Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
“I didn’t know we were having a water party,” Alessio said.
My head swiveled around to where he stood in the doorway. His eyes met mine, and he raised an eyebrow. I pushed off the edge and lowered myself into the water. I needed to cool down. If it hadn’t ruined my hair, I would have dunked my head too, but that would be difficult to explain to my parents.
“What happened to you?” Nevio asked, swimming over to the spot where Alessio stopped near the pool’s edge.
I hadn’t noticed before, but Nevio had a point. Alessio looked ruffled. His dark-blond hair was all over the place. His shirt buttoned the wrong way, with a few missing buttons. And his fly was open. He hadn’t looked that way when we’d danced.
“Uhh,” I began, but Nevio was quicker. “Don’t release the kraken on us, all right?”
Alessio looked down his body but didn’t seem the slightest bit embarrassed about his predicament. He gave Nevio a pointed look. “As long as you keep your kraken in check, we should be fine.” He popped open the button, then kicked down his pants and got out of his shirt before he too jumped into the pool, not bothering to be careful.
Water flew everywhere and barely missed my hair. I’d definitely get in trouble with my parents tonight. I could feel it. Though maybe I could say it was my way to keep the wedding peaceful. Nobody could argue that a wedding without Nevio and Alessio was far likely to escalate.
The guys exchanged a look that made it clear whatever had happened to Alessio wouldn’t be discussed with me around.
I swam toward the closest ladder.
“Where are you going?” Nevio asked.
“I should probably return to the party. Mom and Dad will wonder where I am. I don’t want to get in trouble.”
I climbed out, grabbed my dress from the floor, and quickly rushed into the changing room. I locked myself in, then let out a shuddering breath. A kiss on the forehead, as if I was ten. I was almost eighteen, but Nevio treated me like his little sister. God, did he really see me as his kid sister? I closed my eyes. Taking a shuddering breath, I opened my bra. It was too wet. There was no way I could wear it under my dress. The fabric of my dress fell in ripples over my chest, so it shouldn’t be too obvious that I wasn’t wearing anything beneath.
I got out of my panties too but wrung them out, then put them back on even if the sensation of the cold, damp material was awful. I simply couldn’t imagine returning to the wedding without panties. The material clung to me in an uncomfortable way, but I still put on my dress.
When I stepped out of the changing room, Nevio was waiting in front of it. I touched my heart.
“You’re dripping,” he said, his eyes on the floor.
I followed his gaze. Indeed, a few droplets of water gathered at my feet. The panties were still too wet.
“Your dress will be soaked as soon as you sit down.”
I cringed. That would look as if I’d peed myself. Nevio stepped up to me. “Just get out of your panties. Nobody will know. Your dress is long. It would look suspicious if you dripped water all over the floor under your dress.”
I stepped back into the changing room and got out of my panties as well, then returned with my bra and panties in hand to Nevio. I had left my purse at the table, so there was nowhere I could put my underwear.
“Here, let me take this from you. I can get rid of them later.”
Nevio took my bra and panties from me, catching me off guard.
I swallowed, unable to get past the fact that Nevio was holding my panties. Again, I had dreamed of that moment several times, but never like this. Not even close. A hysteric laugh crowded in my throat.
Alessio appeared beside us at that moment. I knew he interrupted us on purpose. What was it with his savior complex? Since when was he so concerned about me being around Nevio?
He glanced at my underwear in Nevio’s hand and then at my face. “You realize how your father would react if he saw Nevio with your underwear.”
“Dad doesn’t know what kind of underwear I own,” I muttered, annoyed.
Nevio gave me a wink before he walked back to the pool with my underwear.
“You’re very bad at following advice,” Alessio murmured in my ear.
Nevio regarded us with narrowed eyes as he sank down on the edge of the pool and put my underwear on the floor beside him.
“I’m only bad at following bad advice.”
I quickly left the pool area, and after catching my breath in the hallway for a moment, I decided to return to the party. When I entered the ballroom where the festivities took place, I felt on the spot, even if nobody paid me close attention. Just the knowledge that I wasn’t wearing underwear was enough to turn me into a jumpy mess.