Every Summer Has A Story

Ch. 20 - I've Got 99 Problems and a Canoe is Every Single One

"You must be out of your hot damn mind," Eve whispered, latching onto Nathanael's solid bicep.

"Take a chill pill, Evie," he advised dryly, "you aren't going to melt."

Eve raised her brow and eyed the bobbing canoe with concern. 

"No, but I literally just spent an hour straightening my hair."

Nathanael's laugh turned into a bellow,

"Okay, Princess! Can't risk getting your hair wet!"

Eve scoffed at Nathanael's jab and glanced over to the line of other canoes. Auden was sitting securely in Greyson's vessel and shot her a thumbs up,

"You'll be fine!" she called across the sand.

"Sometime this century would be great," Thea added from her perch in a canoe with Ellison.

Eve bit back a nasty retort. She knew she was being over-dramatic, but during staff training the canoe had taken a sudden tip as she stepped inside, up-ending her into the water. It was a moment she'd rather not repeat. Lost to the embarrassing memory, Eve was startled to feel a warm hand at her elbow.

"You can ride with me, if you like," a low, sweet voice offered.

Eve's cerulean gaze flicked up and she felt a heat spread across her chest.

"Absolutely," she responded without hesitation.

Zeke nodded and slipped her small hand into his, guiding her toward the canoe second in line.

The heat resonating throughout Eve's body intensified at the contact.

"Damn, tequila..." she thought, returning Zeke's dazzling smile.  

"I promise I won't let you fall in," he swore.

Eve laughed in spite of herself,

"I am happier than you'll ever know to hear that."

Zeke knelt to the sand and held the stern of the canoe in his strong grip.

"You're good to step in, Eve. I've got it."

Surprisingly, Eve didn't feel any nerves as she stepped into the vessel and dropped to her bottom on the plastic seat. Zeke hopped in after her with cat-like ease and glanced over his shoulder,

"See? I've got you, girl."

Eve felt a flutter in the pit of her belly at the turn of phrase and raked a heated gaze over the Greek God sitting before her. Zeke was dressed casually in tan shorts, a light blue button down he had rolled to the elbow, and his well-loved Sperry boat shoes. On anyone else Eve wouldn't look twice, but Zeke gave the effortless style a certain sexiness.

"Get a hold of yourself," Eve inwardly scolded her scandalous thoughts.

She ripped her eyes away and looked to the canoe in front of her only to be leveled by an intense glare from Maverick. He and Zayne were apparently sharing the head canoe and he had a bird's eye view of her exchange with Zeke. Eve forced her expression to remain neutral, giving absolutely nothing away, and met his glower without flinching.

Zeke let out a low whistle and glanced back at her.

"That is one unhappy hulk," he jested.

Eve bit the inside of her cheek in a supreme effort to keep her anger in check.

"He will be just fine," she replied evenly, masking the heated emotion turning over and over in her belly. Or maybe it was the tequila...

"I'd be upset too if I missed out on getting a beautiful woman to ride in my canoe," Zeke teased with a wink.