Down Too Deep (Dirty Deeds, #4)(45)

I stepped over and forced his hand to drop. I tried to look away from her—I couldn’t. I kept my eyes on Jenna, on her hands as they moved down her stomach and curled around her hips to her back.

Goddamn, her body.

“Where’s that admission at?” Davis asked. “Tip of your tongue? Or are you still hesitating…?”

I exhaled through my nose, ignoring him. Who the fuck said I had to admit to anything? Acknowledging to myself was a big enough step, and here I was, acknowledging.

I knew exactly who I wanted.

“How about I give you a little nudge?”

I blinked at his question. “What?” Dragging my gaze off the most alluring sunscreen application I’d ever witnessed, I watched Davis step out from underneath the patio and walk around the pool. “What are you doing!” I hollered.

He grinned at me over his shoulder. “No feelings, right? I’m not crossing any lines here.”

My gaze hardened as his meaning and motives became clear. I took a step, then another, trailing him. “Davis,” I growled. My pace quickened.

“Unless you wanna tell me to back off, I don’t see why I can’t—”

I gripped his shoulder and shoved him into the water.





Chapter Eleven





JENNA




Commotion had me lifting my head. I looked from Nathan to his friend as he pushed out of the water and sat on the edge of the pool. He was laughing and fully clothed.

“Message received!” Davis hollered, stripping off his soaking-wet shirt and wringing it out.

“Did he fall in?” I asked Nathan when he stopped in front of me.

“Huh? Oh…yeah.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Actually, no, I pushed him in.” Nathan shrugged, a smile teasing his lips. He began to stare at me, chest heaving.

Is he looking at my swimsuit? With those glasses on, I couldn’t tell.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey yourself.” I laughed, dropping my glasses down so I no longer needed to squint in the sun. “You’re not going to push me in, are you?”

“Now, why would I do that?”

“I don’t know. Why did you push your friend in?”

“Because he was coming over here to hit on you.”

I swallowed. Whoa…what? Was he saying what I thought he was saying?

“Oh, yeah?” I asked, needing confirmation more than I needed to know exactly where Nathan was looking right now.

“Yeah,” he answered.

“And that’s not something he should be doing because he’s…married?”

Wow. I was seriously reaching. But I wasn’t sure Nathan would elaborate unless I pried for more. And I needed so much more than what he’d already given me. What was he saying here?

Nathan didn’t answer my question. Instead he slid off his hat and both pairs of glasses, dropping them onto the chair beside Marley. Then he reached over his shoulder and pulled off his shirt.

My eyes lowered and locked on.

He was half naked. Holy God, he was half naked. I’d never seen him without a shirt on before.

Was he speaking now? Was he giving me the answer I wanted? I had no idea.

Nathan’s body…He was such a liar. He’d told Oliver it had been six years since he’d played football, yet he was built like he’d never given it up.

His muscles were defined, thick in his shoulders and biceps but not bulky. He had a lean, long, sculpted torso, abs without flexing, and narrow hips. I followed the dusting of hair below his navel to his swim shorts. They hung low, at least two, three inches below his waist.

I squinted, studying.

No, three inches for sure. Thank God for these glasses. I could openly stare without anyone knowing. Nathan had no idea.

“So, nothing to say to that?”

My head jerked up. “Huh? Nothing to say to what? Did you say something?”

“I answered your question…”

Oh shit. What good were these glasses if I couldn’t properly maintain conversation? I’d totally been had. Time to guess.

“Um, right. So, he’s married, then?”

“No. I said he’s not married.”

“Oh.” My voice came out breathy. “Well, you know…it’s hard to hear you. With the music…” And your body. What a distraction.

Wait. Waitwaitwait.

Okay, so Davis wasn’t married. He was coming over here to hit on me. And knowing that, Nathan pushed him into the pool?

My heartbeat accelerated.

I stared into Nathan’s eyes, waiting for him to answer the unspoken question that hung in the air between us, but he didn’t. He wouldn’t say a word. He simply looked at me.

When Rihanna cut off mid-song and “A Groovy Kind of Love” began playing, a laugh pushed past my lips.

What the…?

Nathan frowned, his dark brows pinching together. Both of us turned to look over at the DJ booth.

Davis stood behind it, arms drawn across his bare chest and hair sticking up wildly from the pool. He smiled directly at us.

“Jesus,” Nathan muttered, putting his back to his friend. He shook his head.

“Kind of an odd song to play right now.” I giggled. “Is he a big Phil Collins fan or something?”