Chapter 5

5

DANIEL

December 24th: The game.

We gather in a circle around Emma, who set the yellow wicket on the right with a deep line in the sand in front of it to act as the crease, while twenty-five paces to the left only has a line.

“Okay, rules today. Batter against everyone else. The ball’s in play if it goes in the water, but if it gets to the dunes, it’s a six and the batter’s out. Batter gets one free shot, then anything’s game. If you hit the ball, you have to run to the line and back to the wicket crease. I don’t care how shit it is. Bowler rotates after six balls. Batter is out if you hit yellow, and after eighteen balls regardless. Fielders and wicket keeper can be anyone else whenever. Everyone gets a chance to bat and once the rotation is complete, whoever got the most runs wins. Make sense?” Emma claps her hands, ignores Maddy’s dazed face, and hands the yellow plastic bat to Mum and the yellow ball to Maddy.

“When was the last time you played cricket?” I ask her.

She chucks the ball up and catches it and rolls her arm in a practice bowl. “Not since I was eleven. I’m sure it’ll come back to me.”

I glance at Emma, who’s staring at Maddy. “She’s gonna annihilate us.”

Emma wiggles her eyebrows. “She deserves to, dealing with you.”

“What are you planning?”

“Nothing.” She strolls to the water. “Take wicket keeper.”

Everyone takes their positions, and Maddy stands behind the line while Mum hits the sand with the bat, getting ready.

“Underarm please, honey.”

Maddy changes course quickly. A line between her brows appears. She squints and throws the ball.

The ball cracks against the bat, and the game begins.

Mum doesn’t last long, or deliberately gets out early so she can stand in the sun and only move when the ball comes her way.

Dad lasts longer, but we still get him out before eighteen balls. Emma lobbed the ball at the wicket, and his dive wasn’t quick enough. He wipes sand off his T-shirt and rolls his eyes at her.

“Couldn’t give me a break?”

“Nope.” She takes the bat from him, and I take the yellow ball from Mum, taking my position behind the line while Maddy stands behind the wicket.

“You ready?” I yell.

“Go ahead.” Emma bends her knees and fists the bat.

I roll my arm over my shoulder and twist my hand when I let the ball loose.

“Don’t spin it, you bastard,” Emma shouts as she hits the ball and runs.

“It wasn’t in your rules!” I duck out of the way as she barrels towards me and flinch when she swings the bat at my feet.

She crosses the crease as Mum throws the ball at the wicket. It goes wide and Maddy runs after it, bending down to reach it and giving me an eyeful of smooth skin, barely covered in black fabric. I look away before anyone notices, but when I lock eyes with Emma, she smirks at me.

Caught.

The ball hits my chest and bounces on the sand. I snag it and see Maddy grimacing at me.

She mouths an apology, but I smile at her. And try not to fixate on the V of her one-piece. The string holding her hat dangles between the V, trailing down and swinging between her breasts. Miles of smooth skin, and I can’t touch.

“Danny, you still playing? Bit distracted?” Emma laughs and leans against the bat.

I throw the ball at the wicket before she can adjust her position and cackle when the yellow wicket topples over.

“Out!”

“Hey! Mum, how is that sportsmanship?” Emma whinges, but when we meet in the middle of the sandy pitch, she reluctantly hands the bat to me.

“One run is worse than Mum. At least she got a six. What happened to winning?”

She grins at me and whispers, “Of course I’m not gonna win when it’s your fake girlfriend’s birthday, and she’s being smothered by our family. She deserves to win something.”

I glance at Maddy, who’s glaring at me but can’t help her lips turning up. “She does.”

Reaching the wicket, I right them and fake surprise at her mock glare. “What? It’s not my fault she wasn’t ready.”

She scoffs. “I watched you wait until she wasn’t looking.”

“Too bad it wasn’t in her rules.”

“It’s like that, is it?”

I grin. “Yep. Good luck getting me out.”

My grin falls when she brushes a hand down my chest and walks backwards to the waves crashing on the sand. “I don’t need any.”

