Novak Raven (Harper's Mountains #4)(40)

“Ryder Croy, this is Weston’s birthday present,” Lexi growled, tugging on a huge soaker Ryder was trying to strap to his back like Rambo. “He should get first choice.”

“I…need the…biggest gun,” he gritted out, struggling to pull the soaker out of her hands, “…because I have…the biggest penis!” Ryder yanked the trigger and squirted Lexi right in the face, then froze with an oh-shit look on his face. “Accident,” he murmured.

And oh, when Lexi opened her eyes again, she looked mad as a hornet.

Everyone in the clearing went still for a moment, attention on what Lexi would do. Then, as if there was some unspoken, ready, steady, go, everyone bolted for the water guns.

Weston pulled Avery behind him and frantically began strapping himself down with the sloshing weaponry. Avery hesitated a moment, unsure of herself, but Weston said, “You better move, woman. Defend yourself!”

Well, okay then.

Avery pulled a couple straps over her shoulders, shoved two water pistols in the back of her jean shorts, and screamed when Aaron blasted her in the shoulder with a stream of cold water. Giggling uncontrollably, she pulled a couple water balloons from a neon green bucket and launched them at Aaron and Alana, who were on the run.

Wyatt stood in the back of the truck, legs locked, as he shot two water rifles in the air and battle-cried like a lunatic. Ryder was shooting Lexi’s white shirt all to hell, right at her boobs, Weston was running full-speed after Aaron, the mountains were echoing with laughter, and everything was perfect.

Harper blasted her with water, and Avery gasped at how shockingly cold it was. What had they put in these, ice water? She pulled the trigger on her biggest gun, but nothing.

“Pump it!” Weston yelled from where he, Aaron, and Alana were embroiled in a water battle.

“What?”

“Ryder, quit!” Lexi said through a peel of laughter.

Ryder was hugging his mate, pelvic thrusting against her butt. “He said hump it.”

“Hump it?” Avery called, confused.

“No, pump it!” Weston yelled again, pulling the mechanism under his water gun to show Avery.

Right. She did as he’d shown her and pulled the trigger on Harper right before she disappeared around the truck. Harper squealed and said, “Aaah, that’s cold!”

Avery chased Harper, but Wyatt was still in the back of the truck raining down water bullets, and by the time Avery caught up to the Bloodrunner alpha, she was drenched and laughing so hard it was difficult to stay upright. She slipped and slid in the mud they were creating, her wet hair plastered to her face, and her clothes sticking to her like a second skin. Alana and Lexi appeared out from behind the truck as Avery bolted for the trees. She and Harper screamed and dodged the new jets of water, looked at each other with giant grins, then turned their guns on the other two girls. Her biggest gun was already empty, so she tossed it on the ground and grabbed the next, ducking and hiding around trees.

“Aaaah,” Aaron yelled as he jumped from behind a pine. He sprayed Avery across the stomach, and she reacted by hitting him in the chest with the stream from hers.

Another splash of water hit her and another, and then Weston was there, pulling her hand toward a thick grove of trees and tossing water balloon grenades at the others as they bolted for cover.

They played and shot and ran and hid until every water gun stream was nothing but a drip. Avery was heaving breath, her arms and legs were shaking, and she was soaked to the bone, but she’d never had more fun in her life. And when her last water pistol was empty, she shot a beaming smile at Weston, who was standing beside her, his short, dark hair dripping, eyes dancing, and his grin big and white. There was that dimple. His chest was heaving with exertion, and his shirt so wet she could see every tattoo through the thin material.

And for a moment, they just stood like that, locked in each other’s smiles. He felt like happiness.

Weston dropped his water gun and cupped her neck, pulled her gently to him, and dipped down to her lips. It was a soft kiss, one where his lips fit perfectly to hers. He didn’t push his tongue past her lips, but instead, stood up straighter and slid an arm around her back, brought her closer to his hard body. His erection pressed against her, but still, he didn’t push. He was tender as he sipped at her lips.

He disengaged, then gave her a soft peck, once, twice, then another lingering one before he rested his forehead against hers and drew her palm against his chest. “Feel.” His heartbeat was fast under her hand. Weston brushed damp hair from her face and smiled. “You do that to me.”

Avery pressed his hand to her lips, kissed his work-hardened palm, then rested it under her collar bone so he could feel how fast hers was racing, too. “We match,” she whispered.

“Weston’s touching Avery’s boob,” Ryder called. And then he loudly sang, “Weston and Avery sittin’ in a tree, F-U-C-K-I-N—”

“Ryder!” Harper yelled.

Avery cracked up and rested her face on Weston’s chest to hide the color of her cheeks. “I like your crew,” she admitted. “I thought they would be terrifying and mean, but they aren’t.”

“Nope. Just crass and immature,” Weston said, his voice tinged with amusement.

Weston bent down, and shouldered their water guns. And on the way up, he slung Avery over his shoulder.