Page 60 of Strictly Pretend

His words feel like a slap on my face. I wince at their impact.

“What did you just say?” a deep voice intones.

I don’t even have to look around to know that Brooks is right behind me. Even if I hadn’t heard his voice, somehow I’d just know. My body immediately relaxes as he puts a possessive hand on my shoulder.

“Oh, hey man,” Will says with uncertainty in his voice. He takes a step back.

“Would you like to repeat what you said to her?” Brooks asks. I’m a feminist through and through. I don’t need Brooks to fight for me.

But damn, I like it. Way too much.

Will glances from me to Brooks and back again. “It doesn’t matter,” he says, shaking his head as he turns to walk back to his friends. “Enjoy your swim.”

Brooks leans down to kiss my cheek, then murmurs against my ear. “If we get through this weekend without me flattening that man, it’ll be a miracle.”

I take his hand in mine and kiss his palm. “Your hands are too pretty to punch anybody,” I tell him.

The corner of his lip quirks. “I’m sorry you had to deal with him alone. That wasn’t part of our agreement.”

Our agreement. Those words feel as much a slap in my face as Will’s did.

“It’s okay. It’s all good,” I reassure him. “What was your phone call about?”

A strange look comes over his face. “Nothing important. Just some boring business. Are you ready to take a swim?”

“Absolutely,” I tell him, pulling my t-shirt over my head and shimmying my yoga pants off. I’m wearing a pair of lace panties and bra that aren’t exactly going to set the world on fire, but he still stares at me with dark eyes. “I’ll race you to the lake,” I shout, already running off toward the jetty that acts as a diving board into the center of the water.

He lets out a grunt and pulls his t-shirt off, scooping me into his arms right as I reach the edge of the planks

“You don’t play fair,” he whispers, before he launches us both into the water.

CHAPTER

SIXTEEN

BROOKS

This lake is absolutely freezing. I don’t know why I was expecting it to be warm. Maybe because the outside temperature feels like I’m nestling into the armpit of hell.

It’s not like I’m unused to freezing lakes. I grew up learning to swim in the biggest lake at my dad’s estate, after all. One of my earliest memories is of Linc pushing me in because I was the only one of us brothers who couldn’t stay above water and I was ‘embarrassing him’.

Holden had been the one to fish me out. And for the rest of the summer he’d patiently taught me how to doggy paddle, then crawl. Weird how a memory can cause a visceral reaction. For a minute I wish I could spend more time with them all.

And the stupid thing is I could. The whole family is spending most weekends at the lake in Virginia.

But I have… reasons not to want to be there. So I take a deep breath to center myself and that’s when I see Emma launching herself at me.

“You’re gonna pay for that,” she shouts as her damp body collides with mine. She tries to clamber up me, her palms pushing down on my head to dunk me.

I’m at a crossroads here. I could let her win and bend my knees to go under. Or I could stand here and annoy her more.

But instead of those two – very rational – options, I slide my hands around her waist, her skin slippery against my palms, and pull her down until our faces are at the same height, and our chests are touching.

Big fucking mistake.

Her underwear has turned completely transparent. I can see the pale of her skin and the rosiness of her nipples through her bra.

Her perfectly hard nipples.

---