Page 24 of Sweet Summertide (Christmas Cove #4)

For the first time all summer, and in longer than she could remember, Holly took a Monday off.

She had been working non-stop at creating her dream ice cream shop, and all the pieces were coming together nicely.

Now, with only a few items to complete—a working bathroom was a must and she still needed to hire the rest of the staff—her mind was finally in a place where she could take a day to rest.

Her free-sample event on Saturday had been a wild success aided by the foot traffic from Teddy’s chocolate tasting.

Of course he had been irritated, thinking she was just trying to outdo him, but the huge balloon display over the street and the Ferris wheel had helped draw more attention to the area for them both.

Out on the lawn bordering the cove’s shoreline, Holly lay back against her folding lounge chair.

A light breeze fluttered the scalloped edges of her beach umbrella positioned between her chair and Millie’s.

Through cracked eyelids, she watched children splash at the water’s edge.

The moving air cooled her skin from the midday heat, but the water was looking more and more enticing with each passing minute.

“So, what happened next?” Millie asked. “We could see you two, but I couldn’t hear what you were talking about.”

A smile creeped across Holly’s face, and she was sure her flush was caused by the memory of the way Teddy held her and kissed her and not from the sun beating down around her. “All I can say is that we came to an … agreement.”

“Is that what you call that kiss?” Millie laughed. “We couldn’t hear you, but we saw it all.” Millie fanned herself with her hand.

There was nothing that could cause her to forget about the steamy exchange any time soon, but Holly fiddled with her messy bun on the top of her head to try.

“It turns out that we’re both dealing with parents who don’t support us.

Teddy just wants to make a life for himself.

And for whatever reason, I keep trying to prove something to my mother when I know exactly what she wants; to go into the business with her. ”

“As sad as that is. At least you know now, and you don’t have to keep trying with her,” Millie said and adjusted the rim of her bucket hat. “Alfonso mentioned that Teddy’s dad canceled his credit cards after the arrest.”

“You knew and didn’t say?” Holly wasn’t surprised that it hadn’t come up. She knew she hadn’t given Millie much chance to get a word in between her venting about Teddy and laying floors. “I wish I hadn’t been so selfish.”

“Because you feel terrible for how you treated him?”

“Of course I do. But what’s worse is I still wonder if he’s got something up his sleeve.

Like his whole let’s-be-honest, nice-guy act last night was just that.

” Her suspicions were probably projection, because before last night, it was she who would have done something so underhanded while he had really been a saint about the whole thing.

“Holly, do you really think he’s capable? The guy that plays with chocolate all day and smiles every time he sees you?” Millie had a point.

“You’re not wrong. I don’t know. You know why I have trust issues.”

“Typical rich girl problems. You all go to the Med and get cheated on by a loser boyfriend, move home, and hit the restart button on a fresh life.”

Holly slid her sunglasses up to her head and twisted in her chair to look Millie in the eyes.

She needed to see her face. “Yes, actually. You don’t know what it’s like to have every friend, every teacher, my tennis coach, my last boyfriend, like all kinds of people using me to win favors with my parents.

I’m tired of being someone’s second choice. ”

“I hear you, but play this out. What would Teddy gain from being associated with you? What’s his ulterior motive?” Millie said and removed her own glasses revealing her raised eyebrow. “From what I can see, you have nothing to lose by letting that hot man into your life.”

Holly adjusted the red fabric of her triangle bikini top and returned her sunglasses to shield her eyes. She laid back and soaked in the sun hitting her lower half while she let Millie’s words sink in. Was it time for her to trust someone? And if the answer was yes, why not Teddy?

Her skin sizzled and moisture beaded up on her stomach.

Seeing as she had chosen to take a day off on what was the hottest day of the year so far, she intended to squeeze every ounce of vitamin D from the day that she could.

Holly dug in her cooler bag for a can of sparkling water and cracked the metal tab on the top.

The crisp sound was refreshing on its own, but the taste of sparkling coconut water was even better.

“How do you feel about pina colada sorbet?” she asked and took another sip.

