Page 52 of Revv

Ay, coño.

I grip the board behind me. “You’re unbearable.”

“And you’re still sitting here letting me touch you.”

His fingers slide a little higher before stopping.

The teasing leaves his face, but the heat doesn’t.

“When are you gonna stop fighting it, Mami?”

“I’m not fighting anything.”

His thumb moves once more over the inside of my thigh.

My knees pull in before I can stop them and I know immediately by the way his pretty mouth pulls into a smirk that he noticed.

“Your mouth can keep lying, Mama,” he says, voice low. “But your body’s fucking terrible at it.”

He smiles and runs his hand over his head. Saltwater trails down his face and neck, catching in the stubble along his jaw.

My eyes drop, following the tiny droplets of water, dragging my teeth across my lip.

His chest is half beneath the water, tattoos dark against wet skin.

When I look back up, he’s watching me.

I look away toward the horizon.

“Like what you see, Mama?”

“Yeah, the sunset is beautiful tonight.”

“Pretty sure it wasn't the pretty sunset that had you biting your lip like that.”

A wave rolls under us, stronger than the others.

The board tips.

I grab for balance, but my weight shifts too far.

Revel catches my thigh with one hand and the edge of the board with the other, steadying me before I slide off.

My breath catches, but his hand stays on me.

I should move it, but I don’t.

When he looks back up, the laughter is gone, replaced by that same heavy look from my driveway.

His thumb brushes closer to the edge of my bikini and I inhale sharply.

“Revel.”

“Tell me to stop.”

“I am.”

“No, you’re saying my name.”