Destination Reached

JAKE

"You get me so wet every time, Jake."

"I do my best."

I sprayed her with the hose another time for good measure, aimed right at her head. Nowhere near her shoes, or calves, or any of the other places she actually had mud. She shrieked, spluttering water, hair dripping, t-shirt drenched already. She never should have let me get to the hose first. She should never have agreed to let me rinse her off, once I was done myself.

"Jake!"

"Oops," I grinned at her. "My bad."

Sophia glared at me with withering blue eyes, "I will kill you."

"You'd have to get the hose away from me first," I replied. I loved making her angry. It was so fun. I've said it before and I'll say it again, she had an adorable angry face. That sexy little pout of her lips, her arms folded over her chest, cheeks a little bit pink. It was fucking addictive.

"I might be able to if these two would help me!' She jabbed her thumb to our left, where Maia and Kai stood, safely out of the line of fire.

"Not getting involved," Kai called cheerfully.

"We're not stupid," Maia chimed in, backing up an additional step.

Sophia groaned, "You two suck."

"Us two are dry and would prefer to stay as such."

"What's the plan, Randall?" I teased, waggling my eyebrows at her. She stared at me for a few seconds, as if contemplating her options. I tossed the hose between my hands carelessly, ready to fire at will.

Sophia sighed, "Fine. I give up."

"You give up?" My brow furrowed. That wasn't like her. Plus, her eyes were doing something weird. The thing they usually did when she was plotting.

"You win." That definitely didn't sound like her. It seemed like she was up to something. I saw her loose her ponytail , observational skills on high alert. "My clothes are soaked." Was she— I completely lost my train of thought, breath catching as she pulled her shirt over her head, chucking it onto the nearby picnic table. I practically drooled as she ran a hand through her dark hair, letting it fall over her bare shoulders. God— that bikini top. Two pink spots appeared high in my cheeks, as I willed myself not to let my eyes wander.

"Truce?" she whispered, walking slowly towards me. I was numb, my mouth parting slightly.

"Uh..."

Sophia extended her hand, lashes batting innocently. I was spellbound. By her skin, her eyes, the way her hair brushed her tanned skin, her hips. Jesus Christ. I needed a goddamn ice bath.

"Please." That did it. I began to reach my hand out to shake hers, and in the instant I did, Sophia swiftly snatched the hose and turned it full force on me.

I staggered backward, shielding my face with my hands. It was pointless. She got me. Hey, it was pretty close to an ice bath. Cooled me down quick. I coughed, Maia and Kai roaring with laughter. Sophia was right. They did suck.

"There is no way that worked," Kai shook his head, snickering.

"Men," Sophia hummed, lips twisting into a smug smile, "so gullible." She tied her hair back up, calmly shut the hose off and wrung the water out of her discarded shirt, slipping it back over her head. She headed over to her locker to get a towel.

"Of course it worked," Maia rolled her eyes. "Jake is completely in—" I clapped a hand over her mouth. "Mmph!" She squirmed in my grasp, no doubt growing damp from my own wet clothes. "In love with her," she hissed through my fingers. "You're lucky I didn't bite your hand off, asshole."