Page 86

Damon moves closer until the water between us all but disappears as his hands settle lightly at my waist, sending a shockwave of electricity straight through me. “Ready?” he murmurs, voice low and teasing.

Not even a little.

“Ready,” I breathe, earning a grin that could bring a girl to her knees.

“Good.” He flashes that devastating smile. “Hold on tight.”

Before I can second-guess myself, Damon ducks down and I squeal as he lifts me effortlessly onto his shoulders. My hands instinctively thread through the damp locks of his hair to steady myself. His grip on my thighs is firm and grounding, but it does little to ease the nerves jumping in my chest. From my new vantage point, I can see that Brynn’s already sitting on Jace’s shoulders, laughing uncontrollably as they bob in the water. Charlotte and Chris are ready too, flashing us a cheeky thumbs-up.

“You good up there?” Damon asks, giving my thighs a light squeeze that has my stomach doing a full somersault.

“Define good,” I mutter, cheeks flaming. I’m suddenly hyperaware of every point of contact, each inch of skin touching his.

He chuckles, a deep, rumbly sound that vibrates all the way through his body and into mine. “You’ll be fine, Astor. Just don’t pull my hair when you panic.”

“Panic?” I scoff, emboldened by the way his hands tighten ever so slightly around me. “Are you confusing me with yourself,QB?” I ask haughtily. “You might panic during a game, but I don’t.”

“Oh, tough guy, are you?” He glances up at me, green eyes twinkling, and I laugh. “Keep talking, sweetheart and I’ll . . .”

“You’ll what?” I drawl as he steps into the center of the pool where the other pairs wait.

“Just remember, when you fall, I’m all you got—the only thing between you and the water.” Something about the way he says it—quiet, a little rough around the edges—makes it feel like he’s not just talking about falling into the water.

“Bring it on, QB,” I whisper, locking my knees around his neck for balance.

“That’s my girl.” He gives my thighs another squeeze as we square off with the other two couples.

“Alright, on my count!” Brandon shouts from the sidelines. “Three . . . two . . . one . . .go!”

Chaos erupts around us as Charlotte lunges toward Brynn and Jace, arms flailing wildly. Laughter and splashing water fill the air, but all I can focus on is Damon’s steady hands on my thighs, the way his body tenses and shifts to counter every movement I make, how natural it feels to trust him like this.

He’s stillmyDamon. Even after all this time. Even after what I did to him.

When Brynn leans precariously in our direction, shrieking with laughter, I reach out, more on instinct than strategy, and give her a gentle push. She topples backward with a splash, taking Jace down with her. Which only leaves Chris and Charlotte.

Charlotte’s eyes narrow at Brynn before returning to me. “You’re going down, Astor,” she calls out, already leaning forward with her arms outstretched.

“Not a chance,” I shoot back.

Adrenaline courses through my veins, and I feel Damon shift beneath me, his movements fluid and intuitive as he positions us for the final showdown.

“Remember the summer at Lake Tahoe?” he murmurs up at me, the words for my ears only. “Senior year?”

I do. My father invited the entire high school football team down to our vacation home at the lake. Damon and I were unstoppable then and beat the whole team without a single loss.

My heart swells at the fact that he remembers, too. That he even thought of mentioning it.

“Left feint, then right?” I whisper back.

“You got it,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice.

We move as one, Damon stepping left as I lean slightly that way, drawing Charlotte’s attention before we suddenly pivot right. Her fingers brush my arm, but I’m ready, shifting my weight and pushing her shoulder firmly. Charlotte wobbles precariously, arms windmilling as she tries to regain balance.

“Now!” Damon calls out, his grip tightening on my thighs as he steadies us against the counter-push.

Charlotte makes one last desperate grab, but it’s too late and she’s not nearly steady enough as I give her a fierce shove to the shoulders. She topples sideways with a shriek, dragging Chris down with her in a spectacular splash that sends water everywhere.

Victorious whoops and cheers erupt around the pool as Damon spins us in a triumphant circle, his hands squeezing my thighs.