“I have a plan for us that involves knocking off one of my list items.” Sophie’s hoarse voice greets me at the entrance of McCoy’s pit garage after my qualifier and press conference.
“Which one?” My voice betrays my excitement.
“It’s one I just added.” She winks at me, but it comes off as a twitch.
It looks like I tempted the little demon inside of her by challenging her list and adding a new item. A feeling of satisfaction runs through me at the idea of her branching out.
“Should I be worried?” I nudge her in the ribs.
Her eyes shine with mischief and something else I can’t place. “Only if you’re afraid of cliff diving. Think you can handle it?” She shoots me a smile that would make a normal guy run for the nearest exit.
I drive us to the location of the new item on her list. Her hair blows in the wind as she throws her arms up in the air and dances in her seat to music, enjoying the drive in my convertible I snagged from my Monaco flat. Fuck me, Sophie’s gorgeous without trying. She abandons her cautiousness, enjoying the moment, singing along to songs while I drive. I fight to keep my eyes on the road and dismiss the tug on my heart at how happy she looks.
When I added the date to Sophie’s list, I wasn’t expecting her to go ahead and add one of her own. For sure not something as crazy as cliff diving in Monaco. Let this be a lesson for me to not underestimate her because she surprises me every step of the way.
After I park the car, we stroll together along the jagged shore before I tell her to walk in front of me in case she falls back on the slippery rocks. I came up with an idea out of the goodness of my heart. Checking out her ass ends up being an awesome plus.
“Oh God. Why on earth did I agree to do this?” Sophie fails to hide the fear in her voice.
“Is this part of your pep talk? Because you’ve been doing a shit job at it for the past ten minutes.” My eyes land on her tattered shorts. A hint of her ass peeks out from the bottom, tempting me to touch her. She looks like a present wrapped up just for me. The straps of her bikini call my name, begging me to undo the two little bows holding up each side.
She shoots me a glare over her shoulder. “Why did you convince me to go cliff diving? It’s so reckless when you have a race tomorrow. What if you get injured?”
I didn’t come up with this idea. Do I tell her this? No way. A stupid man would do that.
“Yeah, you know me, always looking for the next adventure.”
“This is why you’re in trouble with McCoy. You’re too rebellious for your own good.” She shakes her head.
Her comment doesn’t come across as a jab, especially when she has a point. Would she be into me if I didn’t fuck up so badly with McCoy? My mistake is probably why Sophie came up with her stupid “just friends” idea in the first place.
I threw a wrench in her plan the moment I flirted with her during Maya’s games. I’d feel dejected if it weren’t for how she looks at me when she thinks I’m paying attention to something else. She presses the brakes when I want to floor the accelerator.
We finally get to the top of the cliff after a short walk. I spent half the hike watching the view, both of Sophie’s ass and the Monaco shore. Even my insanity has its limits, my heart beating in my chest as I check out the thirty-foot jump. Churning water slaps against the ragged edge and creates whitecaps.
I catch Sophie as she trips, stopping her before she falls face-first on the sharp rocks. Her clumsiness has no bounds.
She presses her back against my shirt-clad chest. I wore it at her request because she claims she can’t think straight around me when I’m shirtless, giving me an excuse about how abs and muscles are a mental weakness for her.
“Hands off.” She laughs as she pulls away from me all too soon.
I chuckle while shaking my head. She acts like nothing phases her, but she can’t hide the glint in her eyes or the way she holds her breath when I get close. I’m very aware of the act she puts on. She only fights her attraction better than me.
Her eyes land on mine, reflecting her nervousness and doubt. “All right. Well, we made it up here. Don’t be scared. It’ll be over in a second.” She lets out a shaky breath.
“Not sure who you’re trying to convince more right now.” I look down and let out a whistle. “Well, no time like the present. You know you can’t cross it off the list until you do it. The power of the Sharpie remains in my hands.”
“Fuck it,” she murmurs under her breath.