“What are you planning?” I yell, rubbing a hand across the tingling skin her fingers touched.

“You should pay attention to the game.” She nods at Dad, getting ready to throw the ball.

“Sweetie, remember who buys you skincare.”

“Sweetie, remember who tattoos your ink,” she says with a saccharine smile.

Emma laughs on my left by the dunes. “Don’t piss her off.”

The girls share a look, and now I’m scared.

Shouldn’t have opened my big mouth.

I face Dad and wait for the ball to come at me. When it does, it cracks against the bat and lands in the waves. Then I’m sprinting, and I can’t enjoy watching Maddy wade into the water to find the ball.

The waves sucked the ball out further, giving me more time to run until Maddy re-emerges, wet, and running towards me.

I falter, but make it over the crease. The ball bounces off my back, and I whip towards her to see her biting her lip against a smile. Water drips from her body and clings to her chest.

I shake myself. “Why’d you hit me?”

“I didn’t do anything. You got in the way of the ball.”

“I got in the way of the ball?” I try to stop my smile, but she looks too adorable in her hat, soaked in water with flushed cheeks. I’m glad she’s enjoying herself. Her mood’s contagious.

“Yep. You should work on that.”

I laugh and watch her walk away, eyes dropping to see her one-piece riding up her ass now that she’s wet. How the fuck am I supposed to concentrate when she’s right there, looking gorgeous and relaxed? And wet.

“We still playing, or are you two forfeiting to go do disgusting things to each other?”

“Emma, shut?—”

“You ready, Danny?” Dad asks.

A glance at Maddy shows her giggling, and I say, “Always.”

I hit the ball and cringe as it heads towards a group of guys coming our way. It bounces in front of them, and one guy bends and picks it up. His eyes catch on Maddy meandering towards them, and after a quick scan down her body, he chucks it to her without a word.

She turns to us and lifts it, catching me stationary between the creases. “You aren’t running, corporate boy!”

I walk to the line in front of Dad, turn, and walk backwards. “You’re too far away to get me out.”

“Wanna bet?” she yells and throws the ball.

An accurate ball. Too accurate.

“Shit.” I spin and lurch towards the crease, thrusting the bat across the crease as the ball knocks the wicket over to the sound of laughter from the group of guys and my family. Maddy’s laugh mixes with everyone else, but I can pinpoint it exactly. She’s behind me.

“I think your luck’s out, sweetie.”

The group passes us, and the guy who gave her the ball says, “Good shot.”

“He’s right.” I nod at them. “It was a good shot.”

She flushes and grins at me. “I know. That’s why I didn’t need luck.”

I kick sand at her feet. “I’m not out yet.”

She kicks sand back. “I bet you’re out next ball.”

“What are we betting?”

“A kiss.”

We whirl to Emma, who’s appeared beside us.

“A kiss?” Maddy asks, and her throat bobs.

Blue eyes dart to mine, and I shrug. In her mind, everyone thinks we’re dating, so it would make sense. But I wouldn’t kiss her if she felt uncomfortable. I’d imagine it instead and continue dreaming about her.

Emma crosses her arms. “If he wins, he gets a kiss. If you win…he lets you tattoo whatever you want.”

“That’s hardly the same thing,” she replies.

Emma shrugs.

Maddy considers me, and I try to convey it’s her choice without saying it. It will always be her choice.

“I’m not tattooing whatever I want on you. A kiss for whoever wins.” She nods at me and returns to her position, leaving me behind and breathless.

Is it because she feels like she has to, or does she want to kiss me?

“You’re welcome,” Emma says and wanders off.

Well, now stakes are high. Do I want to kiss her, or do I want her to kiss me more? I’d take either.

I face Dad and wait for the ball. Hitting it as close to the dunes as possible, I run.

I hit the line and turn, keeping an eye on Emma foraging for the ball. Glancing at the wicket, I gasp in outrage. “Interference! Referee, she’s interfering.”

Maddy drags the wicket further away from me while I chase after it. She picks it up and, with a grin at me, turns and races towards Emma, sand kicking up behind her.

