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I laugh even though what she said is ridiculous.

“I’ll go save him,” she says as she hops down from her float and into the water. As soon as she starts up the steps of the pool Monty is suddenly there, holding out a towel in offering for her, either because he wants to warm her up or because he doesn’t want anyone else seeing her in the nearly see-through wet white bikini.

I finish my margarita while watching as Monty urges Theo up so Kendall can have his lounge chair, and gestures toward me, sending him this way.

Slipping off his flip-flops, he tosses his shirt on the chair with my cover up and starts for the stairs begrudgingly like a man heading to death row.

I’m laughing at his deepening frown as he sinks into the water waist deep heading toward me with his hands up as if afraid to let them touch the water.

“What are you laughing about?” he asks when he’s standing next to my float.

“You. I’ve never seen anyone look so disgusted by a refreshing pool on a hot day.”

“There’s no telling how many people have peed in here, or worse.”

“This is an adult only resort,” I remind him.

“Drunk people are worse than toddlers for pissing in places they shouldn’t,” he mutters making me laugh way too hard.

“You are drunk.” His lips curl up as he takes my glass from me and finishes it off. “I’m cutting you off before you roll off your float and drown.”

“But you would save me, wouldn’t you?” I ask him. “Unless you’re too busy flirting with those women who are still googling you.”

“Googling me?” he says with a huff of laughter. “I think you mean ogling.”

Great, I’m even dumber when I’m drunk.

“And there’s at least ten times as many men ogling you,” he says when he finally touches the water, collecting enough of it on his fingers that when he lifts them over me the cool droplets dribble down my chest and stomach, stealing my breath.

I reach over into the water to splash Theo’s stomach, making him gasp and the muscles to tighten. I enjoy watching the drops race down his indentations, wishing I could lick them up.

In fact, with my inhibitions nowhere to be found, I can’t resist reaching out and running my fingertips over his smooth, hard, bare skin for the first time.

“Maggie,” he whispers in a low hiss as he grabs my hand. “Are you trying to embarrass me?”

Embarrass him?

I jerk my hand away from his grip.

“Why did you agree to be my fake boyfriend if you’re too embarrassed to be seen with me?”

“What are you talking about?” Theo asks. “I meant you would make me embarrass myself with a very noticeable bulge in these tiny, tight shorts.”

My eyes lower to just under the water’s surface. It’s distorting his lower body like usual, but there does seem to be some tenting.

“Oh,” I say then giggle. “Just from me touching you?” It’s ridiculous to think I have that much power over his penis.

“That and your top isn’t being subtle right now.”

I glance down and realize that he’s not wrong. While I’m laughing, it occurs to me that he was obviously looking at them close enough to tell. Damn the tinted glasses covering his eyes. I never would’ve known if he hadn’t said anything. “Give me your sunglasses.”

“What? Why?” he asks while handing them over before I even give him an answer. Theo blinks a few times as his hazel eyes adjust to the glaring sun, and then they’re zeroing in on my boobs.

My lower belly tightens, and my bottoms are suddenly damp in a way that has nothing to do with the pool.

When I reach out again and touch his stomach, Theo doesn’t snatch my hand up. He sinks down into the water so he’s on his knees, his face nearly the same level as my own, his eyes locked on my face. I run my wet fingers over his clean-shaven jaw and hear myself stupidly tell him, “You’re my favorite person in the world.”

Theo laughs and grabs the side of my float to pull me closer to him. “You’re my favorite person too.”