“Atta girl. I’ll go first just in case. Who knows what would happen if you jump before me?”
Beating back my nervousness about getting injured, I take a deep breath. I find it hard to say no to Sophie. Every single time she flashes her emerald eyes at me and bats her lashes, I agree mindlessly. Somehow, I’m pussy-whipped without actually getting any.
I don’t spend any more time thinking about Sophie or the jump. One minute I stand on the cliff; the next, I slam into the cold water. My body sinks into the depths of the ocean. The saltwater stings my eyes as I swim toward the surface, gasping for air once my head breaches.
Sophie looks at me from over the ledge. “I think I’m going to meet you down by the shore. You have such great form, and I can’t compete. I give your jump an eleven out of ten.”
I think she’s fucking around with me to buy time until she backs away from the edge, her body barely visible from my viewpoint. “Sophie Marie Mitchell! Get your ass in the water!”
She stops moving, and I take the opportunity to check her out. Her golden hair flies behind her like rays of sunshine. The bikini she wears accentuates her full breasts and tight stomach, making her look like a siren calling out to me, fucking with my head and my cock all at once.
“Okay, no need to be pushy.” Her voice interrupts my examination. I lick my lips, salt from the ocean coating my tongue.
Sophie takes a few deep breaths before she gets a running start. She screams as she jumps off the cliff, her body making a small splash as she plunges into the water. Her body disappears beneath the dark blue waves. Seconds pass since her jump and she hasn’t come up, making me lose count of the time. My heart rate accelerates at the thought of her hitting her head against the side of some rocks. Panic bubbles inside of me as I swim toward the area she jumped into.
Her head pops up out of the water. I let out a shaky breath as I attempt to close the distance between us.
“Stop! Do not come any closer.” She looks at me with crazy eyes, her cheeks flushing under my gaze.
“What’s wrong? Did you get hurt?” I wince at the unfamiliar sound of worry in my voice.
“No. But I can’t find my top.” She dips underneath the surface to locate her little scrap of material. Her fashion choice was a bad one for something like this, the item no doubt lost to the ocean’s current. My dick pulses at the thought of Sophie naked, but I tamper it down when I realize how bad this is.
She pops back up again with no bikini in sight. I can make out her golden skin under the water, fighting everything inside of me that wants to swim closer and take a peek.
“I can’t find it.” She frowns.
“What do you mean?” I wheeze, afraid of my limited self-control.
“It got loose when I jumped in. Ugh, it’s my favorite top.”
I try to think of anything but her naked body right now, gliding underneath the water. My dick doesn’t mind the idea. The head upstairs calls the shots, explaining why I can look but can’t touch.
She wants to stay friends. You want to avoid drama. Her dad manages your main competition, and nothing good can come from that type of situation. Well, except maybe amazing sex based on the way your dick enjoys Sophie’s presence.
Fuck, Liam.
Sophie snags my attention again. “Positive of this situation: I think I can count this as two items on the list. This can be considered as skinny-dipping, right?”
My semi turns into a full-blown hard-on at the talk of her list. “I don’t think so. Usually that includes tossing everything.” I’m going to hell. It’s official. Noah, please save me a spot next to you.
“Since when are you such a stickler for rules? You’re not the one who’s half naked right now.”
I look down at my light blue T-shirt before my fingers lift the hem over my head. “That’s a great idea.”
“What are you doing?” Sophie’s eyes bounce from my tan chest to my face before returning to my chest.
“I’m giving you my shirt. You can’t get out of the water like that.” Yes, it’s Europe. No, I don’t want her topless, at least not in front of random people. I prefer a private show free of interruptions and wandering eyes.
“Oh, good one. Now if you’re shirtless at the same time, does it count as skinny-dipping?” She sends me a beautiful smile, showing off her two dimples.
I cover up my groan with a laugh. “No, sorry about that. Maybe another time.”
“I’m counting this, and you can’t tell me no. I created the list.” She grabs my wet T-shirt from my hands. I glance around at the scenery, trying to keep my eyes away from her as she struggles to get the soaked fabric over her head.
