He shot me a teasing grin. “Looking for that fallen star.”
I frowned, still butt-hurt he would poke fun at my belief in a story he now knew wasn’t some selling point for visiting Westwend. The legend was told in the local schools because there was enough evidence and history to back it up. But, I wasn’t going to waste my time arguing with a lawyer. I knew better, having grown up around my father. Besides, there were other ways of getting back at someone.
Looking out over the water, I tried to keep my voice as casual as possible. “Do you have your phone on you?” I asked.
Without glancing up at me, Derek pulled it from his pocket and presented the device. I wanted to feel guilty that hetrusted me enough to give it up without question, but… I didn’t.
I took it then slowly slipped behind him to exact my revenge.
All it took was one hard shove directly against Derek’s lower back to send him crashing into the chilly blue reservoir below, a loud yelp leaving him as he careened toward his fate.
The resounding splash echoed throughout the alcove, birds flapping away dramatically with their own cries of distress that mingled with my cackles. I knew how cold that water was—this whole area was spring-fed which meant year-round chilly temps for our rivers and swimming holes. You got used to it quickly, but it didn’t change how shocking it could feel at first.
Derek surfaced shortly after hitting the water, spluttering out a growly, “What the hell, Colton?!”
It was hard to respond at first, my full-on belly laughs keeping me from getting enough air into my lungs. When I finally got myself together, I called out, “Serves you right for trying to poke holes in a beloved town story!”
He looked like a wet rat with his hair matted to his forehead and every inch of him soaked through when he finally hauled himself out. The sight made me howl with laughter once again, earning me a very disgruntled glare.
“You’re lucky I didn’t have my phone on me!” He huffed, running a hand through his hair to pull it off his face.
“Oh, come on,” I rolled my eyes and cocked my head to the side. “I wouldn’t bethatcruel. I know you lawyer-types live on your phones. But you did deserve it.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
Derek eyed me for a moment before bending over and sweeping his hand across the surface of the water, sending a spray of icy needles across my overly heated skin.
I let out a very appropriate, but potentially unmanly,shriek as I jumped back from the onslaught that continued to be sent my way.
“Oh, you donotwant to start a water fight with me, Derek Hammond!”
“Youstarted it!” He shot back, sending more waves of chilly blue water in my direction with a triumphant laugh.
Well, two could play that game. Derek would be sorry by the end of this for thinking he could take on someone who literally grew up in these rivers and pools in a battle of waves.
“Fine! You want to go? I will make you wish you’d kept your mouth shut back there!” I called playfully, giving him an opportunity to back out as I kicked off my shoes and stashed our phones a safe distance away.
“Oh, so you get dry shoes, but I don’t?” Derek crossed his arms over his chest, his shirt sticking to him in an admittedly distracting way. Instead of commenting, I stuck my tongue out, as a mature adult does, while stepping out into the water.
But, once my feet were submerged, all bets were off. It was utter chaos as we splashed and shoved at each other. Water flew all around us, our laughter bouncing off the rocks in the otherwise silent space. At one point, I tried to get the upper hand by tackling him backward into the deep pool. He got me back by dunking me under a few times, which of course I had to reciprocate.
He managed to splash me in just the right way that water went up my nose, causing me to squawk in protest at the burning sensation. That sent him into a laughing fit that was the perfect opening to drag him under again. Eventually, Derek seemed to tire out and made his way back toward the edge. We were both breathless from all the laughing and trash-talking, so I followed him thinking our play session was over. But, I was so wrong.
As I climbed from the pool and began to right myself, Derek lurched forward, wrapping his arms around my waist to tackle me into the shallows. He managed to get my wristspinned and straddled my waist with a triumphant grin plastered to his features.
“Oh, how the mighty fall.” He panted.
I tried to press back against his hold, but my strength was zapped from having tread water for so long. I gave up with a bubble of laughter that Derek reciprocated. The sound filled my chest and I greedily sucked in lungfuls of air as I came down from the adrenaline high of play-fighting. Being with him was easy and fun.
Looking back up at his face, we locked eyes and it was like time slowed down around us.
Derek was radiant in this moment. Like, literally.
Sunlight shifted through the trees surrounding the pool, causing ripples of light to dance along his features, and highlight the smooth complexion of his skin. It caught the droplets of water that clung to his lashes, making his chocolate-brown eyes shimmer as they stared down at me with a mischievous glint. He’d slicked back his hair at some point, but small rivulets trickled down his neck from the wet strands. His cheeks were ruddy from the exertion of our water fight. Those sinfully pinkish-red lips were parted slightly as he panted, while his chest rose and fell rapidly as he worked to regain his breath.
Fuck, he was gorgeous.
The urge to lean up and kiss him hit me like a tidal wave, my throat clicking as I swallowed hard against the thought. Just the idea of putting my lips on his had my gut clenching with desperate need and anticipation.
Those beautiful eyes shifted to a golden hue as a swatch of light passed over them. They scanned back and forth over my face like they were searching for something. Was I even breathing anymore? I couldn’t tell; it felt like my breath had stopped hours ago.
