The Summer Deal (Wildstone #5)(53)

Eli was . . . exhausted. His ass was seriously dragging. That’s what happened when one stayed up all night worshipping a woman’s body. He had zero regrets, but damn, he’d pay big money for a burger and fries and then eight hours of shut eye.

He and Demi had gotten a late start on the day’s dive because he’d made a stop at the funeral home, where he’d finally been able to deal with his grandma’s remains.

Thanks to Brynn.

His grandma would now be buried next to her husband, just as she’d always wanted. She hadn’t gotten blessed by her priest and she’d been cremated, and Eli would forever blame his mom for going against her mom’s wishes, but the priest had said he’d be honored to bless the remains before burial. It was the best Eli could do, and he had to take his peace from that.

Now he was treading water in the ocean on a day so clear that there was barely a line where the sky and the sea met.

Demi was boarded. So, pulling off his mask, he reached for the swim platform on the back of the boat. Demi was already all the way to the bow of the boat, out of hearing range, drying off.

“Cutting it close,” Max noted quietly, eyeing his phone and the timer app he had going. “I asked Demi about it and she said you wanted to get the last of some measurement I didn’t understand. A stupid measurement.”

Eli tossed his mask on board. “It wasn’t just some stupid measurement.”

Max shook his head and reached out, grabbing Eli’s gear while Eli rolled onto the swim platform and onto his back. “Don’t do that again.”

Eli heard the tremor in his brother’s voice and lost the smile. “You okay?”

“People drop out of our life like fleas, man. I’m not going to lose you too, especially not over some microbes or organisms or whatever the fuck you’re doing down there.”

Eli set a hand on Max’s arm, but Max shoved it off.

While he put both Eli’s and Demi’s equipment where it went, Max’s movements were jerky and very unlike his usually easygoing gait.

Eli stood in his way and waited until Max looked at him.

“What?”

“You’re right, and I’m sorry,” Eli said. “I won’t do that again.”

Max glared at him, then, seeing the honesty in Eli’s gaze, slowly lost the hostility and nodded.

Eli pulled him in to give him a full-body—and very wet—hug.

“You’re such an asshole,” Max muttered, trying to pull free.

The kid might have an inch on him, but Eli had the muscle. He grinned and held tight. “Not until you say you love me.”

Max was laughing now, struggling to free himself. “You’re such a dumbass.”

“Say it.”

“Fuck off.”

“Say it. Say you love me.”

“You love me.”

Eli shook his head. “Not letting go until you say I love you.”

“I said it. You love me.”

“I swear I’ll dump you right over the edge.”

“We’re at work,” Max said. “Demi’s looking at us like we’re a pair of idiots.”

“Ask me if I give a shit. I love you, and I want to hear you say it back.”

Max let out a rough laugh. “I love you, you crazy-ass idiot. Now let me go. And I’m using your towel.”

Eli let him go and watched as he indeed grabbed Eli’s towel and moved off to finish taking care of the equipment while still watching the boat’s controls as he’d been hired to. He got everything in order and then squatted low at Eli’s side, looking him over with careful eyes, which he hadn’t been hired to do.

“You’re exhausted,” Max said. “You should never have gone out in this condition.”

“I’m good.”

Max looked him over again and shook his head. “You’re wrecked.”

More like an empty husk of a man. Literally. He wasn’t sure how many times he’d had Brynn, but he’d depleted all bodily fluids, plus any reserves he’d had in the tank.

And . . . he was lying to himself. He knew exactly how many times he’d had her last night, and it still hadn’t been enough. He forced himself to sit up to get the rest of his gear off. Then he needed to get back to the marina and to his desk to make notes on today’s findings.

“You know it’s stupid dangerous to dive when you’re so distracted, right?”

“Again, thanks, Mom.”

“Shit.” Max pushed his ballcap off, ran his fingers through his hair, then shoved the hat back on his head, backward this time. He pointed at Eli. “Something’s up with you.”

“I’m fine.”

Max lifted a single brow. They didn’t keep secrets from each other. “Then I’ll tell you what’s up,” he said. “You slept with her.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I was with Kinsey when she found Brynn’s bra dangling from the stair railing.”

Shit.

“Yeah.” Max laughed. “Definitely a rookie mistake.”

Eli started to strip off his wet suit.

“I mean, who does that, sleeps with their roommate?” Max asked casually.

“You,” Eli said. “Usually it’s you.”