Page 55 of Finding New Dreams

I immediately glanced up after hitting send. Flynn’s face hardened and he closed his eyes for a moment.

Trying my hardest not to laugh, I sent another message.

RoseWithLove: You gonna be okay over there?

ArtsyHotGuy3234: Getting a shot. Waiting at the DMV. Having dinner with my parents.

RoseWithLove: Um, what?

ArtsyHotGuy3234: I’m trying to erase what you just said from my mind with some of my least favorite activities. Because I’m up next and that water isn’t cold enough.

Frowning, I looked up and…oh. Oh.

Flynn shoved a hand in his pants pocket, but not before I caught a glimpse of an impressive bulge. He sent me a pained look, and I clapped a hand over my grinning mouth.

Then, just to bring his smile back, I shot him a wink.

His lips quirked, and his thumb tapped over his phone.

ArtsyHotGuy3234: Not helping. But I loved the shit out of that.

My heart did a pirouette, and the rest of my body almost joined it. Who knew flirting could be such an ego boost? No wonder Flynn was an expert.

Sarah won her match, then Flynn was up with Hunter, who’d ditched his stuff with Chloe. Wyatt and Gina were avoiding eye contact.

Just as Flynn and Hunter started rolling, we heard a shout from behind us.

“Gina!”

The four of us turned toward the manly voice, and my mouth dropped open just as Gina squealed in delight.

Walking toward us, almost in slow motion like he was performing onstage at a stripper show, was one of the hottest men I’d ever seen. It was like Tarzan and Aquaman had made a baby. He was tall with a wide smile, his long, curly black hair blowing in the breeze. His smooth, bronzed skin exuded warmth, and huge muscles bulged out of a black tank top.

We definitely weren’t the only ones noticing him. As he made his way through the crowd, more than a few women gawked.

Gina launched herself at him, and he caught her up in a spin, laughing.

Chloe chuckled, shaking her head. “Oh, Leo, always making an entrance.”

“And you love it,” Leo said in a slightly accented voice, wrapping a thick arm around Chloe’s shoulders and pulling her in for twin kisses on her cheeks.

She laughed and gave him a hug before untangling herself.

I glanced at Wyatt, worried he might be jealous of this newcomer.

But instead, he grinned and spread his arms wide. “Leo, so good to see you, man!”

Laughing, Leo wrapped Wyatt in a hug almost as enthusiastic as Gina’s. “Too long, man, too long. You put on some muscle since last I saw you, yes?”

Wyatt chuckled and slapped his back. “A bit, yeah. Not like you, though. Shit, how’d you get those guns from wildlife photography?”

“Ah, you know me, wrestling lions, alligators, and the like.”

Everyone laughed.

Then he turned his nut-brown gaze to me. “And you must be the lovely Rose I’ve heard so much about from my cousin.”

Understanding clicked in place as Gina nodded.

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