Page 35 of Rum Sips and Salty Lips

But someone shouts and panic crosses Carina’s face. It’s rejection of me in the face of the rest of the world.

I do the only thing I can think of—I lift her up and toss her back into the waves.

She surfaces a second later.

“What the fuck was that?” Her expression is shocked and defiant.

I laugh and raise my hands in surrender. “It seemed like a good idea.”

“You bastard.” The heat is gone from her voice, and it’s replaced with something closer to trust and a laugh. She dives under the water and before I’m even able to register where she’s gone, her hands grab my ankles, pulling me under.

So this is how she’s playing it.

I swim, attempting to catch her, but she’s fast and splashes out of the way. I’m almost able to get my arms around her waistagain but our game of two-person tag catches the attention of the rest of the group.

“What are you two doing?” Christian asks, moving into view and looking at Carina as if she needs saving. He’s a good-looking dude, standing in the shallows, shirtless with his upper arms and chest covered in tattoos. I wasn’t jealous of him before, but it’s threatening to fester in my mind. He’s married, but I’ve been around him for hours and his wife has only been mentioned in passing by Bristol.

And I might have just had my hands on Carina’s ass. But I want everything else she has to give, including her friendship and familiarity.

“We’re just messing around,” Carina says before splashing me. She has the guilty look of a kid called into the principal’s office. It’s so fucking precious.

“Uh huh.” He’s probably never seen her let loose before. “Careful with her.”

I splash her back. “She won’t fucking break.” I want to remind her of how rough I’d been with her and how much breaking she’d done. Next time we’re alone, I will. Or maybe she doesn’t need reminding.

“Right.” Christian returns to the other side of theTwisted Rigging. I’m not sure if he believes us, or if he’ll trust that we’re adults who can figure things out on our own.

“Asshole,” Carina says.

“Me or him?”

She looks at me horrified. “Christian is one of the nicest men I have ever met. You should hang out with him more. It might rub off on you.”

I get into her space again. “I could rub off on him. Turn him into an asshole.” I don’t give her the chance to respond. I pick her up and toss her into the water again.

“You’ll pay for this!” she yells with a laugh as soon as she surfaces.

“I know. I’m terrible. I got you wet.”

“You wish!” She lunges at me and I catch her, pulling us both underwater.

She’s holding on to me when we surface again. I keep us low so only our heads are above the water. Our legs are intertwined, and no one can see how she’s rubbing against me.

“Don’t worry,” I whisper. “It can be our little secret.”

“I thought you were a big secret,” she breathes.

“I’m whatever you need me to be, princess.”

She doesn’t respond. We hear more shouting. This time she pulls away from me and heads for shallow waters. Bristol caught something, and Christian and Haley help her reel it in.

“We should really get this on ice,” Haley says, looking at me.

“I’ll help you with it,” I respond.

“We’ll pack up things here and meet you back at the boat,” Carina suggests, already gathering everything we’ve scattered on the deserted beach.

She’s back to being the person she is for all of them. I had her wild and free with me for just a few moments. Haley is already wading back to the boat, making sure to keep the fish out of the water. I nod to Carina, already in a worse mood for being separated from her.

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