An Ounce of Hope (A Pound of Flesh #2)(61)

Ruby snorted and shook her head at the same time an almighty splash echoed around the water. Five men, arms flying in the front crawl, shot toward the shore. Ruby screamed and yelled for her husband while Carla, her blonde hair shining in the sun, called out Buck’s name. Carla’s friend—Anna? Ada?—smiled.

“Hey, Adele,” Carla called over her shoulder to the brown-haired woman.

That’s right. Adele.

“Looks like your man’s in the lead.”

“Shut up,” Adele retorted, closing her large hazel eyes and lying back on her lounger, her flat stomach unblemished and toned in her blue two-piece. “It was one lousy kiss. It’s not like I slept with the guy.”

Grace frowned at Ruby in question, who mouthed, “Caleb.” Ah. Clearly, there’d been some shenanigans after she and Max had gone to bed. Interesting.

Max strode from the water, ribbing Buck about kicking his ass in the water again and pushing his black hair back from his forehead. His whole body shifted in a way that Grace had only ever seen on predator nature programs. Like a wildcat or something, he was all sinewy and sensual. Christ. She pressed her beer bottle to her cheek; the sun was already getting to her and her libido. What was it about the summer that had everyone’s lustometer on high alert?

Max smirked as he approached. “You made it. Did you get some food?” He cocked an eyebrow at her clothing and lifted the hem of the T-shirt to her ribs. “This looks familiar.”

“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 f*cking 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.