“Yeah,” Grace answered, quickly pushing it back down. She lowered her voice. “I hope you don’t mind. I saw it on your bag and it covers up the parts that I don’t want—you know, my skin where— I’ll wash it and—”
Her ramblings were stopped by Max’s fingers on her lips. He chuckled. “It’s fine. Whatever you’re comfortable in.” He lifted his fingers and looked her over. “Remember, they’re what you survived.”
And just like that, Grace’s breath vanished.
“Hey, Max, you wanna give me a hand over here, man?”
Max turned and headed toward where Josh was standing with a selection of chairs and water-friendly toys, making Grace gasp. The tattoo she’d seen on Max’s shoulder was a tiny part of a piece of artwork that stretched right across from one shoulder to the other like angel’s wings. Black feathers, so detailed they looked almost real, reached out across his skin, meeting at his spine and running all the way down to the small of his back, where the name Christopher curved in an arch, under which was a date and the words “ad infinitum.”
Apart from the black, which Grace had seen previously, no other part of the tattoo extended to the front of his body. Like an inked secret few knew about, Max’s tattoo was as beautiful as he was and posed even more questions.
Grace pressed her lips together and sat down, kicking off her flats and settling to watch the boys finish setting up. She knew the questions would have to wait. Today was about fun and sunshine in all their forms.
“You gonna come into the water at all today?”
Max stood at the foot of Grace’s lounger with a bottle of Pepsi in his hand, admiring her long legs and despairing over the fact that, in three hours, she’d still not taken his fucking shirt off or joined them on the float. On top of that, the fact that she’d chosen to wear a piece of his clothing had caused his stomach to twist and his groin to twitch. Yeah, that was hot. The other guys had commented on how hot it was, too. Except Deputy AssFlap, who’d rolled his eyes in blatant jealousy. Well, he could just suck a dick. Or let that brunette do it and get it all out of his system.
Max flicked the cold moisture from his soda bottle onto Grace’s foot, making her jump and look up from her cell phone.
She laughed. “Hey!” She wiped her foot. “I’m okay here,” she said softly. “I’m happy playing Angry Birds. Honestly. Go and have fun. I love the sun. I’m good.” She shrugged and scrunched up her nose.
Yeah, she’d started to catch the sun, too. Her dark skin had already begun to change color. Highlights at her hairline shone bright caramel and gold. She also looked a little buzzed, which was cute as hell. Max knew that his aunt Fern and Ruby had made sure she’d always had a fresh drink at her side.
“But everyone’s out on the float now,” he pointed out. “You’re all on your own.”
“Max, I’m okay. I promise.”
He huffed. “Well, will you at least come here while I show you something?” he asked, kicking a foot at one of the lounger legs.
She cocked a suspicious eyebrow. “Something?”
He smirked. “Not that something.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Not now, at least.”
She laughed and sat forward. “Okay. What do you want to show me?”
“Come here.”
Placing her cell on the lounger, she moved closer, standing carefully but unable to completely stop the slight sway in her gait. She giggled. “Those Jell-O shots are naughty.”
“I hear ya,” Max replied with a chuckle. “Hey,” he said frowning. “What’s that?” He pointed to her feet.
As she looked down, Max made his move. As though she weighed nothing, he grabbed her around the tops of her thighs and hiked her over his shoulder in a firefighter’s lift, grinning as cheers of encouragement erupted from the bastards on the float who’d dared him to do it. He hurried down toward the water, ignoring Grace’s squeals of protest, the tone of her voice thick with humor, and until he heard her panic, he wasn’t letting go.
“Max! I swear to God! Let me down.” She smacked his ass. Hard.
“Oh, you can do that again,” he retorted, wading into the water. She shrieked when it touched her toes. It would no doubt feel fucking bitter against her hot skin. “I’ve got you,” he hummed. “Don’t you worry.”
“Oh my heavens, it’s freezing, Max! Stop!”
Max chuckled. Even with liquor in her, she was still careful about cursing.
“Stop?” he asked, and halted his steps immediately, the water lapping at his waist.
“Thank you,” she gasped. “Now let me down.”
He grinned toward the float. “Okay. I’ll let you down. Here’s a good spot.”
With ease and a piercing scream from Grace as he did, Max lifted her and threw her into the water. The whole of her submerged. He bowed and waved at the float, where everyone was on his or her feet, laughing, whistling, and applauding.
“You bastard!” Grace spluttered as she broke the surface and stood up, hair dripping, white T-shirt clinging deliciously to her body. She flailed her hands, as if the movement would help in her effort to get dry.
Max moved toward her, grinning. “Oh, come on now. Don’t be mad.” He reached out. “My clothes never looked so fucking good.”