Page 57 of Infatuated
“I know. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to hang out with you. All I’ve got is my annoying little sister, and I’m stuck away from friends for another two weeks. We’re here in the States for almost a month, and I’m going insane.” He puts his fingers in his pockets and looks at the ground in front of him.
I soften. He’s not trying to hit on me. Tristan was wrong. “Oh. So, you haven’t been trying to hit on me?”
He smiles wide, but I see the mischief in his eyes. “Oh, I never said that.”
I roll my own and knock my shoulder into his, causing him to lose his balance for a second before he regains it quickly. “Jerk.”
“Hang with me today. I promise to be an upstanding gentleman for the day. I just really need a break from my family. They’re driving me nuts.”
“Let me see what Tristan’s doing today, and if he’s busy, we can hang out. Maybe you can be my first international friend.”
He smiles, and we reach the house as we finish our conversation. Tristan’s jaw ticks when he sees us but relaxes when I stand next to him and kiss him on the cheek. The four of us—Holden is never far—get breakfast, and we sit together to eat. Tristan tells me his plans for the day, and since it includes a hike with one of the families, I decide to take Russ up on his offer for a boat ride.
Of course, I don’t tell Tristan this part. I tell him I’m thinking of heading out on a boat and to float around for a while, getting lost in a good book.
He leans close so only I can hear him. “Going to read some smut and get turned on for me? I still have enough time to give you a few more lessons.”
I swallow hard, and from the sly smirk on Holden’s face, I’m pretty sure he knows what’s going on. “O-okay.” It’s the only thing I can manage to stammer out.
He gives me a hard kiss on the lips before turning to leave with Holden. I smile to myself and run my fingers along my lips, committing the feeling to memory. Russ and I finish breakfast in relative silence, then walk back to our cabins to change into bathing suits.
We meet up by the small row boats, and Russ already has one half in the water, waiting for me to join him. He holds his hand out for me, and I take it as I step into the boat and sit at the front. He shoves off and jumps in, water from his feet splashing me. I laugh and wipe it from my legs and watch as he rows us away.
I offer to help him, but he swats at my outstretched hand and tells me he can do it himself—Mr. Independent over here. He rows us into the middle of the water and pulls the oars into the boat, letting the current pull us farther from shore. The sun reflects off the top of the water, dancing in front of my eyes. I lean over and let my fingers trail through the small waves the boat creates as we glide around.
My skin prickles as I feel his eyes on me, and I glance up at him. He doesn’t even try to hide the fact that he’s watching me. Instead, he shifts his eyes lower, over my body. I still have on my cover up, but it’s getting warmer the longer I sit here, and it won’t be long before I take it off. He smiles as I shift in my seat, trying to get comfortable under his intense gaze.
“Why do you keep staring at me?” I play with some loose hair as I wait for his response. My stomach flutters waiting for him to answer.
“No reason. You’re pretty. Different than the girls in England.” His voice has a warm quality to it, and I can’t help the blush that rises to my cheeks. “Wish I’d met you first,” he says. It’s quiet, and I almost didn’t hear it so I pretend I didn’t.
What would it be like if I had met Russ instead of Tristan? I ponder this as we float aimlessly across the pond. He’s cute, and his accent is to die for. I could listen to him talk about anything—even paint drying—and I’d be infatuated. But I don’t have the same connection I do with Tristan.
From the moment I laid eyes on Tristan, I knew he was different. Then I got the opportunity to know him, and I knew my life was never going to be the same. He was meant to come into my life, and I know without a doubt he was meant to be my first. It was perfect. He was gentle and caring. He knew what to do and say to make it enjoyable for both of us.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Lana?” Russ’s voice cuts through my thoughts.
“Nothing much. Just thinking.”
“Wanna go for a swim?” He’s stripping out of his clothes as he asks, and I get a good look at his toned stomach as he pulls his shirt off, tossing it on the seat next to me. He’s not as muscular as Tristan. His physique is lean, but I have no doubt he’s strong.
I bite my lip. Do I want to get in the water with him? It is getting warm out here, and I wouldn’t mind getting wet to cool down. I look out to the shore, avoiding his gaze. “I, um… I’m not a good swimmer, and I don’t like going in the water when I can’t touch.”
“That’s all right. I’ll keep you above water. Trust me.”
I blink at him and bite my lip. “You promise to not let me go?”
He draws an ‘X’ over his heart with his index finger. “Promise.”
I nod and he smiles before diving into the murky water head first. He emerges moments later and shakes the water from his blond locks before wiping the water from his face. “It’s bloody freezing in here!”
He splashes some water at me, and I shriek when the cold droplets hit my sun-warmed skin. “You’re not helping to get me in there if it’s freezing.” I dry my leg with a towel and smile when he drapes his arms over the side of the boat.
“Don’t make me pull you in, Lana. Get your arse in here.”
It’s fine. He’s going to keep you safe. Don’t be a baby, Lana!The pep talk I give myself doesn’t have the exact effect I want, but it’s enough for me to pull my cover up over my head and put it on Russ’s shirt. I stand and wobble as the boat moves. I look over the edge into the dark water, hold my nose, and jump feet first.
My head breaks through the surface only a few seconds later, but I’m flailing my arms, looking for something to grab on to. Russ reaches out and pulls me close to him, his hands resting on my waist. The two of us kick slow and steady, keeping ourselves above water. My body acclimates to the temperature quickly, and it almost feels warm after being in it for a few minutes.