Page 26 of The Heartbreakers
“Where? In a lake?” Aaron asked sarcastically as he took in our wet appearances.
“It was huge,” Oliver said and spread his arms wide to indicate the size. “I mean, it was probably as big as the ocean. We got stuck in the middle, and there were a killer octopus and poisonous seaweed. I almost drowned when I got a side cramp, but Stella pulled me to shore. It was an amazing rescue, although unfortunately there was no need for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.”
“Poisonous seaweed?” was Aaron’s only response as we headed inside the penthouse and Oliver shut the door.
“Won’t he go looking for them at the pool?” I asked, turning to Oliver.
He shrugged. “Yeah, probably.”
“So they’ll have to come back up?” I asked, feeling guilty. “I didn’t mean to ruin their fun.”
Oliver threw his wet towel onto a nearby chair. “Just because he knows they’re in the pool doesn’t mean he’ll be able to get them out,” he said.
“You sure?” I asked, running my hands up and down my arms to keep warm. I had left my clothes at the pool, and I suddenly remembered that I was in my bra and underwear with only a small towel wrapped around me. It was cold.
“I promise,” Oliver reassured me. Then he pointed down the hall in the direction of what must have been his room. “You need something to change into?”
I was freezing, and a small pool of water was collecting on the hardwood floor from my still-dripping hair. “That would be perfect.”
When Oliver came back, he was wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a plain, white T-shirt. He handed me an identical pair of shorts and a ratty, black cutoff tee. I raised an eyebrow at Oliver as I held up the shirt.
“Sorry,” he said, a small blush tingeing his cheeks. “It was the smallest shirt I could find.”
“I suppose I can’t be a chooser,” I said and shrugged. When I dropped my towel to pull the shirt over my head, Oliver looked away. Jamming my arms threw the holes, I quickly put the shirt on. Even though he said it was small, it still hit me way below the waist. Taking a deep breath, I inhaled Oliver’s scent: laundry detergent and cinnamon. It was a weird combination, but it still smelled good and I smiled to myself. Oliver coughed, a silent question as to whether I was done.
Embarrassed, I yanked up the shorts and rolled the waistband a few times. “All right,” I said as I pulled my tangled hair out from the collar of the shirt. Oliver turned back around and stared at me as I stood in his clothes. “What?”
He shook his head. “Nothing,” he told me. “So, what do you want to do?”
“I don’t know.” I took a step toward the couch, right into the patch of water that had pooled beneath me. As my legs slipped up, my stomach jolted.
“Whoa!” Oliver’s arms shot out, and he pulled me against him before I lost my balance. Adrenaline was still rushing through me, and I stood frozen as I waited for my heart to calm down.
“You okay?” he asked, pulling away slightly so he could look down at me. Both of his hands were still on my arms, and suddenly all I could focus on was the lack of space between us, our chests inches apart. Oliver must have noticed, because he quickly let go and stepped away from me.
I rubbed the sore part of my arm where he had grabbed me, and I looked away. “I’m fine,” I said, and then I took a quick breath. “Talk about a death grip though. You’re like the Hulk.”
This made him grin. “Awesome. The Hulk is my favorite superhero.”
“The Hulk? Really?” I asked. “Why him?”
“’Cause he turns green and explodes out of his clothes. Pure man right there.”
“Personally,” I said, “I don’t like my men green.”
“Fine. Who’s your favorite superhero?”
“Superheroes. I like Scooby-Doo and the gang.”
“They aren’t superheroes. They don’t have any powers.”
“Neither does Batman, but he still counts,” I countered. “Besides, Scooby-Doo always catches the bad guy.”
“Which is pretty amazing, considering they’re a bunch of stoners.”
“Oh my God, Oliver! Take that back!” Nobody insults Scooby-Doo.
“Come on, that show was right out of the seventies. Look at the Mystery Machine. Total hotbox, and Shaggy and Scooby always had a serious case of the munchies.”
