Page 67 of The Rebound
“I’ve already been in the water.”
“You went paddling,” Rory says. “This is skinny dipping.”
“It isnotskinny dipping,” Harry calls. “No one is flashing anyone.”
“It’s getting dark,” I protest.
“We’re not going far. And Luke’s a trained lifeguard.”
At his name, Luke glances up, already down to his briefs. “It’s just in and out,” he says.
Thankfully, Sinead doesn’t look too impressed either. “I’ll tend the fire.”
“You will not,” Rory scoffs, turning to her.
“I’m allergic to seawater.”
“Get up.”
“No, I’m divorcing you.”
“Hey.” Luke steps toward me as they start to argue. “You don’t have to. Especially if your foot’s still sore.”
Behind him, the others start running into the ocean with a collective shriek. Idon’twant to. It’s not the stripping down to the underwear bit, God knows Luke’s already seen me up close today. But the water is cold and dark and I’m nice and warm here and, yeah, okay, maybe a swimsuit is a little different to parading around in your bra and maybe I don’t want Luke to see me pink- and purple-tinged and covered in goosebumps.
I try not to stare as he lays his T-shirt by his other clothes, his skin glowing in the firelight. Not so much the chiseled chest I’d fantasied about before, but broad and toned, a swimmer’s body. An active body. One that has me thinking of all kinds of activities even as he turns back to me, hesitating.
“It’s fun though,” he says with a small smile.
Crap.
Ugggh.
Fine.
I stand, pulling both my hoodie and my T-shirt off before dropping my sweatpants unceremoniously to my ankles. My underwear is blue cotton, my bra black and unpadded and doing little to protect me against the chill.
I don’t look at Luke again—I refuse to—and before I can lose my nerve, I run straight into the water. Rory lets out a whoop as he follows and the others cheer me on as a shock of cold hits my toes, my thighs, and then my stomach as I wade in deeper.
Holyshit.
“You’ve got to go under,” Harry calls as Luke splashes in after us.
“No way,” I say, my teeth already chattering.
“It will make it easier.” He dips down before shooting back up, shaking himself all over Sean, who scowls at him.
I can’t bring myself to do the same. If I get my hair wet, I’m doomed.
“Don’t you feel alive?” Rory asks, wading toward me.
“I feel like I have hypothermia.”
“You need to get used to the elements. You’ve been coddled by city life.”
“I’ll coddle you,” I mutter, bobbing up and down to try and get warm. It’s working a little, my body growing slowly used to the temperature, and I sink to my shoulders as Luke and Harry take turns trying to dunk each other.
“Yes!” Beth shrieks to my left and I turn to see Sinead shivering in her tank top and underwear by the water’s edge.
