Kiss and Don't Tell(58)

“You really didn’t have to do this,” Silas says. “You’re not bothering anyone by being here. If anything, you’ve made Pacey forget about the season, which he was harping on every two goddamn seconds. You’re doing us a favor.” Silas goes to the fridge, pulls out a beer, cracks it open, and pours it into his new cup. He smacks his lips together and says, “Now that’s a good beer. Thanks, Winnie.”

“You’re welcome.”

Silas sits on the counter while Stephan lays out plates. “Seriously, though, I’m glad we don’t have to watch Pacey study his game videos over and over again. It’s a relief.”

“All right, settle down,” Pacey says while setting his bags on the console table near the couch. He then turns to me and asks, “Do you want to eat first and then sit in the hot tub?”

“Uh . . . yeah,” I say as I feel every pair of eyes in this room on me.

“Are we hopping into the hot tub after this?” Eli asks, wiggling his eyebrows. “I’m game.”

“Just me and Winnie,” Pacey says—and thank God for that, because I’m already self-conscious enough about joining just Pacey. There’s no way I’d be able to do it with the rest of the guys.

“Such a shame. I was hoping to sit close to you, man. I miss you.” Eli holds out his arms. “Come give me a hug.”

“Fuck off.” Pacey laughs and then grabs us each a bottle of water from the fridge.

Levi comes bustling down the hall, arms full of cider and mouth full of fudge. “This is the best day of my life.”

“There’s no way,” I mutter.

“No way what?” Pacey asks.

Quietly I turn toward him and say, “That he got blown on the team bus. He’s such a goof.”

“Don’t judge a book by its cover, Winnie. You should know that.”





Two things I didn’t think through when Pacey said we should hang out in the hot tub.

I didn’t pack my bathing suit, even though Max told me to because he said you never know when you’re going to spontaneously jump into a lake. I thought he was an idiot and skipped the bathing suit. Little did I know the lake was going to be a hot tub.

And the second thing—I’m going to be in a hot tub with Pacey Lawes, the man currently walking toward me in nothing but a pair of navy-blue swim trunks, which hang low enough to catch the deep V in his hips. But besides his obviously built chest and defined abdomen, his hair is pulled up into a topknot, and he’s carrying a box of chocolate, as well as two cans of cider.

Talk about feeling like a queen.

I have a robe wrapped around my body—provided by my room, of course; it truly has everything, except a swimsuit—and my nerves are eating me alive, because I know what I have under this robe will soon be exposed to Pacey.

“Why do you have a frightened look on your face?” Pacey asks.

“I forgot I didn’t bring a bathing suit with me.”

“Then what, uh . . . what are you wearing under your robe?” he asks, his voice growing deeper.

And then it hits me. “Oh, I’m not naked. I have clothes on. Well, not clothes per se, more like undergarments. I didn’t think naked was an option—I mean, not that I would want to be naked. That would be weird, wouldn’t it? ‘Oh hey, I’m naked in here, move along, boys.’” I have no idea what I’m saying. “Can we just ignore everything I just said and finish this off with I’m not naked, I’m wearing a bra and underwear?”

“What color?” His eyes grow dark.

I clutch at my robe and try to hide my grin. “You’ll soon find out.”

And just like that, the feelings of being self-conscious fly away as Pacey takes my hand, even though his are full, and walks me through the house to the pool room. The boys are watching a movie in the theater room, you can hear the bass of the speakers booming as we make our way through the house. I’m just glad it’s only going to be Pacey catching me in this getup, and not all of the guys.

“What are they watching?” I ask Pacey.

“Uh, one of the Star Wars movies, I think. One of the new ones.”

“Solo?” I ask.

Pacey scoffs. “No, that movie is trash. All the boys hate it.”

“Really? I didn’t think it was that bad.”

Pacey pauses in the hallway and turns toward me. “If you plan on staying here, I suggest you don’t repeat that, but just keep it to yourself.”

“They hate it that much?”

“Yes. That much.”

“Good to know.” We continue walking. “Anything else I need to know that they hate?”

“The movie Annie.”

“What?” I laugh.

Pacey pushes open the pool door for me, and I’m instantly transported into another world. Large sliding glass doors are propped open, bringing the beauty of outside indoors. The vaulted ceilings resemble the ones in my guest room, but they’re covered in pine shiplap and white bulb lights that twinkle in the dark night, offering the only light in the room.

It’s incredibly romantic.

“They have something against Annie, not quite sure what. Maybe it’s the music, the premise? Can’t be sure. It’s just not allowed to be watched when they’re around, ever.”