Page 38 of Boss with Benefits

Suddenly the side of the boat smashed into a rock jutting up from under the surface. My hands flew to Derrick's calves to keep my ass in the boat, and my paddle slid into the water.

"Oh shit!" I reached over to grab it, but the boat was unsteady, and the left side tipped into the water and I tumbled over.

Derrick's hand flew out and he snatched my bathing suit bottom, yanking me back in the boat, but we overcorrected and I flew over the other side, the boat tipping to the right.

My balance was shot. I had nothing to grab on to. I flung my hands out to prevent me from face-planting into the rocky bottom, and Derrick yanked my bikini bottom again, but it was no use.

I plunged into the icy water, my bottoms sliding over my ankles and off my feet. I flipped over, my legs flailing, searching for the bottom until I found purchase on the riverbed.

"Move!" Valeria and Frankie's kayak was torpedoing toward me.

I hop-swam to the other side of the river, and Derrick continued the race. I made it to the shallow edge but knelt on a submerged rock since I was currently half-naked.

Valeria and Frankie were frantically paddling, Maria and Tina screaming for them to move faster, but the nose of our kayak hit the bank first. I bolted up and screamed in excitement.

"Daddy, her privates are out," Maria's youngest, Avery, said.

I screeched and plunged into the water.

"Sorry!" I screamed across the narrow river.

"We won!" Derrick was yelling at his sisters, who glowered at him as they reached the shore.

"It doesn't count!" Tina screamed, stepping out of the boat and marching to him. "Rachel's not in the kayak."

"There are no rules saying we both have to be in the boat." Derrick smiled back, triumphant.

A yelling match ensued, and I took my life vest off and wrapped it around my waist, wading to the other side and onto the bank.

"If anything it counts more!" Derrick yelled, holding his sister back with one hand. "We were down a teammate and still won."

"No, you didn't!" Tina swatted at Derrick's arm.

"Hey!" I hollered. "Can we continue this debate later? I've got a lot of side ass on display." I motioned to the arm holes of the life vest held around my waist. "Thanks to Derrick."

"I was trying to save you," Derrick defended.

"Can I have my bottoms back?"

Derrick grimaced. "I lost them."

"I hope the kids are up for an anatomy lesson." I pretended to lower the life vest.

I was joking OF COURSE, but Derrick's mom scurried and found a towel for me, scowling. I could safely say I was not her favorite person. She crossed herself every time I cursed. But I'd probably never see her again, and I was having an awesome time. The best time I'd had since I found out my bio mom was bio dead.

"It didn't count." Tina pouted, yanking her boat further onto the shore.

"What's the prize at the end anyway?" I asked.

"Respect," Derrick said.

"Seriously?" I snorted a laugh.

"And some cannoli," Derrick said, shoving his damp hair off his face.

I was momentarily distracted by the water dripping down his back and over the perfectly carved muscles of his naked chest and abs, the muscles culminating in a perfect V at his hips, pointing to his?—

"Huge cannoli. With lots of cream," Valeria said, disrupting my dirtbag thoughts. "Mom hates it."

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