
“You go ahead, Big. I’m going to take a minute.” Truthfully, I need to get my pulse back under control because whatwasthat physical reaction I had to him?
I flop onto my back, closing my eyes and dipping under the surface. The humming rush of liquid pressure that surrounds me, making me feel weightless, is at once soothing and powerful. The water of Cashmere Cove has a different smell than the ocean water in Pensacola. It’s earthier. Heavier. It caresses my skin, and I can feel every inch of its push and pull…like I can still feel every inch of the surface area Mack touched.
Get a grip, Poppy. It was nothing.
I slowly let my head rise up and break the surface. I keep my eyes closed for an extra beat before clearing the water from my face with my hands. When I blink, I make a surprised squeaking sound. Mack is standing not too far off, staring at me.
“What are you doing?” I drop down so only my head is above the water.
“Waiting for you.”
“Seriously? Go ahead. I'm sure you like Inez’s pastries.” I cringe. “That came out sounding more like an innuendo than I expected.”
