Page 30 of A Very Un-Shakespeare Romance
She grinned, looking every bit a hot babe on the beach in that bikini. “I was giving you guys a minute to get ready. You might want to take some deep breaths and do some more stretching. I’m trained in CPR, but studies show it’s easier on old guys when they take the right precautions.”
Billie hooted, slapping his knee. “You just worry about you, Sunshine. Right, bro?”
“Right.” Robbie lowered into a deeper stance, knowing she was going to pack a wallop with her serve. He’d noticed the slender ropes of muscles there, because his eyes couldn’t seem to keep away from taking in every wicked inch of her gorgeous body.
She had shown him up, running him down the beach, and he damn well knew she was more graceful on a surfboard. But volleyball… Not only was he tall, but he had bigger muscles, a clear edge in hitting the ball back. He’d played his fair share on the beach, and he’d demonstrated every time what a debilitating serve and killer spike he had. Forget about his net play. He could outjump most guys.
When Summer had taken off with that cute little swaying butt to grab a drink, he’d let Billie think he needed to twist his arm to get him to play with the women. It never worked to look too eager. But he’dwantedto show Summer he could hang with her. Desperately so.
He didn’t care to analyze his reasons. Obviously, he couldn’t get involved with her. But he could spend time with her like this. He was just a guy playing a healthy game of volleyball with a hot woman who could more than handle herself.
Despite his attempts to prepare, her serve caught him right in the center of the chest, hard enough to sting like a jellyfish and leave a mark. He fought a curse.
“Ace!” Clarice shouted, hooting and turning in a celebratory circle.
“One point to the ladies,” Tim called as Cassidy cheered before being hushed by Reagan, who drew a one in the sand with a stick, which Cassidy tried to mimic.
He closed his mouth as Billie glanced at him and gave him aWTFlook. Picking up the ball on the ground, he tossed it to Clarice, who had a shit-eating grin on her face. Her flirtatious demeanor clearly hid a competitive streak. Gritting his teeth, Robbie watched Summer’s hips sway as she walked over to her friend and high-fived her. With the ball back in her hands, she returned to her serving position.
“Ready, boys?” Clarice singsonged, shaking out her thick black hair, probably to distract Billie. Not a difficult task, truthfully.
Robbie wanted to make a rude gesture at his brother, but the girls were watching from the sidelines. Nodding instead, he dug his feet into the sand and focused on his opponent. Her second serve had the same bullet-like quality as her first, but he was ready this time. He set his weight and returned it. It sailed over the net toward Summer, who jumped up and spiked it directly at Billie’s body like a missile.
His brother caught it against his chest before it dropped to the ground. “Lady, you just made a serious mistake.”
Summer’s response was infectious laughter. “Oh, did that hurt, big guy?”
“We have a first aid kit if you need a bandage,” Clarice practically trilled.
“I’m fine!” Billie grumbled, no semblance of his usualcharm the ladiesgrin visible. “You take care of you, honey.”
“That’s two points to the ladies,” Tim shouted with way too much pleasure. “Make another mark, Reagan.”
“The ladies are really good, aren’t they?” she asked Tim in a hushed voice that reached Robbie’s ears.
Glancing over, he noted Tim’s goofy smile. Cassidy had abandoned the stick and was digging with her shovel in the sand while Reagan’s face was strained with worry. Was she concerned about them losing? Well, not on his watch.
On Summer’s next hammering blow over the net, Robbie caught the ball and gave it air, setting Billie up to lob it over the net. With his height, he got it behind Clarice, but Summer skidded through the sand, landing on her stomach as she returned the ball to play with an impressive dig. Clarice caught the low hit, knocking it back into the air. Summer jumped to her feet and rushed toward the net, knocking it to Billie’s right. Robbie lunged for it, but the ball landed on the ground in front of his face. All he got was a mouthful of sand.
“Three!” Tim shouted.
Robbie spit sand out of his mouth as he pushed himself up. Billie glanced at him with a grimace. Jesus, who were these women?
“You okay?” Cassidy asked him, swiveling on her little diaper-puffed swimsuit butt as she tried to stand up in the sand.
He didn’t want to risk her running into the field of play and potentially getting hit with the ball, so he strode over and scooped her up. “Yes, I’m fine, sweetheart. I happen to like having a sand beard.”
He rubbed her soft cheeks gently with the remaining sand, making her squeal to high heaven, playfully pushing him away. Satisfied, he plunked her down in the sand and handed her back her shovel. “Can you make me a really nice sandcastle?”
“Yep!” She scooped up sand with force, spraying him.
He spit out more sand, feeling Reagan’s hand on his arm. Turning, he rubbed more sand off him. “You want to feel beach Santa’s beard too?”
She shook her head, dancing away. “Are you mad that you’re losing?”
He wondered if there was a right answer, but he figured the truth was always best. “Yes. We shouldn’t have bragged. Now Billie and I need to do something about it.”
“It’s okay if you lose.” She lifted a shoulder. “Mom always says what matters most is doing your best.”
