I shake my head and take off after her. I'm close enough to hear her loud, high-pitched squeal when she runs into the water. She turns straight away and runs towards me. I laugh and grab her round the waist, lifting her up, and run into the water.
“Braden, no! It's cold!”
“That's the point!”
She kicks and clings to my neck. I wade through the water until we're waist-deep and drop her, letting her slide down my body. Big mistake.
I clear my throat and she glances up at me through her eyelashes. She smiles and shoves me. I lose my balance and fall backwards into the water. I bounce back up, sputtering, and focus my gaze on her. She's so in for it now.
“I'm sorry! No, no!” She holds her hands out.
“No, that's it now.” I shake my head and move towards her.
“No!” She squeals when I tackle her.
We fall into the water, her legs kicking in a feeble attempt to get away. She pushes herself up on my shoulders and as I surface, I cup her ass and hold her against me.
“You-”
My lips on hers silence her. Her hands find my hair and she holds on tightly, gripping it between her fingers. One of my hands comes to rest on her waist, and her feet lock around my waist, holding her in place and tight against me.
My dick rubs against her, making her whimper and press into me tighter. My fingers dig into her ass and back as she rises up slightly, pushing my head back. She kisses me harder, taking control.
She stops and whispers, “People are watching us, aren't they?”
I glance over to the beach and two little boys, about six, are staring at us with their mouths wide open. “Yes.”
She blushes and slowly turns her head to them.
“Ewwwww!” They shriek and run across the beach.
I laugh, and Maddie buries her face in my shoulder. She unhooks her legs and slides down, her hands smoothing the wet skin of my chest. I rest my cheek on her head, still laughing, and she pokes me.
“It's not funny. They probably think they just watched a live p**n show.” She moves her head and glares at me.
“Angel, they were little kids. To them, you're a girl and that means you have cooties.”
Her narrowed eyes gleam in amusement. “Do I? Have cooties?”
“I'm not sure,” I shrug a shoulder. “I haven't decided yet.”
“Well, if I do....” She smiles innocently. “You should consider yourself infected.”
She blows a raspberry on my chest and slips from my arms, giggling as she tries to run back towards the beach. I can't help it – a huge laugh erupts from me, and I rub my face, shaking my head. She turns her body, looking at me and covering her mouth with her hand. She ducks, her wet hair coming to rest over her shoulders and shining copper in the sun.
There's a lightness in the way she teases me, the way she can make me laugh so easily. It's a lightness that isn't usually there in her, and I kinda like it.
Chapter Twenty-Seven – Maddie
I smile absently to myself as I make my way out of class. I hug my books to my chest, and my hair falls to the side, hiding one side of my face. Ever since I spent the afternoon at the beach with Braden yesterday, I've felt better than I have in a long time. I'd like to believe it was the mix of sun, sea, and sand, but I'd be lying.
I'm pretty sure he is the main cause of my happiness.
“Hey, Maddie.” Kyle falls into step beside me.
“Hey. How are you?” I glance up at him, thinking – not for the first time – it's a shame I don't see him as anything other than a friend. Though he's not as built as Braden, his chestnut-brown, wavy hair and equally brown eyes are captivating, all the same. He's taller than me, shorter than Braden, but he has a good heart and I know he'll make someone a great boyfriend one day.
But why am I comparing him to Braden?
“Good. Look, I'm sorry if you guys ended up fighting on Friday. I never realized Braden was so.... So....”
“Protective?” I offer dryly, echoing Braden's word.
“Um, sure.”
“Don't worry about it.” I bump his shoulder. “He just.... I don't know.” I shrug.
“I have no doubt you put him straight, anyway.” He grins at me.
One side of my mouth curls up. “Of course I did. I conveniently reminded him I was wearing his shirt, not yours.”
“Yeah.” Kyle coughs and looks away. Is he blushing? Wait, what? “Well, gotta go. See you soon, Mads.”
“Uh, okay?” I frown as he walks off, waving over his shoulder.
“Okay, Angel?” Braden slides an arm around my waist.
“Yes. Just Kyle being weird.” I shake it off and smile up at him.
“Kyle's always weird.” He drops a quick kiss to my lips, and we leave the building, turning towards the road that will take us to Starbucks. Oh, yum.
“No, he blushed.” I tilt my head, and I realize. “Oh! Oh.”
“What?”
“He thinks we had sex on Saturday.” I giggle. “Oh. He must have felt really awkward.”
“Why would he?” Braden says in a tight voice.
“Don't start that.” I slap his chest. “Because I mentioned I was wearing your shirt, that's why. He must have assumed.”
“Good.” He laughs and tugs me a little closer. “He might back off now.”
“He was never coming onto me.” I roll my eyes. “He may have given you that impression, but we're just friends.”
“Sure you are, beautiful. Maybe it's a good thing he knows that now,” he says sarcastically.
“Why, Bray, are you jealous?” I raise an eyebrow, and he pulls Starbucks' door open, glancing at me.
“Of Kyle? No. Why would I be?”
“You sound jealous to me.”
“I'm not.”
“Then why do you sound it?”
“I don't!”
“Yes, you do.”
“I'm not arguing about this, Maddie.”
“I'm not arguing,” I respond. “I'm asking, and you're not answering. There's a difference.”
He reels off our usual order to the barista and tucks some hair behind my ear. “You are arguing.” He smirks. “And you don't even realize it.”
I narrow my eyes at him and realize he's right. Damn him!
“Fine. You're not jealous. Whatever.”
“Oh, shut up.” He tugs me towards him and kisses my temple. “You're cute when you're angry.”
“I'm not angry!”
“Of course not.” He grins and grabs our order.