9
A
fter four hours of drinking, I was swaying on my wedge heels. Cami was still bouncing around like she could go all night.
“My feet hurt, Cami,” I yelled over the noise and music.
She shook her head and frowned. I leaned closer so I could repeat myself.
“You're not ready to go home, are you?” She frowned even more. It was only a little after ten, but I just wasn't used to partying for hours. “I thought we could work on number eleven!” When I shook my head she stood up on her tiptoes and yelled, “Stay out all night!”
Obviously, I hadn't had enough coffee to prepare for the party.
“I'm not ready to go home,” I yelled. “I'm just going to rest for a few minutes. Get my second wind.”
Cami nodded, but she wasn't really paying attention to me. She and Liam had been keeping an eye on each other all night, and she had spotted him across the room. He held up two drinks and motioned for her to follow him. Ryan wasn't going to like that.
“Cami,” I said, grabbing her arm. “You know what Ryan said about him.”
She waved me off and started to walk away, but then turned back to me. “Don't tell him, okay? You have your list and I have mine.”
“What's on your list?” I felt bad because I'd promised Ryan I'd look out for her, but I wasn't her mom.
Cami giggled. “Liam.”
“Cami.”
She smiled and shrugged. “I know he's not looking for a relationship and I'm cool with that. Just this once, Annie. I promise.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. She probably knew what she was doing. “Be safe.”
She flashed me a grateful smile and took off through the crowd, waving over her shoulder. “I will!”
Then I was alone. I'd lost sight of Ryan a couple hours ago, and the last time I'd seen Chris he was playing a game of pool. I wasn't interested in watching it, so I headed toward the back of the house. The beach was visible through the open door. I could smell the salt water over the stench of sweat, alcohol, and cigarette smoke clogging the room.
When I stepped outside the air was sticky, but cooler than it was in the city. The ocean breeze tickled my skin. I ripped off my shoes before heading over the walkway that led to the beach. The second my feet hit the sand, I wanted to rip my clothes off and dive in the water. It was the perfect time of the year for swimming at night.
But swimming alone wasn't a good idea. Even my hazy brain could acknowledge that. Instead I sank down and wiggled my toes through the sand. It was still warm even though the sun had been down for hours.
My head was swimming, and the water that lapped against the sand made it worse. I pulled my legs up to my chest and closed my eyes, laying my forehead on my knees. I'd lost track of how many drinks I'd had since we'd first arrived. As the world swirled around me, it felt like at least one too many.
“Guess I can cross getting drunk off my list.”
“You talking to yourself, Buttercup?”
My head snapped up just a little too fast and my entire body swayed. I blinked and looked around, but it took me a few seconds to make out Ryan in the darkness.
My lips curled up into a smile and my insides quivered. Even in the darkness Ryan's gaze made me squirm. “Are you following me?”
Ryan stepped closer and I could just see his face in the moonlight. He grinned, then plopped down next to me. “Nope. Well . . .” He shrugged and elbowed me. “Yeah. I saw you head out here and didn't want you to be alone. Where's Cami?”
My brain was too muddled to think of a good lie. “Talking to someone.”
He frowned and looked over his shoulder at the house. When he turned back he exhaled. “You tell her to be careful?”
“I did.”
He nodded, but he frowned at the same time.
I nudged his shoulder with mine. “She knows what she's doing.”
“If you say so.” His frown deepened and he glanced toward the house again.
I figured I should change the subject before he decided to run into the house and kick Liam's butt, so I asked, “You having a good time?”
He laughed and shook his head, and his blond hair fell over his forehead. “Loads.”
“Why don't I believe you?”
“Because I'm the DD, which means I'm one of the few sober people at this party.” He elbowed me. “You're not sober, are you?”
“Nope, but that was kind of the point of tonight. I've never been drunk before. Now I get to cross one more thing off my list.”
He cocked his head to the side and his gray eyes sparkled with interest. “List?”
