Beautiful Mess Read Online Free PDF Page A

eyes.
    “Nope,
enough waiting.  If he’s going to keep playing hard to get, fine. 
I’ll just have to take a different approach.”  She grabbed her towel and a
bottle of tanning lotion, and strutted her barely-there bikini up the beach,
right past Cole.  She didn’t stop, or even glance his way, but her butt
was swaying, just begging for his attention.
    Cole
glanced up briefly as Carly passed, but then went back to his drawing,
unconcerned.
    Carly
strutted right up to a small group of high school aged boys who were tossing a
Frisbee around.  Bri couldn’t hear what Carly was saying as she bounded
right into the middle of group, capturing their attention.  It then dawned
on her what Carly was doing.  This was her Plan B.  Carly was trying
to make Cole jealous by flirting with other boys.  Bri couldn’t believe
it.  Did Carly really expect a guy who wasn’t remotely interested in her
to get jealous enough to go claim her for himself?  Bri knew Carly was
shallow, and not the brightest thing, but she didn’t know her cousin could be
this juvenile.
    Suddenly,
Carly’s high pitched laughter rang out down the beach and got both Bri’s and
Cole’s attention.  They both watched as Carly playfully pushed the chest
of a tall, burly, blonde boy.  She laid out her towel, and sprawled out on
her stomach.  She smiled up at the boys and held up the bottle of tanning
lotion.  The blonde she’d pushed grabbed it from her with an enthusiastic
smile, and proceeded to lather up Carly’s back for her.  Bri thought she
saw the guy grab Carly’s butt in the process, and Carly’s less enthusiastic
laughter confirmed that he had, in fact, copped a feel.
    Bri
felt a twinge of worry.  She hoped Carly knew what she was doing, and she
wasn’t getting in over her head.  Hopefully, she’d end this charade before
things got out of hand.
    Bri
glanced over at Cole to see how he was reacting to Carly’s little
display.  A second later he looked over at her, and she was relieved to
find no trace of jealousy on his face.  In fact, he looked slightly
relieved as he smiled at her.
    Dang
it, caught again.  She was getting a little tired of seeing that cocky,
knowing grin on Cole’s gorgeous face. 
    Wait
a second...gorgeous?  No, she did not just think that Cole was hot! 
Where did her stupid brain come up with that?  Unfortunately, her brain
didn’t have time to defend itself, because he started walking towards her, and
she lost her train of thought.
    "I
thought redheads didn’t tan so much as burn,” Cole smiled and sat down beside
her on the sand.
    “First
of all,” Bri replied, taking a little offense.  Just a little,
though.  “My hair is not red.  It’s auburn.  And second,
I have worked long and hard to get my skin to the point where it will
tan.  So, no, all “redheads” don’t burn.”
    “My
mistake,” Cole held his hands up in surrender.  “Don’t ever call a girl
with red hair a redhead!  I’ll have to remember that in the future,” he
laughed.
    “You’d
better!” Bri smiled.  “It’ll save you a punch in the nose!”
    “You
wouldn’t!”
    “I
don’t know, we redheads are known for our tempers.  And nothing upsets us
more than being called redheads!”
    “Not
a redhead, bad temper...got it!” he laughed.  He leaned in and nudged
Bri’s shoulder as she laughed with him.  “I have to say, I was worried
that I wouldn’t get you alone long enough to talk to you today.”
    “Oh,
really?”  She was surprised he’d wanted to talk to her at all.
    “Yeah. 
I was really relieved when your cousin left to make some new friends.  I
was a little worried what she’d do to me if came over while she was here.”
    “But,
you’re not worried she’ll look over here, see you talking to me, and come hurt
you?” Bri raised her eyebrow.
    “No,”
Cole looked a little confused.  “Why would she do that?  It looks
like she’s moved on, found someone new to torment.”
    Boys
could