Chapter 29
Cassie ran full out, skirts hiked up to the knees, away from the little demons pursuing her down the beach. For six-year-olds — Anna’s twin nieces — they were fast. Tearing up the beach stairs to the house, Cassie was breathing hard with the effort and a little frustrated that she couldn’t do it as fast as she used to, which would have been in under thirty seconds. Her thighs burned and were protesting heavily by the time she was near the top. She’d get back to her healthy self soon enough. Laughter, shrieks, and more giggles followed Cassie, paired with the patter of little feet on the stairs behind her. Cassie was almost at the top, took that last step, and sneaked a peak behind her to see where the girls were.
Tripped and crashed into a wall of solid male. Arms came around her to steady her, and Cassie knew, in an instant, exactly who held her. Time stopped and everything else faded away as she focused on the deep black T-shirt in front of her face, how it stretched across a broad chest, and she raised eyes to meet those of emerald green.
Brody!
The sight of him whiplashed in like a hurricane to her senses, surrounding Cassie with the scent of fresh mountain air and deep earth, intoxicating as it mixed with the salty air. His hair was cut slightly shorter, the deep brown lifting in the sea breeze, and he wore a shaggy growth of beard she’d never seen him with before. Her hands lay trapped between them, feeling nothing except the heat from his body.
His teeth flashed like a razor in a lopsided half smile, bringing back memory after memory of Brody watching her with pleasure riding his handsome face.
“Cassie.” The word was breathed out in a slow drawl, low and deadly to her ears.
She was in his arms again. To Brody, the realization was like heaven and hell all at once as he reeled from the feel of her again.
“Look at you. Aren’t you a sight to see.” The words were breathed out in worship.
“It’s good to see you too,” she said carefully, her pretty hazel eyes wide and wary as they looked up at him.
She was pushing. Trying to get away. From him.
“Is it now?” Brody narrowed his eyes at her. Why was she pushing?
A throat cleared nearby. Pointedly.
Remembering where he was, Brody swept out a hand to include his family and had to brace his feet wide to keep from falling as he kept one arm locked tight around his woman. Cassie might try to get away. Like vapor in the wind.
“Introductions,” he said a bit loudly, even to his own ears. “Cassie, my parents, Jean and Martin. Two of my brothers, Jake and Simon. Cooper is…” Brody looked around, amused. People were gathering to watch. He knew some of them. Maybe. “Cooper’s somewhere. Everyone, this is Cassie! Hello, gorgeous.”
Cassie gave him an odd look. “You’re drunk.”
The accusation hung in the air like a waving flag. Slightly swaying, Brody looked down at her. Her red hair was longer than she usually wore, tumbling madly around her face in pretty waves. So beautiful it was like a fist to the gut. What a lucky catch that Cassie had fallen right into his arms again so he could save her. Just like the night he’d met her so long ago. Beautiful, beautiful Cassie.
Leaning in, Brody said emphatically, “I am not drunk.” Why wouldn’t everything just stand the fuck still? “As our friends across the pond would say, I’m slightly pissed at” — he double-checked his watch — “2:38 in the afternoon.”
“You’re drunk. Let me go.”
Brody swayed, and somehow Cassie slipped out of his arms, like a pretty mermaid and slippery as an eel in a long blue maxi dress that made her look like a dream. The halter style left her arms and shoulders bare except for the straps that held it all in place. All a man could think about was sinking in to feast.
“I wanna talk to you.”
She gave him a look of pure derision before she turned away. “We can talk when you’re sober.”
Irritation spiked at the rejection. He’d waited so long to see her again and missed her so damned much. Brody snaked out a hand and caught hers, spinning Cassie back to him. “Don’t you walk away from me again, woman.”
A delicate fist thumped his chest. Brody barely noticed.
“I’m not talking to you like this. Go cool off.”
Any happiness Brody had felt at finding her again blew off, and pure temper came out. “Cool off, huh? You’re right. It is kinda hot out, Cassie. You should definitely cool off.”
He bent, slung her over his shoulder, took the few steps to the pool, and tossed Cassie in, enjoying her ear-splitting scream before the water closed around her. Standing there waiting for her to come up, Brody was vaguely aware of his brothers and parents yelling at him in the background.
Where the hell was she? It shouldn’t take her that long to come up from the bottom.
Finally Jake’s voice broke through the fog. “Uh, Brody, she’s not ok.” He pointed into the water, already toeing off his shoes to go in after her.
Brody’s eyes focused. Shit! Without a second thought, he dove in and down. The skirt had twisted around Cassie’s legs, keeping her from swimming up as she struggled to get them free. Grabbing her under the arms, Brody kicked and pulled her back up to the surface, where she sputtered and clung to him.
“You fucking asshole!” she screamed when she could breathe again, her hands beating madly at his back and shoulders.
Brody drifted along, loving the feeling of Cassie wet and soft against him, even if she was mad as hell. Thinner than he remembered…
Cassie, his pretty little mermaid by the sea. Brody’s feet found the bottom and he lifted her to carry her to the pool stairs as she still rained curses down on his head.
“I’m so sorry, baby.” Setting her down, Brody knelt next to her. His hands worked, fumbling a bit, to undo the tangled twist of fabric — that refused to cooperate— from around those beautiful legs. He glanced at her face to see the red waves, now a dripping mess of tangles, and pretty eyes spitting sparks at him. Brody couldn’t help the snicker that escaped.
Cassie’s eyes only fired brighter as she glared at him. Triumphant after freeing the last twist of fabric with a flourish, Brody stood to help Cassie up.
“Look at that, baby. Got to play hero again.” The words slurred out of his mouth. Maybe he was still drunk?
Pain blew like lightning across his jaw, snapping his head back, and Brody fell with a splash. He came up for air and was shoved back under again by hands that held him there while he could hear her screaming above him.
Brody was choking when he surfaced, and he saw Cassie stomping up the pool stairs, dripping water and fury like a reigning warrior sea goddess. She stood at the top, looking down at him, her hands fisted and shaking with rage before she stalked off.
“You’re a fucking idiot, Brody Miller!”
Laughter hit like a storm, and Brody’s mouth spread wide as it rolled out of his whole body, his face stinging with the effort. It had been a helluva long time since he’d found anything so funny. Brody crawled up the pool stairs and flopped over to lay back. The cool water lapped at him while laughs poured out of him, jaw aching like a son of a bitch where Cassie had punched him.
Damn, she was sure something.