Page 25 of Blame it on the Kiss
He backstroked out of her reach, but the girlcouldswim. She caught his ankle and pulled him under.
Twisting and swimming full tilt, he made it to the shallow end before he let her catch him again. She palmed his shoulders and pressed down but he didn’t budge. She tried again, lifting out of the water this time. Her shirt clung to her skin, giving him a view of her rounded breasts and pert nipples. His mouth watered.
He wanted to touch and lick and suck and see if her breasts were as sensitive as he’d imagined they were since getting a quick preview all those months ago.
So lost in thoughts of her sexy body, he didn’t see the splash coming. Water went up his nose. He choked and coughed before wiping the smirk off her face with his own splash.
They paddled water at each other like two kids until a very loud, very deep, “Ahem,” caught their attention.
Tango, ex-NFL linebacker and owner of the inn loomed above them, thick arms crossed over his chest. “Pool hours are over you two.” He walked away, towels on the ground where he’d stood.
Bryce looked at Honor at the same time she looked at him and they burst into laughter. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so free and easy with a woman. Like nothing else mattered at the moment.
She swam to the side. He followed, reality hitting him as the one big flaw in this escapade set in.
“We’ve got a problem,” he said, coming up beside her.
“We do?” The lilt of her cheerful voice hinted at other shenanigans and he wanted to know what other mischief she’d gotten into.
He took the note from Sophie out of his pocket and placed it on the ground.
“Oh, crapity, crap, crap,” Honor muttered. Her lids briefly closed, her shoulders dropped. “It’s my fault. Hopefully Sophie doesn’t mind writing another one and I’ll get it to you tomorrow.”
“Partners in crime, Honor. Tell Sophie I’m just as much to blame.”
Soft, surprised eyes met his, like no one had shared blame with her before. And her quiet nod of thanks knocked the wind right out of him.
Whatever he thought he saw there, though, he was wrong. They weren’t on the same team. And never would be. He’d been abandoned and blindsided by the opposite sex and reminded himself to choose his words more carefully. Because from now onheplanned to be the love-them-and-leave-them type, not the other way around
Chapter Five
Honor wiped away a tear slipping out of the corner of her eye. The vows Sophie and Zane said to each other spoke of amazing love and devotion, and the way Zane looked at his bride made Honor feel like she’d intruded on an intimate moment. She wanted to look away. She couldn’t look away. Her heart rejoiced and yearned at the same time.
They couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful evening on the beach. Hurricane lamps cast a warm glow, light blue surfboards that saidNow and Foreverheld up the canopy the bridal party stood under. With the ocean as inspiration, the wedding coordinator had drawn from its colors and used sea glass as the decorative foundation to make everything in and around Zane and Sophie’s house look like an underwater paradise. Different sized blue and green glass balls from fisherman’s nets were strung around the site, and when they caught the flicker from the hurricane lamps, it was magical.
The pastor told a joke about a minister, a surfer, and a beautiful redhead walking into a bar and everyone chuckled. Pastor Michael was about as laid back as they came. He’d even surfed with Zane this morning. Right now, he smiled that warm, you-can-tell-me-all-your-problems smile and declared Zane and Sophie husband and wife.
Amid loud applause from the fifty or so guests, Zane gave Sophie a sweeping kiss before taking her hand and leading her down the sand toward their house.
Honor quickly swiped at another rebellious tear, stepped forward, and took Bryce’s arm to follow the procession. Of course she’d been paired with the too-handsome groomsman.
And the man her best friend had said she could see herself marrying. Their romance may have been private and a whirlwind, but Payton always came home from weekends with Bryce with stars in her eyes and her heart full of devotion. Bryce had been committed to Pay. Had he thought about forever with her, too? Honor’s breath caught. Payton had been taken in the blink of an eye instead of getting the chance to say, “I do.” Honor ached to throw fairness the middle finger, but wrapped her hand tighter around her bouquet instead.
“Nice ceremony,” Bryce said. “You look really pretty.”
She didn’t want him to say nice things to her. After the playful time they’d had in the pool last night, and his kind parting words, her defenses were crumbling. She did love her floor length sea green sheath dress, though, so said, “Thank you. You look very handsome.” In navy dress slacks and a white button down with the top button open and the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, he got her vote for sexiest groomsman on the planet.
She bit down on her lip. Not for the first time today he stared at her mouth.
Since they’d taken pictures earlier, they were swept right into the house for champagne and appetizers. Honor had never seen Sophie look so vibrant, so happy. Lively conversation and laughter filled the beach house. Soft music played from a sound system.
Honor put down her half-filled glass of bubbly and snuck into the kitchen. “Hey, Elena.”
“Honor. Hi. You look gorgeous. Do not come too close. If anything gets on that dress I’ll never forgive myself.” Elena was one of the best private chefs on the west coast. On either coast, actually.
“That shrimp prosciutto appetizer was to die for. And you know I can’t get enough of your mini duck tacos.” She gave a little wave to the two women helping Elena prepare the evening’s dinner.
“Okay, come a little closer. We’ve loaded one last tray and you can snag one.”
