Page 8 of The Pin-Up Girl: A Reverse Harem Romance

“Dude, We’re not even thirty yet.”

He shrugged. “Close enough.”

In my opinion, twenty-eight was not close enough to thirty to be considered thirty. Until we reached the mark, we were not there yet. Not that there was anything wrong with thirty…

I pointed past the lifeguard’s post. “What about those girls?”

Worth looked over my shoulder. “I suppose they look a little more in our league.”

I shifted, impatient. “Let’s go talk to them, then.”

Before Worth could answer, a shadow cast over our torsos. I glanced up, assuming it was the sun ducking under a cloud or something.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I laughed and shielded my eyes from the sun with a flattened palm. Ethan was standing over me with his lips pursed into a snickering leer. “I’m just enjoying listening to your lame ass conversation. It’s really entertaining how much game you think you’ve got.”

“How long have you been standing there?” I scowled and wondered how I had allowed myself to become so distracted. I was head of the Military Police for the 927th Wing at MacDill Air Force Base. In most normal circumstances, I never allowed anything, or anyone to slip past me. I was always fully aware and cognizant of my surroundings, but apparently my mind had taken a brief lapse.

“Longer than you realized, obviously.” Ethan tossed his beach towel down on the white sand and plopped his rear on top of the crumpled heap.

“Aren’t you going to spread the towel out?” I pointed to the garment that was really screwing with my obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Ugh, I hated wrinkles.

Ethan just grinned in reply, and I knew then that my friend was just trying to get a rise out of me. “What are you waiting for?” He changed the subject. “Those pretty girls are just hoping and itching for you to go and talk to them.”

His sarcasm was so thick, it could have been cut with a knife. I stood up, brushing the gritty, hot sand off the crevices of my knees. “Child’s play, fellas.” I put on the demeanor that I was a pro, a true born natural at flirting with pretty girls.

I pointed at my friends, giving them a little slice of what I had to offer with a puffed out chest. Then, I strode over to the slender blonde and brunette sitting in their beach chairs. Their skin was lacquered and glistening bronze from their sunning oil. They both had legs for days. I had to resist the temptation to reach out and graze my hand up and down their smooth as silk thighs—well, I’d save that for later. Their hair billowed around their faces like wispy, delicate feathers, giving them a sensual aura. I wasn’t a total jerk, I just really appreciated females, almost to the point of worship. I didn’t mind a woman in a bikini, flaunting her sexuality. In fact, I embraced and encouraged it.

Still for all that… it felt like these girls were missing a little something. They were beautiful, but not the type of beautiful I wanted to go for.

Suddenly, I remembered the woman we’d run into on the beach. She had blond hair too, but hers seemed natural. Though flustered, there was a grace and loveliness about her which drew me in.

Mentally, I shook my head to banish the thought of her. I glanced over my shoulder, noticing that Ethan and Worth both had snarky expressions on their faces. They were waiting for me to make my move. If they wanted a good show, I was more than happy to oblige them.

Inside, though, my heart suddenly wasn’t in it. If Ethan and Worth weren’t watching, I might have turned back.

Come on, Caleb! Get yourself together! I told myself.

I licked my lips and ran a hand through my short brown hair. It was the color of melted milk chocolate and was just as soft. My hair was one of my best features if I did say so myself, a perfect contrast to my deep blue eyes as crisp and piercing as an iceberg under the water.

I approached the girls, purposefully getting in the way of the sun they were trying to bathe in. “Hey, ladies.” I gave them the best million-dollar type of smile that I could dig up.

They glanced up at me with confusion at first. I tried to subtly flex my abdominal muscles and my biceps to make myself appear like tasty eye candy.

“Do we know you?” the brunette asked coolly.

Ohh. She would be the tougher nut to crack. That was fine. I liked a challenge. “Not yet,” I continued to give them a smile with zing. “I’m Caleb Dolan. I live in Tampa. I’m just visiting. I’m in the Military Police for the Air Force.”

The girls suddenly perked up, showing a little more attention. They sat up in their beach chairs, looking impressed.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Caleb. We’re also visiting. We live in Georgia,” the blonde chimed. Yeah, she had that honey-sweet Georgia drawl.

I smiled. “I thought I heard a subtle hint of that wonderful Georgia Peach drawl in your voices,” I crooned, ramping up my flirting game.

Worth cleared his throat loudly behind me, undoubtedly to throw me off track. I ignored him and continued to butter the girls up.

“So, where are you staying?” I asked.

The girls exchanged a reluctant look with each other. “We’d rather not say…” the brunette said, speaking for the two of them. Yup, tough and smart. I was safe, but she didn’t know that.

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