Page 26 of Cloudless
RED ISN’T YOUR COLOR
LILA
The sun warms my back as I tap on the bottom of the bucket to release the sand. A smile blooms on my face as I slowly raise the bucket to reveal a perfect imprint of a castle.
Ellie’s hand waves over the crumbing mess she’s made on her side. “How do you get them to come out so perfect when mine looks like this?”
Posey laughs as she stands. White streaks of sunscreen run down her back to mix with the inch of sand now coating her legs. “You aren’t using enough water. I’ll go get us some more.”
I nod as I stretch my legs out in front of me to ease the stiffness from sitting too long in one position. “Tell Jasper it’s time for more sunscreen.”
Ellie’s smile falls as her eyes focus on the direction of the water. “Here comes trouble.”
The look on her face lets me know it isn’t the good kind of trouble I now associate with her brother.
I use my hand to shade my eyes as I look in that direction. My brows furrow as I zero in on the only person coming our way.
The sun gleams off his tanned skin as his curly, blond hair bounces with every step he takes toward us. His face transforms into a cocky smirk as his eyes trace over Kim and her friends as they lounge on their towels. Their giggles float through the air as I fight the urge to not roll my eyes.
His eyes turn away from them to zero in on me. I never look away from the predatory look in his eyes as I whisper, “Don’t you dare leave me.”
Ellie’s voice lowers to match mine. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
The arrogance rolling off of him reaches me before he does. His stark white teeth are blinding in the summer sun as he smiles down at us. “Ladies.”
His eyes rake over me as I fight to not grab my dress for an added layer of protection against his slimy gaze.
Ellie’s annoyance bleeds into her tone as she straightens her spine next to me. “What do you want, Colt?”
His eyes roam down my body as he answers her. “I’m not here for you, Ellie. Don’t get your panties into a twist.”
His stomach muscles bunch as he tries to act like he’s not flexing on purpose. I draw my knees to my chest to cut off his view. His eyes bounce back up to mine as he smiles like a Cheshire cat.
Ellie huffs out a humorless laugh. “Then why are you here?”
His eyes brighten as his gaze rakes over my legs clutched tightly to my chest. “I was wondering if the new girl wanted to go for a walk. We can go down to the pier.”
Ellie opens her mouth, but I cut her off before she has time to speak. “The new girl has a name.”
His eyes flare with lust as he takes a small step closer to us. “Are you going to tell me what it is, or am I going to have to guess?”
The audacity of this man. No, boy. He’s definitely a boy.
My eyebrows raise as I lower my legs back out in front of me.
I will not cower.
I tilt my head in a challenge as I channel my inner-Ellie that I’ve always been too scared to set free. I guess that makes it my inner Lila. “No. I’m not playing your game.”
His eyes blaze with a molten fire I have no desire to entertain. “And why not?”
“Fuck boys don’t get to know my name.”
A smirk blooms on his face as he enjoys the challenge I now represent. “And what makes you think I’m a fuck boy?”
I rise from my towel with a newfound power that feels like it belongs within my veins.
Power that has been set free because of the support of my new friends.
“There’s a few, actually.” I dust the sand off my hands as I walk closer to him.
“First, I wasn’t the only girl you stared at on your way up the beach. ”
The flames in his eyes turn from flames of lust to flames of anger as I take another step in his direction.
My voice is steady. “Second, you frowned at my sister as she walked by on her way to the water.” Now his eyebrows draw down in confusion as his smile completely melts away.
“And third,” a smile grows on my face as I stand right in front of him, “you couldn’t even bother to wipe the lipstick off your neck before you came to talk to me. Red really isn’t your color .”
His eyes turn into a fiery inferno of pure anger as I step around him. His hand shoots out and grabs my wrist in a punishing grip. “You can’t just walk away from me.”
I wrench my wrist from his grasp. “Watch me.”
I step around him to find a seething Kam only a few feet away, with the twins and a wall of muscle at his back. His chest rises and falls as his eyes bounce between the blooming redness around my wrist and the boy at my back.
Wyatt’s voice is barely a rumble in the wind as he whispers, “On the ice, Cap.”
Rivulets of water drip down Kam’s bare chest as I stop inches in front of him. My voice is barely a whisper as I watch the current of emotions rush through Kam’s eyes. “Take me to the water, Trouble.”
His jaw ticks as his knuckles turn white from how tightly he’s clenching his fists. My hand shakes as I uncurl his fingers. His rough calluses against my smooth skin feel like heaven. He vibrates with anger as his warmth seeps into my palm.
His breathing slows as his eyes lock onto mine. The tension in his jaw lessens as he bends down and tosses me over his shoulder, and jogs toward the water.
The wind blows through my hair as my laughter bursts free. I close my eyes and enjoy the safety that comes with being with Kam. It feels like I’m flying as he tosses me into the water.
The warm water surrounds me in a quiet cocoon before my head breaks through the surface. I wipe the water from my eyes as I take in Kam’s smiling face. There’s no trace of his anger in his voice as he wades into the water. “That was for the cooler.”
The waves swallow my legs as I back away from him. “That’s not fair. I didn’t even get a chance to get away.”
A brief glance up the beach relaxes what's left of my nerves when I find our friends surrounding Jasper and Posey. Their laughing faces warm my heart as they sit around the sandcastle with no Colt in sight.
A predatory gleam shines brightly in Kam’s eyes as I inch away from him. The predatory look Colt gave me on the beach felt slimy and unwelcome. Kam’s gaze feels like a caress that soothes my racing heart.
He lunges for me right as I dive into the water behind me. The weightlessness I feel as I’m submerged in the water lasts only seconds before a strong arm clamps around my waist.
The firmness of Kam’s chest presses into my back as he pulls me from the water. His scruff tickles my cheek as he bends his head to whisper in my ear. “That was too easy.”
My smile grows as the sound of our labored breaths drift through the air. “Maybe I wanted to get caught.”
Kam’s chuckle vibrates through me. “Oh, Sunshine. I’m counting on it.”