Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“Easy on the hair, girl.”
I looked down and discovered I was practically pulling out Tye’s hair. Not that he didn’t deserve it.
“Thank you,” he said when I loosened my grip. Then he chuckled. “And Justin said you were good at scalp massages.”
I had to laugh at that.
Strangely enough, we did do better once Tye switched sides. It wasn’t because we outnumbered Justin, though. No, it was because he was hitting the ball far more gently, perhaps not wanting to knock me off Tye’s shoulders.
But then he discovered a way to get the ball past me without hurting me. He called a timeout when it was my turn to serve. He hopped out of the pool, water dripping from his long limbs, and returned a moment later with the alligator float. He moved to the center of the net, pushing the float in front of him. “Go on, serve,” he said to me with a gleam in his eyes.
I didn’t feel steady enough on Tye’s shoulders to do a real serve, though I now felt confident to just hold on with one hand. It actually felt kind of nice to feel his broad shoulders under my legs. His skin was warmed from the sun, and every once in a while, I caught a hint of the clean, fresh smell of his skin. It was as intoxicating as when I’d given him a massage.
“Come on, throw it over,” Justin taunted.
I did so, and he brought the alligator up, blocking the shot. The ball came right back at me. I brought my hands up in self-defense and somehow caught the ball.
“Throw it over there,” Dominic urged, pointing to the side that was open. I did, but Justin lunged, bringing the alligator float up again. Dominic retrieved the ball. He tried. Then Tye tried. Every single time, Justin blocked the ball.
Finally, we admitted defeat. “Beaten by an alligator and an overgrown boy scout,” Tye muttered, while Justin grinned.
“How do I get down from here?” I asked.
Instead of answering, Tye ducked under the water, bringing him with me. I gingerly swung my leg over his shoulder and swam toward the ladder. That had been fun, but it was enough swimming for me.
A shadow fell over me as I put my foot on the first rung. I squinted up in the sun and saw the stern and disapproving face of Rocco.
“I brought drinks,” he said, his voice like ice cutting through the warm air.
I nodded, even though I was pretty sure he was talking to the others. I stayed in the water, not willing to climb up the ladder practically at his feet while I was wearing a bikini. Instead, I backtracked to the stairs.
The chef stood stiffly by as we climbed out of the water, drying ourselves off with towels. Then he addressed the guys. “Will you be getting dressed for dinner or should I prepare a meal suitable for the poolside dining such as finger foods and soft pretzels?”
My mouth gaped open. So far, it had only been me the chef was rude to.
Justin reverted to innocent mode. “Poolside food sounds great.”
Tye clapped Justin on the back. “Actually, it does. Why don’t we grill out here?”
“Yeah, let’s do it,” Dominic said. “Rocco, are there any steaks?”
“Of course.”
“And bratwurst,” Tye said.
“And for you, miss? Perhaps some chicken nuggets?”
“She’ll have a steak too,” Dominic said with a hint of reprimand in his voice. Then he turned to me. “You like steak, don’t you?”
“Of course.” I gave him a grateful smile. Even if I hadn’t liked steak, I would’ve eaten it just to spite the snooty chef.
“Let’s get a bit of studying in while they get the grill set up,” Tye suggested, and the others agreed. Justin looked a bit reluctant. In the pool, he’d been in his element, but it was more than obvious that he didn’t think as much of his academic skills as he did his athletic ones.
I took a glass of iced tea from the tray Rocco had brought and sat apart from the men so that they could focus. I sprayed on some sunscreen and did my best to finger comb my hair. For a while, I listened to the guys quizzing each other on study questions, but then my attention turned toward the sea. The hypnotic quality of the waves made my heart rate lower, and I almost felt sleepy.
That was until I heard a creaking sound. Carlos, my driver from the other day, was wheeling out a big black grill. He gave me a wave as he set it up. Then Rocco brought out covered trays and set them by the grill.
I didn’t realize I was staring at the chef until he caught my eye. “Can you help bring some food out?” His request caught me off guard.
Nodding, I scrambled out of my chair. Since my coverup didn’t cover all that much, I wrapped a towel around my torso, tucking one end under so it would stay up.