All three tease by doing awful, drunken slutty dance moves, then drop onto the bench seat.
“You guys are assholes.” I laugh lightly, stepping toward the bench, but Nico pulls my arms, so I turn back.
He eyes me skeptically, his arms gingerly sliding around my waist as he pulls me into him. “We good?”
Can we be more than good?
Can we be real?
I confirmed I was upset because I thought he only kissed me so someone else would see, for the sake of the stupid deal we made that states he’s not really mine nor am I his.
How long before he reads into that for what it is?
How long before he realizes I want to be an us?
“Don’t, D,” he whispers, and my eyes fly back to his. “Don’t think.”
Don’t think.
Don’t think...
Fuck it.
“I don’t want him anymore.” The words fly from me before I can stop them.
Fully and completely, every muscle in his body locks and my stomach begins to stir.
Holy shit, I said it. It’s out.
“What?” His tone is harsh, but I know it’s not coming from anger.
“Alex,” I admit quietly. “I don’t want him. I can’t even remember why I ever did.”
His grip on me tightens, a heavy sense of possession radiating from him to me, warming my body from the inside out. “Don’t play, baby.”
“Tell me I am,” I rasp.
When his brows dip, I continue.
“Your baby.” My eyes hit his. “For reals, not for fakes. For keeps, not for now.”
The heavy thump of his heart beats against my hand, and I flatten my palm there, not wanting to miss the way it’s climbing.
“Pixie.” He leans in, brushing his lips over mine. “You are. You’ve been,” he stresses. “Even when you had no fuckin’ clue... you were my baby.”
He kisses me, and the overbearing weight on my shoulders lifts.
His.
That’s what I am.
He pulls back the slightest bit, whispering into my ear. “And in case there’s room for question, let me clear it up for you. You’re mine, D, and I’m yours. That’s as real as it gets.”
Finally.
Since Friday night, Nico hasn’t stopped touching me when he’s near, and he makes sure he constantly is. It’s like when he teased before about getting to be the possessive boyfriend and keeping me within reach, that’s exactly what he’s doing.
He’ll go from holding my hand to moving my hair, touching my waist or arms, anything.
Today, we’re at Caper Cliffs, rock jumping and barbecuing, so it’s been snapping the strap of my bikini top or running his palms across my arms, but this afternoon’s touches are lingering, slow and far more deliberate.
It could be because we’re basically naked in nothing but swimsuits, so the heat of his body radiates to mine even more than normal or maybe I’m imagining the lasting effect of his fingertips because I want them to drag a little lower and stay there for a while.
“Girl,” Macy whispers in my ear. “You need to stop, take a dip in the water, something.”
My frown finds her.
She rolls her eyes. “Your lady boner is showing so hard right now, and don’t look, but the little bit of padding your suit top has isn’t hiding the rocks poking out behind them.”
I can’t help it and a loud laugh leaves me, gaining the attention of the others climbing on the rocks to the side of us.
Carley shakes her head, shouting, “What crazy shit is she whispering to you over there, Demi?!”
I give a playful shrug, and the others smile. “Ah, nothing that isn’t true.”
Macy and I laugh, and like I knew he would, Nico jumps down off the rocks and stalks my way. Shirtless, trunks hanging nice and low over those magical hipbones.
Hipbones I have a sudden urge to trace with my fingertips.
It really is too damn bad our friends didn’t take the hint when we tried to sneak ahead of everyone to higher ground for some privacy, but no. Suddenly they were all eager to start jumping and came with.
The only person who stayed down at the bottom is Trent so he could get the barbecue going.
“Do I go or do you need me to stay and be the fire extinguisher?” she whispers.
I laugh, pushing to my feet and dust off my ass.
Nico slides up, raising an expectant brow at Macy who winks and takes the spot I vacated.
His attention shifts to me, and he moves in, planting his hands on my bare ribs.
Always touching.
“What’d I miss?” he asks.
“Oh, you know, Macy being Macy, and advising I jump into the water before I... jump on you.”
His frown is instant. “That’s some shitty advice.”
I laugh, dropping my head back, and his chest rumbles with a low growl.
“You keep giving me your neck like that, I’m gonna take it.”
I lean in. “Maybe I want you to.”
He has the tip of my ponytail in his hands in seconds, tugging, forcing my head back as far as he wants it.
“Oh, hell no!” Krista shouts. “If I can’t get Trent to run off with me, you don’t get none either.”
I turn to smile, but my eyes shoot wide.
She and Carley are rushing for us.
My hands fly from Nico just in time for them to block me in.
“Back off.”
“Jump or you’re going in.” Carley’s hands find her hips.
I look at Nico who smirks, lifting his chin.
I gape at him. “Really? No help? I’ll remember this.”
He steps forward. “See you in the water, D.”
Nico jumps off the rock ledge, penciling into the deep pool of water below.
I look over, and slowly he emerges, shaking his head to clear his hair from his face.
He smiles up at me, swimming in place as he moves over a little. “All clear down here, girls.”
I gasp and he laughs, lifting his hands quickly, beckoning me to him.
I look back to the girls. “You’re assholes.”
“And you’re the driest one here, I’ve jumped twice already! If I have to have ratty ass hair, so do you.” Krista pops her hip, smiling.
I groan, turn and glance out over the flat rocks that circle around the deep water below and jump.
Their hollers have me flipping them off over my head as I hit, quickly coming up to the top and taking a breath.
“It’s freezing!” I yell with a laugh.
Nico chuckles and I swim toward where he’s sitting on a moss-covered flat plain, half his torso out of the water, and dripping wet.
His hair is a mess on his head, so once I’m where I can put my knees on a rock, I squeeze between his legs and reach up to smooth it out.
One little curl keeps falling in his face, so I hold it back.
My chest is even with his face in this position, so he drops his chin on my breastbone and stares up at me.
“You’ve got goosebumps.” His eyes fall to my arms, hands coming up to wrap around them, sliding up and down and creating twice as many as before. “That got anything to do with the water?” he rasps.
I can’t answer him, though.
I’m stuck.
I stare at his mouth, only inches from my breasts, taking in nothing but the sensation of having so much of his skin on mine.