“Need to replenish your liquids?”
I whirl around to see Corbin emerge from the shadows, looking just as disheveled as I probably do. His hair is a mess, and he’s clad in nothing but a pair of gray sweats, which hang sinfully low on his hips. I tear my gaze away, trying not to look at his unfairly gorgeous physique.
“Fuck off, Montgomery.”
Corbin grins, his eyes dragging over me, and suddenly I’m painfully aware of how little I have on. I tug the hem of Bryce’s shirt down my legs in a futile attempt to cover myself.
My eyes flick back and forth between Corbin and the fire outside.
~If he’s here, then who’s the third person out there? And why does he look like he just got fucked into oblivion?~
“I don’t think you do,” he muses, still assessing me with those broody eyes of his. “Looks to me like you didn’t even break a sweat.”
I roll my eyes and turn back to the fridge, finally grabbing that water bottle I came here for. When I turn around, Corbin is closer—~too ~close. He’s only a step away now, and I can feel the heat radiating off him. His torso is glistening with sweat, and it takes everything in me not to drop my gaze to the defined V-lines leading into his sweats.
“Did he even hold you after he finished?” Corbin presses, his voice lower now, taunting. “Or did he just roll over and go to sleep, leaving you wanting more?”
I meet his gaze head-on, refusing to let him intimidate me. “How sweet of you to worry about my pleasure,” I deadpan. “But maybe you should go back to your room. Your right hand is probably starting to feel lonely.”
Corbin chuckles under his breath, a wicked sound that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “I use my left, actually.”
Before I can fire back, a feminine voice cuts through the room, coming from the boys’ side of the house. “What’s taking so long?”
“Ah,” Corbin says, raising his brows meaningfully. “Duty calls.”
“What a weird name,” I quip, trying to step around him, but he doesn’t move. Helplessly, I glance through the glass wall. Bryce is outside, illuminated by the string lights, phone to his ear.
Corbin follows my gaze and scoffs. “So he rolled off you and ~went back to work~.”
“Fuck you, Corbin,” I spit, bumping his shoulder as I walk past.
“Yeah, anytime,” he muses. “You know where to find me.”
I flip him off and pad back to my room, tugging the hem of Bryce’s shirt down as I go.
***
I wake up to sunlight filtering in through the window, making the dust particles glitter as they dance around in the morning air. Bryce is still asleep next to me. I didn’t even hear him come in last night—I must’ve already been out.
I reach out, brushing golden strands of hair from his face. He looks different when he’s asleep—boyish, almost. In a flash, I remember him as a kid, his long, unruly hair tugged into a ponytail at the base of his skull.
Bryce stirs, blinking his eyes open slowly. “Hey,” he grunts, voice thick with sleep.
“Hi,” I whisper. “Sorry to wake you.”
He rolls onto his back, stretching his arms above his head. “That’s okay,” he murmurs, reaching for his phone. To my surprise, he only checks the time before setting it back down. “Let’s go for a swim.”
My eyes widen. “Really?”
“Yeah,” he says, sitting up. “We’re on vacation, right?”
I nod eagerly.
“Go get ready,” Bryce says, grabbing his swimsuit and a towel. “I’ll meet you on the dock.”
I can’t get ready fast enough, slipping into my bikini and pulling a sheer cover-up over it before heading outside. The lake is perfectly still, its surface undisturbed, like a pool of liquid silver. Bryce is already sitting on the dock, feet dangling over the edge, his phone nowhere in sight. That fact alone makes me happier than I let on.
When I approach, he looks up—and frowns.
“What’s that?”
I glance down at myself. “What’s what?”
He gestures vaguely at me. “That…dress?”
“Oh,” I say, realizing. “It’s not really a dress, just a cover-up. Something to wear over a swimsuit.”
He nods slowly, unimpressed. “It doesn’t really cover anything, though.”
I smile faintly. “Yeah, I know. That’s not really the point. It’s just an extra layer, you know?”
He crinkles his nose. “Not really. It looks kinda slutty.”
A voice cuts in from behind me before I can even react. “You’re kidding, right?”
I whirl around to find Adam, his friends in tow.
“She looks great,” he adds, eyebrows raised.
I cock a brow. ~Is he…defending me?~
“Yeah, man, what are you talking about?” Tyler chimes in, shaking his head. “She looks hot.”
Suddenly, I feel very exposed.
“No, he’s right,” I say quickly. “I have another one. I’ll go change.”
I turn to walk back, eyes down, until I nearly crash into Corbin. He’s blocking the path, broad and unyielding.
“Keep it on,” he says, voice low. “It’s cute. Your ~boyfriend~ needs to get his eyes checked. Or his attitude.”
I straighten, bristling. “I don’t need your approval, thanks.”
“You don’t need ~his~ approval either,” he counters smoothly. “What are you, twelve? Does he lay out your clothes in the morning?”
Before I can snap back, Bryce suddenly steps up behind me, his front pressing against my back. I relax slightly but keep my eyes locked on Corbin.
“What the fuck is your problem, man?” Bryce asks, his tone sharp. “I just don’t want my girlfriend dressing slutty with all of you around, gawking at her.”
Adam steps forward, jaw tightening. “I ~know~ you didn’t just call my sister slutty.”
My stomach twists. I don’t want this to escalate into a full-on fight, but it feels strangely good to have Adam take my side for once.
“I didn’t call ~her~ slutty,” Bryce argues. “Just that scrap of fabric she calls a dress.”
I shrink, instantly self-conscious. I didn’t think it was that bad, but I guess the cover-up is a little sheer…and short.
“All right,” I say, raising my hands in surrender. “Let’s just let it go, okay? I’ll change, and then we’ll be on this side of the dock.” I turn to Adam. “You guys go there. Let’s just stay out of each other’s way as much as possible.”
Adam gives me a long look before turning and grabbing Corbin’s arm, steering him away.
I exhale, then turn to Bryce. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize my cover-up was inappropriate.”
Bryce pulls me into his arms. “I just don’t want them looking at you like you’re a piece of meat.”
I smile and press a kiss to his lips. “I know. Thank you.”
He laces our fingers together, tugging me toward the water. “Come on. Let’s make the most of today. I’ve done everything I needed before the conference.”
My heart jumps. “So, no phones today?”
He smiles. “No phones today. Promise.”