Daring the Bad Boy

  Kelsey was at my side in seconds. “What did he say?”

  “I, um, I think he wants us to sit together tonight,” I lied, hoping like crazy she’d believe me.

  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.

  “Why are you here, Annie?” I asked softly, going for a different tactic. I didn’t want to fight with this girl. I didn’t want her hating me, either. Why, I didn’t know, but I sensed she needed an ally. And I needed one, too. I was tired of spending this summer alone. I hung out with Brian on occasion, but he was mostly too busy trying to hook up with Hannah. And I couldn’t hook up with anyone. I couldn’t take the risk.

  This girl was absolutely, 100 percent off-limits. And…nice. When she wasn’t mad at me.

  “Um, I was wondering when we could start the swimming lessons.” She smiled sweetly, her cheeks turning pink, like they were prone to do. I wondered if her skin was hot to the touch.

  I wondered what she might do if I reached out and touched her to see.

  “When do you want to start them?”

  “I don’t know. I was thinking—”

  “Watch out!” The Frisbee came out of nowhere, and I grabbed Annie’s arm, pulling her close. She ducked her head just as I dodged right, the bright yellow Frisbee flying by us, and I glared at the guilty-looking kid down on the beach. He held his hands up in the air, his friends laughing. “Sorry, man!”

  “You all right?” I asked Annie, softening my voice so I didn’t sound as hostile as I felt. That Frisbee almost nailed her right in the back of the head. Assholes.

  “I-I’m fine,” she said shakily, shifting away from me, her eyes wide. “Isn’t that the second time you saved me?”

  “Guess so.” I still hadn’t let go of her arm. Her skin was soft and warm. She smelled good. Her hair was wavy, and it blew into her face, irritating her, so she brushed it away again and again. I swore she was wearing eye makeup—her eyes looked a little darker. Why? Did she do it so she could impress Kyle? That jackass wouldn’t notice shit.

  “Well, thanks.” She smiled, looking away from me like she couldn’t handle it or something. I don’t know. Every time I talked to Annie I was left feeling confused. Like I didn’t know what she wanted from me. “I didn’t see it coming.”

  “You wouldn’t have, considering it was flying straight toward the back of your head.” I smiled and let go of her arm, my fingers sliding across her smooth skin. Little sparks of heat seemed to ignite wherever we made contact, leaving me unsettled.

  Yet also wanting…more?

  She returned the smile, her cheeks still a little pink, the wind sending her
hair everywhere, though she’d given up trying to tame it. We didn’t say anything and it was…okay.

  And weird. So weird because I couldn’t get a read on this girl and I wanted to.

  “I’m off shift at five,” I told her. “Want to get together then? Before dinner?”

  Annie shook her head. “I can’t. That’s usually when I…when we get ready.”

  Oh. Right. Guys took a ten-minute shower and they were good to go. Girls needed hours to shower, do their hair, do their makeup, pick out their clothes, and whatever else.

  “I really don’t want to have the lessons in the middle of the day, when everyone could, uh, see us together,” she admitted, making a little face.

  “Not like I could give you lessons in the middle of the day, since I’m usually out here.” I waved a hand toward the lake. Figuring I’d better keep my head on the job and not on this girl who made me feel weird, I faced the lake fully, my gaze locked on the expanse of shimmering blue water, the multiple canoes and kayaks that were floating everywhere.

  Plus, if my uncle caught me with Annie, he’d ask too many questions. Questions I didn’t really want to answer.

  “Oh.” She hesitated. “True.” She said nothing more and neither did I, so we sat there in silence for long, slightly uncomfortable minutes. I shoved my sunglasses back over my eyes so she couldn’t get a read on them. On me. I didn’t know why she remained up on the stand with me. I sort of wanted her gone. Yet another part of me wanted her to stay. Not because I was hoping to score with her, which was how I’d felt about Lacey at one point.

  But this girl…I don’t know. There was something about her that made me want to keep her around. I wanted to talk to her. Learn more about her. Maybe even give her grief in the hope that she’d dish some back out at me.

  Weird, right? Totally weird. This girl was so far off my radar that she shouldn’t even compute. She wasn’t what I would call hot. She wasn’t what I would call street-smart, either. She definitely wasn’t looking for something casual with me. Annie would expect romance and flowers and moonlit walks and holding hands and cuddling on movie night and long, soft kisses that we both would never want to end…

  I shook my head once, extra hard, to get the Disney fantasy out of my still-sleep-fogged brain. That was the only explanation for me thinking of actually kissing Annie.

  “Don’t you have an activity to go to? Like a Popsicle house to make or something?” I finally asked, swiveling my head to glare at her. I was being an ass on purpose so hopefully I could get rid of her. She made me think strange thoughts. Made me want even stranger things.

  I didn’t like it.

  Annie stood, wobbling a little on her feet, and for a brief, terrifying moment I had the image of her falling from the lifeguard tower and plummeting to the ground. I almost reached out to grab her.

  “Why are you being such a jerk?” she asked, clearly confused. “I could tell your uncle about your little nap time out here. He’d probably be real mad at you.”

  Her confusion, the way she was looking at me, made me feel like shit. I shouldn’t be so mean to her. Even if she just basically threatened me. “Sorry,” I bit out, the word raspy. She had no idea what a big deal that just was. I never say sorry about anything. “Let’s meet at eight o’clock at the pool, okay? How does that sound?”

  Annie lifted her chin, her expression defiant. “Fine,” she muttered. Without saying another word, she turned and climbed down the tower, her feet landing on the ground with a soft thud before she ran away.

  …

  ANNIE

  I waited by the pool, pacing the length of it back and forth, my flip-flops slapping against the ground. No one else was around, everyone was getting ready for movie night, and I wondered if it was a mistake, meeting Jake when I should be waiting for the signal from Kyle.

