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I do as I’m told, and Skye begins to float away from me again.

“Hold on, Maya!” Jordy bellows at the tops of his lungs. “Just hold on!”

“I’m literally fine,” I mutter, bobbing in the water. Behind me, I can hear Skye’s cackles over the roar of the approaching speedboats. I assume they’ll remove those from the final cut.

“Just try! To stay! Afloat! I’ve got you!”

Gwendolyn is gesturing frantically at me. I realize a little too late she wants me to feign drowning. I have just enough time to get in a weak splash and drop my chin below the surface when Jordy’s boat reaches me. He leans over the side and stretches his hand out, his face the picture of concern and—impressively—even the tiniest hint of fear. I can almost believe it myself.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“I’m fi—”

“Are you okay?”

I scowl and take his hand. “Yes,Jesus.”

With a grunt, Jordy yanks me easily out of the water and onto the boat, where he pulls me into a hug so rough I choke on my own gasp. Over his shoulder, I have full view of thelake, along with Skye, who is growing small again as she drifts. I feel like we should probably follow up on that. You know, given Skye is the one who actually, in real life, not in a manufactured way, is at risk of drowning, here. “Hey, Skye’s—”

“You’re safe now,” Jordy says over me.

“Yes, thank you. That was…” I search for a compliment that I can force out without it coming across as sarcastic. “Very chivalrous of you.”

“Good job, Maya,” Isaac calls from his boat, giving me a thumbs-up as their boat circles us.

“That was great,” says Gwendolyn. “Can we just get that rescue one more time at a different angle? A little more graceful this time? Thinksex,like the front cover of an old-school romance novel.” She frames an imaginary picture with her hands. “The rugged, handsome hero pulls the breathless maiden from the clutches of death and then ravages her. Metaphorically.”

“Sexy drowning!” Jordy says as Gwendolyn beams and nods. “I love it.”

Isaac’s smile has gotten mighty tight.

“Oh.” I blink. “Um.”

“Jump on back in, there, Maya,” Jordy says. “Don’t worry. I’ll be right here.” He shoots me a dazzling smile, then gives me a little shove toward the edge of the boat.

“Maybe we should go collect Skye first?” I try. “We can get the shot later—”

Gwendolyn shakes her head impatiently. “No, right now, nice and quick. Come on.”

Okay, clearly the more I protest, the longer we’re going to leave Skye stranded. Just as I’m about to jump in the water, Jordy gives me another little shove, and I fall in with a shriek. I emerge like a drowned rat, gasping, and Jordy winces down at me. “Sorry!” he says. “I was trying to steady you!”

If there wasn’t a camera around I’d pull the prick into the fucking water with me. Instead, I let Jordy pull me back up again, making sure to look as fear-ridden yet inexplicably sexy as possible, to avoid the need for another retake. Luckily, they let us off with just the two takes at saving my life, and a couple of minutes later we’re off, racing after Skye. To my relief, Skye is totally safe when we finally reach her, ifkind ofunimpressed.

“What happened?” Jordy laughs as we pull to a stop.

Skye looks at me as she replies to him. “I thought I’d check out the other end of the lake.”

“And how was it?”

“Water’s always bluer on the other side.” She tears her eyes from me, then surveys the boat warily. “How am I supposed to get in?”

Jordy stretches his hand out, and Skye can barely hide her look of disdain at the idea of touching him. I start to rise to help, but Gwendolyn motions for me to sit back down and get out of the shot.

If Jordy drowns my co-conspirator I’m going to actually kill him.

Luckily, the transfer goes smoothly. Jordy lifts Skye into the boat, and, apparently, does it sexily enough on the first attempt that they don’t need to reshoot. Life is so simple for beautiful people.

“We’re going to have to cut the photoshoots with these two,” Isaac says to Jordy. “We’re out of time now.”