Sun Kissed (Camp Boyfriend) (31 page)
“Girls.” Brooke’s excited clap sent water jetting my way. “He’s perfect.”
I nodded involuntarily. Nick
was
perfect—except for the tiny problem that we used to be close and now he hated my guts. I should have objected when my friends signed us up for swim today with his cabin, the Warriors’ Warden. But I’d been afraid they’d leave me behind. Alone. I was all too used to that back home.
“Totally perfect.” The water almost vibrated with the force of Brittany’s sigh. “But seriously, he wasn’t always Diva-worthy. That’s why Kayla dropped him when she joined our cabin.”
A bubble escaped as I growled in frustration. My reasons went deeper than that—but I guess they wouldn’t know.
“Where is Kayla?” Rachel’s voice rose.
Oh God. Please don’t let anyone hear her…
“Kayla!”
“Kayla!” chorused my friends.
Damn.
I shot to the surface and sucked in a long breath. So much for the underwater hiding spot I’d ducked into when Nick flashed by in his swim lane. So far, I’d mostly stayed off his radar, and I meant to keep it that way until I left tomorrow. We had too much history to start another chapter.
“We were looking for you.” Rachel lifted her swim goggles and frowned down at me with light brown eyes that matched her springing, shoulder-length curls. “You scared the crap out of us.”
“Sorry.” I swiped my hair off my face and swirled in the cool water so that my back faced the returning guys. My pale shoulders crisped under the bright sun. “Didn’t think you’d notice.”
Brittany patted my hand on the floating rope, her eyes a light blue without her vampire contacts. “We’d probably notice if you were dead.”
“Ya think?” Rachel hoisted her sleek, Speedo-clad body onto the swim platform. “I thought you only had eyes for Nick, Britt.”
My heartbeat tripped over itself at his name. Despite the splashing, churning water around us, the catcalls and whistle-blowing, it was all I heard. Reason three for needing to leave camp: it sucked being around an ex that I still liked. Especially now that everyone else liked him, too.
“Nick!” cough/hacked Brooke, and we all froze. I swear, even the dripping water suspended in midair.
“What’s up? Everything okay?” rumbled a deep voice that was as familiar as it was different. “Everyone accounted for?”
I felt his eyes slide over me before he lifted the lane separator and joined us. Nick Desanti. Even when we’d been no more than hiking partners before we became best friends and nearly more, I’d always been super-aware of him. I met his hazel gaze for a split second, the vivid color contrasting against his dark Italian skin and black-brown hair.
“Nothing to see. Let’s move along, folks,” I muttered under my breath and reached for the platform. Strong hands spanned my waist and lifted me onto the worn wood.
I turned around to object, even though his touch sent heat streaking through me, but I closed my mouth at the sight of Nick’s back. Kayla dismissed. It hurt more than the splinter digging into my big toe. The quick boost was no more than he’d do for anyone. And that’s all I was to Nick now. Anyone. Or worse…no one.
Ouch.
“Ohhhhh, lift me next, Nick. You’re so strong!” Brooke wriggled her bikini-clad behind like a dog in heat, her purple-tipped black hair swishing in the water. Would I be justified in calling her a bitch? It was the right term, but
I
could never say that out loud. I was the girl who never spoke her mind…except in her mind.
A loud squeal sounded in the humid, mid-July air as Nick tossed first Brooke, then Brittany at Rachel and me, toppling us like bowling pins. From the shore, a whistle shrilled. Gollum. We’d nicknamed our camp director, Mr. Woodrow, after the
Lord of the Rings
creature for a whistle obsession so intense we called it his Precious. He waved his arms at us and our oblivious counselor, Victoria. Despite dripping around her like a rainstorm, we didn’t cause her to look up from her magazine.
“Thank you, Nick.” Brittany finger-combed her long blonde hair and batted her water-spiked lashes.
Nick’s eyes crinkled as he smiled up at her. “Anytime. If you need me, just give a shout.”
Brooke waved her hands overhead, her violet eyes flashing. “Shout!”
Everyone laughed but me. Instead, I scooted behind the pack of posing, preening girls.
“Careful or you’ll slide right off that platform again,” Nick called, and all eyes turned toward me. Some of the nearby campers laughed, remembering the time I’d once missed a relay race dive and belly-flopped off the slippery dock.
I crossed my arms and glared at him, my scowl only making his smile widen. First he ignored me and now he tried to humiliate me. Was that why he’d returned to camp? I didn’t believe his story about needing time off from practices and endorsement appearances. He could have gone somewhere way more glamorous. No, Nick came back to Juniper Point for a reason.
Revenge.
**
Download the Series
Camp Boyfriend
- Book #1
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Lauren Carlson thought she was ready to take her relationship with Seth, her long time camp boyfriend to year-round status. Especially when her school boyfriend, Matt, doesn't seem to understand the real her. But when Matt's life hits a snag, Lauren can't turn her back on a friend. Lauren's heart is torn, forcing her to see herself, her friends and her whole life differently in one unforgettable summer.
Camp Payback
– Book #2
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Alex has big plans for camp this year, starting with making it the best summer ever. Having fun and breaking some rules will get her the payback she wants against her parents and her ex-boyfriend. Because of his disgusting texts, she's headed to a super strict all-girls school in the fall. Then she meets Javier and revenge doesn't seem nearly as important as getting to know the troubled loner determined to keep a low profile at camp. But Alex's trouble-magnet personality and Javier's need to stay in the background don't mix nearly as well as their irresistible chemistry. With her home life eroding under her feet and her last year of summer camp speeding to a close, Alex wants to make her mark on the world and squeeze every bit of fun out of her time with Javier. Too bad her old plans for revenge turn back on her just in time to ruin everything. Will she lose Javier too?
Camp Forget Me Not
– Book #3
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Learn more about the series at the
Camp Boyfriend
website
About the Authors
Karen Rock is an award-winning YA and adult contemporary author. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in English and worked as an ELA instructor before becoming a full-time author. Her Harlequin Heartwarming novel, A LEAGUE OF HER OWN, has won the 2015 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award and the 2015 Booksellers Best Award. Her Heartwarming novel, WISH ME TOMORROW, has won the 2014 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence and the 2014 Golden Quill Contest. Her co-authored YA novel, CAMP BOYFRIEND, has been a finalist in the Booksellers Best and Golden Leaf awards. When she's not writing, Karen loves scouring estate sales for vintage books, cooking her grandmother's family recipes, hiking and redesigning her gardens. She lives in the Adirondack Mountain region with her husband, daughter, and two lovable dogs who have yet to understand the concept of "fetch" though they know a lot about love. Learn more about her at
karenrock.com
or follow her on twitter at
karenrock5
.
Joanne Rock has written over seventy novels since her first book appeared on shelves in 2002. An unapologetic optimist, she enjoys writing romance of all kinds where the characters grow through life’s obstacles to find new happiness. A three-time nominee for the RITA, romance’s highest honor, Joanne has won numerous awards for her work including the 2015 SnowGlobe for her holiday story, LAST CHANCE CHRISTMAS. She credits her early years at summer camp with her cousins for her knowledge of the Camp Boyfriend world and had fun sharing the trip down memory lane with her sister-in-law, Karen. Many s’mores were consumed in the writing of this series. Follow Joanne on twitter
@JoanneRock6
and visit her website at
joannerock.com
Table of Contents
Camp Boyfriend
Camp Payback
Camp Forget Me Not