Page 13 of Rules of the Game

“Life’s too short. You’ve got to live a little.”

“I would if you’d ease up on the big-brother act,” I shot back at him, and he just winked.

I stayed back several feet and watched the others. Lucas stood at the edge of the cliff wearing nothing but his low-slung orange-and-blue color-blocked swim shorts. He looked like a freaking god standing over the thirty-foot drop. The setting sun cast the sky in a warm glow that illuminated the strong contours of his body. I sucked in a breath, and my heart pounded as I let my gaze drift over his muscular back, which tapered in before disappearing into his shorts. The muscles in his shoulders rippled as he dipped down, bending his legs before launching himself into the air and executing a perfect backflip.

It wasn’t long after Lucas’s dive before everyone else followed suit.

There was a stillness now that I was alone, and all of the excitement had followed them down into the water. I peeked over the edge to where heads bobbed as they made their way back to shore. I’d never jumped from this high before, instead always climbing down a level first, but the stubborn part of me wouldn’t let me back down. I stripped out of my shirt and shorts, leaving me in my bikini, and placed them on a nearby rock.

I inched my way up to the ledge. Blood rushed in my ears as my heart pounded in my chest with my fight-or-flight instincts. Everything in me screamed flight, but I didn’t step back, instead edging closer. The second I looked over, an intense bout of vertigo slammed into me, making it feel like the water was coming up to meet me, and I stumbled back, right into a solid wall. Lucas dropped his mouth to my ear, whispering, “You’ve got this.”

My body trembled, and it had nothing to do with fear. His warmth seeped into my back where his wet chest pressed against me. The world tipped on its axis, and I took shaky breaths. His hands barely touched my elbows as he guided my arms to the sides before slowly crossing each one over my chest. His breath warmed the back of my neck, and his closeness momentarily distracted me from my fear.

I leaned in a little closer to him and kept my words light. “I almost had it.”

“Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” Lucas stepped back, and I instantly missed his heat at my back. He glanced at the water before his eyes slid to mine with so much intensity they felt like they were boring into my soul. Droplets of water trailed down his nose and clung to his lashes, lowered over whiskey-colored eyes. They dropped to my mouth, and his throat bobbed before he searched my face.

Laughing came from the trail that wound up from the water. The rest of them, including my brother, would be here any second. A thrill went through me when Lucas didn’t look away; instead, his gaze became more intense. We were seconds from being caught when he held out his hand. “Jump with me.”

His words felt loaded and heavy with unsaid meaning, and I didn’t hesitate to place my palm in his. Tingles spread up my arm, and my breath hitched when he interlaced our fingers.

“Ready?” His voice was a rough, low rumble.

I looked down, a shiver running down my spine.

“Look at me,” he commanded, and my attention snapped to him. “Good. You’ve got this.”

His words filled me with lightness and a confidence that I could do anything. I nodded, and he smiled.

“Count of three.”

“Okay.” My reply was barely above a whisper.

“One. Two. Three. Jump.”

I hopped off the edge, never letting go of his hand, even as the frigid water swallowed me whole. Lucas tugged me up, and when I crested the surface, I was met with his brilliant smile. My mouth curved to match his, a giddiness taking over as adrenaline pumped through my veins.

His warm hand wrapped around my waist, his thumb inches from my navel and fingertips brushing my spine. Every nerve in my body came alive, changing from light to intimate.

His fingers squeezed. “See? You just had to trust yourself.”

Caught in a trance, I sank until only my eyes were above the water, watching Lucas as he watched me. He slowly slid a hand down my hip, playing with the thin bow tying my swim bottoms in place before descending to grip my thighs millimeters below the crease of my ass and lifting me until my shoulders were out of the water and we were chest to chest. The air stuck in my lungs when his eyes darkened on my mouth. He looked like he was starved, and I wanted to see if I could make him break. I slid my tongue over my top lip and reveled in his silent growl vibrating against my chest. He dropped his face closer until the golden hue of his irises was clear even in the dim light. My heart thudded in my chest. He was going to kiss me.

“Get out of the way,” Jax shouted from above us, breaking the moment, and jumped before we moved. Lucas pulled me toward the shore before getting out. His back muscles were drawn tight, and he didn’t turn to look at me before he grabbed a towel and jogged up the path. Ice trickled through my veins, freezing me to the spot as he disappeared around the corner. My eyes stung against the whiplash Lucas was putting me through.

A splash of water came from behind me, and Jax shook his hair like a wet dog. I jumped back with a screech. “Hey!”

He tossed me a towel from where they’d laid them out when we first arrived. He glanced over, but his smile dropped the second he saw me. “What the hell happened, and who do I have to kill?”

I laughed even though Jax looked one hundred percent serious. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

Jax looked up the path where Lucas had disappeared. “It’s complicated, but it’ll work itself out.”

My heart jumped. “Do you know something I don’t know?”

“No more than the obvious.” Jax’s dimple shone with his smile.

I followed him up the trail, grumbling, “Cryptic bastard.”

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