Page 17 of One Unexpected Gift

“Sky’s one of my best friends, and I love her with all I have. If you promise not to hurt her, I approve.”

“You approve?”

“Yeah. If you want to make a move. Just remember her three best friends are military trained, and our husbands are pretty bad ass as well.”

“Basically, I have your blessing and a curse.”

“If you choose to look at it that way, then yes.”

When Bryce, Owen, and Drew were in reaching distance, they handed them the rope to the dock and Brooke and Nick swam back to the end of the ramp to release it. They worked in unison again until the ramp was out of the water. They swam toward the shore and when their feet touched the bottom, they jogged out of the freezing cold water. “Show her a good time while she’s here. Hurt her and die.”

She walked into the blanket Drew held out for her, and he picked up the towel he’d left on the shore. He told his heart not to drop when Skylar wasn’t anywhere in sight.

CHAPTER FIVE

As soon as Sky saw Nick emerge from the water, she back peddled up the shore and headed toward Brooke and Drew’s house. It was the first time she’d seen his naked chest and arms, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop herself from pulling him into the nearest cabin and jumping his bones.

It wasn’t only because her libido had been neglected for nearly a year. Nick intrigued her. He made her laugh. He made her think about possibilities that weren’t possible.

And those thoughts scared the heck out of her. She’d insulted him when she’d accused him of only being after the next rush, physically and sexually. Had she truly believed what she said, he wouldn’t be occupying her thoughts. When she passed a tree in the trail big enough to hide behind, she stopped and turned, checking out Nick in the water.

Brooke was encased in a blanket and in Drew’s arms while Nick was stuck fending for himself. The water was freezing, and the air was not much warmer. She watched as he scanned the area, most likely for her—at least she hoped—before drying off and heading up the embankment.

A woman approached him, and they stopped to talk. She stood close. Close enough to stir up a bucket of jealousy in Sky that she really shouldn’t have. She had no rights to Nick and had even warded off his advances.

Still, she couldn’t help the cold glare she gave the woman when she touched her hand to Nick’s bare chest. He flashed his charming smile he’d used on Sky plenty of times before, and she rested her forehead against the tree, feeling betrayed.

It was stupid, she knew. There was nothing going on between her and Nick other than flirting. Unable to draw her eyes away, she craned her neck to watch his next moves. If he reached out and toyed with the ends of the woman’s blonde hair, her lust for him would end in a heartbeat.

As if in slow motion, Nick raised his hand—Sky’s heart raced in nervous anticipation—and placed it on the woman’s. Sky’s shoulders sank in disappointment, and she blinked back her emotions. It was better this way, seeing Nick as a player. It was the fastest way to cure her lust for him. And then, as quickly as his hand was on the woman’s, it was removing it from his chest.

Nick took a step back and scanned the area again. Sky bit her lip hoping—wishing—he was looking for her. She contemplated running out of the woods and into his arms, just to piss the woman off, but what if he wasn’t looking for her? What if he was just looking for a way out of the conversation with the woman? She seemed attractive enough. There was nothing visibly wrong with her. He could just be eager to get to his truck to change into warm clothes. Not wanting to spy anymore, she spun around and jogged to the house. Gabby wouldn’t need to eat for another twenty minutes or so, but she needed the time to process.

“Don’t tell me my time is up already.” Charlie looked up from her spot on the couch where Gabby lay sleeping on her chest. “Olivia had the right idea opting to do her community service here instead of hard, physical labor.”

“Getting the baby itch, are you?” Sky dropped to the couch at Charlie’s feet, lifting them and putting them on her lap. It was something she’d imagined a husband doing, sitting close to her while she lay with their daughter.

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