“Overruled,” Mum shouts.

I chase after her. The bat gets dropped somewhere along the way and as the girls reach each other, Emma hits the wicket, and they whoop. I’m running too fast to stop, so I sweep Maddy into my arms and spin her around, wicket and all. She screams and clutches me, the wicket banging my back, but I don’t care.

She’s breathless and wet in my arms, cheeks spread wide in a grin, pink from her sprint but shaded by her hat. I lift her higher, and her legs wrap around my waist.

“That’s cheating, sweetie.”

“Is it? I could have sworn it wasn’t in the rules? Emma, was there a rule about moving the wicket? I don’t recall a rule about bowling before the batter was ready either?”

“You know, Maddy? I think you’re right.” Emma takes the wicket from Maddy and heads towards the makeshift pitch. “Come on. Let’s see how good the birthday girl is.”

Maddy’s arms wrap around my neck, and I tighten my hold on her. “You know, I’m pretty sure this means I win the bet.”

“Are you going to claim your prize?” My heart races.

Her head tilts until the brim of our hats knock together. “Maybe.”

She ducks below my hat and presses a fleeting kiss to my lips.

Heat spreads through my chest, but before I can kiss her again, before I can haul her as close as possible and devour her, she untangles herself from me.

She has a tiny smile on her face. “You gonna watch me win this thing?”

I nudge her hat up to see her face better. See her smile and the playfulness in her eyes. “You still think you’re going to win?”

“I know I’m gonna win.”

“Wanna bet?”

Maddy laughs. “Sure. What are we betting this time?”

I snag her hand and play with her fingers and ignore the pounding in my chest. “What Emma said originally. I win, and I get to kiss you. You win, and you can choose my next tattoo.”

“What if I don’t want to choose?”

“I know you want to choose because I know there’s a file of stuff in your office you want to try next.” I shrug. “Do it on me.”

She sucks her bottom lip into her mouth, scans my sleeve, stares at my lips, and finally locks eyes with me. “Fine. You’re on.”

Her hand thrusts out for me to shake. I grasp it, and before she moves, I drag her close and kiss her cheek. Keeping hold of her hand, I guide us to the pitch and hand her the bat.

“Good luck, sweetie.” And I hope you lose so I can kiss you.

“I don’t need luck. I’ve got skill.”

I laugh and head to the waves. “Well, have some luck anyway.”

Emma bowls, and the ball flies at Maddy, and I’m ready for anything.

I wasn’t ready to witness the weakest attempt to hit the ball I’ve ever seen. She misses it and turns to watch it roll down the beach, towards Mum, who waits for it to reach her.

“What was that, birthday girl?”

“I thought you didn’t need luck because you’ve got skill,” I tease.

“Maybe I do.” She shrugs and looks unconcerned.

Facing Emma again, she gets ready and something’s different this time. Her knees are bent and she’s adjusted her grip on the bat. I frown.

The ball comes at her and she whacks it halfway down the beach, away from any of us, and wanders to the line and back again. Multiple times before we retrieve the ball.

I lock eyes with her.

She fake gasps. “Oh, did I not say I beat Oliver every summer? Guess it slipped my mind.” She blows me a kiss and grins.

Shit.

I was right. She’s gonna annihilate us.

It takes her less than six balls to surpass me and win the bet. Not that she’s realised, she’s having too much fun making us run all over the beach.

I nearly have her, but when I throw the ball at the wicket, she hits it out of the way mid-run.

She turns to me, panting. “Hey, sweetie? I think I started winning. That means I get to choose a tattoo, right? And you don’t get a kiss?”

Emma snorts, and I roll my eyes.

“Yes, you’re winning.” Or won, but I’m not telling her that.

“Yeah, I am.” She does a little shimmy dance, and I can’t help but grin at her.

But I’m not letting her win without effort.

While she’s focusing on Emma, I duck behind the wicket, reach for her, and pull the brim of her hat over her eyes. Maddy screeches.

“Throw the ball!”

