Roman stands with her, letting her take his hand and drag him toward the back, but he holds my gaze until he’s past me. He intentionally bumps Anderson’s shoulder, but Anderson is oblivious as he moves toward me, a wolfish grin on his face.
“Roman—”
“—isn’t stupid enough not to know now. I figured as much. I’ll talk to him later,” he says with a shrug.
Okay, so maybe he’s not oblivious.
“But now I can do this without worrying about secrets,” he says before he surprises me by crashing his lips to mine.
I’m too stunned to move at first, but he wraps his arms around me, pulling me to him as the bag tumbles from my hand. Slowly, my arms move around his neck as his tongue toys with mine and his kiss burns me, producing those fun little vagina butterflies.
“Shark!” Bobby Jo yells suddenly, causing us to break the kiss as Anderson whirls around.
Kasha screams, leaping off the tube and swimming like a one-armed champion…in a sort of circle. Her life jacket keeps her afloat, and Roman grabs her, swimming hard when Bobby Jo shouts again.
“Big shark!”
My eyes scan the water as Kasha holds onto Roman, while he launches them up onto the platform, carrying her like she’s not extra weight at all, and running them both back into the safety of the boat.
“Where?” Kasha snaps, her entire body shaking as Jill—her robot arm—flops around in a panic on the boat.
“There!” Bobby Jo shouts, and I whirl around so quick that I tip forward.
I barely hear Anderson yelling my name before I tumble, escaping the feel of his hands which try to grapple me. I crash headfirst into the water.
Without a lifejacket, I’m a terrible swimmer, but in that moment, I surge to the top like I’ve been winning gold all my life, and I swim like a maniac toward Anderson’s hand that’s reaching for me.
“Where’s the fucking shark?” Anderson snaps as I miss his hand by inches, unable to jump out of the water that far.
My heart thumps in my chest so hard that I hear it like a steady bass. I’m also hearing the Jaws theme song playing in my head on a vicious, never-ending loop, while I continue to panic.
Anderson leans farther, and I finally grab his hand, as someone else demands the shark’s location. Please, for fuck’s sake, don’t let it be behind me.
Unable to look for myself, knowing I’ll freak out and lose the tentative grip I have on Anderson’s hand, I focus on trying to climb the side of the boat now.
Instead, Anderson lifts me quickly, pulling me inside the boat with that one hard pull, and I manage to grab his shoulder with my other hand. He quickly wraps an arm around my waist and holds me to him, as everyone scans the water.
I look over as Bobby Jo grins at me.
“Just kidding. There’s no shark,” Bobby Jo says with a shrug, causing everyone to groan. Roman and Kasha both curse her as she adds, “I’ve just always wanted to do that.”
I’m starting to think we should’ve stayed with Lydia and Simon’s broken dick.
CHAPTER 15
SICILY
Every time Roman’s glare lands on Anderson during our trip back to the dock, his mouth opens and closes. He looks like a fish. I’m glad that he manages to keep his silence in front of everyone. I’ve been exposed enough for today. I mean, clearly everyone saw us kiss, but no one made a big deal of it. Kasha and Henley have thrown a few knowing smiles my way. At least his sister has no problem with it.
Kasha gives me a quick wink and grabs Roman’s shoulder as soon as we can disembark. “Hey, help me with this. And hold my arm.” She shoves the robo arm into his hand and starts to fumble with the life jacket. He struggles to hold onto the arm that’s reacting by having what looks like a seizure.
Roman looks at it like it may have plans to murder him. “Stop trying to grab my nipple! Those fingers could pinch it off!”
“I’m not! It’s the arm. I’m trying to undo the jacket!”
With Roman distracted for the moment, Anderson and I make a quick exit. We make a beeline back to the mansion. “Roman looked pissed,” I say, unlocking the room I’m sharing with Bobby Jo and leading him inside.
“I’ll talk to him. Don’t worry about it.” He slides his palm behind my neck and tilts my head up. “Stay with me in my room tonight?”
Red alert. He isn’t asking me to sleepover to do each other’s hair.
Sex.
He wants sex.
Oh, so do I, my whole body feels like it’s screaming for his, but I’m scared.
I like him. Really like him. Sex is when everything falls apart and they run like a skunk is after them. Lydia still managed to get laid after getting sprayed by an actual skunk, but sex with me is more like a metaphorical skunk.