Page 29 of Burnout
Brooklyn sees me first, and when her gaze shifts, so does his.
I don’t say anything. Mostly because I didn’t think this through at all.
“I’m going to get another beer,” the pretty redhead says when the silence turns awkward. She backs away and then swims toward the ladder.
My arms and legs are working hard to keep me afloat while Knox stands in front of me and waits for me to say something. His dark eyes are glued to me and his brown hair is darker from the water. He’s muscular, tattoos all over his chest and arms, and he has a small barbell through one nipple.
Remembering why I came over, I open my lips to speak and take in a mouthful of water. Perfect. I’m going to drown yelling at this guy.
“Why are you sorry?” I ask once I can manage, moving my legs faster underneath me.
An arm comes out and wraps around my waist, and I’m hoisted to Knox’s side before I know what’s happening.
“What the hell?” I push off him, but his grip doesn’t budge. “Let me go.”
I push against him again to no avail. He’s strong and his body is hard under my touch. If he weren’t such an asshole, I might notice how his muscles wrap around his side and give him that nice V-cut where his red trunks hang off his hips. Or how in the sunlight his eyes have little flecks of gold.
I keep fighting him, but it’s like pushing against a brick wall.
“I’m sorry because I was a jerk,” he says.
“That isn’t what I meant.”
“Then, what did you mean?”
“Are we really going to have this conversation while you hold me hostage?” I kick my feet and wriggle, but he just slowly blinks at me like he isn’t bothered at all. He’s so close and the butterflies in my stomach don’t care that he’s a brute, they’re just excited he’s touching me.
Silently, he walks with me still clutched to his side as he moves into shallower water. My feet touch the bottom, and his hold loosens.
I put two feet of distance between us and adjust my top where it’s shifted, showing off some serious underboob. I’m not that busty, but this suit is so small that it barely holds my full B cups.
Knox doesn’t even pretend not to check me out.
“Do you just go around manhandling chicks?” I strive for annoyed, but my voice is breathy.
“As opposed to letting them drown, yeah.”
“I was fine.”
“Didn’t look fine, shortcake.” One corner of his mouth lifts in a smirk. A short joke, how original. Ugh. Why? Why couldn’t I have just left well enough alone? I don’t need to know why he said he was sorry. It can be one of those weird anomalies like a yeti sighting.
But I open my stupid mouth anyway. “Why are you apologizing now? Is it so I’ll forgive you and agree to help?”
“No.” He laughs. “There’s no way I’d take your help now.”
Wait, what? “Why not?”
“I’m confused.”
“A normal state for you?”
He chuckles, chest shaking with real amusement. “Cute. A dumb comment from a blonde.”
My jaw drops. “I’m not dumb.”
“Neither am I, princess.”
“And I am not a princess.”
