by Katie McCoy
I cleared my throat, once, twice, to get her attention, and finally had to nudge her.
“Do you guys do this a lot?” I asked again, and she turned to me, trying gallantly to hide the blush that had reddened her cheeks.
“Not as often as we used to,” Hayley said, blinking. “Since the bar opened, everyone’s been a lot busier, so it’s nice to be able to go out together today.”
“It’s a beautiful day,” I commented.
“Yeah.” Hayley leaned back, putting her feet up as we sped across the water. “I love coming out here. It’s so peaceful.”
I could see exactly what she meant. I had been afraid of getting nauseous or seasick, but I found that I felt at peace out on the waves. It was soothing, the rock of the water beneath us, the seagulls shouting in the sky, and the sun streaming down on all of us. Hayley and I sat in silence for a moment, watching the guys—all of them shirtless now—drop the anchor and get the boat situated.
Alex and Kelsey joined us in our stare-fest.
“I love the summer,” Alex joked.
“Me too,” Kelsey said lustily. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Very beautiful,” Alex added. “And very strong.”
“Muscular,” I interjected my two cents. “Very muscular.”
We all laughed, drawing the guys’ attention.
“Are you four just going to sit there all day?” Sawyer asked, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
“We’re not just sitting here,” Kelsey responded. “We’re tanning.”
“It takes work,” Alex added. “We’re working.”
Sawyer rolled his eyes and then, without warning, jumped into the water, splashing almost everyone on board with his cannonball.
Kelsey let out a shriek, glaring at him without any malice when he resurfaced.
“Very mature,” she scolded him, but Sawyer just shrugged while he treaded water.
“Come on,” he urged the others. “The water’s great.”
Chase gave Kelsey a kiss on the cheek and then launched himself into the water like a great white shark, doubling Sawyer’s splash. Dante was next, diving in with barely any notice, followed by Emerson. Only Liam lingered on the boat with the ladies.
Kelsey and Alex had both retreated to the front of the boat, where there was plenty of room for them to lay out. Hayley was still putting on sunscreen, but it was pretty clear that she’d be joining them.
“Aren’t you going to go in the water?” I asked Liam, who seemed to be watching me expectantly.
“Are you?” he countered.
“Maybe in a bit,” I told him, still not sure what I wanted to do first.
The water looked great—fresh and cool—but I was also looking forward to spending time with the girls, catching some sun and talking.
Liam just stood there, looking at me.
“What?” I asked, feeling a little self-conscious.
“I was just hoping I’d get to see you in a bikini.” He gave me a wolfish smile.
I blushed a little. His attraction to me was pretty sexy.
“Come on.” He put his hands on my hips. “Just a peek.”
It was hard to resist him. Taking off my glasses and hat, I put them down carefully before pulling off my wrap dress. I watched Liam take it all in, and I was gratified by his reaction—by the pure lust I saw in his expression.
I’d worn skimpy outfits before—most dancers had—but I’d never felt exposed in them. Not the way I felt in my simple black bikini. It wasn’t risqué by any means—I didn’t really have enough boobs to make it risqué—but it was still pretty tiny. A fact that did not escape Liam’s attention.
“You look hot,” he murmured, moving closer to me.
“Thanks,” I commented, putting my hands on his chest. His skin was hot.
“I bet you’d look even hotter all wet.” He wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Hmm?” I responded, slightly distracted by his amazing upper body.
I didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late. Until Liam had already tightened his arms around me, picked me up, and taken a running leap into the water, bringing me with him. I barely had time to let out a shriek before we went over.
The water was cold, and I wasn’t ready for the shock of it as we hit the water. Liam released me once we were underwater, and when I broke through the surface, all the guys were clapping
Then, as a reward, I splashed water into Liam’s face as he tried to swim towards me.
“Don’t be mad, baby,” he teased, easily avoiding the next splash.
“There are other ways to get me wet,” I shot back, eliciting laughs from all of his friends.
