“He’ll be here in a few minutes.” Garrett exhaled an impatient sigh. “He couldn’t decide on whether to wear his rainbow swim trunks today or the ones with the dolphins on them.”
Evie pressed a hand to her chest, feigning distress. “Oh, the dilemma.”
“Right?” Garrett responded dramatically. “I told him he shouldn’t wear either because, hello, we’ll clash, but you know how stubborn he can be.”
Evie laughed. “No more than you, dear brother.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He feigned an innocent look that Eric found comical. “Not to be rude, but I need food. Aaron gave me a workout this morning and I’m famished.”
A choking sound caught in Evie’s throat. “Are you serious right now?”
“Serious about the workout?” he asked, deliberately misconstruing what she meant, judging by the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Of course I’m serious. Though I didn’t mean like lifting weights kind of workout . . . though I’m sure sex could be considered a form of cardio . . .”
“Stop,” Evie said, doing her best to cut off her brother’s ramblings.
Garrett merely laughed. “Oh, come on, Evie. Are you going to tell me that Mom didn’t leave a basket of stuff in your cabin for the two of you to have fun with?”
Evie flushed beet red, and Eric answered for her.
“Yes, Lauren did. It was very thoughtful of her.” Especially since he and Evie had already enjoyed a few things from the basket.
Garrett smirked at Eric. “It’s one of the perks of having hip, modern-thinking parents who encourage the idea that sex is natural and healthy and should be as pleasurable as possible.”
Evie smacked her hand against her forehead. “Please, stop. I’ve already had my quota of embarrassment today and I can’t take much more. Weren’t you on your way to the buffet?”
Just as she asked the question, another man entered the room, glanced around, and headed toward the three of them. Judging by the way he was dressed in a pair of pale purple shorts and a matching tie-dyed tank top—not to mention the blatant way he was eyeing Eric—he assumed the guy belonged to Garrett.
“Evie, it’s so good to see you.” The other man kissed her on the cheek before turning to Eric and ogling him. “And who is this fine piece of . . . man candy?”
“Right?” Garrett nodded in agreement. “This is Evie’s hot, gorgeous boyfriend, Eric.”
“Nice.” Giving Eric a suave smile, Aaron extended his hand in greeting. “I’m Aaron, Garrett’s better half.”
Eric shook his hand, which was just as robust as Garrett’s. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” Aaron released Eric’s hand, a humor-filled smile curving his lips. “Just in case Lauren forgets to mention, all men signed up for the canoe race have to go shirtless.”
Garrett nodded solemnly. “Yep. Truth.”
Evie stared at the duo incredulously. “It’s a lie,” she assured Eric.
Aaron pretended to pout. “Why do you have to be such a killjoy, Evie?”
Garrett stepped closer, wrapped his hand around Eric’s bicep, and gave it a squeeze. Eric was so startled by the action that he had no idea what to say to Evie’s brother because he had no clue why he’d touched him.
She, however, had no problem coming up with words. “What are you doing?”
Garrett shrugged unrepentantly. “Just testing to see what Aaron and I are up against at the canoe race. Your man has some impressive muscles. Just sayin’,” he said, following that up with a wink.
Eric shook his head and laughed. “Thank you?”
“Oh, you’re most welcome.” Garrett looped his arm through Aaron’s. “And now, we need food before I waste away to nothing. See you two out on the lake for the race.”
With a finger wave in their direction, the two of them headed toward the buffet, and beside him, Evie released a long, defeated groan. “God, I am so sorry. My family is insane.”
“Stop apologizing,” he said, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, even if it was just an excuse to touch her. “I love your family.” He meant it. He loved that they were close and open with each other, happy, and not afraid to show how much they cared for one another.
She looked up at him with compassionate eyes. “I’m sorry if this is hard for you.”
He knew she probably meant the sibling relationship, but surprisingly it wasn’t difficult to watch their banter and close bond. “It’s not hard at all,” he assured her, then leaned closer. “And if you apologize for something one more time, I’m going to use those handcuffs on you when we get back to the cabin and give you a spanking.”
