Blowing out a long breath, I threw on my navy blue cover up and beach hat before I could talk myself out of it. Just as I was about to walk out the door to meet Rhodes, my phone pinged.

“Hey guys!” I said when the video of Mom and Dale came into focus. They were spending the holiday in the Hamptons with Dale’s friends from New York.

“Oh sweetie!” Mom squealed, her hands flying to her mouth. “You look so great!”

“Mom, you just saw me last week.”

“It feels like longer.”

Dale laughed. “She’s right though, Natalie. How did the weigh-in go?”

I filled them in on Willow’s party and my milestone weigh-in. I left out everything about Rhodes other than our training sessions, of course. I knew they’d find out eventually, but I still wasn’t sure how Mom would take me choosing Rhodes over Mason. That was definitely an in-person conversation.

Dale high-fived me through the screen for standing up to Shay and Mom swatted at him, but she seemed to be proud, too. Dale went into detail about their planned day out on the yacht, too, which made me miss them more than I realized. In a way, I wished they were home, even if I was enjoying the time alone with Rhodes.

Mom nodded along with Dale as he talked, her blonde hair blowing slightly in the breeze from the porch where they were standing. She was smiling, though she looked more tired than usual. I noted the dark skin above her cheeks and the tensed edges of her eyes. I wondered if Dale was still working on his addiction, but I didn’t chance asking. After blowing them each a kiss, I ended the call and sprinted out the door to the Rover.

I was still nervous each time I knew I was about to see Rhodes. When he bounded out of his apartment, his backpack slung over his shoulder and a wide smile on his lips, I faltered, nearly revving the engine. He swung open the door and tossed his bag in the back before grabbing my face between his hands and kissing me like he hadn’t spent the night before in my sheets.

“Nice hat,” he said, flicking it with his finger as he pulled back and fastened his seatbelt. He was dressed in black and gray, simple swim trunks and a white shirt that I knew would eventually be pulled off to reveal his god-like abdomen. Realizing I would be showing my own midriff soon, I swallowed.

“You’re in a good mood.”

“Should I not be?” He quirked a brow just above the rim of his dark aviators, smile still glued to his face. “I have the day off, we’re heading to the beach.” Rhodes leaned over the console, sliding his rough hand up the inside of my thigh. “And I get to spend all day with you.”

“You better scowl or something,” I joked. “People might actually think you like me.”

He smirked, moving my hand to his lips for a swift kiss before leaning back in his seat. “People might actually be right, then.”

The drive to the beach was slow, traffic picking up even though we’d left Rhodes’ apartment just after nine. Poxton Beach was always packed on the Fourth of July. With a mixture of tourists and regulars, it was nearly impossible to find parking or a spot on the beach after eleven.

We didn’t really have to worry about that, though. I parked us in Dale’s reserved spot right by one of the boardwalks leading to the beach and led Rhodes to our cabana in front of the Poxton Inn. There were two chaise lounge chairs, a small couch, a hammock, a coffee table and a small bar complete with mini fridge inside and we were just thirty feet from the water.

Rhodes shook his head, dropping his bag on the couch as I pulled a cold water bottle from the fridge. “So this is how the other half lives. Here I thought we’d have to slum it with towels on the beach like the common folk.”

“Having a dad who owns the town has some perks.”

“That’s the understatement of the year.” Rhodes watched me tip the water bottle to my lips before quickly stripping off his shirt. “Want to get in the water?”

My heartrate accelerated. It was a damn good thing I wasn’t wearing my watch, because I knew it’d be an embarrassing number on that little screen. “Uh, yeah. Sure.”

I screwed the lid back on my water slower than necessary and tucked it back into the fridge. Rhodes just watched me, an amused look on his face.

“You wearing your dress in?”

I swallowed, but didn’t respond. Gripping the hem of each side, I slowly peeled off my cover up, dropping it into the lounge chair and pulling my long blonde hair forward to shield whatever skin it could. I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut and somehow teleport to the ocean, but I knew I wouldn’t be so lucky. Glancing up at him through my lashes, I bit my lip and attempted to lift my head higher.

“Jesus Christ, Bug,” Rhodes groaned, shaking his head. He crossed the space between us and reached out, his hands just barely grazing my bare hips. I shivered.

“You like the suit?”

“I’m not looking at the suit,” he murmured, trailing his fingers across my sensitive skin before finding my eyes with his own. “Your confidence is the sexiest thing you have on right now.”

I blushed. “I’m not sure I remembered that accessory, now that you mention it.”

“I disagree. The girl who walked into my gym almost two months ago would never have worn this. And she damn sure wouldn’t have worn it in front of me. You look incredible, Natalie, and you know it. And that’s okay. It’s okay to feel good about yourself.”

I smiled, chewing the inside of my cheek. It was one of those moments where Rhodes was completely uninhibited. Suddenly, I wanted to blow off the entire beach day and pull him back to my place and under my sheets. Whatever he saw in me, it was starting to wear off on me, too. I wanted to soak him in.

“Come on,” he said, grabbing my hand. His green eyes danced in the bright morning light. “Let’s show you off.”

I’d never seen Rhodes more free-spirited than that day on the beach.

We played in the water, splashing and laughing and occasionally diving for seashells. When we needed a break from the sun, we’d retreat to our cabana to lounge in the shade, but Rhodes’ hand never left mine. We built a sad looking sandcastle and even joined in a game of volleyball with some of our classmates, though we were more of a distraction than anything else. The busier the beach got, the more eyes I felt glued to my back.

“People are staring at us,” I said as Rhodes balanced me on a boogie board we’d rented. There were plenty of women from the club eying us, but I felt a particular glare coming from the group I’d spent all my past Independence Days with. Mason included.