Page 29 of Goldilocks
“I’ll grab a beer. I appreciate you cooking,” Sam said.
Laurence beamed a smile at him, then trotted away, steadier sea legs than the fishermen from the area that spent their entire lives on boats, and disappeared below deck.
Sam approached the loungers, dug out a beer from the ice chest and sat next to Nick. He glimpsed the tablet, but it was writing, and the glare of the screen turned whatever was written into something indecipherable. “Midterms?”
“Studies,” Nick answered. “My course is mostly in-house tests and labs.”
Sam sipped his beer and relaxed against the chair. He and Nick were in separate parts of campus, so they rarely crossed paths. Their longest conversation lately had been in the cafe the other day. “The rowing going well? There’s a competition soon, isn’t there?” He looked sideways at Nick’s arms. He had Trevor’s bigger build, and the definition in his muscles was a clear indicator he worked out.
Nick twitched. His eyes flashed up to the helm, where Connor and Trevor were absorbed in their lesson.
“Club a secret?” Sam dropped his voice, speaking softly. He had no idea why that would be.
“Technically no,” Nick answered. “But I wouldn’t put it past Connor to show up with Adonis to swim around the river, causing havoc for a bit of fun.”
Sam doubted Connor would do that. They got away with it out here in the ocean, where it was entirely plausible that if someonedidsee something, it could have been a whale. A dolphin. A seal. And it was locals. People who grew up on the ocean were used to seeing strange things now and then. It wouldn’t lead to anything.
Connor bringing Adonis into the local pub was the best example of that; everyone knew there was some strangeness to Adonis, but nobody ever said anything about it.
Connor broke away from the helm and walked down the steps leading to them. He grabbed a beer from the ice chest before he joined them.
Nick eyed up Connor, then Trevor at the helm. “He looks nervous.”
“You learn by doing,” Connor replied. “He’s practising. You went swimming, Sam?” His grey eyes flicked over Sam, lingering on his hair. “Thought you didn’t like doing that with nobody around? You always gave out to me for jumping in when we were away from the coast.”
Nick got up, going toward Trevor.
Sam watched him walk away before turning his attention to Connor. He wore, bizarrely, a loose white shirt that wouldn’t keep anyone warm out at sea and green shorts with his feet left bare. Connor dressed like they were in the Bahamas and not Ireland. Guy was immune to the cold, apparently.
“I gave out because it’s the Atlantic Ocean, and it’s freezing. And you’d jump in with no life jacket on.”
Connor snorted. “As if I couldn’tswim.”
“And you don’t worry, one bit, when Laurence goes jumping into the water out here?” Which Sam knew Laurence did, because Connor did and Laurence was his shadow.
“He wears a wetsuit. And if Adonis isn’t around, then Worm One and Two are. He’s perfectly safe,” Connor said with utter confidence.
“How do you knowthey’resafe?” Sam asked. Not as a challenge, but more out of curiosity. “It’s hard to get to know them with Adonis always chasing them off, right?”
“They’ve been warned,” Connor said. “I’m sure Goldilocks would keep an eye on him too…Speaking of, you avoided the question. You went swimming?”
Before Sam could answer – and he was too busy mulling over thatthey’ve been warnedremark anyway – Laurence trotted up from below deck. “Food’s done. Just needs to cool down.” He grabbed himself a coke and joined Connor on his lounger. Connor was sitting sideways on it, facing Sam, so they both fit comfortably. “Sam asked if you’ve ever seen Goldilocks shift?”
“I hardly see him,” Connor said. He nodded at Sam. “Only time he’ll come over is when you’re at college.”
“So it’s just me he likes to torture?” Sam asked. But he didn’t really mean that, and he was sure Connor and Laurence could tell since they both grinned. It was the exact same grin. If Sam didn’t know any better, he’d think they grew up together, learning mannerisms from one another.
“What does he do?” Laurence asked, clearly curious.
“Follows me around giving out until I draw him. Admires paintings of himself.” Sam snorted, amused as he recalled Devil’s devotion to staring at his own face. “I’ve never met anyone as vain. He’ll harass me, hiss at me, even hit the boat, if I don’t stop what I’m doing to paint him. He can’t stand not being the centre of attention.”
“Do you think that’s what’s happening? Vanity?” Connor asked.
Sam finished his beer, oddly feeling its effects already. But he would have to be dead drunk to miss that glint in Connor’s eye. The amused quirk at the corner of his mouth.
“You think I’m wrong?” Sam asked. Clearly, Connor hadn’t gotten to know Devil. Not really. But Sam’s thoughts jumped to the oysters and champagne yesterday. The luxurious force-feeding.
“I’m sure Goldilocks is well aware of what he looks like. Maybe he’s going to great effort to make sure you arealsoaware that he’s good-looking?” There was a teasing note in Connor’s voice.