Desire warmed in her eyes, telling him without words that she wasn’t opposed to the idea. She cleared her throat. “I . . . uh, think we should go eat. Food,” she clarified before he could make a dirty remark, which had been on the tip of his tongue. “We should go eat food . . . breakfast stuff.”
He chuckled, because he found her so damn irresistible. “Yes, we should.”
Grabbing her hand, he led the way to the buffet, grateful when there were no more interruptions. He piled his plate high with scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns, and she opted for a bagel with cream cheese and fruit. They found an empty table away from where everyone was talking and set their plates down, then they each went for a cup of coffee and ate their meal without interruption.
Just as they finished and put their plates, utensils, and mugs in the bin that had been set out for dirty dishes, Lauren announced that breakfast would be cleared away in fifteen minutes, and the canoe race would start in an hour. The woman had an itinerary and she was sticking to it, Eric thought in amusement.
“Want to go hang out at the lake until the race starts?” he asked, taking her hand and walking toward the door, where other members of her family were starting to filter out, as well.
Smiling at him, she nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
She glanced ahead, and a few steps later, before they reached the exit, a young blonde woman walked in, with a guy following a few steps behind . . . like a well-trained dog, Eric thought.
“Shit,” Evie muttered beneath her breath, her steps slowing in an attempt not to become the focal point of the couple who’d just entered. “And here I thought I was getting lucky and wouldn’t have to deal with her until later.”
Her, he already knew, was Raquel. Even if Evie hadn’t said something, he would have pegged the privileged, snooty-looking blonde as her cousin. Physically, she was stunningly beautiful, no doubt about it. She wore a white, sheer cover-up that deliberately contrasted against the tiny black bikini she had on underneath, which barely covered the essentials. Eric wondered why she’d even bothered to wear it . . .unless she wanted eyes on her.
A few people greeted the two of them, and Raquel basically waited for everyone to come to her, like she was holding court. And Graham . . . well, he seemed to go along with whatever Raquel did or ordered him to do . . . like get her a plate of fruit because she was starving. The only thing that was missing was a finger snap, but the other man jumped to do her bidding, even though he didn’t look happy about it.
“Interesting dynamic between the two of them,” he observed to Evie.
“Yeah, they couldn’t be more opposite, but when you have a face and body like that, I suppose Graham could overlook a lot of other things.”
Eric arched a debating brow. “Being a beautiful bitch doesn’t make her any less of one. She’s still a bitch.”
Evie’s mouth twitched with humor and appreciation. “Yes, I suppose that’s true.”
He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Want to make a beeline for the door and deal with them later?”
“No.” She exhaled a deep breath and shook her head. “No sense stretching out the inevitable. Let’s get this over with so I can keep my distance from them the rest of the weekend.” She looked at Eric, her chin lifting a few determined notches. “Besides, I’ve got this.”
; His heart knocked around in his chest a little bit at how fucking sexy her confidence was. “Damn straight you do.” He couldn’t wait to see how this played out. His money was on Evie coming out on top.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The moment Raquel noticed her and Eric, Evie braced herself for her first face-to-face with her cousin in three years. While Graham did Raquel’s bidding at the fruit table, she sauntered their way, hips swaying seductively, her gaze all over Eric—probably wondering how Evie had landed such a gorgeous catch. A few feet away, Raquel finally looked at Evie, her eyes facetiously wide.
“Oh my God, Evelyn,” she exclaimed, using the full name Evie hated while pressing a hand to the boob job she’d clearly had done in the past few years. “Just look at you!”
Her cousin left that passive-aggressive comment hanging, because it could have gone a few different ways . . . that Evie looked good (mmm, probably not what she’d been going for), or she looked fat (that wouldn’t have been the first time she’d said as much), or she just looked plain and boring. Evie was pretty certain that Raquel hadn’t meant it in a flattering way, but to their family standing around, she really hadn’t said anything derogatory, either.