Liam swam up to me, his hands on my hips, our legs circling under the water.
“Don’t tempt me,” he said, his voice low enough that only the two of us could hear it.
“You like it,” I countered.
He paused for a moment, and then grinned.
“Yeah, I do,” he said, almost as if he was realizing it at that moment.
Now that I was in the water—and the initial chill of it was gone—I didn’t feel like sunbathing. Instead, I stayed in the water with the guys, swimming around the boat, occasionally floating on my back and enjoying the beautiful, clear sky above us. After a while, some of the guys got out to hang out with their significant others or scrounge for something to eat. I wasn’t ready to get out yet, and it seemed that Liam wasn’t either. So we swam around together, and I enjoyed watching the way his muscles flexed as he swam next to me.
The day couldn’t have been more perfect, until Liam backed me up against the side of the boat—where no one would notice us—and kissed me. His mouth was cold from the water, but his tongue was hot, sweeping into my mouth as his legs circled beneath us, keeping both of us afloat.
My shoulder blades were against the side of the boat, my arms around Liam’s neck as I kissed him back, my tongue tangling with him. I didn’t think I could ever get tired of kissing him. I lost myself in every kiss we shared, and this one wasn’t any different. The water, the sky, the boat, everything, seemed to just melt away.
Steadying himself, Liam grabbed onto the ladder on the side of the boat, giving his legs a bit of a rest, but also leaving his other hand to do some wandering. And wander it did. I had my legs wrapped around his waist, and I could feel the way he wanted me—his hard cock trapped between us, hot and throbbing between my legs. I wanted him, too, and showed him with each kiss I gave him.
His hand skated up my side and teased the tie of my swimsuit before coming around to the front, where his big palm cupped my breast, his thumb brushing against my hard, aching nipple. I would have gasped out loud if Liam hadn’t pressed his mouth against mine to muffle the sound.
The water was cool, the air was warm, but the two of us, making out against the side of a boat were hot, hot, hot. My fingers dug into his shoulders as his hand slipped beneath my swimsuit top, his chilled fingers touching my eager skin. I wriggled against him—it was too much and yet not enough.
His hand slid downward, reaching my bellybutton, and he was just about to explore beneath my bikini bottom, when someone on board shouted:
“Lunch’s ready!”
Quickly, I adjusted my top, making sure that all my bits were still covered, while Liam pushed away from the boat and me. I reached the ladder and was about climb up before I realized that Liam was still swimming around.
“Aren’t you getting out?” I asked him.
“Not for a little while,” he told me, his strokes strong as he swam away from the boat. “I need to cool off a little first.”
I could still feel his cock pressing up against me, so I knew exactly what he was talking about. The last thing either of us needed was to show up on the boat together with Liam sporting an enormous erection.
So I let him swim off while I climbed back on the boat, hoping that my lips didn’t look too bruised and that my swimsuit was covering everything it needed cover. Lucki
ly, no one commented on Liam’s continuing swimming, or on my general appearance. Instead, we feasted on sandwiches and beer, enjoying the rest of the afternoon.
“The game is fuck, marry, or kill,” Hayley announced after everyone was finished eating and was lounging with drinks in hand. Or, in Chase’s case, Kelsey’s ass in his hand.
“Since when do adults play games?” Dante wanted to know.
Everyone ignored him.
“How do you play?” I asked tentatively, hoping that no one would laugh at me for not knowing.
Hayley came and sat down next to me. “It’s so much fun,” she said. “We pick three celebrities, and everyone has to decide who they would fuck, marry, or kill.”
“Can’t I just kill them all?” Dante muttered.
Again, he was ignored, though I noticed that Hayley’s smile dimmed briefly each time he discouraged her suggestion of a game.
“I’ll start,” Kelsey said, clearly excited to play. She thought for a moment. “OK. Chris Pine. Chris Evans. Chris Pratt.”
