“Yeah… Kyle invited me.”
“Oh. That’s cool.” Her look said it all. She was trying to figure out if I was sleeping with both of them. I’m sure she wasn’t the only one wondering that.
Kyle slung an arm around my shoulder in what he was probably trying to play off as a friendly gesture. After our conversation in the car, it felt like anything but that. “Dylan wouldn’t want her to miss the fun.”
“Are you sure about that?” Ryan gave me a look I couldn’t quite read. I hadn’t noticed him joining us.
Kyle smirked. “I’m positive.”
“You’re on keg duty, Kyle.” Ryan pointed to the tailgate of his SUV. “Get it set up, and don’t leave it for the rest of the day.”
“Is that some sort of punishment?”
“You can’t spend the day flirting with your brother’s girlfriend if you’re serving everyone.”
“Let’s make this easy. Tally and I will do our own thing. Someone can give us a ride home after.” I grabbed Tally’s arm.
“Sounds good to me.” She smiled. Maybe the roommate thing wouldn’t be so bad.
“And how does that help? What, you think Dylan would rather you go off on your own and meet up with one of the other four frats out here today?” Ryan looked at me like I had two heads. “No way. You’re with me today, Doll Face.”
“Doll Face? Are you kidding me?”
“I think it fits.”
“Tally?” Ryan’s tone got friendlier.
“Yes?” She looked him square in the eye.
“I’m glad you’re here. Enjoy yourself.” I didn’t miss the fact that he didn’t tell me to enjoy myself or the lingering glance he gave her.
The guys loaded a bunch of tubes into the back of the school bus that would be driving us to the launch spot. This would be my second school bus ride in a week.
I tentatively pulled off my cover-up and left it in the Jeep. I had a history of losing anything I brought with me on float trips, and I didn’t particularly want to ride home in just a swimsuit. Tally did the same, probably feeling about as comfortable as I did.
“Finally. I thought I was going to go into withdrawal.” Kyle grinned.
“Withdrawal from what?”
“Seeing you in a bikini.”
I smacked his arm. “Don’t.”
“What?”
“Ready?” Ryan joined us at the car. His eyes went right to my chest and didn’t leave it for an awkward few seconds.
“Yes, but you don’t need to wait for me. I’m more than capable of walking the few feet to the bus.” I hoped he’d get the point that there was no way he was babysitting me out of some weird devotion to his friend.
“I’m definitely waiting for you.” Ugh. His eyes moved down again.
“What were you saying about my not hanging out with Kyle today?”
“He’ll be too busy. Come on.” He turned to Kyle. “Go move the keg.”
Kyle winked before walking away.
I turned to get Tally, but she was talking with Gregg. I smiled. At least one of us would have a good time. I turned my back on Ryan but kept a distance from Tally. I didn’t want to mess anything up for her.
I refused to look at Ryan even as we walked to the bus.
Tally took a seat. I was about to slide in next to her when she gave me a look. I grinned, moving out of the way for Gregg. I sat down in the seat behind her. Ryan sat next to me.
“You know, there are plenty of other girls to bother today—and none of them are already dating your best friend.” I always had an edge to me, but Ryan multiplied it by ten merely by being in close proximity. Make that by twenty when he opened his mouth.
“I get what Dylan likes about you.”
My chest. I kept that thought to myself. “What?”
“You’re spunky.”
“Spunky?”
“Yeah. You’ve got an attitude, but it works for you. It comes across as sexy.”
I laughed. I had to. No one ever called my attitude sexy. “Whatever.”
“It’s true. Add in your body, and I definitely understand what has him so bent out of shape. If I’d seen you first, I probably would have gone for you, too.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, but I wouldn’t have gone for you.” I crossed my arms.
“See, there’s that attitude.” He smirked. “But just so you know, when you cross your arms like that, you show me more cle**age.”
“Argh. Next time I’m wearing a one piece.”
“Please don’t.”
“I don’t get you.”
“What don’t you get?”
“One second, you’re mad because you think I’m flirting with Kyle. Now you’re checking me out.”
“I can look. If that’s all I thought Kyle was doing, I wouldn’t care.”
“They’re brothers.”
“So? I thought you knew the Bradleys.”
The bus started moving. It got uncomfortably bumpy as we jostled over the dirt road. “I do.”
“Then you should know how ridiculously competitive they are. Kyle’s always trying to take what’s Dylan’s.”
“Have they liked the same girl before?” My curiosity got the best of me.
“No, it’s usually not about girls.”
“Are you going to expand on that?”
He looked torn for a second. “No. That’s for Dylan to tell you, but it’s about their dad’s business.”
“Fine. But just so you know, you do not have my permission to look.”
He laughed. “Good luck enforcing that. We’re going to be spending a lot of time together today.”
“How would you feel if I sat here ogling you?”
“I wouldn’t mind.” He opened his arms. “Look all you want, baby.”
“Baby? What happened to Doll Face?”
“You’re still Doll Face.”
The bus stopped, and I waited for Ryan to get out of the way so I could get off the bus. He made me go first. I suspect it was so he could stare at my ass, but I couldn’t prove it.
I went around the back of the bus for a tube, but Ryan got there first. “I’ve got us.”
“What?”
“There are some doubles.”
“Nuh uh.”
“What?” He held up the two black tubes tied together with rope.
“I am not floating in a tube tethered to yours.”