Page 52 of Crazy for You
Panic gripped me.
Then a strong arm wrapped around my waist, and suddenly I was on the surface, gagging for air in Colton’s arms.
He swam toward shore until he was able to stand. Then he set me on two feet. “Are you okay?” He flattened his big palms on my face, his voice in freak-out mode, which matched his expression.
I coughed a few times, nodding. “I’m good.”
He hugged me tightly, his body trembling. I swore I could feel his heart punching his ribs, or maybe that was mine.
Either way, I said, “I’m okay, Colton.”
He lightly dug his chin on my head as we stood in the surf, the water spreading out like tentacles, claiming the dry sand as the tide roared in. “I’m not.”
“Well, we better get out before another wave decides to fling me around.” I giggled nervously, when all I wanted to do was stay in his arms.
Softly, he tipped up my chin until I met his gaze. “Don’t do that again.” His tone cracked on the last word.
I might if you rescue me,I wanted to say, but I didn’t. I knew the ocean had a way of screwing with his emotions. I knew he would never be the same around the sea. Then something hit me like a hard wind on a stormy day. He didn’t like the beach. He didn’t like the ocean. The way he’d been staring at it earlier suddenly made sense to me. I’d been stupid to think it was all about me, when in fact, he was probably thinking of his brother. He probably had PTSD.
I grabbed his hand. “Let’s go.” He seemed to be the one who needed saving.
He pressed his hand to the small of my back and molded his body to mine. “Not yet.”
I gripped his taut triceps as I sought out Georgia. She, Grady, and Mia were standing on the shore, watching us. I was sure Georgia was freaking out as much as Colton was.
“You could’ve drowned,” he said with so much pain.
I felt like a royal ass. “I know. I’m sorry.” The last thing I wanted to do was scare the crap out of him.
He shivered as we stood in knee-deep water, and the longer he held me, the more an impressive bulge was growing and poking me in my stomach.
He leaned down, his lips on my ear. “Feel what you do to me?” His fingers danced up my back until they were in my hair, then he searched my face. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
I didn’t have words, and if I did, they floated away when he lifted me, hooking one arm under my knees, and the other around my back.
“I can walk.” My protest was weak at best.
“Maybe, but I need to do something to get rid of my boner,” he said with a grin and a little pain.
“Really, carrying me will take it away?” That didn’t make sense.
Not much did with Colton, except how hard and fast I was falling. Or maybe I’d fallen on the first day of school. It didn’t matter. I was in his arms. He thought I was beautiful. And for that, life just got a hundred times better.
20
When we reached our friends, he set me down. I had to hold onto him for a minute to steady myself, and not because a wave had thrown me around like a volleyball in a tense match. My jitters were due to the brown-eyed guy who was looking at me as though I had saved him.
“About fucking time, man,” Grady said to Colton. “I thought you wouldn’t go through with it.”
Mia, Georgia, and I exchanged a perplexed look.Did Grady mean save me or something else?I didn’t want to ask, but Colton’s don’t-you-dare expression made me go with something else. Maybe he liked me but had been afraid to make the first move, although saving me wasn’t what I’d had in mind.
Georgia and Mia snapped into action, asking me if I was okay.
“I’m fine,” I told my friends.
Mia narrowed her eyes. “Don’t scare us like that again.”
I didn’t plan to. It was a freak accident, and if I hadn’t gulped down the saltwater, I might’ve been able to swim in.
