Page 16 of Second Chance Vacation

Her gaze bore into my vision with such voracity that it took me a second to register. Sure, we had flirted over the years. I mean, we were teenagers, but we had never really toed too close to that line.

The vision of Hannah’s rage in the back of my mind typically kept me from even considering the possibility of something more with Vivi.

As if my body had a mind of its own, I moved closer, and I was almost positive she was meeting me halfway.

The water droplets fell away from my lips as they met hers, the soft skin lighting my senses on fire.

What the hell was I doing?

Honestly, I couldn’t convince myself to care.

I pulled her flush against my body as my hand drifted from the soaked skin of her side up to the back of her neck, pulling her closer with a ferocity I didn’t think myself capable of.

The soft mewl that escaped her lips sent me into a frenzy as if that was the very button she needed to push in order to convince me to forget who I was. My hand guarded her lower back as she tugged my lower lip between her teeth. She was interested, and I didn’t know yet if that was a good thing or surely the start of my demise.

“I need you to tell me to stop.” I gasped for air, begging, pleading for her to be the reason I backed down because if she wasn’t, I knew I was not capable of doing so on my own. My kisses trailed down the shell of her ear, feeling as the water droplets still present from her hair dripped down the silk of her neck.

“No.”

My mouth paused against the skin of her neck at her statement as my body tensed.

“Do you want to do this?” Viv asked, her voice unsure.

“You’re kidding, right?”

I couldn’t resist the laugh that fell out of my mouth. Was she seriously questioning that? I thought it was embarrassingly obvious.

Shifting back to look at her, I noticed a sense of assurance in her eyes that wasn’t there before. She didn’t hesitate as she reiterated her stance as her eyes bore into mine, “I don’t want you to stop.”

Gulp.

“Let’s go inside.”

My hands managed the impossible task of pulling away from the calling of her skin to push toward the sliding screen door. Despite the lack of blood flow, I knew for certain that if someone came home with us in the pool like we were, there was no plausible deniability. She entered my bedroom for the first time.

I realized one thing with absolute certainty—a kiss really could wreak havoc on my life.

* * *

Gazing off at the twinkle of water rippling in the pool, I realize Gen finally came downstairs and is standing in front of me with the wildest confused look on her face.

“Are you…okay?”

The concern in her voice leaves me stifling my grin.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just warm.”

“Okay…” the skepticism in her eye contact is evident. We live in the south, for goodness’ sake. The heat is nothing new to me, but I can’t, with a clear mind, tell her what I’d been thinking about.

Within a split second, a blur of copper hair runs out from my periphery, crashing into Gen. Her shriek pierces my eardrums as a swirl of red and a brunette hits the water with one solid thud. The laugh that breaks in my throat meshes with the sound of Wes’s as Gen and Savannah’s heads come above the water.

“Savannah!” Gen laughs, pushing water aggressively in Savannah’s direction, her meeting her with the same voracity in her splashes. I can’t pry myself away from my fit of laughter. Her guard down leaves me basking in it. As if she suddenly comes to the realization that I am amused, Gen’s gaze darts to my own, and her laughter stops in an instant.

“Jackson.” Gen’s fingers find her espresso tendrils, pushing them away from her face. She raises her hand in the air in my direction. “Can you help me?”

“Sure.” I choke back the laugh, realizing she is more than likely getting irritated by my amusement. I walk over to her, outstretching my hand. She wraps hers around mine, and I realize a second too late that I made a grave mistake. With a strong yank, my head crashes with the water within seconds. I listen from below the water’s surface to Gen’s laughter. Whether it is at my expense, I can’t fight the simple fact that it is infectious. As I rise to the surface, my gaze meets hers. Her eyes are now misty with laughter.

“You’re going to get it.”

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