Page 9 of Say Uncle

Sam rose from the lounger and approached me. “You know what? I don’t think you could pull it off,” he challenged.

“I wouldn’t want to.” Sam seemed fond of Nicky.Overlyfond, as did Cass. How had the little twerpwrapped them both around his skinny finger so easily? “You got a thing for him?”

Sam smirked. “What do you care?”

I didn’t! “Because you make it so fucking obvious.”

He looked up to where they stood, his expression becoming softer. Anger stirred in my gut like poison, making me feel sicker.

“Nicky is…special to me. We spent the summer together, and it’s hard not to be charmed by a guy as sweet as him.”

Sweet? More like sissy. “Isn’t he a little young for you?”

“Is that what you think? He’s about your age.”

What kind of answer was that?! “I’m a little young for you, too.”

“I didn’t ask you how you felt about me. Those are your words.”

Fuck him and that gleam in his eyes! “Just back up.” We had the whole deck wide open, and he insisted on standing right in my face. I couldn’t breathe.

“Is it hard to think straight when I stand too close?” This time it was his eyes that smirked, not his lips.

“What’s so special about him, anyway?” Nicky was cute, I guessed, but certainly not hot. Not the kind of drool-worthy hotness that could land two guys like Sam and Cass. He was smart, but annoyingly so, and he never fucking stopped talking. Heslept with stuffed animals and giggled, for chrissakes!

Sam leaned in even closer. The moon reflected in his dark eyes, making them shine, and I could practically feel my heart in my throat.

“Maybe if you got to know him, you could answer that for yourself.” His gaze raked down my body, making me feel completely self-conscious. “Stop judging people before you give them a chance.”

“Maybe you should follow your own advice, hypocrite.”

“Is that what you want, Mattie? You want me to give you a chance?”

The way he said it made my skin buzz, like it felt too tight. “It wouldn’t kill you.”

Sam chuckled. “It just might.”

CHAPTER THREE

We docked in Carlisle Bay, and Nicky showed me how to raise the quarantine flag, and our ensign, as we waited for customs officials to board and check our documents. Our guests were seated in the stern, waiting to be cleared so they could get in the water.

“Here.” Nicky shoved a mask and snorkel in my face. “I think these will fit you. Do you need to practice your breathing? It can be tricky the first time you snorkel.”

His overeager, excessively helpful personality was grating on my last nerve. Did he have to be so fucking chipper all the time? Yes, I was excited about going snorkeling, but I’d be damned if I gushed all over myself like he was. Keep your fucking jizz in your pants, dude.

But two hours later, we were in the water, and he was still at it.

“Cass! Check this out. I spotted turtles!”

Every few minutes, his head would pop out of the water, and he would shout excitedly before diving back down again. I sat on the beach, arms propped on my knees, with my snorkeling equipment dumped in a pile beside me in the sand. We weren’t the only tourists on the beach, but it was still early enough in the day that it wasn’t packed yet.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Sam plopped down next to me.

“It’s all right, I guess.”

He laughed, like he did at most everything I said. Not because I was a funny guy, but because he enjoyed my misery.

“What the fuck is your problem? You’re sitting on a beach in the middle of paradise and it’s not good enough for you?”

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