smirk on his face. “Is that Savannah Nightingale?”
“Yep.”
He sent his companion packing with a playful smack on her ass and then held his fist out for a bump. “Nathan know she’s here?”
I handed him a cup of beer. Max and I had graduated together and had kept in touch even though we went to school on opposite coasts. He’d been one of my best friends in high school and I liked getting to see him on the rare occasions we were home at the same time. “Nope.”
He winced. “He’s going to kick your ass, bro.” Max knew my brother. We’d been friends since the fourth grade. He knew how Nathan was with Savy, and how he was with everyone else. “You looking to lose a limb? Going after your brother’s girl is a sure-fire way to do it.”
“First, she’s not my brother’s girl. She’s his best friend. Second, how do you know this is my doing?”
He laughed and slapped me on the back. “I remember what those two were like, and rumor is nothing’s changed. Savannah doesn’t talk to anyone besides Nathan. If anyone tries to get close to her, he gets pissed. The only person with enough balls to go against your brother at this point is you. The only semi-sane reason for you to go against him is if you’re tapping that.”
I shoved him to the side. “I’m not tapping that. Who the hell says that anymore?” Though, he did have a point. No one would go against Nathan, not even Savy until I’d convinced her to. “Savy needs to learn to party before she starts college, and Nathan is at work today.”
I should feel guilty sneaking around behind my little brother’s back. I sort of did, but Savy’s admission in the car, the way she’d kept getting into Yale and Northeastern from him made some of that guilt evaporate. Savy needed to breathe. She needed my help.
“Besides, what he doesn’t know won’t kill him.”
“No, but what he finds out might kill you.”
I shot Max a look and then downed my lukewarm beer. “Then you better keep your mouth shut, yeah?” I hopped off the tailgate and headed in the direction of the keg. I decided to allow myself two beers. The last thing I needed was to get pulled over with Savy in the car.
I watched her while I refilled my cup. She was laughing with her hand on her bare stomach, the sound nothing short of pure magic. The guys were drawn to her like moths to a flame. They couldn’t seem to look away. I should’ve gone back to Max. I should’ve sat my happy ass on his tailgate until Savy was ready to go home. But I didn’t. Call me a moth.
“Looks like you’re having a good time.”
She reached out and rested her hand on my shoulder, her touch somehow making it hard to swallow. “I am having the best time, Jer. Thank you so much for bringing me.” All the girls were in bikinis, but no one looked as good as Savy. She was tall and thin, her stomach flat and her hips narrow.
“You want to go for a swim?” The words spilled out of my mouth, unchecked. I couldn’t take them back, could I?
“Yeah.” She picked up her long blonde hair off her neck, fanning herself. “It’s getting really hot out here.”
I was getting hot too, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the weather. Savy’s smiles, her newfound happiness, and her friendly touches were a deadly combination to my vow to be her friend and allow her a space to let loose.
We walked side-by-side down to the shoreline and waded in. Neither of us spoke as we both sank down to our knees, letting the cool water wash over our heated skin. Her hand brushed my stomach and I jerked back like I’d been shot.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean…”
I shook my head. “No. I...didn’t, uh, I thought you were a fish.”
I thought you were a fish? Seriously? Come on, man.
“Crap. I left my drink on the table.” She looked behind me, searching the shore.
“Here. You can have mine.” Yep. Please put your lips where mine have been, because that won’t make not touching you any harder. For the love of everything holy, I was a glutton for punishment.
“Thank you.” I watched like a creeper as she took a sip from my cup, her mouth as it touched the cup’s rim, then, as she took a sip, I was engrossed at the