I didn’t even glance in the direction he was pointing. “That’s fantastic, but you’re not going in like that.”
“Like what?”
“Unprotected,” I said firmly, already digging through my bag, but I felt him staring at me even though he was still wearing the sunglasses.
He cleared his throat. “I beg your pardon?”
“Sunscreen,” I clarified, holding up the bottle like it was evidence in a trial. “You need some SPF100.”
He laughed. “I’m not a vampire.”
I squinted at him. “Really? You could’ve fooled me.”
“Says the woman from the sunless land of England?” He waved his hand dismissively. “I’ll be fine.”
“You’re already pink.”
He frowned. “I am not.”
“Youare,” I insisted. “Give me your face.”
“Can’t. Will’s already got it.” He smirked. “Let’s go.”
“I’m not moving from this spot until I know you’re not going to burn to a crisp.” Without waiting for a response, I reached up and smeared a stripe of sunscreen right across his cheek.
He recoiled immediately. “Hey!”
“Hold still, you big baby.” I grinned as I lunged at him again.
He laughed, ducking as he shook his head at me. “This is assault.”
“No, it’s survival.”
He grabbed for the bottle, but I twisted away, laughing as I dodged him. “You’ll thank me later.”
“But I need a tan.”
“You’ll still get some color.” I hid the bottle behind my back and took a pointed look at his shoulders. “You’re already red.”
He sniffed, slowly advancing on me again. “It’s a tan.”
“It’s going to be a melanoma.”
He lunged again and I squealed, turning to keep the bottle out of his reach. “Let me do you first,” Jesse insisted.
“I already have sunscreen on,” I managed, breathless from laughing so much. “I don’t need more.”
“Oh, so it’s just me you’re concerned about.”
“Yes,” I said easily. “I’ve already put a layer on.”
He stared at me for a second like he was trying to see if I was telling the truth. My heart started pounding under the intensity of his gaze. While I still couldn’t see his eyes, it was like I couldfeelthem. He was looking at me suddenly like something wasn’t quite adding up.
I watched him for a second, but then decided that I didn’t care right now. The ocean was right there and he was standing in front of me, slightly pink and much too distracting with all those abs on display.
“Would you just come here?” I asked, but my voice my softer now. “Please. We could already be done by now if you weren’t so damn stubborn.”
Finally, after a few more seconds of just standing there, he took a step closer and let me spread the sunscreen across his cheek properly. My fingers brushed over his warm skin as I worked, moving from his face to his shoulders and trying not to feel the hard muscle I was massaging as I rubbed it in.