Knot So Lucky (Destination Love, #1)(59)

This is bad. This is so fucking bad. Without looking at her, I lift her hand as my bullshit excuse to put some space between us tumbles out.

“I’m gonna go for a swim.” And maybe stay underwater for a bit.

She hums an acknowledgment, setting the menu aside after ordering and lying back to soak up the sun.

The minute I hit the water, I turn around and look at her. I can’t help it. And it’s like she knows, too, because she pushes up on her elbows again and stares right at me. Even with her sunglasses on, I know her eyes are locked on mine.

Damn, meeting this girl has turned my life upside down. And apparently, it only took seventeen days to get me used to the view.

I’m doomed.





“How didn’t I see this coming?” I mutter to TJ as he takes a drink of his beer. “I’m fucking embarrassed to say that I thought we’d just ride out the thirty days fucking and hanging out. In my mind, I was like, we’re just gonna high-five when she leaves.”

TJ laughs, and so do I. Because what the fuck?

We’re sitting on lounge chairs, watching Nate throw Eleanor around in the pool, making her squeal before she tries like hell to dunk him under. It’s not happening, but it’s cute to watch her try.

“Isn’t that why you call her Wild Card, though? Cuz she ain’t the thing you saw comin’?”

I shake my hand, gripping the football they brought, tapping it with my other.

“Nah, it was because she was an unexpected opportunity.”

I glance over at him as his brows pull together.

“An opportunity for what?”

I exhale, eyes on her as she splashes Nate a couple of times before he almost drowns her in a wave and I grin.

“That night? That was an opportunity for fun. A way to let loose and just be wild. All this contract shit had been wearing me down, and she just felt like a breath of fresh air.”

He takes another swig, then looks at me.

“And now?”

“Shit, Teej. I don’t know. She’s gotten under my skin, you know? But I don’t have room in my life for anyone. And honestly, neither does she. We both made that clear.”

He scoffs, but both our heads snap to the pool when we hear Eleanor and Nate calling our names and waving us out to join them.

“Bullshit,” he throws out before he takes the ball off my stomach and hurls it toward Nate before adding, “No room? Then build an addition in the house of Crew. You got the cash.”

I crack a laugh because that’s such a TJ thing to say, but the initial humor dims because the truth isn’t as funny.

“Truth?” I don’t have to look at him to know he’s nodding. “I don’t want to. And that’s the fucked-up part because I hear myself, dude. But I don’t want a girlfriend. I don’t want to have to think about someone else and how my life affects them… I’m just getting started toward where I want to go. But damn, she makes me feel like I should.”

I’m waiting for him to call me a dick because I deserve it. But TJ doesn’t say anything. We just sit in silence, staring out at the pool as Eleanor laughs and starts calling us out again.

“Damn, you really do like her,” he says under his breath.

So I nod. “Yeah. I do. She’s kinda the perfect girl, just in the wrong lifetime.”

TJ blows out a deep breath before he stands up, rubbing his chest. When we look at each other, my brows raise, and he smiles before delivering his trademark outlandish thoughts.

“This shit’s getting too serious for two guys lying next to each other at the pool. Here’s what I’m thinking. Scale it back. Just be cool, talk to her like you would us. Don’t be like boyfriendy and shit. Definitely don’t take her out on drive-in dates.”

“Yeah.” I chuckle. “In hindsight…you know? I’m a fucking idiot.”

He stretches his arms wide, yawning, before Nate throws a shitty pass to him. Doesn’t matter though—TJ catches it like it was meant to go where it did.

“And not to be a dick,” he adds with a laugh, “but you act like that girl is gonna fall all over herself because you got a boner for her personality. She’s been pullin’. Ya know?”

We both start laughing. Because he’s not wrong. Just because I like her doesn’t mean shit. Eleanor is not the girl who’s waiting for her prince. Why would she when she’s been running the kingdom. Fucking A.

“I just need back on my game,” I say resolutely. “No more taking days off and giving in to distractions.”

He laughs. I don’t, my brows pulling together as I speak.

“We’ve got two more weeks together. It’s not like anybody’s falling in love in that time frame. So, I’m hands-off.”

He looks at me, surprised, until I specify, “I mean everything but sex.” My smirk grows. “A man’s gotta eat.”

He nods, throwing the ball back to Nate.

“Understandable, sir. I concur.”

I smile, watching her splash around like she’s doing those old-people water aerobics. Why does she have to be so fucking cute? And why do I want to go out there and wrap her fucking legs around me just so she’ll kiss my neck. Oh, you dumb fuck. Get it together.

“Plus,” I breathe out, selling every fucking word to TJ and myself. “The reality is, even if we decided to be idiots and try dating—”