Chapter 27Goldie

Chapter 27

Goldie

I 'm sitting on the tallest rock at the edge of the swimming hole, feeling like a queen on a throne, or a goddess on a cloud, as I watch nine of the Bj?rnsson brothers line up along the other side of the river, all of their eyes on me.

I had no idea what to expect when they all got into place among the slick rocks edging the water hole, save Buck, who scooped me right up out of the water and carried me to my perch. He took my hand, once I was settled, and kissed the top gently. My heart lurched in my chest as his mischievous, twinkling eyes met mine.

"I'll be back, gorgeous. Just give me a minute to kick all of my brothers' asses in this race. Your sweet kiss is mine ." And then he added, "If that's okay with you, of course."

Very okay, and I didn't even have to open my mouth to say a word. Whatever he saw in my expression as he walked backward from my rock and then dove into the water was enough.

A race. For my kiss . Just wait until I tell Winnie. This is too surreal!

And yet, I have never been in a moment that felt more real . Like I'm living life to the fullest, for the first time, hearing the water as it rolls over the rocks, the birds twittering in the trees above me, the feel of sunbeams on my skin. Fully present, and yet tempted to pinch myself just to find out what would happen.

"Listen up," Ranger calls out, the low growl of his voice rising over the bubbling river. "First to reach Goldie wins her kiss. No pushing, no dragging anyone under by their legs, no dunking—"

"Oh, come on, Range!" Brooks calls. "That's the best part of a race."

"Just because you're scared of being dunked and getting your head wet doesn't mean the rest of us are," Hunter teases.

"Yeah, bring it on," Nash agrees. "I think the rules should be—there are no rules."

They agree to that, finally, and then Lynx says, "You call it, Goldie." He brushes the hair out of his eyes and gives me a wink. "We're all ready for you when you are."

I lean back on my arms, letting my feet dangle in the water. "On your mark!"

Nine sets of eyes and grins grow fierce with determination.

"Get set," I call.

I can barely get the words out, growing breathless as that ferocious, wild look—the same expression that once had me sure this was a whole family of massive, mythical Sasquatches in the woods—takes over their gorgeous faces. Their looks are similar, obviously brothers with strong DNA, but as they hang on to my words, waiting to steal my kiss, I can't help but marvel over each and every one of them.

Hunter's crooked grin is caught between his teeth, and the intensity in his smile has my knees weakening. Thank God I'm sitting.

Brooks is thinking very dirty thoughts about me. He's seen me naked and even though I can't read his mind, not really, I sure as heck know he's picturing me naked this very second. And I know he knows that I know when he winks at me and his tongue darts out to lick his bottom lip.

Clay is smirking, giving me a look like he's got a dirty secret he wants to tell me and I'm all ears.

Buck's expression is a lot more serious than the others. Determined. His light brown hair has streaks of gold that shimmer in the sunshine like a winning medal. I can see in his eyes that my kiss, to him, would feel like Olympic gold.

Nash and Lynx are having a little competition of their own, playfully bumping each other with their bulging shoulder muscles, watching me, ready for my call.

A competitive glint flashes through Ash's eyes as he looks down the line at his brothers, sizing them up. He then gives me a lopsided smile that makes my belly flutter.

Ranger and Rusty both grin at me too, though they're looking less competitive and more playful than the others. But as soon as I shout the word "GO!" the race is anything but playful.

Honestly, I'm not sure how the water hole even still exists, the way they set off with a series of splashes big enough to start a tsunami.

Drops of cool water splash my legs, even from the opposite side of the water hole, as they all slice their way through the water, bulging muscles flexing with every powerful stroke. They displace half the water, and all of the birds from the nearby trees, with their bellowing cries and deafening splashing.

Ranger has the clear lead until Buck closes in on him, reaching out, out, and then Ranger is down, under the water while Buck pushes himself ahead.

By the time Ranger pops back up out of the water, spluttering, he's dead last.

It's Nash who I expect to win as he pulls ahead of his brothers with long strokes. He expects the win as well, his eyes already lighting up with triumph.