  I ran into him on the way to the pool, and he’d given me the details. Everyone was meeting behind the arts and crafts building at nine fifteen. Lights-out was later on movie night, which gave us an extra hour to get drunk, according to Kyle, who’d grinned at me.

  And I’d only grinned back like a fool, caught up in the light hazel color of his eyes. He was so freaking pretty…and then I remembered Jake’s eyes. How dark they were. How they seemed to see right into me, like he understood me. I practically ran away from Kyle after that, barely caring if he wanted to talk to me or not.

  All I could think about was Jake, which I realized, after leaving Kyle, was totally pointless.

  Right?

  He was late, which I guess shouldn’t surprise me, but I was still disappointed. I needed these swim lessons. As silly as it sounded, the more confident I’d feel around water, the more confident I’d feel around Kyle. I knew this. Yeah, he was talking to me and wanting me to hang out with him while they all passed around a bottle of peppermint schnapps, but what if that was it? I needed to keep his interest, prove to him that I was strong and interesting and unafraid of anything.

  I needed to convince myself of that, too.

  Frowning, I glanced around, but I was still alone. I had no idea what time it was, since I didn’t wear a watch and I didn’t have my phone, but it felt like I’d been waiting for Jake for hours. That had to do more with my serious case of nerves versus how long I’d actually been waiting. I’d guess he was only about five minutes late.

  He’d better show.

  Kelsey was the one who’d coordinated my outfit. She pulled my hair into a topknot, made sure I remembered to wear earrings, and she put waterproof mascara on my eyelashes so if I actually got my face in the water—fat chance of that happening—then it wouldn’t run. Then she chose what she deemed was my cutest bikini and had me wear a plain white T-shirt over it and a pair of black cotton shorts that I’d brought to wear to bed.

  I worried the makeup might make it look like I was trying too hard, but as Kelsey put it, “If Jake becomes interested in you, then Kyle will be interested in you, and bam, you get exactly who you want.” I didn’t see Jake finding me appealing at all. I think I annoyed him more than anything. The feeling was mutual.

  Mostly.

  Who was I really trying to impress? Kyle or Jake? I wasn’t even sure anymore.

  Sighing loudly, I went to the gate and peeked over it, looking for him. Everyone was headed to movie night. Our cabin had already walked there and I’d walked with them, Kelsey whispering that she would cover for me if needed once I took off toward the pool. I didn’t want anyone to notice I was gone, especially Hannah. I really liked her, despite her scary organizational skills and easy command of camp songs.

  “Hey.”

  His deep voice startled me, and I turned on a gasp, my mouth dropping open when I saw him standing in front of me, his expression all business. He had on a white T-shirt that said “Camp Pine Ridge” that fit him to perfection. As in, it showcased his muscles without being too tight. And he’d changed out of the red lifeguard swim trunks, wearing a pair covered in a subtle blue-and-white Hawaiian print.

  He looked…good, as much as I hated to admit it.

  “Sorry I’m a little late,” he said, offering no explanation. Not that it was any of my business, but I could tell he wasn’t going to be friendly. He even looked a little irritated, and I guess I couldn’t blame him. He’d probably rather do anything else but this.

  “It’s okay.” I tried to smile, but it felt funny so I let it fade. “Are you ready?”

  “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” When I said nothing, he rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s do this.” Without warning, he tore off his shirt and dropped it on a nearby chair. My gaze roamed over his bared chest, taking in every detail I could, which only left me feeling like a complete pervert. Thinking like that sent my blush into overdrive, and my cheeks felt like they were on fire.

  Turning away from him, I went over to the lounge chairs and kicked my flip-flops underneath one. Then I pulled off my T-shirt, folding it carefully before I set it on the lounge chair. I quickly stepped o
ut of my shorts and folded them as well. I swear I heard him laugh behind me, but I decided to ignore it. He could laugh all he wanted. I was the one who got her way, not him. I hoped he remembered that.

  “Come on, let’s go sit down,” he said. I turned to watch him walk over to the shallow end of the pool. He sat on the edge and dunked his feet into the water. When I didn’t so much as move from my spot, he waved a hand, indicating he wanted me to come sit by him. “Yo. Come here.”

  Reluctantly I went to join him, sitting close by but not right next to him, needing the distance. I didn’t want him to get any weird ideas. “How is this part of my lesson?”

  “So impatient.” He shook his head, and I glared at him. “I’m not just going to push you into the water and expect you to learn how to swim, Annie. This is a gradual thing.”

  I lifted my chin. “My dad said when he was little, his father tossed him into a lake and basically said, ‘Swim or die. It’s your choice.’” That story had terrified me when I was a little kid, especially since I’d adored my grandpa so much.

  “Cold,” Jake said with a low whistle, his gaze meeting mine. “Tell me what you know about swimming.”

  I shrugged, feeling inadequate. “Not much. I don’t really like the water.”

  “You’re not even putting your feet in the pool,” he pointed out.

  He was right. I was sitting on the edge of the pool cross-legged. “It freaks me out.”

  “Let me guess. You don’t like to get your hair wet.”

  I hated that he thought that way about me. I wasn’t some vain girl obsessed with her appearance. I could get dirty when need be. But could I tell him the truth and know that he wouldn’t reveal my secret? It was so…sad. It had happened so long ago, and I still wasn’t over it.

  “That’s not it at all. Do I look like a girl who spends a lot of time on my hair?” I pointed at the messy knot on top of my head.

  “Some girls spend hours trying to achieve that look.”

  “It took Kelsey two minutes to twist my hair like this.”

  “So if it’s not that, then what is it?” He peered at me, ducking his head a little so that our gazes were even. “Are you scared of the water?”