LIKE A TWIG snapping in a silent forest, the moment was broken. Nathan turned to face his sister right about the same time Preston took a step back, bowed his head, and placed his hands on his hips. He was still near enough that when he exhaled, Nathan felt the breath on the nape of his neck. A new wave of goose bumps almost made him close his eyes just to savor how it felt.
“Hello, boys,” Natasha said, a smirk on her lips.
She stood like an apparition just outside the shade of the huge beach umbrella, in a wide-brimmed hat, large sunglasses, and a white string bikini complete with a thin gold chain and a butterfly charm around her waist. She hadn’t even been in the water and already she rocked the beach, mussed hair cascading over one shoulder. And her skin shimmered. The sunblock she used must have had glitter in it. Perfection. Nathan couldn’t have styled her any better.
“Natasha,” Preston said, surprising Nathan by speaking first. “It’s always good to see you, but I’m curious, what are you doing here?”
“Well…” She placed one hand on her hip and played with the tips of her hair with the other. “With Caleb all lovey-dovey with Didi, I found myself with nothing to do in DoCo.”
“You were bored,” Preston deadpanned.
Her eyebrow rose over the rim of her sunglasses. “I figured with you and Nathan both worrying over swimming and party planning, I needed to come and be the fun police. Now, will you be a dear and go to that handsome-as-sin bartender over there and order me an iced Greek tea with honey? I’m absolutely parched.”
Blinking twice, Preston shook his head and turned on his heel. When it came to the storm that was Natasha, it was better to bend with the wind instead of standing firm against it. She wasn’t afraid to break anyone. And Preston was a smart guy like that. So, without waiting for another word, he jogged toward the outdoor bar where Adonis was currently serving a gaggle of women. It kind of looked like a party over there. Good luck to him, Nathan thought.
“Well, little brother, what do you have to say for yourself?”
He flinched. “Older by two minutes doesn’t give you the right to call me that. For all you know, I should have been the one to come out of Mom’s vagina first.”
Unperturbed, Natasha cocked a hip. “For all you know, I pushed you out of the way.”
“Knowing you, that’s probably true.”
“But I would have said ‘Excuse me’ first.”
“Like a true DoCo princess.”
“Well then, come on, give us a hug.” She opened her arms wide.
Nathan raced toward her.
Their collision caused Natasha’s pretty hat to tumble to the ground, but she was laughing so hard it didn’t seem like she cared about anything other than giving him the fiercest hug he’d ever received in his life.
As Nathan set her back on her feet, he placed a kiss on her forehead and murmured, “I’m happy you’re here.”
When she smiled, it was one of pure love. “Good, because I canceled a couple of dates to be here with you.”
“You’re dating again?”
“Just testing the waters.” After retrieving her hat, Natasha wrapped her arms around his and tugged him toward the lounge chairs. “Will you scoot yours closer to mine? Why are they so far apart anyway?”
Nathan did as he was told.
They sat down just as Preston returned with Natasha’s iced tea. Actually, he balanced three full glasses in one hand and held a pitcher in the other. He handed one glass each to the twins and set the pitcher on the small table to the left of Nathan’s chair.
“Here,” he said. “This should be enough for all of us.”
“Us?” Natasha tilted her head at him. “You can’t seriously be thinking of staying under this umbrella when the Aegean is waiting over there, are you?”
“But—”
“Ah!” She raised a prim hand. “I don’t want any excuses. Go swim. We have much-needed twin talk to attend to.”
Nathan bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing as Preston worked out what he should do. At first it seemed like he considered taking on the DoCo Princess. But before he could even attempt a verbal sparring match with Tash, Nathan said, “I would go if I were you. She fights dirty.”
Sighing in defeat, Preston placed his glass beside the pitcher and turned on his heel once again and headed for the water.
“He’s jealous,” Natasha said once she was sure he was out of earshot.
Nathan spat the sip of tea he’d been about to swallow back into his glass. Good thing, too, or he would have choked the same way Preston had earlier. “Excuse me?”
His sister twirled a finger in her hair. “Hasn’t it ever occurred to you that maybe the reason he hasn’t dated anyone in, like, ever is because he’s in love with you?”
That did it. Nathan spewed iced tea all over his front. Not very classy at all.
Laughing, Natasha handed him a towel from the stack on her side. He took it and dabbed at his damp chest while setting aside the glass. No more drinking for him. He had a feeling this conversation would take a couple of more turns that would be dangerous for his health if he were currently imbibing liquids of any form.
“Of course, you’re the expert when it comes to romance, right? Just because you and Jackson—” Nathan stopped himself before he could finish. Instantly the feeling of being a vengeful bitch for mentioning the one name that was off-limits in Natasha’s presence washed over him like a bucket of ice water. “I’m sorry, Tash. I was cornered.”
She shook her head so hard he was afraid her hat would come off again. “He made his choice, Nate. You know that. I know that. Everyone in the world knows that.” She leaned her head back until her face was tilted upward. “He’s living the life he wants, no matter how debauched it might be. I think it’s time I put him in the past like he has done with me and start living my own life.”
“But the two of you?” He shook his head in sympathy. “You were the golden standard of relationships in DoCo. Everyone thought it was for keeps. Mom was secretly planning the wedding.”
“Well, I’ve seen a ton of photographic evidence splashed across every social media outlet that says otherwise. The guy doesn’t even have a type. If it has breasts, he will date it.”
“How long has he been gone? Like seven—”
“Six months, eleven days, and a handful of hours if we’re using DoCo time,” she cut him off, adjusting her sunglasses.
He raised an eyebrow at that. “Well, look who’s counting.”
“I guess I am. I see it like counting the days of being sober.” She exhaled slowly. “Being with Jackson…” She paused. “Being with him was intoxicating. I’ve done my detox, and it’s time to move on. So, hello, I’m Natasha, and I’m a recovering Jacksonaholic.”
“Hello, Natasha,” he said as if they were at an AA meeting. Suddenly his situation with Preston? Not so complicated.
Like she had read his mind, she said, “Don’t think distracting me with painful memories will get you off the hook that easily.”
“You know I would never—”
“Shh!” She raised a hand in the universal sign for Stop the Bullshit. “If I were you, I would have just come out and said it. On the plane ride over.”
“Don’t go all realist on me,” he chided.
“Look,” she said with a sigh that dropped her slim shoulders dramatically. “You love him, right?”
His cheeks burned when he nodded.
“I honestly think you’re overthinking this.” She pursed her lips. Then she squealed, clapping her hands and startling Nathan. “I know!”
“What?” he asked, clutching at his chest to make sure his heart was still inside.
“I’m taking over.”
“Taking over what?” He was almost afraid to find out.
She narrowed her sky-blue gaze at him. “Since you’ve been doing a piss-poor job at this whole romance thing, I’m hijacking your plans and substituting my own.”
“Tash, please—”
“Look, Santorini is pretty and everything, but it’s just not my scene. We need a party. A place where you can let all your inhibitions go.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” He frowned.