At the last second, just before his fingers make contact with my ankle, Nash is dunked under the water by Ash, whose determination to win is written in every tense line of his face.

"Mine," Ash growls under his breath when his fingers wrap gently around my foot. "Your kiss is mine, all mine."

Behind him, his brothers emit a series of groans and smack the water, splashing each other. Despite the intense competition and defeat, they join Ash and me along the side of the water hole, panting from their exertion but wearing genuine smiles on their faces.

"Thanks a lot, Buck," Ranger says with an eye roll and a groan. "I had this race in the bag."

"All's fair," Buck says with a shrug of his beefy shoulders.

Before any more protests can be made, Ash pulls himself out of the water. His eyes are lit from within as he holds out a hand in my direction. I take it, expecting him to pull me up, but instead, he drops himself down next to where I sit and scoops me into his lap.

"You ready to give me my prize?" Ash asks.

"You won it fair and square," I tell him, then I add, "Kiss me, Ash."

It's a good thing he has me wrapped in his arms, holding me tight, because the moment his lips touch mine, I melt into a puddle. His lips are so delicious I have to stop myself from pushing closer to him and fully devouring him. But damn if he doesn't seem hell-bent on fully devouring me.

I'm almost too deep in his kisses to hear the others bellow and cheer, but eventually I pull away, my cheeks flushed. My eyes are heavy-lidded and my mouth feels swollen. Ash looks back at me like he's ready to sling me over his shoulder and whisk me off so he can plunder my mouth in private.

I'm tempted to ask him to do exactly that when the other brothers climb out of the water, their laughter echoing across the river and into the woods. They're loud enough for their voices to reach the cabin. At least, I hope so.

I'm not sure why I want Luke to hear how much fun they're having with me, because I shouldn't even care. He's made it very clear that he wants nothing to do with me…and yet, it's like something inside of me just won't let go of the need for him to come around. Ranger said he would. So did Brooks and Hunter. But he might not ever like me, let alone ever want to battle his brothers for my kiss.

Fine. I'm fine with that. Who needs ten men to kiss anyway? NOT ME.

I just wish I didn't have to see Luke's disapproving expression behind my eyes whenever I blink. And I wish it wasn't me who brings that expression out in him.

Why does his opinion matter so much? Why do I care what he thinks? I can think of multiple reasons, but none of them matter. The important thing is—I do care. Even if he's not leaving to go to the big cave, how can I fully enjoy this while knowing he's back at the cabin, more grumpy than normal, because of me?

And suddenly, I realize I can't just leave things as they are. I can't wait on him to come around, or not. He may be able to ignore me, but I won't be able to ignore him or the fact that he's uncomfortable in his own home because of my presence. I know I won't.

"Hey," Ash says, his voice as gentle as the caress of his fingertips down along my jawline. "Did I do that wrong? Because I'd rate that kiss a solid ten on a scale of one to ten, but you do not look like a woman satisfied."

"You did everything right, Ash," I promise him with a smile that I'm not sure looks convincing. "But I need to talk to Luke. I need to…"

"Make things right with him?" Ash asks.

"Okay, who gets the next kiss?" Clay wants to know. "Me, right?"

"We could wrestle for it, or see who can go the highest in the climbing tree," Buck suggests. "Or—"

"You could see who can keep their trap shut for the longest. Goldie and I aren't done here," Ash calls out. "Give us a minute."

"Boo!" a couple of them shout, but it's definitely good-naturedly.

I watch Rusty belly flop back into the water, and that brings out my full smile. Clay dives back in too, nearly landing on top of Rusty, then pushing him under with a playful dunking.

I turn back to Ash. "Do you think I can? Make things right with Luke?"

He's quiet for a stretch, tilting his head and studying me with those piercing green eyes as if I'm a particularly difficult algebra problem. Then he lets out a breath and says, "If anyone can do it, it's you, firecracker."

Not the most spirited or inspiring pep talk in the history of time, but I'll take it.