Beyond What is Given(30)

“Yeah, well that’s not hard to do looking at the rest of them.”

A skinny jackass whistled as he passed by us, lowering his sunglasses and scoping Mia out like a piece of steak, or worse—a piece of ass.

I pivoted toward the pool, tripping him with my foot in the process. He screamed like a girl and fell into the pool. I stepped in front of Mia, taking the splash. He sputtered to the surface, and I crouched down to pool level as he swam to the side.

“Dude!” the kid called out, wiping the water out of his eyes.

“That’s my baby sister. Would you like another look?” I dropped my voice and narrowed my eyes.

“N-n-no,” he sputtered.

“Gray, come on, you’re scaring the guy. He probably thinks you’re about to go all Hulk on him.” Mia tapped my shoulder, which was still tense.

I grunted but offered my hand to the guy and pulled him out of the pool easily. His street clothes dripped enough water to fill the baby pool.

“Hey, Sam!” Mia waved her arm above her head.

My eyes latched onto Sam before the rest of me even registered that Mia had spoken.

From beneath the wide brim of a straw hat and huge sunglasses, Sam gave off a megawatt grin that could have tanned my soul. Her florescent orange wrap made her skin look like dessert. The tension in my chest instantly dissipated, like she’d pulled the thread on an old sweater, slowly unraveling me, dissolving not only the strain but my defenses as well.

“Hey, guys!” She came over to us and claimed the chair closest to Mia.

Well, that sucked. Wait. It was for the best. Damn, I couldn’t even decide where I wanted her to sit. I waved. Lamest wave in the history of man.

“How was your tutoring session?” Mia asked.

“Long,” Sam answered, dropping her hat to her chair with her glasses, and then stretching her arms toward the sun. At six p.m. the temp should have started dropping from its ninety-nine-degree high, but damn if mine wasn’t spiking.

Get a f*cking grip on yourself.

“Want to swim?” Mia asked, dropping her towel.

“Sure!” Sam nodded enthusiastically. She untied the belt around her waist and let her wrap fall to the chair.

Holy. Fucking. Shit. Fuck. Shit. Fuuuck.

Her suit was made up of a halter top and boy shorts. It left the toned muscles of her stomach bare to the sunlight and hugged her ass. Her breasts rose high and her nipples stood out against the fabric.

My mouth watered at the thought of peeling the tiny scrap of fabric away and taking a taste.

“What’s with the disapproving look? Are you going to tell me to put on more clothes again, Grayson? Because last time I checked, we are at a pool, and I technically have on more clothes than you do.” She motioned to my bare chest.

I looked disapproving? Hell, I’d take it. It was a lot better than horny like the kid I’d tripped into the pool…who was still standing just to the side of me. I glared at him, but his eyes were focused on someone else. Samantha.

“It’s hot as hell out here,” Mia commented.

“Language,” I snapped out of habit.

She raised her eyebrows at me. “I don’t see Mom. Hell. Hell. Hell.”

“You’re going to be the death of me, Mia.” I sat back on my chair and reached for my cards to keep from reaching for Sam, but the chair put me at eye line with her ass, so I stood back up. “Go swim.”

“I’d love to get in,” Sam said and touched her toe to the water.

“I’d love to get in, too,” the skinny kid remarked with a whistle, his eyes wide as he blatantly appreciated Sam a little too much.

My arm was out before I could stop it, my open palm connecting with his chest and sending him back into the pool.

“Grayson, what the hell?” Sam asked, racing to the edge of the pool.

He spit water out as he surfaced. “What, is she your sister, too?”

When he’d checked out Mia, it had annoyed me, but putting his sights on Sam sent cold rage through my veins, locking my muscles. “Fucking far from it.”

“Gray! Language!” Mia mocked me.

I didn’t bother to turn around, just kept my glare locked on skinny-no-mannered-* until he got the point.

Stop cat-calling my girls.

Shit. I blinked. When had I started to think of Sam as one of my girls? The moment you caught her off the counter.

“Oh my God, do you need a hand?” Sam leaned over the water with her hand extended.

The guy looked at her like she’d grown three heads, then swam to the opposite side of the pool before getting out. Good plan.

“Cave man, much?” Sam glared up at me.

“He was…” I lost all words.

“Checking me out? Hitting on me? Maybe thinking of asking me out?” She crossed her arms, which only raised her breasts. Get your mind out of her f*cking pants. “Grayson, I’m single. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I would like to be asked out?”

“You want someone like that? Someone who just wants you because of your body?” Your very tight, very f*ckable body.

She rubbed her fingers into her temples. “No, but that’s not your call to make, hothead. It’s mine.”

I caught Mia laughing like a loon over Sam’s shoulder and glared harder. Sam’s expression changed, her features schooled with a sugar-sweet smile. “In fact, I think you should cool off!”