Chapter 43

EMILIA

The pool is packed by the time we arrive. The sun hangs high in the sky, casting a golden glow over everything. Laughter and splashes echo through the air, mingling with the scent of chlorine and coconut sunscreen.

Lacey spots us first, waving wildly from a lounge chair. “There you are! I was about to send a search party.”

She’s lying, of course. Lacey wouldn’t have moved from that chair if her life depended on it. But I appreciate the sentiment.

I smile, more aware of Liam’s hand on the small of my back than ever. I ditched wearing the sundress over my swimsuit, it has an open back, stopping right above my ass and exactly where his hand stops. “Of course you were.”

Liam chuckles beside me, his fingers skimming lightly against my bare skin before he drops his hand entirely. I should be relieved, but instead, my skin feels colder without his touch.

“About time you got here,” Lacey says, adjusting her sunglasses. “I need backup. Some guy in b