“You’re really not going to participate?” I ask, my brows raised in anticipation.
“I’m really not.”
“Your loss.” I shrug and walk over to the cabana, stripping my hoodie over my head and throwing it his way, doing the same with my pants, standing before him in my string bikini. “Mind my stuff. I’m going to kick some teenage kid’s ass.”
I jog away to the sound of his chuckle, and it doesn’t take long for a group of young guys to welcome me into their pack. Especially when one of them recognises me.
“Fuck, you’re that chick, from that thing.” He waves his arm in front of me, the chains on his wrist jingling.
His cute friend smacks him over the head.
“Do you mean the actress from that movie?” I ask, unable to hold back my grin.
“Exactly.” He clicks his fingers and his mates groan.
“That’s me. Who’s up for a challenge? First to complete the course wins.”
“What do we win?” The taller of the three guys steps forward, and I eye him as my competition, keeping a straight face until he’s next to get a slap across the head.
“Does it matter, Hunter?” the cute one asks. “We’re hanging out with a movie star.”
I laugh out loud and turn back toward the cabanas, finding Reed settled into the one he pointed to, closest to us, his arms tucked behind his head as he watches. He’s some distance away,but I don’t miss the way his lips twist into a smirk, and I can only imagine what he’s thinking.
I’m glad I amuse him.
Two of the guys’ girlfriends join us before we start, so we settle on a girls versus boys game, with the boys quickly assuming they’ll be better than we are.
But the joke’s on them. I’m out to prove them wrong. I grew up on the water and I plan to give it my all. I owe Reed a show, and I’m nothing if not a performer.
“Are you ready, ladies?” I ask, smiling at my new friends.
“Hell, yeah,” the smallest of the two calls out with the other giving me a high five.
And then it’s on.
We line up. First team to have all three people over the finish line wins. And it’s going to be the girls.
We call over a dad who’s waiting for his kids, asking him to count us in, and the second he says go, I take off running.
But holy shit, this is hard.
I slip on the first corner, thankfully landing on the course while my opponent—the guy who asked about the prize, Hunter—rushes ahead.
I’m cursing myself as I climb the ladder to the slide, but when we hit the balance beam, Hunter makes the mistake of keeping up his speed and falls flat on his face before flipping into the water.
I’m ahead for the next few obstacles and a little cocky rounding the last bend, certain I’ve got this until I have to leap from one platform to the next and slip on my ass, tumbling straight into the man-made lake.
I’m in the water for no more than a minute, dragging myself out before Hunter has the chance to reach me, racing over the finish line seconds before he does, cheering as I turn to watch my teammates.
Anna, my second, crosses the line at the same time her boyfriend does, leaving us neck and neck. I cup my mouth to call out some encouragement when a deep voice makes me shiver.
“That was impressive,” Reed whispers from behind me. “Though I can’t help but notice you’re wet.”
His gruff tone has my body heating up, and I almost tell him that if he keeps whispering like that, I’ll be wet in other places, but he's not ready for that joke. Although, who’s joking?
“I only fell once,” I state for the record, turning quickly so my hair flicks him in the shoulder. “AndI still won.” My final teammate crosses the line ahead of her boyfriend, and I scream out before Reed gets a chance to respond, running over to give the girls a hug. “We killed it. Suck on that, boys. Girls rule.”
“Tell the world how you really feel.” Reed chuckles, drawing my attention.
