Page 3 of Hot Water

We break the surface together, gasping, choking. As I cough and sputter, my chest heaves, filling my lungs with much-needed air. The sunlight is blinding, but I blink several times. Goddamn. I’m fucking dead. I have to be because the perfection before me doesn’t exist on earth.

“Are you okay?” she asks as we both kick our way toward the shore.

I shake my head since my near-death experience stole my ability to speak.

We stumble onto the shore, and I look over to find my dumbass brother snoring on the lounger. Fucker would’ve felt bad if I’d died.

I drop down onto the hot sand and take several deep breaths, trying to bring my breathing under control. When I look up and see her emerging from the water, all the blood in my body rushes straight for my cock. She has a presence that commands attention, and I’m instantly captivated. Her curvy figure moves with a natural grace, each step leaving a delicate imprint on the wet sand.

Her long, curly hair is soaked, cascading down her back in mesmerizing chestnut waves, glistening with droplets of ocean water that catch the sunlight. Her heart-shaped face is framed perfectly by those wild, wet curls, enhancing her striking features.

But it's her eyes that truly draw me in. Big and green, they seem almost otherworldly, reflecting the vastness of the ocean behind her. Once I get enough oxygen to my brain that it can function, I’ll figure out all the secrets she’s hiding behind those stunning bright eyes. There’s a depth in them, a story I can't quite read, but I’m fucking eager to learn.

She kneels next to me, and it’s like the world around us fades away. At this moment, it's as though the entire beach exists just for the two of us.

CHAPTER 2

AMELIA

“Are you enjoying your trip, honey?” my mom asks.

“No. Tell her to come home,” my dad says in the background, making me smile as I clutch the phone to my ear and lean back in my lounger on the beach, staring out at the sun reflecting on the blue-green water.

Waves crash against the sand a few feet away, their peaks capped with frothy foam. The salty tang of the sea mixes with the warm scent of sunscreen and coconut oil. The unique scent is calming.

“Asher Reynolds, go tattoo something and leave our daughter alone!” Mom says, exasperated with him. “She isn’t coming home. She earned this trip, and she’s going to enjoy it!”

“She’s too young to be in Barbados by herself.”

I roll my eyes, fighting laughter. I’m twenty-three, but according to my dad, I’ll always be too young. He said the same thing when I went to college, again when I officially moved out, and when I started my job. I love him to death, but he’s a crazy man.

Luckily, my mom is on my side, and he never tells her no. He’s kind of obsessed with her. It’s adorable, honestly.

“Go away!” she says, laughing at him. “She is not too young to go on vacation. You’re just mad that she wouldn’t let you ruin her fun.”

“I didn’t want to ruin her fun. I wanted to fucking go to Barbados,” he grumbles. We all know that’s a lie. He doesn’t give a crap about exotic beaches unless it means keeping my mom out of a bikini and off of said beaches. He wanted to come to keep an eye on me. He’s the same way with my older sisters, Catherine and Coraline.

“Well, vacation is boring so far,” I say softly, knowing he’ll love that. It’s only a tiny lie. I haven’t really done anything or met anyone yet. I’ve only been here for a couple of hours. But the beach is beautiful, my room is amazing, and the free drinks are nice.

“Thank fucking God,” my dad mutters.

“Asher Reynolds!” Mom huffs. “Go away!”

I laugh again, shaking my head. I know he doesn’t want me to be miserable on vacation. He’s just overprotective. A beach full of strange men around one of his daughters is basically his version of hell. I don’t think he has anything to worry about, though.

Everyone here is tiny and tan. I’m thick, curvy, and pale. I stick out like a sore thumb. I feel awkward. But I usually do. Beaches and bikinis aren’t exactly my comfort zone. I prefer the library and stacks of books. That’s where I thrive.

I take after my mom and Uncle Jared in that respect. They’re both writers. I live in a world of books. That’s my happy place. But when your employer offers you an all-expenses paid vacation, you don’t say no.

“I’ll let you go so you can deal with him, Mom,” I say, scanning the beach. “I just wanted to let you guys know that I made it safely, so Dad can stop worrying now.”

“Not going to happen!” he shouts in the background, making me smile again.

“Okay, sweetheart. Have fun, and don’t worry about him. He’s just being dramatic. We love you and hope you have fun.”

“Behave, Amelia Reynolds,” Dad growls. “Or I’ll fly my old ass down there.”

“You aren’t old, Dad.”

---