Daring the Bad Boy (Endless Summer)(24)

From the shocked look on her face, I would say she did. “Are you serious? Holy crap, Annie! This is great news!”

“I know.” I smiled, glancing over my shoulder to check out Kyle’s retreating back. “Crazy, right?”

“Crazy awesome. Now maybe you better go talk to Jake and find out when he’s gonna give you that first swim lesson he owes you.” Kelsey nudged my shoulder. “Go, my child. Go talk to the other hottest boy in camp.”

I glared at her before I headed for the lake, my mind awhirl with all the things. The many, many things that involved all the boys.

Well, two boys, but for me? That may as well be all the boys because hello, at home they never paid attention to me. But at camp? It was almost like I had two of them fighting over me.

More than a slight exaggeration, but still.

As I walked the trail, the white wooden lifeguard tower slowly came into view. I squinted in the sun, lifting my hand up to shield my eyes as I took in dark-haired, golden-skinned Jake sitting there with the whistle between his lips. He wore red swim trunks that looked very lifeguard-official, and sunglasses covered his eyes. With no shirt on and wearing a baseball hat, the breeze rustling the ends of his wavy brown hair this way and that, I’m sure plenty of girls swooned and gasped at the sight of him.

Not me. Not at this particular moment. My mind was full of Kyle. Cute, sweet, always wanting to get me drunk, Kyle.

Okay, that last part wasn’t a good quality, but we weren’t all perfect, right?

“Good luck! You can do it!” I suddenly heard Kelsey yell from behind me.

Glancing over my shoulder, I glared at my too-hopeful friend before I huffed out a sigh. I could hear her literally cheering me on, but I refused to look back again.

That would only encourage her.

I gave myself a mental speech as I approached the lifeguard tower. I would keep it short and sweet. Ask him when he wanted to meet and then leave. The best thing would be not to engage. Engaging gave him ammunition, and the guy already had enough on me. I didn’t trust him. I didn’t necessarily like him, either, even if he did save my life last night.

I stopped just at the base of the tower and glanced up at him. His chin was slumped forward into his neck, toward his chest, and his baseball hat was askew. He wore mirrored sunglasses—and they gave nothing away. “Hey.”

No reply.

Taking a deep breath in search of courage, I said, “Jake.” It felt sort of weird, calling him Jake. For some reason, I thought of him more as a Jacob. “Can I ask you a question?”

Still no reply. What the heck was wrong with this guy? Was he asleep?

No way.

I stepped forward and wrapped my fingers around the wooden structure, trying to give it a shake, but it was solid as a rock. “Come on, stop ignoring me. It’s super annoying,” I called up to him.

He said nothing. He didn’t even move. I thought I heard a soft snuffing sound—almost like a snore?

He couldn’t be.

“Jake!” I yelled his name, not caring if anyone heard me. There was so much noise surrounding us, I doubted anyone was paying me any mind. Looked like Jake wasn’t paying anyone any mind, either.

Like no one.

And he was on lifeguard duty. Supposed to be watching out for the safety of others.

I was fairly certain he was freaking asleep.

The soft snore I heard again confirmed my suspicions.

Deciding the hell with it, I grabbed hold of the slats of the lifeguard tower and climbed up until I was on top, right next to Jake.

Who was still freaking sleeping.

My gaze dropped to the whistle that hung from a thick red cord around his neck. Without thought I reached over and grabbed it, my fingertips grazing the warm, firm skin of his chest. Ignoring the tingles that raced up my arm at that fleeting contact, I wrapped my lips around the whistle.

And blew as hard as I could.





Chapter Nine


JAKE

I jumped about a mile when the whistle blowing right in my face startled me awake. Slender fingers wrapped around my arm, trying to steady me, and I sat up straight. Pushing my sunglasses up onto my head, I knocked my baseball cap off so it fell to the ground and I turned, startled to see who was there.

Annie. Sitting next to me on the bench, a smug smile curling her—ah damn, perfect?—lips. She released her hold on me and I scooted away from her as much as I could. I needed the distance, but I wasn’t getting it up here on this tiny bench.

“What are you doing here?” I muttered, scrubbing a hand over my face. I blinked hard, my head fuzzy. I didn’t remember seeing her approach…

“You were asleep. On the job, when you’re supposed to be watching out for all the campers in the lake.” Her voice was light and airy, as if she’d just discovered something totally awesome.

Which she sort of did. She discovered something she could totally use against me.

Shit.

“What, are you taking over my job?” I sneered, trying to go for mean and surly, but she saw right through me—one of her uncanny abilities. I was really feeling more groggy and half asleep.

“No, but I should. I’m a way better lifeguard than you right about now.” She flicked her hair behind her shoulder, still wearing the smug smile.

Despite feeling shitty at being caught freaking sleeping, I couldn’t help but think the smug smile was a good look for her.