Eric slid his arm around Evie’s waist and pulled her close to his side. “She looks pretty fantastic, wouldn’t you say?” he replied.
Raquel blinked at him, startled by the direct question that forced her to answer. “I, uh, yes, of course.”
“I’m Eric Miller, Evie’s boyfriend,” he said, not bothering with the pleasantries of extending his hand. “And you are?”
Raquel gave him one of those sultry smiles that never failed to turn men to idiots in her presence. “I’m her cousin Raquel.” Again, she looked at Evie, a feigned frown now marring her brows as if she couldn’t exactly pinpoint what had changed . . . probably because nothing major had. “It’s just been so long and you look . . . different.”
There it was again. Different good or different bad?
Eric tightened the arm around Evie’s waist. “You know, love will do that to a person . . . make them look happy and glowing and incredibly sexy.” He said the last part on a low, unmistakably possessive growl while burying his face in Evie’s neck.
Evie shivered as he placed a warm kiss on her skin, enjoying the moment and not caring that he was pouring it on thick, not when her cousin looked so bewildered and confused by his attention on Evie and not her.
Graham joined them, holding the small plate of various fruits Raquel had sent him for. His gaze met Evie’s, and she was surprised to see a glimmer of regret in his eyes before he blinked and it was gone. “Hi, Evie. It’s good to see you.”
He sounded like he meant it, but she couldn’t say the same. “Hi, Graham. This is my boyfriend, Eric Miller.”
The two shook hands civilly, but Evie didn’t miss the way Graham sized up Eric, which was ridiculous since he had zero rights to her anymore.
“I’m sure your mother told you that we’re engaged,” Raquel announced gleefully, thrusting her left hand out in front of Evie’s face for her to see the huge rock on her finger.
Evie waited for her stomach to twist with any kind of negative emotion, but there was nothing. She wasn’t envious. She wasn’t angry. And there were no regrets. She honestly didn’t care about these two and it was a liberating feeling.
“She did tell me,” Evie replied, casting her gaze from her cousin to Graham, who looked incredibly uncomfortable with the conversation. “Congratulations. To the both of you.”
Graham shifted on his feet, as if he wanted to be anywhere but there at the moment. But his fiancée wasn’t done trying to get under Evie’s skin.
Raquel gave her a look that was just shy of being pitiful. “Evelyn—”
“It’s Evie,” she interrupted, her tone firm and insistent. Her cousin’s use of Evie’s full, old-fashioned name, which she’d been given after her grandmother, was nothing more than a tactic to subtly put her down, and she was tired of being bullied. “Not Evelyn. Evie.” Nobody, not even her parents, called her Evelyn.
“Oh. Okay,” Raquel said, as if she’d been the offended one. “You don’t have to get upset about it. I’ve always called you Evelyn.”
“I know.” She gave her cousin an uncompromising smile. “But from this second forward, it’s Evie.”
A slow crawl of pink tinged Raquel’s cheeks, and Evie couldn’t remember ever seeing her cousin embarrassed before. Then again, it was the first time she’d ever put Raquel in her place . . . and damn, it felt good. As for Graham, instead of reeling in his fiancée, he was staring at the ground like he wanted it to crack open and swallow him whole.
Raquel sighed and quickly shifted gears. “I know this situation can’t be easy for you.”
Oh, her cousin definitely didn’t want it to be easy, that was for sure. “Why would you say that?” Evie asked, sounding confused.
“Well . . . because of your past with Graham, and him now being engaged to me—”
“Raquel,” Graham said, cutting her off with a warning in his voice, proving that maybe he did have a little bit of a backbone when it came to her.
Her cousin crossed her arms over her ample chest and gave Graham an irritable look. “Well, I just don’t want this weekend to be awkward.”
And knowing Raquel, she wanted Evie to feel as out of place as possible. But Evie was done letting her cousin get under her skin or manipulate her emotions. That was in the past, and she wasn’t going to let anyone make her feel insecure or uncertain about herself ever again.
