Page 21 of Jilted
“Nothing.” He shook the thoughts from his mind. “I’m sorry I scared you like that.”
“Yeah, well, don’t?—”
“Hey! You two! You can’t swim here. You swim over there,” said an employee from the resort.
“Looks like we’re busted,” Brett said, releasing his hold on Amy. “Play dumb, it always works.” They made their way out of the water and onto the beach. “Sorry, we didn’t realize we couldn’t swim here,” Brett said to the man.
“You swim over there,” the man repeated, pointing toward the opposite side of the island.
“Yes sir,” Amy replied with a smile. She slipped her feet into her sandals and giggled when Brett took her arm and led her back toward their bungalow. “Play dumb? That was real smooth, Brett.”
“Hey, it worked, didn’t it?”
“I think the guy took pity on me because I have to put up with you.”
“Put up with me? Is that what you’re doing?” He grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder.
“Brett!” she squealed. “Put me down.”
“Uh-uh. I’m going to show you what it’s like to have to put up with me,” he said, laughter in his voice.
“You forget I’ve known you a long time. I already know what it’s like to put up with you.”
“That’s what you think.” With one hand, Brett opened the door to their bungalow, carried Amy inside, up the stairs, and dropped her onto the bed. Then he proceeded to tickle her.
Chapter Nine
“Brett,” she gasped. “Please...stop...I can’t...” She shoved at his chest and tried to hold his hands so that he couldn’t tickle her anymore. “I can’t breathe.”
In all the time they’d been friends, not once had he ever done anything like that. Except for when they were dancing, they were strictly hands off and in a matter of a day they’d broken that unspoken rule half a dozen times. First this morning; then in the water when he’d hugged her, and she reciprocated; then when he’d carried her back here; and now – now he was tickling her.
“Brett, I mean it!” She erupted in another fit of giggles when his fingers reached her neck. Amy grabbed at his hands and kicked her feet. “Please,” she whined.
Finally, Brett stopped tickling her and collapsed on the bed beside her. They both lay there staring at the ceiling, not speaking. Amy took several deep breaths. Her mind wandered back to earlier when they were swimming. The way Brett had hugged her and then looked at her. She knew he’d been looking at her mouth. Had he thought about kissing her? Lord knew if he had, she wouldn’t have stopped him.
“You’re a jerk,” she said once she caught her breath.
He chuckled and rolled onto his side, propping his head in his hand. “What do you want to do tonight?”
She shrugged. “I don’t care. I overheard some people talking about live music and an all you can eat buffet down on the beach around sunset.”
“That sounds fun. We’ll go.”
Amy nodded her agreement. She studied him for a moment. The look in his eyes was one she’d never seen before, and she had an overwhelming urge to pull him close, to comfort him, to kiss him.
“Are you doing okay?” she asked.
He sighed and flopped over onto his back. “I am if I don’t think about it.”
“You can’t spend your life ignoring it, Brett.”
“I know. I really just need a few more days, Amy.”
“Okay.” She wouldn’t push him. He would talk when he was ready. “I’m going to shower and change before we go.”
“I would hope you wouldn’t wear that bathing suit there.”
Amy picked up a pillow and threw it him. He laughed.
