Page 5 of Pucking Vacation

“Huh?” I gasp, blinking as I look at her. “What was that?”

She glances across the pool and when she spots the guy, her lips curl into a knowing smirk.

“Oh ho,” she whistles. “That was fast.”

“What are you talking about?” I sound breathless, which makes me wince.

She gives me a playful nudge with her elbow. “You’ve spotted a good one, Gracie. He’s sinfully hot. You should go say hi!”

“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea…”

“Come on,” she says, cutting me off with a wave of her hand. “Remember your plan? Your determination to let loose and get laid? I bet that guy knows what he’s doing between the sheets. I’d shoot your shot, unless you’d rather go for the sexy giant next to him.”

“No,” I murmur, peeking back over at both Adonis and the Heracles next to him. There is a definite resemblance between the two, making me think they’re related. Maybe cousins or even brothers. They’re both ridiculously attractive, but there’s something about the first guy that’s practically hypnotized me. “I want the leaner one.”

“Then go get him,” Skyler encourages me. “Come on! What are the chances you run into another guy as stupidly hot as that one? Go over there and talk to him. You’re on Spring Break, remember? One week of fun before you go back home and become a responsible bookworm again.”

Biting my lip, I look between Skyler and the hottie several times before sucking in a deep breath.

“All right,” I nod. “Okay, you’re right. I just need to go over there and talk to him. No big deal. If he turns me down, it’s not like I’ll ever see the guy again, right?”

“Exactly,” Skyler replies in a confident tone. “You got this. Now get your cute ass over there and charm the pants off that guy. Literally.”

I release a burst of laughter. “Okay, I’m going!”

I turn to walk around the pool and as I start to leave her, Skyler smacks my butt with her hand. I glance back at her with a squeak of surprise and she winks at me. I blow her a kiss, and then I make my way around the pool, slipping through the crowd and keeping my eyes locked on my target. He continues to watch me as I draw near, a small smile peeking from the corner of his lip. My heart flutters and I feel giddy, the majority of my nervousness melting away to be replaced by excitement.

By the time I reach his chair, he’s sitting up and lowering his sunglasses. I get a flash of his deep green eyes and I feel myself flush as he looks me up and down.

“Hey,” I say, my voice surprisingly low and sultry. I’m careful not to look too pleased with myself for sounding so confident.

“Hey,” he replies, his deep timbre making me shiver. “I’m Jensen.”

“Lynn.” I give him the second half of my name, Gracelynn, thinking that it’ll help keep things more anonymous. It’s a spur-of-the-moment decision that I hadn’t planned on before, but strangely, I feel even less nervous knowing he doesn’t have my real name.

The corner of his mouth crooks up into a half-grin. “Lynn. I like that. I’m glad you came over, Lynn. I was going to hunt you down if you didn’t.”

My smile widens. “Oh? Is that so?”

“Don’t mind me,” the giant next to him says with a chuckle. “Just chilling back here, being invisible.”

Jensen reaches back and smacks the other guy’s arm.

“This is Tyler, my brother. Ignore him,” he tells me. “He’s just jealous you’re talking to me and not him.”

“Oh, yeah?” I tease.

His brother snorts and relaxes back against his chair. Jensen stands up and I have to tilt my head back in order to meet his gaze. Damn, he’s tall. I have to remind myself not to gawk. I’m supposed to be playing it cool and seductive. Charming. Grace might be awkward in social situations, but Lynn isn’t. Lynn is confident, cool, and sexy.

I give him what I hope is a flirty little smile and say, “My, my, they build them big wherever you’re from.”

He laughs at that. “I suppose they do. I forget sometimes how big I am compared to most people. You can see what I grew up with, after all.”

I glance behind him toward his brother, who’s chugging a beer and pretending he can’t hear us. Looking back up at Jensen, I say, “Well, I suppose it’s all about perspective, isn’t it?”

Jensen’s eyes sparkle with amusement. “Absolutely. And right now, my perspective is looking pretty damn good.” He gestures to the lounge chair next to him. “Care to join me, Lynn?”

With a playful flip of my hair, I lower myself onto the chair beside him, feeling a rush of exhilaration at being so close to this hunk of a man. The setting sun casts a warm golden glow over everything in sight, and I can't help but be grateful for the magic of this moment.

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