down and dip my feet into the water. It’s not to cool me down even though Derek is one of the most sought-after players on the team. He has a small fan section at games with a group of girls who refer to themselves as King’s Queens. Those dark eyes and sparkling teeth don’t pull one zing from my body.
“What are you doing over here?”
I catch two girls he was talking to moments ago glaring my way.
“I think they miss you.” I nod my head.
He looks over his shoulder. “Time away makes the heart grow fonder.” He holds his arms out. “Come join me.”
I shouldn’t, but…my eyes look to Crosby, and he doesn’t even glance in my direction. Kendra’s pulling him around the corner from the main area. I’ve never been in what’s called Make-Out Cave because God forbid Liam’s “body ever touched water that wasn’t reeking with chlorine”—his words, not mine.
“Okay,” I say.
Derek allows his body to fall through the hole of the float, and he pops up from the water a minute later, his hand out for me to take.
I situate my ass in the middle of the raft, and he grabs another unoccupied raft that was probably abandoned by another sex-crazed couple like Kendra and Crosby.
A finger taps my forehead. “What’s in your head?” Derek’s leg is swung over mine to enable us to stay linked together as we float on top of the water while the sun soaks into our skin.
“Sorry.” I smile. “Nothing.”
“It wouldn’t be our third baseman, would it?”
We share a look where we both know exactly what I was thinking about, and it was indeed the new third baseman.
“I’m sorry.”
He shakes his head. “No need to apologize. I didn’t ask you to join me for some sex conquest. If I wanted that, I’d be in the cave, having a threesome.”
I cringe.
He chuckles. “Yeah, you’re not really the type.”
A warmth spurs my stomach with his compliment. “No.”
“Your Lynch’s though.” He nods in the direction of where Crosby snuck off from.
My eyes follow his directive, only to find Crosby and Kendra back from wherever they went. Crosby’s back is along the section where the rock sneaks out like a ledge. Kendra’s pressed to him, but his eyes are burning toward me.
Our eyes catch and lock. He’s not happy, and a vein twitches in his neck, showing he’s about a minute from going ballistic.
“Should I be worried that he’s killing me with his eyes?” Derek asks.
I tear my gaze from Crosby’s.
Two can play his game. My only assumption is that Crosby knows about the deal I made with my parents. Damn if Ariel doesn’t have a huge-ass mouth.
“No. He’s innocent. Plus, he’s busy.”
Derek smirks. “I came over because I didn’t like it that he was all up in Kendra’s shit, but I’m thinking there’s more I don’t know.” His hand extends over our designated rafts and grazes along my arm. “I’m more than willing to play the game.”
I freeze. “We have a history.”
His fingertips brush slowly along my arm, but no goose bumps follow.
“Get your hand off her.”
My body tenses, surprised he made it over so fast.
“Why? She can make her own decisions,” Derek baits.
I smile over to Derek.
“Crosby, I thought we were leaving.” Kendra cozies up to his side, her eyes on me the entire time, waiting for me to react.
Crosby’s arm flies up in the air, and Kendra’s hand is thrown off in the process. A small elation floats in my stomach. Sure, now, my body is ready to have a response.
“I’m only leaving with Ella.” Crosby’s eyes stare at me as he picks up Derek’s hand and removes it himself.
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I sink under the water and swim away.
Of course, my foot is grabbed a second later, and I’m being pulled toward him. I rise to the surface and splash him in the face. He blinks a few times, and his hands grab my waist, his fingertips dipping right under my waistband. I wiggle and hit, but he holds me strong.
“Go home with her, Crosby. Kiss her, undress her,” I say.
“Stop it, Ella,” he seethes through his teeth. “Don’t make me jealous.”
I stop and tread water in place, making sure the seriousness is shown on my face. “Go home and fuck her.”
His whole body tenses, and the only thing that moves are his eyes on me.
“Ella,” Ariel sighs.
“Crosby, cool down.” Spencer swims up next to him.
We both hold our hands up in the air to our siblings.
“This is between