The Allure of Dean Harper (The Allure #2)(27)

“I can get out myself,” I said, covering my chest with one arm and using the other arm to doggy paddle closer to the ladder. It was slow going, but I figured I’d get there eventually.

“The ladder isn’t stable. Stop being difficult and just let me help you,” he argued.

Me? DIFFICULT? So help me god, he was going to eat his words when I got onto that platform.

“I have strong arms. Turn around and let me get up.”

“Lily. Enough.”

The fire in my veins had nothing to do with treading water and everything to do with my anger toward Dean. I was right against the ladder, just below where he was hovering on the platform. I had one arm wrapped precariously around my chest and one arm desperately trying to keep me afloat…which left me with zero arms to reach for the ladder. Fuck me.

I had to suck it up and wait him out. Eventually he’d get bored and go inside, and I could lift myself out then. The muscles in my arm started cramping worse than ever, like they’d heard my thoughts and were desperately trying to convince me to abort my plan. My pain must have shown on my face because Dean bent lower, too annoyed to deal with my nonsense any longer.

“Lily, I’m going to help you up. You can yell all you want, but I’m not going to let you kill yourself because you’re afraid I’ll see your boobs.”

I tried to reach for the ladder with my swimming arm just as I felt his hands grasp my biceps. He yanked my arm away from where it covered my chest and hoisted me out of the water like he was lifting a bag of marshmallows. I didn’t even have time to fully comprehend the fact that my boobs were on full display before I felt one foot touch the edge of the platform.

I was on land again!

I wasn’t going to die!

Unfortunately, excitement set in a moment too soon. Just as I tried to set my other foot down on the platform, it slipped out from under me. Dean tried to hold me up, but I was already flailing forward like a fish. I couldn’t brace myself against him because he still had ahold of my arms. I fell in slow motion, confident my face was about to make contact with the hard platform, when instead, I landed face first against Dean’s crotch.

Wait. Let me clarify.

I’d been on the edge of the swim platform with Dean holding me up like a rag doll, and when I slipped, my face had hit his crotch with enough force to strip the paint off his bow, if you catch my drift. I was pretty sure I’d just broken Dean’s penis. Hello God? It’s me, Lily. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could you have a shark jump out of the water and eat me? I’d really like to die a quick, painless death, preferably one that doesn’t involve my face colliding with Dean’s crotch any more.

Dean let out a guttural grown, let go of my arms, and collapsed back onto the swim platform. He squeezed his eyes shut and rocked from side to side with bent knees. I jumped up and leaned over him, gripping his shoulders in my hands.

“Oh my god. I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!”

One of his eyes peered open and he shook his head, incapable of speech. Clearly, I’d just caused some serious damage.

“Do you need some ice? Should I blow on it?”

He laughed, and then groaned again. The joke was crass at best, but I needed a way to gauge how badly he was injured.

“Okay good, if you can laugh then you aren’t going to die.”

I heard footsteps on the stairs and glanced up to see Josephine, taking them two at a time. With all the excitement, I hadn’t even noticed that she’d left the swim platform. “I’ve got it! Here, Lily, I’ve got something for you to wear!”

I glanced down to my chest, remembered it was bare, and then jumped off Dean. Jeez, I’d just played the role of slutty nurse really well. Oh please, let me help you while I shove my boobs in your face.

“You perv! You could have reminded me that I was topless,” I said, holding my arms over my chest.

Dean opened his eyes and glared up at me. “Yeah, sorry, I was a little busy trying not to throw up from pain.”

Josephine thrust a bright red thing in front of my face. “Here, put this on.”

A normal person would have grabbed a t-shirt or a towel. What did Josephine grab? A giant, puffy life vest—the kind you find on cheap paddleboats. It would cover my boobs, but only barely.

“Seriously Jo? Seriously?”

She glared at me, holding it out for me to take. “What?! It was the only thing I could find. Just put it on.”

I huffed and took it from her. It wouldn’t cover me completely, but it was better than nothing. I turned away from Dean and quickly pulled it on over my head. I buckled it in front of my chest and tightened the black strap as tight as it would go. By the time I turned back around, Dean was staring up at me with a blank expression.

“What?” I asked, glancing down to confirm that the life vest was covering me.

Josephine laughed. “He’s probably just recalling all of his boyhood Playboy fantasies.”

He shook his head and pushed up to stand. He towered over me, tall and lean. I could smell the ocean air mixed with his body wash.

“More like Baywatch,” he corrected with a little smirk.

I groaned with embarrassment. “Could we just pretend that you didn’t see any of that?” I pleaded.

He arched a brow and met my eye. There was an emotion concealed behind his gaze that I hadn’t seen before, at least not from him.