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Nick pulls back the speed as the water lightens,signaling that we’re nearing the sandbar. People start chatting and Frisco kicks up a conversation about football with Cam, talking salary caps and contracts. Finally, we get to the sandbar and Nick cuts the motor.
“Anchor’s down and the bar is open!” He flips the lid on the cooler and a loud cheer rises from the crowd at the back of the boat. Hands dip into the cooler, beers cracking open, and two people jump into the water.
“Come on in, the water’s fine!” A guy I vaguely recognize waves at us and several people strip off their T-shirts and shorts, diving in.
“You two going in?” Gracelyn asks me and Cam as she shimmies out of her cover-up.
“Sure.” Cam’s deep voice sends a thrill through me, straight to my core. “I need to put some sunblock on first—haven’t seen sun as strong as this in a while. Sloane, would you mind doing my back?”
“Uh, not at all,” I stammer, taking the blue tube of lotion from his outstretched hand as he lifts his shirt over his head. Grace waggles her eyebrows at me and I shoo her away before Cam catches her antics.
Uncapping the sunblock, I squeeze the white cream into my hands, my heart thudding so loud I’m afraid Cam might hear.
Relax, Sloane. Of course he’s going to ask you. You’re friends and you’re sitting next to him. Makes you the logical choice.
Lathering the lotion in my hands, I reach up, tentatively smoothing my hand across the broad area between his shoulder blades. His skin’s warm, cords of strong muscle rippling beneath the surface. I work the white sunblock in, careful not to miss any spots. My fingers glide between his shoulder blades over his shoulders. Heat curls in my belly and I’m lightheaded. I keep rubbing, workingthe lotion in, pausing to squirt more into my palm. Sliding over the entire surface of his back, my fingers dance up and down his muscular torso.
“Thanks.” The rumble of his voice vibrates against my palms, every inch of my body on fire.
“Sure, no problem.” The words come out breathy, as if I’ve been jogging for miles instead of sitting and applying sunscreen on a boat.
“You need some?” Cam glances back at me, seemingly unfazed, and I nod.
“Yeah, I do, actually.”
“I got you.” He reaches around, taking the sunblock from my hand, and electricity zips straight up my arm. “You’re gonna have to take your shirt off.” He gestures at my tank top.
“Oh, right.”
Yanking my shirt over my head quickly, I toss it into my bag before offering my back to Cam.
“All over, right?” His eyes travel downward and my face burns.
“Yes, please.”
Cam’s large palms land on my back, the cool lotion a balm to my overly heated skin. His touch is gentle as he works the cream over my flesh, tiny chill bumps rising in the wake of his calloused fingertips. He skates up and down my spine, over the shoulder blades, across my shoulders, then down the sides of my body. Dampness pools between my thighs as he rubs my skin.
“All good.” The click of the sunblock lid snapping into place jolts me back to reality and I ease away from him.
Tucking a loose hair behind my ear, I smile over my shoulder. “Thanks.”
“No problem.”
We gaze at each other for a long second, everyone around us fading away. All I see is Cam—his strong jaw, full lips, the small, jagged scar above his right eye he got during a game in the tenth grade.
“You two coming in or what?” Gracelyn interrupts the moment, splashing water up at us.
“Yeah, yeah. Hang on.” Standing, I kick out of my sandals and shorts before walking to the back of the boat and snagging the last inner tube, throwing the pink plastic float over the side.
I tuck my legs up beneath me and jump overboard, feet-first into the cool water. Sinking down into the blue-green water of the lake, I relish the sensation of weightlessness, the relief from the heat.
After a long second, I swim back up to the surface, swiping to clear my eyes.
“Hey.” Cam’s low voice startles me, bubbly anticipation fizzing in my chest. He’s treading next to me and the small ripples swirl around my calves.
We’re so close our legs brush beneath the surface. Shiny water droplets glisten in his dark hair beneath the rays of the bright sun. A flash of heat rushes through me and my cheeks flame, and it’s not from the beating rays beaming down on us.
“Want to swim out further?” Cam tilts his head toward a sandbar a ways out, far from the crowd.