I'd forgotten he didn't know about the actual list, but I was too drunk to really care. “I have a list. Twenty things I want to do before I turn twenty.”
“Sounds fun. What's on it?”
“You already know some of them.”
“That's right. Ears pierced and all that. What else is there?”
I closed my eyes when my head started to spin. “Have a first date, a first kiss, smoke a cigarette, get a fake ID, go skinny-dipping. Have sex.”
When I opened my eyes, Ryan was staring at me. My heart pounded. He was so close I could feel the heat radiating off his body. It made the blood sizzle in my veins.
“All that before you turn twenty?” he whispered. I nodded and his eyes went over my face, lingering on my lips. “How long do you have?”
My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out the ocean and the wind. Even the music from the party. “A year. I turn nineteen on September fifth.”
“Seems doable,” he said, scooting closer. “How many things have you marked off?”
“Four before tonight.” My heart pounded even faster, and I inhaled sharply. His eyes were still on my lips and it made my brain even fuzzier than the alcohol. “Now I can cross off getting drunk, and Cami says we're going to stay out all night.”
He pulled back a fraction of an inch. “How drunk are you?”
I shook my head and blinked a few times when my temples pounded. “I don't have anything to compare it to.”
He frowned, then his eyes went to my lips. “We can cross something else off, if you want.”
My mouth went dry and I took a deep breath. He was going to kiss me, and I wanted him to. “What's that?” I whispered.
He jumped to his feet, pulling me with him. “Skinny-dipping. Come on.”
Ryan dropped my hand and I stumbled forward a few steps. He pulled his shirt over his head then tossed it on the ground. He grinned when he dropped his pants next to it, kicking them aside.
“You too shy?” he said, standing in front of me in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs. “I won't look.”
The moonlight highlighted his abs perfectly. He looked like one of those posters in the window of Abercrombie & Fitch. My body got warm. I giggled nervously and he winked. Then his boxers dropped to the sand and my stomach tightened. Something I'd never felt before swirled around in my stomach. It was dark out, but the moon gave me just enough light to get a good look. For a full minute I was frozen in place. I'd never seen a naked guy before. Seeing one hadn't even occurred to me when I'd put skinny-dipping on my list. Ryan looked amazing. My entire body was so hot I was afraid it would burst into flames.
Ryan took off toward the ocean, jogging in until the water was up to his waist. Then he spun around to face me. “Come on!”
Even with the liquid courage flowing through my veins, my hands shook when I undid the button on my skirt. I let it drop to the sand and pulled my shirt over my head. My legs wobbled. It didn't help that Ryan never turned away from me. Or that I knew he could see every inch of my body, because I could see him. But my hesitation was brief. This was on my list, after all. With a deep breath, my bra joined my other clothes, and then the lacy thong that Cami had insisted I buy fell on top of it. Then I took off running.
I laughed when my feet hit the water. Ryan splashed me before turning to wade out farther. He didn't turn back around until the waves came up to his chest. For that I was thankful.
The salt water stung my bare skin. It was warmer than bathwater. I sucked in a mouthful of air and squeezed my eyes shut. Then I dove under. When I resurfaced, I tilted my head back and let the water run down over my face. I didn't even care that I'd ruined the makeup Cami had spent so much time applying.
Ryan smiled when our eyes met.
“It's so warm!” I said, grinning.
He splashed me again and I screamed. I splashed him back, but he caught my wrist in his hand and pulled me closer. My heart raced and my skin tingled. It was just like every steamy moment in every romance novel I'd ever read. The moon reflected off the water and the waves crashed around us. My fingers shook when I put my free hand on his chest.
His eyes swept over my face and he swallowed. “I'm glad you didn't change your hair, Buttercup,” he whispered. “I like that you remind me of those flowers. I have a lot of bad memories from my childhood, but that's a good one.”
