Cherry Pop (Mercury Rising Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

sun and water made the tattoos on his arm gleam. Ben could see the tattoo that had been hidden by his shirt the other night. It was a sleek, black train on a set of tracks, giving the illusion of speeding across Tripp’s biceps.
    Ben was momentarily stunned by how absolutely gorgeous Tripp was. After meeting his parents, it was no mystery where he’d gotten his good looks.
    “You’re just jealous I’m a better skier than you are,” Ben told him, walking between the seats and onto the deck. He heard Tripp get out of the water, and then he felt a spray of water on his back as Tripp shook his head, just like Ben had done a moment ago.
    “Nobody ever beat Tripp at anything,” Loreene said with admiration. “You sure are something. You two, doing all those stunts out there. Lucky you weren’t killed, the both of you.” She tossed Ben a towel then lay back down on the cushioned bench seat in her itty-bitty black bikini. She looked like Pamela Anderson packed into that thing.
    “I’ve been skiing most of my life,” Ben said, wiping his face with the towel. “I worked summers at a water park, doing the synchronized skiing show.”
    She rose up onto her elbows. “Did you? Well, that’s exciting. In California?” He nodded. “Did you ever meet anybody famous?”
    “You know Brian Curland is famous, right? And Trey Barlow was at the engagement party yesterday, so I’ve met famous people,” Dean said impatiently. He sat on the same bench she was laying on, at her feet, his hand on her leg.
    “That doesn’t count,” she said, waving off his words. “That Curland fellow lives in Mercury now—he’s marrying Evan, for heaven’s sake. And Trey Barlow is gay. I mean anybody important .”
    Ben wasn’t even sure how to respond to that. Did she mean Trey wasn’t important because he was gay? Because that’s sure what it sounded like. He decided now was not the time to confront inbred Southern homophobia.
    “I met Charlton Heston once,” he said. “He came backstage after the performance to see if we were related. We’re not.” But it had been thrilling all the same. The picture of the two of them was framed on his office wall back home in California.
    “Oh,” Loreene said, eyes wide. “Wow. That’s so exciting!” She waved at Tripp behind him. It seemed to be her favorite way of getting someone’s attention. “He met Moses. Did he tell you that?”
    Tripp stopped short and looked between Ben and Loreene, clearly confused. “Well, I know Jesus,” he said. “You didn’t get that excited when I testified.” Dean laughed out loud.
    “Not in church, silly,” she said, laughing too. “The actor. You know, Charlton Heston.”
    “You’re related to Moses?” Tripp asked. He looked impressed.
    “No,” Ben said sadly. “I wish I was.” Loreene didn’t throw Tripp a towel, so Ben grabbed one off the seat and handed it to him.
    “Thanks,” Tripp said, wiping off his chest.
    Ben stubbornly kept his eyes on Tripp’s face instead of watching him wipe the gleaming drops of water off his insanely hot body. Clearly today was meant to be a test of Ben’s fortitude and resolve. What had he been thinking, agreeing to go out waterskiing, knowing that Tripp was going to be half naked all day? At least Tripp’s Hawaiian-themed swimsuit covered more than Loreene’s bikini did. When Dean was driving the boat Ben had been sure he was going to wreck it a few times he’d been so busy turning around to watch her flip and flop around on the bench in that bikini. Thank God Luke had taken over and was driving now.
    “I met Iron Man in Wilmington,” Luke said. “He’s shorter than I thought he’d be.”
    Tripp’s best friend looked like the redneck poster boy, but he hadn’t blinked an eye at Ben being gay, even tried to fix him up with Carter. Ben was always amazed when people managed to surprise him, like Luke.
    “Mama, grab me a drink, please,” Tripp said, collapsing into the seat across from her. The