“Life isn’t fair, Hollywood.”

“Well, that’s the damn truth.” Even though a half-dozen lounge chairs were around the pool, she sat down right on the edge of his seat. Half of her body blocked his sun, and she lounged halfway back on his lap. “Ah, this is the life.”

He looked down at her from over the top of his Wayfarers. “You’re chipper.”

“The universe has been very nice to me today.”

“Is that so?” Eric asked.

“Mmhmm. I am now the proud owner of a new house.”

He tilted his head to the side, and it was all she needed to know that he thought she was being ridiculous.

“A house? How the hell could you afford to buy a house? Or did your dad finally budge and let you out of you living with Pace?”

“No, he didn’t, and I didn’t buy it. It was given to me.”

“Someone gave you a new house? How exactly did you acquire this property?”

“Hugh.”

“Is…”

“The guy I’m seeing,” she finished for him.

“Digging, you mean. I know those words are kind of similar, but they mean slightly different things.”

“Sure. Seeing, digging—whatever. Same thing.”

“So, this poor sap handed you the keys to a house?”

“Yep. Pretty much.” She tipped half of the margarita back in her mouth. “Like I said, this is the life.”

“I feel so bad for this guy.” Eric closed his notebook and set it down next to his drink. “He has no idea who he’s dealing with.”

“Oh, please,” Bryna said, dismissively waving her hand. “Don’t get all judgy on me, E. He likes it, and he knows exactly what’s happening.”

“And do you?”

“Of course,” she purred. She closed her eyes and soaked up the sun. “I always know what I’m doing.”

He snorted at her comment. “Sounds like someone needs a reality check.”

All of a sudden, Eric was moving. His arms slid under the crook her legs and then her shoulders. She didn’t even have time to wriggle out of his grasp before he was hoisting her into the air and cradling her against his chest. He was smirking, and she knew that was not a good thing.

“What the fuck?” she cried. “Oh my God, what are you doing?”

He walked toward the edge of his pool.

“If you get me near that pool, I will murder you.”

“This is for your own good.”

“Eric!” she screamed.

But it was no use. Without another thought, he effortlessly tossed her, completely clothed, into the crystal-clear water. Her body crashed through the still water, and she sank under.

Holy shit!

She clambered for the surface, sputtering, as her head popped out of the water. “It’s fr-freezing, you asshole!”

But Eric wasn’t listening to her. He was doubled over, laughing hysterically. His laughter was infectious, and even though she was pissed at him, she suddenly couldn’t stop laughing either.

“What did you just do?” she asked.

She swam to the edge of the pool and lifted her shaking figure out of the water. Her dress was ruined. It was silk, and now, she was going to have to toss it. Not to mention, her hair and makeup that she had just had done at the spa earlier this afternoon was beyond ruined. Hundreds of dollars had gone down the drain, all with one throw into the pool.

“You should see yourself right now,” Eric got out between laughing. “My ribs. Christ, it hurts.”

“I don’t want to hear it. I’m the one soaking wet.”

“You look like a drowned rat.”

“How flattering,” she said. She shook her head, and more laughter pealed out of her. She didn’t even know why it was so funny. She was freezing and wet, but she couldn’t stop laughing. She tried to pull herself together. “Well, here’s your reality check, Cowboy. I’m not afraid of a little water.”

She reached behind herself and grabbed the zipper on the back of her dress. She dragged it to the base of her spine. The material was sticky and hugged her frame. She pulled it off her shoulders and over her breasts. She wiggled it over her hips and then let it land with a wet squish on the floor. That left her in nothing but a soaked sheer white La Perla bra and thong set.

She spread her arms wide. “I’m not afraid, and you’ve now ruined a four-hundred-dollar dress. Let’s play.”

He swallowed and averted his eyes. “I’m not getting in that water.”

“You can dish it out, but you can’t take it?”

His eyes shot back to hers, and for a second, it was as if he were checking her out. But she knew he wasn’t. He was probably embarrassed that she wasn’t embarrassed. She knew she had a rocking body. Nothing to be ashamed of.

“I’ll go get you some dry clothes.”

“Oh, come on, E. They’re just boobs!”

He rolled his eyes and then walked inside. All the humor of the moment was gone. What a buzzkill.

She grabbed her dress, downed her margarita, and then followed him inside a minute later. She walked right into the kitchen and refilled her glass. Eric was upstairs long enough that she finished half of another margarita before he returned.

He offered up a pair of sweats and an oversized T-shirt. “Best I could find.”

“Thanks. I’ll swim in these, too,” she joked.

He didn’t look at her once when she hopped off the kitchen counter and tugged on his clothes. Man, she would never have guessed that he was a prude. All the time, he was around sweaty football players who changed clothes in the locker room. This couldn’t be half as bad. Maybe it was the Texan in him.

He laughed when he saw her in his clothes. “You look ridiculous.”

“This is all your fault.”

“You’re right. I did not think this through.”

“Plus, now, I’m cold and tipsy.” She held up her half-finished glass. “I don’t think the margarita is helping with my body temperature.”

“Probably not.” He stood stiffly and shrugged.

She had given him the perfect opportunity to offer to warm her up, and he hadn’t taken it. Clearly, she was losing it if she’d thought for a second that he was acting this way because he was interested. Any other guy would have jumped all over her.

“Anyway, I’m throwing a party once I get the house furnished. A big kegger. We’ll invite the whole team.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he said. He leaned against the kitchen counter and seemed to relax more now that she had changed the subject. “We’re going to need a lot of booze to get them all drunk.”

“I think we can handle that,” she said with a smirk.

“THIS PLACE IS KILLER,” Trihn said.

Bryna smiled brightly. Yes, her new house had turned out to be incredible. She absolutely had to agree. She had spent the last couple of weeks furnishing the house until it was absolutely the most beautiful, elegant, and perfectly lived-in place she had ever seen. Hugh had even surprised her last weekend with a stunning Swarovski crystal chandelier.

Of course, she didn’t think people could tell quite how lavish it really was with nearly a hundred football players and the entire cheer team crowding into the house and her backyard.

“Yeah, I’m mad jealous,” Stacia agreed.

“As you should be,” Bryna said.

She was happy the weather was holding. They were supposed to have storms, but not a lick of water had hit the earth in more than a month. That meant the weather was gorgeous. It also equated to an even worse drought for the desert.

At least they got to benefit by using the awesome pool, which required wearing swimsuits. Bryna’s was a strappy blue-and-white color block that made her look exceptionally tan. Her hair was pulled off her shoulders and into a messy bun on the top of her head. She had a drink in her hand and was ready to party.