Page 72 of Relentless (The Titans of Founder's Ridge 2)

A member of the deck crew comes to tell us they’re ready to take us to the caverns whenever we finish lunch. We finish and scatter to our rooms to get everything we need.

* * *

“This is so beautiful,” Lilith whispers as our tender glides under a limestone arch painted blue by the sun shining off the azure waters.

I look over at Con, who’s staring at her with a soft smile. The love he has for her is radiating out of his eyes. He sees me watching and clenches his jaw, annoyed I caught him. I wink and blow him a kiss just to mess with him. He turns to talk to Levi, but I catch a little grin before he’s fully turned away from me.

“You giving him a hard time?” Griff asks, amusement in his voice.

“Yeah, he makes it so easy.” I smile up at him. “Like I would care that he’s looking at my best friend with such love and adoration. It’s heartwarming.”

“It’s gross when you live with it all the time,” he jokes. “Now I’m just going to be third wheeling it with them.”

“Ah, yeah. I hadn’t thought about that.” I give him a good once over, his red hair is a shade or two darker than it used to be. His cheekbones slash across his face and his jaw line is wide and defined. He’s just as attractive as his two best friends, the tattoos adding an edge unique to him. “You got a girlfriend, Griff? Any prospects?”

“No,” he looks down at me, “and I’m not interested in a relationship. If I need companionship I know where to go to find it.” He’s clearly already read my mind and my intention to find his someone.

I hold my hands up in surrender. “Okay.” I’ll wait for another time to push it, especially if I can get Lilith involved. The two of us together would be unstoppable.

“Don’t even think about teaming up with Lilith,” he says.

How does it do that?

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I say innocently.

“Right,” he scoffs. “I’m glad you and Levi are working things out. I was worried at the beginning of the summer that he’d act out with you. Maybe do something he couldn’t come back from or something.”

“He didn’t make the first couple weeks easy.” I let my eyes drift over to Levi. “He’s been my best friend, my number one supporter, and the love of my life since I was eleven years old though. There is no way I would ever close the door on us completely.”

“He’d kick it down anyway,” Griff says.

“He would.” I nod.

The tender stops in the middle of a large cavern, blue light coming from all different directions. The deck crew that came with us hand out snorkels and go over safety procedures. They explain there’s not many fish and that snorkeling here is mostly for the water and cave formations.

I’m first in the water, diving straight down to gauge the depth. I stop when my ears start to hurt and then flip onto my back to look straight up. Everyone’s jumped in and is taking off in different directions. I give myself another minute before swimming up toward Levi.

I break the surface next to him.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you? Find water and have to dive deep,” he smiles at me.

“Easiest place to think is under the surface where everything is quiet and still.”

“Let’s go that way,” he points over my shoulder in the opposite direction of where everyone else went.

We swim for a bit, weaving through limestone formations until he notices a place with a small natural ledge. He points, and I follow him. It’s just wide enough for him to stand on, and the water hits him mid chest, making it deep enough that I can’t stand.

He hauls me against him. My arms wrap around his neck, my legs around his waist. His lips meet mine, the taste of the sea clinging to them. His tongue gently runs along the seam of my lips, sliding into my mouth when I let out a little moan. He shifts us so I’m pressed against the worn sandstone at my back.

One of his hands slides the triangle of my bikini top to the side, exposing my nipple. His thumb brushes over it sending a wave of heat straight through me. He repeats the action on the other side but lifts me high enough out of the water that cover it with his mouth while his fingers continue to tease the other nipple. His tongue flicks and swirls around my hardened peaks.

His lips travel over the top of my breast toward my neck. He presses soft kisses all the way up to my jaw while one of his hands travels to my hip. His fingers brush over me in light teasing strokes sending goosebumps rippling over my skin. His fingers follow the seam of my bathing suit bottoms until his hand is cupping my pussy.

He gives just enough pressure to make my hips chase his hand. His lips and tongue continue their torturously slow assault on my mouth while I pant against him.

“Levi,” I groan against his lips.

“Yes, princess?” he smiles against my mouth.

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