Page 16 of The Promises We Were Never Meant To Keep

The grin in his eye’s spreads to his lips. Then his eyes dip to my lips, stealing my breath. “You need me to show you?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug against him. “Maybe.”

His eyes drift up to mine as his head begins to dip. This time, I just know he’s going to kiss me as he murmurs, “I can do that.”

A crack has a curse slipping from Holt’s lips as his head whips up. Tate is there, and although he’s grinning widely, there’s something dark in his light eyes. Something unsettling that I brush off as he says, “We’re going swimming, asshole. Shoulder wars. Couple on couple.”

My gaze follows Holt’s to the mass of couples down by the water. Some are stripping down to their swimsuits, laughing eagerly. Other’s smack-talk as they run into the water, undeterred by the quickly darkening sky.

Tate’s already ditched, his date at his side, as Holt swings his eyes back to mine. “You want to play?”

“Play what?”

“Shoulder wars.” Holt sounds gruffer than normal as he stares at Tate’s retreating back. “I think Tate’s looking to get his ass kicked tonight.”

I give a single shake of my head. “What are shoulder wars?”

A devilish look overtakes the shadows in his eyes as he pulls his bottom lip into his mouth, releasing it slowly in a way that is too attractive. My body instantly responds to it, touched by a warmth that has nothing to do with the remnants of an insanely hot day that clings to the evening air.

Holt doesn’t explain as he links his hand with mine, tugging me toward the beach. “This is going to be fun.”

6

I LIKE PEACHES

AUGUST 26, 2006 – 15 YEARS OLD

Andy falls from Micha’s shoulders with a scream and a splash as Holt challenges, “Brother against brother!”

My head whips to him, but he’s already tugging me deeper into the water. Nervous flutters erupt in my belly as Tate pulls his date alongside us, looking determined to beat Holt in this shoulder war that really has nothing to do with the guys and everything to do with the girls that fight on their shoulders.

Tate lowers in the water to let his date climb on, and she smiles wide at me as he rises from the water, holding her on his shoulders.

“You ready?” Holt asks, already lowering into the water.

I have no choice but to climb on, so I do. Every part of my skin feels kissed by fire as I slide one leg over his shoulder, and then the other. His hands lift to grip my thighs as he rises from the water. When I teeter, my hands fall to his hair, and I grip him. “Holt!”

He laughs, then taps my thighs. “Tighten your legs around me, baby.”

“I’m going to choke you,” I protest.

“Don’t worry!” Micha hollers. “He’ll like it.”

Kevin snickers. “Death by a woman’s thighs. No man could complain.” The sound of Andy’s hand connecting with the wet of Kevin’s chest has his hoot morphing into full-out amusement. “Give us a show, new girl!”

Holt tightens his hands around my thighs, pushing my thighs tighter around his neck. I loosen my hands in his hair and give a little wiggle to test my balance on his shoulders that has Micha calling, “That’s it, new girl, ride him.”

“Oh, my God.” I laugh in horror, covering my face with my hands.

Holt chuckles again, and my own laugh dies as he runs his hands up and down my thighs. “Don’t worry about it, baby. You can ride me any time you like.”

“Holt!” I can’t believe he said that.

The guys closer to the beach all laugh, loud and hard. I can’t bear to look in their direction, and my eyes slam into foggy green shrouded in shadows by default. For a moment, I can’t look away. Can’t breathe. Thoughts stutter, shatter.

Tate looks—I don’t even know what Tate looks like as he takes a few steps toward Holt. He growls, “Knock ‘em down, Raven.”

The girl on his shoulders replies confidently, “Oh, I will.”