Page 106 of Until I Own You

“I don’t know. It just–” She shivers in a dramatic fashion. “Is.”

Further proof that whatever happens between Seth and me has to remain a secret. And my chest hurts more than it should at the thought.

Abigail snatches the sunscreen from me. “Jack will do it.” She tosses it at her brother, and it lands right in the gutter of his book.

“Fine,” he growls, dropping his legs off the side of the lounge and patting the free spot. “Sit. I’ll do your back.”

I have no choice unless I want to go against the grain of being agreeable. “Thanks, I know it’s a big sacrifice for you.” I attempt at a joke.

Jack smiles. “You’re so welcome.”

I sit at the end of the lounge chair and let Jack slather sunscreen onto my back, all the while feeling Seth’s energy shift.

I don’t think he’s looking at me. That would be too obvious. But there is tension in his legs, a darkness to his aura.

He doesn’t like this.

I don’t either.

I should have said no, but I didn’t want to cause a scene.

I’m sure he’ll keep a tally of my punishments to be served once we return to the Lyons Club. Although if we’re on a hiatus through this trip, does it even count?

I still want to be a good girl for him. But this weekend I’m not his.

My brain is in knots.

After I’m all lubed up with sunscreen, Abigail and I go down to the shoreline and comb the beach for shells and beach glass.

The tide is cold, lapping at our toes and stinging every time it grabs us.

“I dare you to go in the water,” Abigail says with a devilish grin.

I shrug one shoulder. “I’ll go in if you do.”

She grabs my hand, announcing, “Deal!” as loud as she can as she drags me into the surf.

Though it’s cold, the ocean water is lush and salty, swallowing us and our laughter up as if we’ve always been a part of it.

This is the natural order of things. In a way.

No matter how much fun I have, though, the memory of Seth tugs at my belly.

“Put your head under, put your head under!” Abigail begs.

“Wait, wait, wait–” I pull a hair tie off my wrist and wrap my hair aloft on my head. Don’t want to get it all mucked up. Then I dive into the water.

It’s like we’re kids again, playing mermaids, laughing our tails off, both imaginary and real.

However, unlike when we were children, we get waterlogged much faster.

Abigail and I emerge from the water and rush to grab our towels. We dry off mere feet away from the guys.

“Ugh, okay, enough of that.” Abigail falls into her own lounge chair. “Shall we drink, Bridget?”

“What time is it?” I look up at the sun in the sky.

“Five o’clock somewhere,” Seth mutters.

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