“I don’t know who any of those people are,” Dante said, but everyone else let out a groan.
“That’s a hard one,” Alex told Kelsey.
“I know,” she said with a wicked smile. “That’s the point, though, isn’t it?”
“I’d kill Chris Pratt,” Chase offered. “Because I know that’s Kelsey’s favorite and I don’t like competition.”
“Aw.” Kelsey leaned back and gave him a kiss. “That’s kind of cute.”
He looked offended. “Kind of?”
“You did just say you were going to kill my favorite Chris, so yeah, kind of,” Kelsey responded with a grin before turning to Hayley. “Who would you pick?” she wanted to know.
Hayley thought about it for a moment. “I think I’d marry Chris Pine because he seems like he’d be a pretty good husband. I’d sleep with Chris Pratt because, obviously I would.”
“You’d kill Chris Evans?” Alex was shocked. “But he’s Captain America!”
“It’s not an easy decision,” Hayley admitted. “But in the end, I think Chris Evans is a little too wholesome for me. I like a man with an edge.”
She was very purposefully not looking at Dante when she said that.
“What about you?” Hayley asked me.
All eyes turned to me.
“Um . . .” I tried not to look at Liam. “I think I’d marry Chris Pratt,” I said.
“Tell us why!” Hayley insisted.
“I guess because he’s funny,” I managed. “He’d probably be fun to be married to. Someone who doesn’t take things too seriously.”
I didn’t realize what I had said until it was already out of my mouth. I could see everyone’s eyes dart between me and Liam.
“And I guess I’d sleep with Chris Evans and kill Chris Pine, but only because I like Star Wars over Star Trek,” I said, the rest of it coming out quickly.
“OK, let’s figure out one for the guys,” Kelsey offered gamely. “Kate Hudson, Jennifer Lawrence, or Emma Stone?”
I was more than grateful for the attention to be directed away from me. I sipped my beer and tried to avoid Liam’s gaze. I didn’t want him to think that I had been saying something passive-aggressively about him. Because I hadn’t.
But it wasn’t false—what I had said about my decision. I was looking for someone who liked to have fun—who seemed like a good time. And for someone who didn’t take life too seriously.
I know that Liam probably didn’t consider himself to be someone like that, but I knew from spending time with him that he was fun and spontaneous. When he allowed himself to be.
“You go first, Sawyer,” Hayley instructed.
He thought about it for a moment. “I’d marry Emma Stone, fuck Jennifer Lawrence, and kill Kate Hudson.”
“Why?” Kelsey wanted to know.
Sawyer lifted a shoulder. “I like redheads.”
“I don’t think she’s a natural redhead,” Alex offered, but Sawyer put his hands over his ears.
“Don’t care,” he said. “Besides, Emma Stone looks like she could just roll with the punches. I like a girl who can have a good time. Who won’t give me shit.”
All of the women on the boat rolled their eyes.
“One of these days, you’re going to meet someone that you can’t charm,” Hayley told Sawyer. “I just hope I’m around to see it.”
“That will never happen,” Sawyer said with immense confidence, as he crossed his arms and leaned back. “What about you, Liam?”
I risked a glance in Liam’s direction.
“I’m going to second Sawyer’s choices,” he said.
“I’m shocked,” Hayley commented dryly.
Liam just shrugged. I didn’t exactly know what he meant by his choices—was he saying that he also wanted a kind of girl like Emma Stone? Or at least, the kind of girl they thought Emma Stone was?
“You have to give us a reason,” Kelsey prodded.
“I guess I’d marry Emma because she’s ambitious,” Liam finally said. “She’s accomplished a lot and I admire that.”
“Boring,” Sawyer commented. “You think she’s hot.”
“Obviously she’s hot.” Liam rolled his eyes at his friend. “And OK, maybe I have a physical type.”
He looked at me at that moment and I blushed. Everyone laughed.
“What did I tell you guys?” Sawyer groaned. “This was not supposed to be the love boat. At least, not for you.”
