He went back to work, and Mal watched him for a moment, intrigued by the detail he put into Sophie’s hair, and what a difference the detail made to the sketch. He knew what he was doing, despite his nonchalance, and that intrigued her, too. There was a deeper side to this guy? Did anybody know that? Somehow, she doubted it.
“You’re not as bad as I thought you’d be,” Mal murmured, fidgeting with her camera strap.
Reed glanced up in surprise. “I’m usually considered much worse.”
“Yeah, well, I’m willing to bet you don’t let your guard down much.”
His lips quirked, and he pushed his sunglasses up on top of his head. “Same to you, picture lady.”
They shared a small smile, and Mal wondered if her perception of rich people ought to be tossed overboard for fish chum.
“Wanna get a drink?” Reed offered, tilting his head toward the bar. “Totally platonic, I promise.”
Maybe not.
The words were sincere, his tone even, but there was a very rich, very intense man with skin-scorching looks that would take exception to that drink, platonic or not.
“I’m, uh… sort of, uh…” Her cheeks were starting to heat, and she prayed he would think it was a sunburn.
“Spoken for,” growled a low voice from behind.
Mal stiffened and glanced back to see Hunter watching them both, about three feet behind her.
Reed slowly raised a brow at Hunter, then looked back at Mal. “Right,” he drawled, not sounding disappointed or surprised. “Three’s a crowd.” He tapped his sunglasses back onto his face and shrugged. “I’ll just keep sketching bridesmaids I wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole.”
A guy with his reputation saying that? She had a hard time believing it. “Grace is okay,” she told him. “Nice girl.”
He snorted and waved her off. “Yeah, all the more reason not to touch her. It’s me.”
Mal frowned, moving back toward the others, inhaling sharply when Hunter subtly stroked her back as she passed him.
“Please don’t play with fire, baby,” he murmured, moving back toward his former spot. “I’m the jealous type.”
Gah. She swallowed and lowered her head, pretending to look at the screen on her camera.
Too much. Much too much.
“Honey, Sophie is about to shoot lasers at you,” Taryn muttered when Mal got back. “I think she thinks it’s a tennis match between you two, her head keeps whipping back and forth, and she’s gonna need Botox for the wrinkles she’s forming.”
Mal glanced over at Sophie, who looked like she could have spat at her. She sighed and adjusted the camera straps. “Well, I can’t help it that he likes me and not her, even when she does her best to show off her crazy trim legs.”
“Might be crazy trim, but your calves are much hotter.”
Mal turned to look over her shoulder at Lucas, who was now by the bar getting a drink.
He shrugged helplessly. “I’m your cousin, but I have eyes. Denim cutoffs are a nice look for you, kiddo.”
“Don’t call me kiddo. I’m older than you!” she protested, ignoring his compliment entirely.
Lucas grinned and stood to his full height, looking down at her pointedly. “Yeah, but you’re tiny. I win.”
Mal rolled her eyes and took in the group without her lens for the first time in hours. Caroline and Jenna had followed her style, wearing their swimsuits under their clothes, but they had not seen it necessary to take off their shirts as she had. Grace and Sophie opted for sundresses, though Sophie’s was a crocheted number with a skimpy bikini beneath. The other three were either in partial or entire swimsuits and more interested in tanning than socializing. Most of them wore oversize hats as well.
The guys were all shirtless except for Lucas, Hunter, and Tom. Taryn was having a field day with the sideline reporting there. Dan and Lucas sat at a table nearby, both wearing backward baseball caps, more interested in the baseball game on TV than anything else onboard. Dan was mouthy enough as it was, but if he started hanging out with Lucas? That would be trouble.
Jenna suddenly met her eyes and smiled her brilliant, beautiful, perfect smile. There wasn’t anything to do but smile back, and Mal lifted her camera in a silent question.
Jenna nodded and pulled Tom closer, and their interaction was so intimate that Mal started snapping shots before they were ready. These were the moments she lived for as a photographer—the unplanned, spontaneous, natural moments that captured the essence of a person or a place. The artistry of her subjects was always revealed in these unexpected glimpses into life as they knew it.