Emma throws the ball underarm to account for the fact Maddy’s currently blind, but right at the last second she fixes her hat and manages to chip the ball off to the sea. It rolls past Mum, who strolls after it.

Maddy sprints to the line and back and cackles when she sees Mum basically ignoring it.

“How’d that work out for you, corporate boy?” she asks.

I stick my tongue out at her. “It could have worked.” I tuck brown hair that’s escaped from the hat away from her eyes and an idea sneaks its way into my head. I rub damp hands on my board shorts. “How about we raise the stakes?”

She leans on the bat and lifts her brows. “To what?”

I swallow my nerves. “If you’re out this round, I get a kiss. You’ve already won the game and got your tattoo.”

Her tongue darts out to lick her lips as she considers me. “If you get me out this time, you’ll kiss me?”

“Yep.”

Warm blue eyes trail down my chest and back to my eyes. “Okay.”

“You don’t want to add any rules? Nothing to make sure I don’t tamper with anything?” I have a plan, but I want to give her warning there’s no way she’ll win this bet. Want to give her the opportunity to back out. I want this on her terms.

She reaches up and fixes my hat. “No. You didn’t add rules for me. Fair’s fair.” She leans closer to me and lowers her voice. “I’m excited to see what you come up with.”

I bite my cheek. She knows I’m giving her an out, and she isn’t taking it. Isn’t taking the opportunity to avoid kissing me. Does that mean she wants to kiss me?

I hope so.

I hope it means she’s having the best day, spending it together, getting to touch and tease each other.

Nothing is better.

Well, kissing her would be, but I’ll take what I currently have over nothing.

“You’re on.”

She beams at me and spins to face Emma.

I nod at Emma, who lifts her head in acknowledgment. She throws the ball, and I round the wicket and drag Maddy out of the way, bat and all, and swing her into my arms.

“Hey!” she yells and watches as the ball hits the wicket and topples to the sand.

“I think that means you’re out.” I pout at her, and she pushes her hand in my face, but she’s smiling.

Laughing, I rearrange her so her legs wrap around my waist, and my hands support her ass. She drops the bat behind her.

“That wasn’t very original,” she says, tilting my hat back slightly.

“But it means I won.”

“So it does.” Her arms wrap around my neck and she lifts herself closer to me. “I owe you a kiss.”

My heart beats faster, and my arms feel weak holding her. “Oh, do you?”

She thrusts her hat off. “Shut up.”

And she kisses me.

Her lips latch onto mine, warm and soft, and I stagger from the force of her. From the force of her affection and warmth and scent of the ocean and sunscreen with a hint of vanilla clinging to her. From her happiness and the brush of her tongue on my bottom lip.

Her hands knock my hat off and she thrusts them through my hair, gripping the sweaty strands, but she doesn’t seem to mind.

Just hauls herself closer and sucks my bottom lip into her mouth. I pant and run a hand down her bare back, tucking a hand under the fabric and brush the curve of her breast.

She’s my home.

I’ve known it for years. Dreamed of kissing her and taking her back to my house. Dreamed of making her birthday fun again and bringing her to this beach and seeing her mix with my childhood traditions.

I pull away slightly and see her dazed expression. “Maddy I?—”

She surges forward and kisses me again. Drags a hand to my chest and brushes our tongues together.

“Maddy,” I pant. “Maddy, I?—”

“We’re on a public beach. As much as I love public displays of affection from my brother, I don’t think this is necessary.” Emma gags and walks towards the dunes where the bags are.

Mum and Dad are already there, reading books and ignoring us, gear already packed away. As if it didn’t happen. As if my whole life hasn’t changed.

I lower Maddy to the sand and fix her hat. Her hands smooth my hair and right my hat, tucking stray pieces away from my eyes.

Her eyes are glazed, but she has a faint smile on her lips and brushes her hands over my shoulders. Squeezing gently, she drags her palms down my arms and grasps my hands.

“Want to go for a swim?” she asks, turning us towards the waves and running a finger over my thumb.

“Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

And I follow her into the waves and kiss her again.