Kill me now.

“Perhaps for you,” Liam snorts. “Ain’t nice for me.”

I drop my head into my hands.

“He’s charming.”

I shiver all over as a voice whispers in my ear. I spin around and see Nate, grinning at me. Damn him. It’s not funny.

“Don’t even, Nathaniel,” I say, wagging my finger in his face. “I can hurt you.”

He winks and steps past me, extending his hand. “Nathaniel Alexander, I’m Avery’s BFF.”

I want to die in shame.

“BFF?” Jacob asks, taking his hand and shaking it.

“You know? Best Friends Forever. Or fo’ life—either way works.”

Jacob narrows his eyes and I want to sink into the ground. “Funny,” he mutters. “She’s never mentioned you.”

“Oh,” Nate says, turning to me with an expression of pure shock. “You didn’t tell him about me? Was it because I lick-windows? Jesus, Avery, it was a once-off.”

I bite my bottom lip, trying to stop myself from laughing. I can’t see Nate’s wife, but I’m sure she, too, wouldn’t appreciate his joke.

“Your name is familiar,” Jacob says, ignoring Nate’s outburst.

“I ride motocross.”

Jacob’s eyes widen and he turns to me. “You went to a motocross race the other day?”

Oh shit.

“Yes, Nate happened to be riding in that one. It was rather lucky.”

“It was a nice surprise,” Nate says, watching me with those eyes again.

“Hmmm,” Jacob mumbles. “Well, I’m going to set up this shade so I can get out of this God-awful sun.”

“You don’t want to come for a swim?” I say, watching him retreat.

“Hell no.”

“Of course not,” I mutter, turning to Nate, “Are you pleased?”

He grins at me, big and beautiful. “Completely.”

I shake my head and finally crack a smile as he walks off. I undress and go for a quick swim before joining everyone around the fire as the sun begins to set.

“So, Avery,” Lena says. “What do you do?”

“I’m a dancer. I’m studying to teach.”

“Oh, what kind of dancing?”

I cross my legs and balance my light beer in my lap. “Ballet.”

She nods, pulling Nate’s hand into her lap. He stiffens, noticeably. I pretend I don’t notice.

“Avie is going to teach me how to dance,” Macy cries, leaping up and spinning in a circle.

“Is she now?” Lena says. “I didn’t even know you’d met Avery before.”

“I did. I saw her at Daddy’s race.”

“Oh, right,” Lena says, getting a guilty look on her face.

“She can dance so pretty.” She claps. “Show me, Avery!”

“No.” I laugh. “I can’t dance in the sand.”

“Course you can,” Nate says, his voice low and husky. “Don’t let the child down.”

“We’d love to see it,” Lena says.

“Go on, Avery,” Kelly grins. “Show us what you’re doin’ lately.”

“I can’t dance on the sand,” I say again.

“Doesn’t have to be fancy, just show us,” Liam mutters.

Because Liam has asked, I find it hard to turn away. I take another sip of beer and I get up, shoving the sand as flat as I can with my foot. There’s no way I can dance nicely on it, but I’ll do it for the sake of silence. I do a basic few twists, turns and sweeps. I close my eyes and spin, doing the best I can, mostly focusing on my arms. I bend my knee, and soar up, letting my leg stretch out behind me. Then I spin and stop, bowing.

“Ta da!”

“Yay Avie!” Macy claps wildly.

“You got good, girl,” Kelly says. “Fuck, you look damned fine doing that.”

“Dude, that’s my sister,” Liam says, punching Kelly in the shoulder.

“Don’t mean I can’t look.”

“She’s taken,” Jacob says, straightening.

Kelly gives him a once-over and smirks at him. “That wouldn’t be hard to change. Come here, Avery, darling, I want another birthday hug.”

I bite my lip to stop from laughing. Kelly loves to stir Jacob, and I must admit I enjoy it. I step over the log I was sitting on and give Nate a glance. He’s watching me . . . again. His expression is unreadable; I can’t quite make it out. It’s intense, though, a look I’ve never received from a man before.

Kelly’s arm snakes out and curls around my waist, pulling me down onto his lap. I laugh as I go down. I circle my arms around his neck and ruffle his golden locks with my fingers. “You’re horrible,” I say near his ear.

“I can’t help it. He pisses me off.”

“Avery, can you please join me at the car for a moment?” Jacob says, standing.

I sigh and get off Kelly’s lap. “Can’t we just speak down here? I don’t want to walk back up to the car.”

“Fine,” he mutters, taking my hand and pulling me out of the group. I can feel a lot of eyes on me as he pulls me to the side, probably not even far enough away for them not to hear.

“What are you doing?”

I shake my head. “Having fun.”

“You’re flirting!” he snaps, curling his fingers around the top of my arm and pulling me close. “And I don’t like it.”