“I have to wear a swimsuit,” she said slowly, like I hadn’t realized what her uniform would be.

I nodded. “Yeah.”

She glanced down at herself like she was checking to see if I saw the same thing she did. “You can see that I’m overweight, right?” she finally said, looking back up at me.

What? Was she joking? “Are you kidding?” I asked.

She shook her head slowly as she watched me like she was waiting for me to notice something. Did the girl really not know her body was incredible? Or was she fishing for a compliment? She didn’t have the teasing, flirty smile most girls had when they wanted you to compliment them. She looked pretty damn serious.

“You’re not overweight,” I said, letting my gaze drop back to her swimsuit cover-up.

“You must not have seen me clearly last weekend. My . . . I have large body parts,” she said, and started walking again. This time, she wasn’t holding my hand. She looked like she was trying to get away from me.

I took two steps toward her, grabbed her hand, and stopped her. “Bethy, we are so not done with this conversation. Come here,” I said as she reluctantly glanced back at me.

“Please, let’s drop this,” she said.

I shook my head. “Not a chance.”

She tensed and turned back around to look at me. “I’m sorry I said anything. Let’s talk about something else.”

“Take off your cover-up,” I told her. I might not make a move on her, but I was damn well going to show her how hot her body was. She needed to be aware of it so that she’d protect herself.

Her eyes went wide, and this time she shook her head.

“Please, Bethy. For me,” I said, using all the skills I had perfected to charm females.

She faltered and then let out a heavy sigh before taking the hem of her cover-up and pulling it up over her head. She didn’t let it drop to the sand but held it in her hand tightly by her side as she closed her eyes, unable to look at me.

I was glad for that moment to pull myself together. I had been able to tell that her body was smoking under her clothes, but seeing it in a bikini was something else. Her tits were about to tumble out of that small top, and her hips . . . damn, her hips were perfect. She had a tiny waist, but the way her hips flared told me her backside was going to be fucking amazing. Then there were those legs.

“Told you,” she said quietly.

My eyes snapped back up to her face as she looked at me with an unsure, nervous, forced smile. She started to lift her cover-up to put it back on, but I reached for her arm to stop her. “No,” I said. I wasn’t done looking. I might never be done looking.

“This is embarrassing,” she said in a whisper.

I swallowed hard. Fuck, I was gonna be getting off to this image for months. Too young, Tripp. Too young. She’s too young. “Turn around,” I said.

She shook her head. “No, I can’t. That’s worse.”

Holy hell, she was blind. “Right now, I’m having to remind myself that you’re too young. I’m eighteen, and that makes you illegal. But this view makes it hard to care. I don’t know who told you that you’re overweight, but sweetheart, you’re fucking perfect.”

Bethy’s breathing picked up, and her chest rose and fell. I really wanted to tug that top down and get my hands and eyes full of her tits. “Really?” she asked.

I nodded. “Will you please turn around now?” I asked, knowing this was going to fuck me up. If the view got any better, I was a goner. That sweet smile and beautiful face didn’t need to come with this package. It was too much.

She slowly turned, and her round, firm ass was barely covered up by the bottom she was wearing. The suit wasn’t meant for a girl with a body like this. I was so fucking thankful she had that cover-up on. If the guys at that party had gotten a look at her, they’d have swarmed like ravenous vultures.

“Fuck,” I muttered, unable not to comment.

She quickly spun back around, and her bottom lip was caught between her teeth. She was worried again. “I know it’s big,” she said, almost apologetically.

I had to draw a line with her in my head. Because I was about to make a huge mistake. I would be leaving soon, and I couldn’t touch her. Even if I wanted to, real damn bad. Bethy was too sweet. Too innocent. I wasn’t someone who should get to touch her. “No. It’s not too big. It’s sexy, Bethy. Your whole body is sexy as hell. You make guys think things and want things. You need to be aware of that. Wearing a swimsuit like that can push a guy over the edge. You’ve got a body guys fantasize over. I won’t be able to get it out of my head for a very long time. So this shit about you being overweight is insane. Don’t ever think you are less than gorgeous. And protect that. Now, put that cover-up back on. Please,” I said.

Bethy didn’t move right away, and I soaked in the last view I was going to get of her body. When she pulled the cover-up back over her head, I took a deep breath again. “Thank you,” she said finally.

“For what?” I asked.

“For making me feel beautiful.”

Bethy

One week working in the sun, and my tan was darker than it had ever been. I had been dreading wearing a swimsuit and sitting on a lifeguard stand where people could see me. But thanks to Tripp, this week hadn’t been the awful experience I thought it would be. I didn’t feel fat. I felt like I looked nice. The lifeguard suit covered up a lot more than the one Meredith had let me borrow for the party.