Page 48 of Play Fast (Brooklyn Dawn 2)

Even in the darkness, I saw the quick gleam of her teeth as she smiled. Then she produced my phone from inside the folds of the comforter. “Lila called. She talked to Noah and wanted to speak to you too. I told her you’d call her back.”

I sat up straighter. “What now?”

“Something happened at the venue. Minor vandalism. She said to come back Tuesday morning instead, since clean-up will be happening tomorrow night and no one can rehearse there.”

When I didn’t speak, she cleared her throat. “I can call an Uber and go back on my own tomorrow. Or maybe Noah can drive me. You can salvage some of your weekend—”

I shot out my hand and snagged the edge of the comforter, dragging her closer. She squealed as she nearly tripped on the uneven ground, and then I made sure she tripped—right into my arms, nearly capsizing the boat. My sudden move would’ve dumped us into the water if it hadn’t been properly secured.

Daisy was not amused, but I was. At least until she winced and grabbed her arm.

“Shit, did I hurt you?” When would I stop doing stuff like that?

“I’m fine.” She gave me a quick smile. “It’s just a flesh wound, baby.”

I wanted to believe her, so I let it go.

“What do you have under here?” I tugged up her comforter and she batted halfheartedly at my hands while still maintaining her grip on my phone. I plucked it out of her hand and stuffed it in my pocket. “There, now you can fight me more effectively.”

“You really think I’m parading around naked with cousin Noah there?”

“Cousin Noah sounds like the kind of show I wouldn’t watch on TV.”

She sighed. “He’s a good guy. Too good most of the time. He has no idea how to have fun. He asked if you had a deck of cards. I told him I had a mini deck of oracle cards in my purse, but not exactly what he meant.”

I had to laugh. “Cards? What am I, a ninety-year-old man?”

“He’s not ninety either.”

“Yeah, but he does a good imitation. What are oracle cards? Woo-woo shit?”

She jabbed her finger into my chest. “Harnessing your intuition is not woo-woo, Osmond.”

“Oh, Christ on a cracker.” I dipped my head back far enough that the ends of my hair trailed in the water. “Can we outlaw that name?”

“Sure, if you’ll let me see your tattoo.”

I lifted my head. “There’s an unusual bargain. Besides, we were very naked. You got to see all of me already, so that isn’t much of a deal for you.”

“You barely let me look. I definitely didn’t touch.” She shifted on my lap and my cock roused. She didn’t act as if she noticed while she felt around under the comforter.

“If you wanted to grope me, sprite, you could’ve just asked.”

Although I seriously doubted I would’ve given her free rein over me. That was something I rarely gave anyone.

“Give me your phone.”

I handed it over and she turned on the torch, nearly blinding me. She giggled and redirected the light while spots danced in front of my eyes, then yanked down the collar of my shirt to get at my tattoo.

“Don’t wreck the neckline. Jesus, woman, don’t you know anything?” I eased back enough that I could haul the shirt off from behind my head. It wasn’t easy with the lack of space in the boat and the avaricious expression she wore, visible now that my vision had mostly returned. I tossed the shirt beside me in the boat and resettled her on my lap so she was straddling me.

Our favorite position these days.

The boat rocked precipitously, but she balanced herself with one hand on my shoulder as she trained the torch from the phone on my tattoo. “An hourglass,” she whispered. “Sand’s running out. I thought I saw Roman numerals.”

Wordlessly, I nodded. While she was studying me, I studied her right back.

The comforter shrouded her shoulders, but her sunny hair spilled out and framed her face. She wore no makeup, no artifice whatsoever—not even jewelry. Yet she was the prettiest woman I’d ever seen.

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