I want to be respectful, but I sneak a peek or two at a perfect pair of tits, her pink nipples barely visible underwater. If she asks, I’ll deny it.
“Liam, where’s the shore? How do we even get back to the car?”
“Now you’re thinking of logistics? I expected you to check out a mini-map of the whole Monaco shore before you planned this.” I point out the shore, which is a decent swim away.
“I was trying to be spontaneous. In retrospect, I should’ve told you I’m not a super strong swimmer.”
“Yup. You probably should’ve. Hop on.” I turn around, waiting for her to wrap her arms around my neck. I’ll swim us over, even though it’ll take double the time with her on top of me and my dick pounding in my swim trunks.
“Are you sure? It looks far away.”
I nod. A war rages inside of me, making it difficult for words to come out. Part of me craves to pull her in for a kiss and run my hands across her body while the other part of me wants to push her away and keep a safe distance. For her, for me, for our combustible attraction to one another.
By the time she wraps herself around me, I’m not sure about this plan. My shirt does a poor job of covering her pointed nipples. Her body clings to mine and warms my back, my body becoming sensitive to her proximity.
She shudders when I run my hands across her legs. Every detail of her body stands out to me, like the way her breath hitches once I move or how her arms cling to my neck, warming me both inside and out. I’m sure we look dumb as fuck while I drag us through the cold water.
Sophie detaches from me and wades in the water once we approach the beach. I leave her behind in the shallows as I collapse on the sand, worn out from a piggyback ride from hell. My dick salutes me the moment Sophie steps out from the sea. I prop myself up on my elbows to take advantage of the show because I paid my friendship dues tenfold.
The wet material of my shirt plasters to her body and clings to the curves of her breasts. They’re bigger than I imagined, and fuck have I fantasized. Her pebbled nipples push against the fabric, enticing me to lift the material and take a look. I bite my lip to hold back a groan at the sight of her. She rings out the bottom of the shirt, causing water droplets to trickle down her toned legs.
Fuck me. I regret our agreement to stay friends. Screw friendship. Who the hell gives a shit about boundaries? Women like her can’t be friends with someone like me because it goes against the law of attraction and every damn rule set up by evolution.
A smirk breaks out across her lips as she walks toward me, her eyes remaining on the bulge in my pants. “You look winded. Should I be concerned about your stamina?”
What a little cocktease, playing with her words and my control.
“Why don’t we try it out, see if I meet your standards?” My voice croaks.
She sits next to me, sand sticking to her wet skin like a dirty mermaid with untamed blonde hair and green eyes I can disappear in. God, I’m such a horny fucker around her.
Her finger trails from my neck to my chest before running across the ridges of stomach muscle. My skin heats at her touch. I don’t say a thing, afraid she’ll back out at a moment’s notice. She stops above the waistband of my swim trunks. I silently will her to keep going, desperate for her to cross this stupid boundary she set up to torture us both.
“I’d hate for all of this to be just for show.” Sophie lets out a hoarse laugh, her eyes glittering under the summer sun as she lies down on the sand.
She fucked with me and it worked. My body responds to her like no other, and it messes me up, unsure about the fine line between friendship and temptation.
“I’ll promise you one thing. Being with me will be the best show of your damn life. I wouldn’t just fuck you, I’d wreck you for anyone who comes after me.” I trail a finger down the T-shirt’s soaked material. My fingers run across the curves of her breasts before I stop right above the waistband of her shorts, doing the same shit she did but better. Sophie’s cheeks flush. Her nipples push against the fabric, letting me know how she feels about my touch despite her silence.
“Two can play at this friend game you like. Keep trying to deny the pull between us, I like it. I’m a patient man who can wait you out because I know you’ll give in to me.”
I want her to crave me like I want her—to beg me to slip inside of her and never leave. Well, until I have to. Because in the end, I always do, no matter the girl.
Even with someone as special and unique as her.