“You’re thinking about adding it to the menu?” Millie said and took the can from Holly’s hand. She sipped the water and handed it back. “It could be good.”

Holly grabbed another drink from the cooler and handed it to Millie. “If I had a dollar for every time I was burned by someone, I wouldn’t need the grant money.”

“You don’t really need it. You just wanted to win.

” Millie cracked open her drink and the fizz sprayed onto Holly’s legs.

“Sorry,” she said while Holly rubbed the flavored water into her skin.

“What I mean is that you have everything you need to start your business and you’re just looking for some street cred.

I don’t blame you for being competitive, but don’t gaslight yourself into thinking you need it. ”

“How are you so wise?”

Millie tittered. “I am not wise. I have that thing where I always think I’m too much for people. It’s taught me to read situations well since I don’t read people well.”

“It’s called ADHD.” With a laugh, Holly held up her can. “Cheers, to two friends blazing our own paths.” They clanked their cans together just as a water bomb crashed into their hands from the side.

The moment Holly had waited all day for had finally come. “WATER BALLOON FIGHT!” she yelled.

Between their chairs, she uncovered a bucket filled to the brim with water balloons.

After the Ferris wheel situation, Alfonso tipped off Millie to the men’s impending attack.

Millie told Holly. And Holly recruited some of her new friends to fight in the most epic clash of their lives.

She grabbed two balloons and tossed them in the direction where the first one had come from.

It hit the ground about twenty feet away and threw up a cloud of water droplets.

“Take the flank!” Millie shouted and pointed to a pre-positioned stack of chairs.

Holly loaded the crook of her left arm with as many balloons as she could carry and took off towards cover.

Once in position and holding enough ammo to get a couple good hits in, she cried out, “NOW!” and a dozen children ran into the combat zone.

Some bigger kids carried buckets filled with balloons while others lined up in the middle of the lawn.

In front of the children and teens, Teddy, Leo, Alfonso, and two other guys who she didn’t recognize prepared to face off with their own cache of water balloons.

Thandie, who Holly had met at America’s house for girl’s night, joined Holly behind the chairs. “This’ll be fun. I’ve been wanting to get back at Grant, the tall guy with his hat on backwards. He’s mine.”

The whole silly affair had the women giddy. “I haven’t had a water balloon fight since I was a little girl. Well, it wasn’t really a fight as much as it was me and Millie ganging up on one of the poor stable hands. I don’t know why this feels so good.”

Across the lawn, Millie gave the final order. “Attack at will!”

Holly and Thandie went straight for the two tallest guys, Teddy and Grant.

Tossing one balloon after the other, they progressed their position with each explosion.

Teddy ducked and dodged almost all of her balloons, but her last one hit him square in his chest. His hands covered his heart like he had been wounded, and the water caused his white cotton tee to appear translucent.

She stopped, knowing she was in trouble.

His head slumped down, but his eyes locked onto hers like a lion stalking prey.

He snarled and ripped his wet shirt in half, discarding it onto the grass.

Standing broad and glistening in the sunlight, his toned chest and abs caught the shadows in all the right places. It was getting hot out there in more than one way. With her last ammo, she pointed at him and wiggled her pointer finger to call him over to her.

Teddy smirked at her invitation with a fire blazing in his eyes.

He sprinted to her, closing the distance in only a few steps and allowed her no time to retreat.

Not slowing down, his arm crashed into her midriff, and he lifted her off the ground like a line-backer making a tackle.

The momentum had her swinging all the way around his body where he caught her against his chest once she made a full rotation.

“Hi,” he said and pecked her on the mouth.

With her arms around his neck, she matched his smirk. “Two points for me, none for you.”

“You only hit me once.”

“Maybe so,” she said as she squeezed her remaining ammo in her grasp, digging her nails into the thin rubber until the water balloon splashed over his head. “Two points.”

“We’re playing like that, huh?” He put her down near a row of baskets filled with outdoor toys. Teddy reached into one of the bins and came out holding a rather large water blaster the length of his arm.

