Gentry

Ripple Effects

In the romance books I've read and movies I've watched, usually the female wakes up to the sun peaking through her lashes. Or her love interest gently wakes her up, offering a plate of pancakes for breakfast in bed. Unfortunately, River Aken was far from any of those kinds of men.

One of the stiffer accent pillows from the bed smacked me upside the head, jolting me awake and spiraling me into a murderous mood directed at the perpetrator. Glaring, I launched it at his back, hitting him square between the shoulder blades, as he opened the curtains of the floor to ceiling window.

"What was that for?" I snapped

"Get up. We're going jet-skiing." River said shortly.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. Especially somewhere you can drown me." I groaned

"Trust me." River started as he opened the closet door, "If so much wasn't riding on your shoulders and mine, I'd hope I'd be a little more creative with how I'd kill you.

I rolled onto my stomach and propped myself up on my elbows, "Think a homicidal maniac for a fiance is enough to stop a wedding?"

"Always did think straight jackets and padded rooms were your aesthetic." He smirked

I rolled my eyes and glared at him, un-amused, "I meant you."

River didn't find that amusing as he pulled up the bottom hem of his t-shirt. Peeling it off of himself, he tossed it at me. Grabbing the comforter on the bed, I shielded my eyes as he grabbed another shirt from the closet.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I shrieked

"Getting a shirt from my closet." River scoffed, "It's still my room."

"My eyes need bleach!" I said.

Rolling his eyes, he pulled on the shirt, "Do you know how many girls would kill to be in your position?"

Pulling the comforter away from my face, I looked at him, un-amused. He was smug as he shut the closet door and made his way to the hallway.

"Besides, nothing could contain all of this." He said cockily, "Get dressed. We leave in thirty."

As he left the room, I huffed and flopped back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I glanced at the nightstand beside the bed and stared at the rather flashy engagement ring with growing disdain. Of course I'd end up with the narcissistic walrus as my fiance.

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I was seated on a sun lounge chair on the top deck of the rather large pontoon boat. To my surprise, we didn't take up a majority of lake Valree as other families who were decently well off had their boats in the water as well, soaking up the sun. None, of course, occupied more space that the Aken's rather large vessel did. And even fewer had a jet ski dock along the side of it.

Of course, this drew the attention of other individuals on the lake, many of which were college students and teens who looked barely old enough to be in their final years of high school. River hadn't seemed to mind this as his womanizing self came out as he showed off his physique, letting the other girls ogle at him. Mr. Aken had been far to deep into a nap on the bottom deck to even notice his son's antics. Mrs. Aken laid upon the other lounge chair beside me, soaking in the sun while listening to something through her headphones.

"Are you sure you don't want any pita chips, dear?" Mrs. Aken asked, removing her headphones and approaching the ladder

"No thank you. I'm good." I declined

Turning my attention back to my book as she carefully climbed down the ladder, I picked up from where I had left off. Muffled talking below caught my ear as I bit back the giggle that attempted to escape as River's mother scolded him outright for his flirtatious actions that had briefly gone unnoticed. Moments later, the boat swayed slightly to the side as someone climbed the ladder up to the platform. 

River's figure took a seat upon the edge of his mother's lounge chair, facing me as he handed me a cold glass bottle of lemonade. Putting my book down temporarily, I thanked him, wiping off the bottle before popping the lid and taking a sip. Placing it down beside my chair, I picked up my book once more.

River snatched the book out of my hands, "You can't seriously be going to read the whole day?"

"Give that back." I glared at his sopping wet figure, "You're going to get it wet and ruin it."

"And you're ruining a perfectly good day by having your nose stuck in a book." he rolled his eyes, "besides, I can always buy you another one."

"I said give it back." I reached, practically lunging for my book.

River stretched his arm further and pushed be back with the other, "Come swimming with me and I'll give it back."

"I don't like swimming." I shot back

"Then take a ride with me on the jet ski." River tried again

Sighing in frustration, I leaned back on the sun lounger and pulled my cell phone and headphones out of my bag. After popping my headphones in, I re-adjusted my crocheted bikini cover-up shawl to expose my bathing suit and plucked my sunglasses off my head. Placing them over my eyes, I turned on some music and laid back, attempting to relax and send the clear message that I wanted nothing to do with River at that moment.

Peeking out the corner of my eye, River still sat upon the other chair, staring at me. My cheeks tinged red as embarrassment and nerves flowed through me. Was River Aken actually checking me out? I mean, I knew I was in good shape from all my kickboxing lessons and workouts, but I didn't know if I should feel flattered or appalled as his eyes remained trained on my legs. He slowly offered me my book back, with an outstretched arm, which I gladly took.

"How's your knee?" River asked, eyes seeming to connect with mine even through my dark glasses, more serious than ever and filled with genuine question and concern.

"Fine." I spoke unevenly and cleared my throat, "It was just a scrape. Don't you have some group of girls to dote on and flirt with?"

"Unfortunately for you, I'm all yours." River smirked.

"Oh joy." I scoffed.

"So jet ski or swimming? Your pick." River said

"Neither." I said, wiping the water droplets off the cover of my book and opening it back up.

River rocked forward onto the balls of his feet and propped his elbows up on his knees. Folding his fingers together, he sat in his usual business proposition position, watching me as I read. As if his continuous staring wasn't distracting enough, the water droplets that had splashed across and seeped into the pages of my book from his hands and hair made for a distracting and unpleasant feel under my fingertips. 

Sighing as I placed my bookmark, "Fine. One ride."

He held his hands up in surrender, "If you say so. Don't gotta twist my arm."

"But if you drop me or purposely dump me off the back, I swear I'll..." I threatened, standing

"You'll what?" River challenged, slightly looming over me and effectively silencing me, "Besides, wouldn't want you sinking to the bottom of the lake with a rock like that."

River lifted my left hand with his, as if to prove a point with the visual of my engagement ring as proof. However, he paused for a second, eyes flitting from the ring to my face and back several times. He swallowed hard as his eyes momentarily glanced over the rest of my features before dropping my hand and making his way down the ladder.

Taking a breath to steady and center myself, I followed after him, hoping I wouldn't regret this but a nagging thought at the back of my mind and the pounding in my chest slowing didn't make much of a better distraction.

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