Adam winced.
Max piped up. “The first two people in the water have to compete in the Float Fest Cup.”
Natalie shook her head. “Just when I was thinking this was a normal festival.”
Chelsea emerged from the water, blond hair slicked back, tits looking in-fucking-credible in that lime-green cut-out bathing suit.
“What’s wrong? What did I do?” she asked.
Adam opened his mouth to explain, but Max cut him off.
“Where’s your phone?”
Adam jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “On the counter.”
“Good.”
Max’s hand landed on Adam’s shoulder, and before Adam even registered what was happening, he was over the side of the boat.
He swam to the surface, about to yell at Max, but Ethan was lying on the boat horn, announcing that someone was overboard. Cheers went up, and people began jumping into the water and swimming toward their floats. The event coordinator came on the mic on the barge, announcing that the competitors had been chosen.
“Adam,” Chelsea’s voice came from beside him. She was treading water, looking nervous. “Competitors? What the hell is going on?”
“First two people in the water have to compete in the Float Fest Cup.”
“Why?”
Adam shrugged. “Because it’sFloatFest. Notswimfest.”
Chelsea huffed out a disbelieving laugh. “I’m afraid to ask, but what’s involved in the Float Fest Cup?”
Adam started swimming toward the barge. “Come on. You’re about to find out.”
twelve
Chelsea Davenport was a cheater.
A dirty, rotten cheater.
Adam couldn’t believe her innocent blond hair and pretty dimples had fooled him. He should have known better. As soon as the gun had gone off in their floating mat race, she tripped him—tripped him! He fell with a splash into the lake, to the tune of her maniacal laughter, and she won handily.
He was on to her in the second event, a complex minute-to-win-it challenge that involved twirling several times on the barge, hitting a baseball into the water, and retrieving it.
She’d bunted, even though it was against the rules, and would have beaten him if he hadn’t been such a fast swimmer. He’d dove off the barge and swum like a fiend to make it back before her. It was nice seeing the shock on her face when he pulled himself onto the barge while she was still in the water.
All those morning runs and swims had paid off.
They were all tied up, and it came down to the last event: a scavenger hunt around the boats. The first person to collect allthree hidden rubber duckies won. He figured it would be easier for him, banking on all his friends in town helping him out. But it turns out they were more interested in helping the sweet, half-naked girl.
He never stood a chance.
Adam shook his head again, side-eying Chelsea as she stood on the barge next to him grinning ear to ear. The event coordinator handed her the trophy, and she hoisted it above her head, as if it were the goddamn Stanley Cup. When a round of applause and boat horns roared up, she hopped up and down and hugged him.
It was hard to stay mad with her warm arms wrapped around his neck and her tits pressed against his chest.
“This is the best festival ever!”
Adam laughed. “Because there’s no ref calling you on all your penalties,” he said, leaving an arm around her shoulders as they walked over the boat decks back to his boat.