Page 13 of Holidate Fail
From the bench, it was easy to plant her foot on Heath’s back and make sure she was balanced before stepping onto Kelly’s. “Who-hoo!” she said, raising her arms in victory.
And pitched face-first over their bodies. Oh, boy, was this going to hurt.
Gravity didn’t have much time to do its thing before she landed on the length of Kelly’s body. Face to face. Chest to chest. How had he turned so fast? He must have lunged forward as soon as she slipped. She stared at his moss-green eyes, unable to move. Or control her heart rate. Or speak. If this was her only chance to be this close to him, she’d take it and live off the fantasy for months.
He ran his hands over her arms, legs, her face, leaving a ripple of pleasure that rocked down her body. “Dahlia! Are you hurt?”
Only her pride. His abs were harder than a carbon alloy, and she felt every single one. Which meant he felt every single lack of her muscles.
“Dahlia?” Kelly rolled her beneath him. The solid press of him tingled all her senses like an electric eel. All too quickly, he got on his knees and then to his feet, offering her a hand up.
She took it. “Yeah, fine. Sorry about that. Are you okay?”
He flashed her a grin that made her lose her heart to him all over again. “I’m perfect.”
***
Thankfully there hadn’t been a time limit on how long they had to stay in pyramid form. Once Lacole submitted the video, they received their next clue. What Dahlia would have given to have a copy of the video, too, but she couldn’t think of a reason to ask, after having fallen.
Twice.
Kelly had felt so good under her. And on top of her, his eyes on hers in a flash of heat. She’d replay that physical interlude over and over.
The next clue was designed like a treasure map, and they had to follow the mile count and the turns while avoiding false roads. The drive through the county brought them to Scarlett Springs. The sun was lowering in the sky as they got out of the car, its refraction making sparkling crystals on the water. A few guests lounged on inner tubes in the water, but the grassy area and the small patch of sand were mostly devoid of people.
Kelly paused to take a photo. Heath put his arm around Dahlia’s shoulders as they ambled to the woman renting inner tubes and kayaks.
It was…nice. Friendly. She lifted her arm to wrap around his waist, but put it down after letting it hover.
No. Bold and brave. She put her arm around him, the sides of their bodies in complete contact.
Was she supposed to feel something? A shot of desire, a longing to hold him, anything? Her inexperience gnawed at her. Flashes of feelings had happened with Kelly, so maybe it could also happen with Heath. The Tri-Shine Stills and Dash was more than half over, so there wasn’t much time left to encourage those feelings for her actual date.
The woman at the booth handed Heath an envelope and told them the story of Scarlett Springs. Bootleggers had used Scarlett Springs to transport alcohol to other counties. Internal Revenue agents unfamiliar with the area could easily get lost or deterred by alligators.
“I never knew there was so much history here,” Lacole said. “What’s in the envelope?”
“It’s a newspaper clipping.” He held up the photocopied page, complete with a byline and snippets of ads next to an article. Even though the paper was new, it had been yellowed to make it look old. Just a little touch to add to the authenticity of the hunt. He showed the article to the group, who all nodded. Except Kelly. His eyes had narrowed on Heath.
What was that about?
“It’s about a crash.” Heath read the details aloud: the illegal moonshine had been recovered, a house had been damaged, and the driver had disappeared.
“What are we supposed to do with that?” Lacole asked.
“I think if we’re able to—” Dahlia began.
“It’s a tough one,” Heath scrutinized the article.
“We should figure out—”
“There’s no information in here that says where the house was.” Heath handed the article to Kelly. “The address isn’t listed, just that it belonged to a judge.”
“Don’t give that to me.” Kelly held up his hands. “Dahlia has an idea.”
Three pairs of eyes swung in her direction.
Kelly’s support gave her that extra boost of confidence. “There’s a house number. In the picture.”