“Sorry, Sawyer.” Chase put his arm around Kelsey. “Maybe you should call up Emma Stone and see if she’s as much of a good-time girl as you’re hoping she is.”
Sawyer threw his empty beer can in his friend’s direction, but Chase easily caught it.
“You all suck,” Sawyer said, making everyone laugh.
The rest of the afternoon was wonderful. The guys went in the water once more after we ate and were able to coax Alex in for a dip, but Kelsey, Hayley, and myself stayed on the boat to tan while they all splashed in the water. When we got back to shore, I was a little overheated, but nowhere near as bad as Kelsey, who instead of tanning, had gone bright, bright red.
“Dammit,” she moaned, pushing her fingers to her tender skin. “I’m going to be bathing in aloe vera for a week.”
“Don’t worry, baby.” Chase kissed her. “I’ll take care of you.” He tried to put his arm around her, but she winced, and he pulled back.
“This sucks,” she moaned.
“Get in a cold bath when you get home,” Alex suggested.
We all waved goodbye as everyone parted to go back to their respective homes. Liam and I were walking back to his car when his phone rang. He had been smiling, but when he saw the name on the screen, his expression immediately changed. His entire body went tense as his mouth turned downward, his eyebrows pushing in towards each other.
“I have to take this,” he said, handing me the car keys.
I wondered who it was who could wipe the smile off his face so fast, but it was obvious he didn’t want me to overhear, so I headed to the car, watching him walk away.
15
Liam
The day had been going great. The weather had been perfect for a day out on the water, and I’d been able to enjoy my friends’ company, as well as the very tantalizing image of Juliet in a tiny black bikini and the memory of how she had felt against me, that narrow slip of fabric and my swim trunks the only things between us as we kissed in the water. It was probably one of the hottest moments of my life, and if we had been alone, I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to stop. Since that kiss, I had been counting the moments until we would be able to finish what we started. I had been ready to peel out of the parking lot and break all sorts of speeding laws just to get Juliet back to my apartment so I could have my wicked, wicked way with her.
But I got what was effectively a cold bucket of water dumped over my junk when I saw who was calling.
“Hi, sweetie,” my mom said when I picked up.
Her voice was slightly slurred. Even before I answered, I knew what she was calling about. Because she never called unless she needed something.
“Hi, Mom,” I answered.
Even though we were hundreds of miles away from each other, I could still remember the way she smelled after coming home after any of her many downward spirals. It was that heady mix of cigarettes and tequila—both smells still made me slightly sick—that indicated that even if things had been going well for a while, that time was over.
Because my mom was good at keeping her shit together for small periods of time. Not just with work, but with men and money. We’d have stability for maybe a month, two if we were lucky, and then something would go wrong. She’d lose her job. Or her man. And we always had to start over. Because that’s how my mom dealt with her issues—she left them behind and tried to start over.
It never worked.
“How are you, sweetie?” my mom asked.
“Fine.” I could hear how flat my voice was.
“I need some help, honey,” she said, and I was grateful that she was just cutting to the chase.
“What happened?” I asked her, wishing that I could muster up more sympathy for her.
But she had done this so many times, that all I felt when I talked to her was stress and frustration. Because I wasn’t her son. I was her caretaker. The person who cleaned up after her. And I hated it. I knew it was impossible, but sometimes I just wanted her to be my mom.
“It’s stupid,” she said, and I could tell that she was on the verge of tears.
That was all part of the routine. It wasn’t that she was faking the tears or even trying to manipulate me. She was upset—she was always upset when things didn’t work out. But she never did anything to change her habits. Never even bothered to examine her role in how things worked out. It was always someone else’s fault—and always my responsibility to fix it.
“Hank kicked me out.” She started crying.
Hank was the latest man in her life, and he had lasted longer than most—almost a year. I had even started rooting for Hank and my mom, but clearly that had been wishful thinking.