“Teddy, no. Don’t you dare,” she said and was already running away. A steady stream of water hit her backside and sprayed outward, wetting her all over. “Theodor Black! You’re going to get it!”

He kept his distance behind her, probably for ideal viewing and soaking range. “Is that a promise?”

“You’re flirting right now?” she said and ducked behind a beach umbrella sitting low in the ground.

“This isn’t a date, Teddy. This is war!” Balloons and water flew through the air above her, but there was more laughter than she’d heard in a long time.

Holly really did love to laugh, and it had been too long since her stomach hurt from joy.

In the shade of the umbrella, someone had put a load of water balloons.

She took one in each hand and tossed them one at a time in his direction.

She heard them splash onto the grass, not his sculpted body.

Needing a quick peek, she peered around the edge of the umbrella, but he wasn’t there.

Across the lawn, Millie chased Alfonso with an open hose, and Thandie and her man were busy soaking each other with blasters.

Children were running and jumping in newly formed puddles while others jumped off the end of the dock into the lake.

“Where are you, Teddy?” she searched all the spots where he might hide.

“Surprise,” he said from behind her.

Twisting to see him, she put her hands up in surrender as he doused her with whatever water remained in his blaster. “I give. I give.” She smiled while wiping water from her face.

“It’s not that easy.” He dropped his emptied blaster and fell to his knees in front of her.

Walking his hands out in front of him, he urged her to lay back in the soft green grass. His bare chest hovered inches above her bikini clad body. Her breath caught in her throat at his proximity. She wasn’t frightened, she was intrigued, and the tipped over umbrella gave them privacy to play.

“What do you want?” she said more breathlessly than she had wanted, but her desire for him overwhelmed her senses.

Her heart drummed against her ribs and her pulse vibrated in her stomach.

She wanted to stay in control, but she surrendered to him anyway.

She craved his lips to be on hers, but she wouldn’t dare say it.

She wanted him to be the one to declare his desire.

Reaching up, she removed his hair elastic.

His shoulder length hair cascaded around his face and caused him to look more dangerous than he had before.

The light filtered through the umbrella, casting a red glow in his eyes and shading his already dark stubble.

He grinned, knowing what he was doing to her, and for a moment, she liked the freedom in being so wild.

He walked his hands forward; his hip bones grazed her inner thighs as he moved up her body until she was resting flat on her back and his face matched hers. The tip of his nose brushed back and forth on hers, and his lips glistened with moisture.

Holly was helpless to look anywhere else, pleading with him to satisfy her need to be touched by him.

“I like you in red,” he said into her ear and backed off without a single kiss, leaving her frustrated and wanting more. He stood and someone she couldn’t see but could hear with an Italian accent tossed a filled blaster into Teddy’s hands. “I’ll give you ten seconds.”

“One.” She counted for herself, knowing he wasn’t bluffing and stood.

“Two.” She teased her hands up his stomach and chest. “Three.” She paused and closed her eyes.

“Four.” She peeked up and saw him close his eyes too.

She kissed his lips and stole the gun right out of his hands.

“Five. You better get going,” she said and moved away from him. “Six.”

“Alright, I give up. Just do it already.” It was Teddy’s turn to put his hands up in surrender. She took full advantage of having him to herself, drenching him with the water and soaking every inch of his body and pink swim trunks.

With the blaster cleared of contents, she dropped it and ran toward the dock, screaming the whole way as he chased her into the water.

She soared off the end of the dock and he followed her right in, landing a foot away from her.

His hands reached out for her waist and pulled her in before she could get her bearings.

They bobbed together in the refreshing water. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he encircled her waist with his strong hands. Their bodies pressed together below the waterline. Her toes barely touched the smooth pebbles beneath her, but Teddy carried most of her weight.

“Come to the firefly parade with me tonight?” he said low.

“Like a date?”

“Like, my date.”

She liked how possessive he was, like she was the only creature in the world he craved, and she was starting to thirst for him too. Her kiss was her answer, and she was very agreeable.