My throat tightened, and that thing swirled around in my stomach again. Only this time I recognized it as desire. Being so close to Ryan made my mind wander to things I'd only read about. “I kept it this way because of you.”
For the second time that night he leaned close. I was so sure he was going to kiss me.
“Annie!”
Ryan stepped back when Cami's voice broke through the night. My hand slipped from his chest. We turned at the same time, and I squinted into the darkness. Cami jumped around on the beach like a cheerleader. Two other people were with her: Chris and Liam.
“Shit,” Ryan muttered. He looked back and forth between me and the beach. Then waved at Cami with one hand while running the other through his hair. “Be right there!”
He took a couple steps forward, then stopped when I didn't follow. “I'm sorry.”
My stomach dropped and I swallowed. “You don't have to be sorry,” I said, even though I wasn't completely sure what he was apologizing for.
He wouldn't look at me. “Chris and I have been friends for a long time.”
Then I got it. The realization hit me like a tidal wave. Chris liked me, so Ryan couldn't. It stung and it didn't seem fair. I didn't know what to say. I wasn't even sure how I felt about Chris or why I was so drawn to Ryan. At eighteen years old, I'd never even had a crush before. I had no idea how to handle any of it.
“Annie!” Cami yelled again.
When I turned back, Liam was stripping and Cami was giggling. Even from that far away I could tell she was soaking in every inch of his nakedness. Then she ripped her clothes off too and Chris was right behind her. More people appeared on the beach, wandering down from the party. It was only a matter of minutes before they were stripping.
Cami and Liam led the pack and Ryan groaned. He turned his back to his cousin. “I could have gone my whole life without seeing either one of them naked and died happy.”
His light tone helped ease some of my disappointment. I laughed and shoved him playfully just as Cami swam up.
The water was too deep for her where we stood, so she had to put her arms around my neck. “What are you guys doing?”
“Just getting some things out of the way.” Ryan gave me a sultry smile that made me shiver.
“What? Like your clothes?” Chris said, wading up behind Liam.
Cami pulled herself closer to me. I blushed when her breasts rubbed against my arm.
Liam grinned from ear to ear and he elbowed Chris. He tilted his head our way. “I'm gonna be dreaming about that tonight, mate.”
“You're about two seconds from getting your ass kicked,” Ryan muttered. “You think I don't know what you were up to in there with my cousin?”
“She's a wild one,” Liam said, dodging behind Cami and me when Ryan lunged for him.
“I'm gonna kick your ass,” Ryan said. He dove for Liam, who swam a few feet away.
“You're not thinking straight!” Cami yelled. “He's naked.”
She laughed and swam after Ryan and Liam, leaving me alone with Chris. The three splashed through the waves a few feet away, while other people ran through the water in various stages of undress, splashing and laughing.
“This isn't how I expected to find you when I came looking,” Chris said. The smile disappeared from my face and he shook his head. “Not that I'm complaining. It's . . .” His eyes went down to my breasts, just barely peeking out of the water. “. . . a nice surprise.”
I blushed and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Now you're going to be shy? You realize when you get out you're going to have to run up to your pile of clothes completely naked, right?”
My mouth dropped open and he laughed. It took me all of two seconds to join him. “I guess I hadn't thought that far ahead.” I shrugged and uncrossed my arms, splashing him a little. “You have to promise not to peek.”
He grinned and when he scratched his head, the adorable monkey image was back. “I make no such promises.”
I shoved him, and just like Ryan, he caught my hand in his. My skin didn't tingle, and my heart didn't pound quite as hard when Chris stepped closer to me. But my chest did tighten and my stomach clenched when my nipples brushed against his chest. He ran his fingers down my arm and I shivered. When he leaned forward my lips parted in anticipation.
A burst of warm water splashed across my face, snapping me out of it. Another torrent of man-made waves followed, and Chris swore. He tried to look pissed when he dove after Liam, but he was fighting back a smile. I didn't even try to hide mine.