Collided: Dirty Air (Book 2)(34)

I catch Sophie as she trips, stopping her before she falls face-first on the sharp rocks. Her clumsiness has no bounds.

She presses her back against my shirt-clad chest. I wore it at her request because she claims she can’t think straight around me when I’m shirtless, giving me an excuse about how abs and muscles are a mental weakness for her.

“Hands off.” She laughs as she pulls away from me all too soon.

I chuckle while shaking my head. She acts like nothing phases her, but she can’t hide the glint in her eyes or the way she holds her breath when I get close. I’m very aware of the act she puts on. She only fights her attraction better than me.

Her eyes land on mine, reflecting her nervousness and doubt. “All right. Well, we made it up here. Don’t be scared. It’ll be over in a second.” She lets out a shaky breath.

“Not sure who you’re trying to convince more right now.” I look down and let out a whistle. “Well, no time like the present. You know you can’t cross it off the list until you do it. The power of the Sharpie remains in my hands.”

“Fuck it,” she murmurs under her breath.

“Atta girl. I’ll go first just in case. Who knows what would happen if you jump before me?”

Beating back my nervousness about getting injured, I take a deep breath. I find it hard to say no to Sophie. Every single time she flashes her emerald eyes at me and bats her lashes, I agree mindlessly. Somehow, I’m pussy-whipped without actually getting any.

I don’t spend any more time thinking about Sophie or the jump. One minute I stand on the cliff; the next, I slam into the cold water. My body sinks into the depths of the ocean. The saltwater stings my eyes as I swim toward the surface, gasping for air once my head breaches.

Sophie looks at me from over the ledge. “I think I’m going to meet you down by the shore. You have such great form, and I can’t compete. I give your jump an eleven out of ten.”

I think she’s fucking around with me to buy time until she backs away from the edge, her body barely visible from my viewpoint. “Sophie Marie Mitchell! Get your ass in the water!”

She stops moving, and I take the opportunity to check her out. Her golden hair flies behind her like rays of sunshine. The bikini she wears accentuates her full breasts and tight stomach, making her look like a siren calling out to me, fucking with my head and my cock all at once.

“Okay, no need to be pushy.” Her voice interrupts my examination. I lick my lips, salt from the ocean coating my tongue.

Sophie takes a few deep breaths before she gets a running start. She screams as she jumps off the cliff, her body making a small splash as she plunges into the water. Her body disappears beneath the dark blue waves. Seconds pass since her jump and she hasn’t come up, making me lose count of the time. My heart rate accelerates at the thought of her hitting her head against the side of some rocks. Panic bubbles inside of me as I swim toward the area she jumped into.

Her head pops up out of the water. I let out a shaky breath as I attempt to close the distance between us.

“Stop! Do not come any closer.” She looks at me with crazy eyes, her cheeks flushing under my gaze.

“What’s wrong? Did you get hurt?” I wince at the unfamiliar sound of worry in my voice.

“No. But I can’t find my top.” She dips underneath the surface to locate her little scrap of material. Her fashion choice was a bad one for something like this, the item no doubt lost to the ocean’s current. My dick pulses at the thought of Sophie naked, but I tamper it down when I realize how bad this is.

She pops back up again with no bikini in sight. I can make out her golden skin under the water, fighting everything inside of me that wants to swim closer and take a peek.

“I can’t find it.” She frowns.

“What do you mean?” I wheeze, afraid of my limited self-control.

“It got loose when I jumped in. Ugh, it’s my favorite top.”

I try to think of anything but her naked body right now, gliding underneath the water. My dick doesn’t mind the idea. The head upstairs calls the shots, explaining why I can look but can’t touch.

She wants to stay friends. You want to avoid drama. Her dad manages your main competition, and nothing good can come from that type of situation. Well, except maybe amazing sex based on the way your dick enjoys Sophie’s presence.

Fuck, Liam.

Sophie snags my attention again. “Positive of this situation: I think I can count this as two items on the list. This can be considered as skinny-dipping, right?”

My semi turns into a full-blown hard-on at the talk of her list. “I don’t think so. Usually that includes tossing everything.” I’m going to hell. It’s official. Noah, please save me a spot next to you.

“Since when are you such a stickler for rules? You’re not the one who’s half naked right now.”

I look down at my light blue T-shirt before my fingers lift the hem over my head. “That’s a great idea.”

“What are you doing?” Sophie’s eyes bounce from my tan chest to my face before returning to my chest.

“I’m giving you my shirt. You can’t get out of the water like that.” Yes, it’s Europe. No, I don’t want her topless, at least not in front of random people. I prefer a private show free of interruptions and wandering eyes.