Free Matched by Angela Graham, S.E. Hall Page A

doing great!”
    And he is—until Miles, who’s more spinning in circles than making forward progress, bumps into him and bounces him off Wyatt, starting a chain reaction of complete chaos.
    I run down the island bank, following Oakley’s new path and yelling, “Oak, it’s fine! Just keep coming left now! I moved to you!” He seems lost, turning toward the opposite end of the island. “Oak, this way—do you hear me?”
    Crap . I look over and Emma’s already in Court’s tube, taking up no room with her tiny self. They’re already headed back the other way. I don’t miss Ivy the Shrew reaching out and shoving them with all her might, sending them severely off to the right, almost out of bounds.
    Um, note to self, Ivy is freaking strong.
    “Oakley, hurry!” I turn back to find him, and he’s at the farthest point of the island from me, with Nadia climbing in his tube.
    What the hell just happened? Plan B, stat!
    I spot the man almost to me.
    “Cruz, stick your hand out and grab mine!” I scream and bend forward, my right arm stretched out as far as it’ll go. Our hands connect after two more big kicks from him. “Stay still and let me,” I snap, turning him and leaping onto his hard, muscled back like a spider monkey, explaining my plan as I climb him. “I’m gonna lie out the front of the tube and paddle with my hands.” I keep my voice firm, authoritative—the skipper of this ship, despite the blush blazing across my entire body that’s rubbing up every inch of him, wet and slippery. “Hold me somewhere so I don’t fall, and kick like hell with your legs. GO!”
    His hands find my thighs, his strong fingers holding me securely and doing things to my insides that I shouldn’t be focusing on right now. So I don’t, forcing my drive to win to give me tunnel vision.
    In our new positions, we’re the length of three tubes and using two forms of power. His grip on me is unwavering, firm, and reassuring, so I stretch out like I’m 5’11” instead of 5’4” and swim the breaststroke as though I’m motorized.
    “Where’s Emma?” he puffs as we work together. We soon fly past Miles, who’s still spinning aimlessly but with Rachel now, and Jasmine and Jensen, who are playing a round of slap-and-tickle in their shared tube more so than competing.
    “She’s fine. She’s in with Court, head clearly above water, and kicking our ass. Now GO! We’ve passed three already. We got this!”
    My arms burn, my eyes sting from the splashes of saltwater, and my ass is in Cruz’s face. Normally, I’d be…well, my ass wouldn’t be in Cruz’s face, and this isn’t exactly in line with my plan to avoid him today. But he’s blindfolded, and no way in hell is Nadia beating me with my own man!
    I watch the other contestants bobble off track, and a grin spreads across my face. “Yes! Two collided! One more, Cruz—hard as you can, right now. GO!”
    I lean out further, knowing he’s got me, and paddle maniacally. We cut through the water, the power of his legs propelling us in huge strides with each grunt of his exertion.
    We’re right beside them now—the last team between us and victory. I’ll deny it on my deathbed, but I turn my body left, cup my hands into the deepest scoop I can make, and douse the viperous eyes of Nadia with a fat helping of the Indian Ocean.
    She sputters and squirms, totally wrecking their pattern. Cruz and I sail a few more feet until we can both stand up in the water. I grab his hand as he slides off the tube, pulling him forward to plant both feet on the sand with me.
    The horn blows and I reach over, helping him take his blindfold off. “Surprised?” I ask when his eyes adjust to the sun and meet mine.
    He smiles. “Not at all.”
    “I just didn’t know if you knew my voice, or—”
    “CONGRATULATIONS!”
    Callie comes scampering over and throws her arms around Cruz in a big hug. “And you,” she says, grinning at me, “nice strategy. Oh captain, my captain! Showed