Page 141 of Falling Into Forever
He nods and kisses my shoulder, and his lips curl against my skin.
“Lobster,” I say like the little snot that I am.
“Grady.”
“Figures. Coconut cream pie,” I challenge.
“Harrison.”
Freaking friends.
“Potato salad.” Dante’s hot breath hits my shoulder like he’s about to speak, but I cut him off. “Made with Miracle Whip, not mayonnaise.”
His laughter vibrates against my spine. “Ainsley took care of that.”
“Hot dogs?” I ask meekly.
“Everything, Saylor. Now, are you going to stand here all day quizzing me on your favorite foods, or will you change into this flimsy fucking excuse for a swimsuit?”
“You didn’t buy it?”
He shakes his head with a scowl. “Cassie was in charge of them, and that will never happen again.”
Of course she was in charge. “Why was anyone in charge of them? Why did we all have to match? And why aren’t they red, white, and blue?”
His face softens, and for a moment, I’d swear he was nervous. Color me intrigued. He glances away, takes a deep breath, then turns back to me with a shrug. “You try telling Cassie to wear anything with red on it. And…” He hesitates, and I melt at his sheepish expression. “I wanted a family picture.”
My mouth hangs open, and the hairs on my arms stand on end. I shift my focus from him to the chaos unfolding in the yard, then back to him. “You wanted a family picture? With all of them?”
He nods. “Don’t make fun of me. Grady’s done enough of that already.”
“I…” I blink, trying to clear my thoughts. “I wasn’t going to make fun of you. I—I like that idea.”
His face morphs into surprise when I take the suit from his fingers and walk to our bedroom. My legs shake, and my heart races, but I want to do this. I want to do it for him, and I want to do it for my sister. But most importantly, I want to do it for myself.
I don’t remember the last time I wore a swimsuit, and seeing myself in one now seems like a new beginning even if my fears are clawing through my skin, telling me this is a bad idea.
A knock on the door makes me jump. “Sayls? You okay in there?”
Crap. A quick peek at my phone tells me twenty minutes have passed. Shaking out my hands, I cross the room and open the door to find Dante leaning against the frame like he has all the time in the world.
His eyes smolder when they land on my exposed flesh. “I’m going to kill Cassie,” he murmurs. “But you’re so beautiful my sweet, sassy Saylor girl.”
My body temperature rises, and a flush creeps over my body.
“Ready?” he asks.
“No,” I say honestly.
“Trust me, Sayls. Always, always trust me.”
* * *
“Like this, Sassy. Like this,”Poppy says from the other side of the dock. She’s floating on her back kicking water all over Lena’s face.
Freaking hell.
“It’s okay,” Dante says. “Listen to me. All you have to do is lean back. I’ll hold you up until you get your balance. It’s a trust fall, Saylor, and I’ll always catch you.”