“It’s not awkward,” Evie said, her voice strong and poised. “As you can see, I’ve moved on. We’re all adults, Raquel. You two have your life, and I have mine, and actually, it’s pretty damn great. I’m sure you two will have a wonderful life together.”
Evie didn’t miss the troubled look on Graham’s face, but whatever the reason, it wasn’t her concern.
“Oh,” Raquel said, sounding almost . . . disappointed that she hadn’t made Evie feel insignificant.
“We’re heading down to the lake,” Evie went on, putting an end to their conversation because she had nothing left to say to either of them. “We’ll see you around.”
On that note, Eric tucked her hand in his and led her out of the room. She caught sight of her grandpa sitting at a nearby table, drinking his cup of coffee, and he gave her a small, supportive nod that told her he was proud of her for standing up to her cousin.
“Here’s the fruit you wanted,” Evie heard Graham say to Raquel just as they reached the door.
Raquel made a loud sound of disgust. “Are you serious?” she said, her tone irritable. “Half the plate is melon, Graham. You know I hate melon.”
She and Eric kept on walking, and as soon as they stepped outdoors, he turned to her, his face full of humor. “Jesus Christ, Evie. I hate to say this, but you dodged a major fucking bullet with that guy.”
She laughed, feeling lighter than air.
Eric stopped walking and crouched down in front of her, hands on his knees, presenting her with his back. “Hop on. You deserve a ride down to the lake after that awesome smackdown.”
Evie didn’t hesitate like she normally would have, because Eric wouldn’t have made the suggestion if he hadn’t been capable of carrying her. So, she leapt onto his back, securing her arms over his shoulders to hold on, while he tucked his forearms beneath her thighs and anchored her legs tight around his waist.
“That’s my girl,” he praised, and started walking the short distance to the water, where the canoe race would be held soon.
Her heart squeezed tight in her chest. God, she wanted to be his girl. So badly. Being with Eric felt so good and right. Like nothing else ever had with any other guy. There was an easiness with him, and he made her feel confident and secure . . . and so damn desirable.
The moment was so relaxing, until her brother zoomed by her and Eric with Aaron piggybacked on his back.
“Race you two down to the lake!” Garre
tt yelled, already sounding out of breath. “Last one there is the rotten egg!”
Evie burst out laughing. “What is he, twelve?”
“Right now he is,” Eric said, tightening his hold on her legs. “Hang on because my inner twelve-year-old has just accepted his challenge.”
Evie let out a startled scream as Eric bolted across the grass. His stride was smooth, his body agile and strong, and they passed Garrett and Aaron in no time flat. When they reached the edge of the water, with Eric having won the race, Garrett collapsed to the ground, taking Aaron with him, while wheezing and trying to catch his breath.
“Jesus Christ, Evie,” Garrett huffed out, his gaze staring at Eric in awe. “Your man is a goddamn beast!”
“Damn straight I am,” Eric joked, and crouched down again so Evie could slide off his back. He wasn’t even breathing hard, nor had he broken a sweat, like her brother had.
She and Eric sat down on the grass next to her brother and Aaron, since it would only be a little while before everyone gathered by the lake for the canoe race. Garrett, whose breathing had finally evened out, glanced at Evie with a concerned look.
“Hey, everything okay with you and Raquel?” he asked. He might be the younger of the two of them, but he’d always been protective of her. “I saw you guys talking and she looked like she was being a . . . well, not nice,” he amended. “Do you need your little brother to go back up to the lodge and kick some ass?”
Evie laughed as she drew her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. “No. It’s all good. I’m good. I promise.” She really was.
Garrett smirked as he eyed Eric like he did play for the same team, and thank God Eric took it all in stride. “It doesn’t hurt that you have a fuck-hot boyfriend, while Raquel is stuck with a wuss who seems to have lost his dick and balls in the past three years.”
Sadly, it was an apt description. She’d never seen Graham so passive before but she supposed Raquel had beaten him down, too, without him even realizing it. But that was Graham’s problem, not hers.
The Boyfriend Experience Page 13
