Page 35 of Washed Up
No wonder he recoiled into himself.
“You want me? Want to be part of…” Whatever it is that Reid, Max, and I are.
“Why is that so hard to entertain?”
I don’t know. I just… I’m afraid. It feels as if he’s taunting me. Him and the universe, or whatever force washed me up on this beach.
He moves closer, but I splay my hand across his abs and give him a little push away.
“Cop a feel and see if he’s excited, Ariel,” Reid shouts from up by the seawall.
It’s a joke. It’s all a joke.
Reid waves at us, standing so close, but with mountains between us. He makes a rude gesture with his fist. Wynter chastises him with a finger ticking, but Reid just smirks andpushes his tongue into his cheek. “Or ditch him, and come and pogo on my stick.”
“You’re a crass bastard,” Wynter remarks, but he surprises me by wrapping his arms around me and pulling my back against his body, so that I can feel his interestisreal. “Is this what you want, Iris?” He speaks right into my ear, before nicking the lobe with his teeth. “Wouldn’t mind a taste of what you’ve already given Max and Reid.”
I wriggle out of his grip, leaving him sucking on his teeth.
I can’t deal with him playing with my emotions. And if it is real, then… then it doesn’t matter because the dream will dissolve tomorrow regardless.
After a moment, Wynter turns away. I watch him walk towards the steps and join Reid on the seawall. It’s apparent from the way that he’s walking and how Reids’ gaze is targeted that he’s uncomfortable.
Makes two of us. I just don’t quite know what to do about that.
“She’s got you tetchy, hasn’t she?”
Wynter flips Reid a V.
“Need me to suck it better for you?”
I must make a sound, because Reid turns his impish grin on me. “That get you going, sea siren? Or are you just figuring out you’re the straightest person around these parts?”
Wynter stalks off towards the house.
I scurry to catch up with Reid, and we both tumble into the living room where we find Max laying a fire. “Must you piss him off?” He nods towards the kitchen.
“Let me.” Reid bounds after him. I follow Reid but stop shy of entering the kitchen when I hear them speaking.
“Come back to the lounge,” I hear Reid say.
“Why?”
“So, we can talk, that’s why.”
I curl my fingers against my mouth, ears perked to pick up the reply.
“She’s not interested.”
“Should you be eavesdropping?” Max wraps his arms around me from behind.
“I screwed up, Max. Wynter was trying to be real with me, and I…I rejected him.”
He squishes me inside one of his weighty embraces.
“Do you want to come upstairs with me?” Reid is propositioning Wynter. He’s trying to close the wound I’ve thoughtlessly inflicted with an alternate plug of affection.
“Think your mermaid girl might have something to say about that.”
