Page 30 of A Game of Ruck
Maybe I want to dive right in.
And not just into the ocean.
Chapter Seven-Luca
Waitingto see Annabeth in that slinky red two-piece I picked out at the boutique is making me question every life choice that led me to this exact moment.
She’s in the bathroom changing.
I’m pacing our private beach cabana like I’m about to play in the World Cup final—shirtless, already wearing the matching red trunks I snagged from the same shop.
Yes, I paid for both.
On my own credit card.
She’s covering this insane suite, but I’ll be damned if she pays for anything else.
Told the hotel manager myself—everything gets charged to me.
She doesn’t need to know.I’m just old-fashioned like that.
I scroll my phone, pretending to check my emails.
Practice starts back Monday.That might be a problem.
So I shoot Dane a text letting him know I might roll in late.
I fully expect a profanity-laced reply.
Probably something about professionalism and the integrity of the game.
I don’t care.
I’m here, and if everything goes the way I want, it’ll be more than worth it.
The doorknob rattles.
I freeze.
Then the door creaks open, and holy ever loving hell.
She steps out like a dream and a goddamn nightmare rolled into one—wrapped in a sheer, sparkly cover-up that does absolutely nothing to hide the fire engine red bikini underneath.
It clings to every soft, perfect curve like it was stitched by angels and approved by Satan himself just to torture me.
“Fuck me,” I mutter, unable to stop the words from tumbling out.
Annabeth blinks.
“What?Is it too much?Oh my God, is it bad?”
She clutches the cover-up tighter around her, like she’s expecting me to laugh or bolt or something equally dumb.
I’m across the room in two strides.
“Too much?”I ask, gripping her hips and pulling her against me.
“Angel, you walk out looking like every wet dream I’ve ever had, and you’re worried it’s too much?”
