Colby Johnson and his cousin Megan have been practicing all summer for Wildwood's annual Beach Volleyball Tournament. The evening before, Colby drops by the bar where Megan works for a quick drink before heading home and meets sexy Vander "Van" Byron. The instant attraction is mutual, but they only share a few brief hours before Colby has to call it a night.<br><br>The next day, Colby and Megan are on a winning streak, advancing through the tournament ranks with ease. When Colby runs into Van and his twin sister Vallery at the tournament, he isn't surprised -- more than half of Wildwood's population, tourist and local alike, are crowded on the beach for the event. But he is shocked to see the numbered vest Van wears, marking him as a competitor.<br><br>A quick look at the schedule shows that if both teams continue their winning streaks, the day will end with Colby and Van facing off through the volleyball net. To up the ante, Van proposes a little wager. Whoever wins their game advances in the tournament, of course, and continues on for a chance to win one of the grand prizes the next day. But whoever loses gets whatever he wants from the winner.

Playing the Field: Served!

It’s close,there’s no denying it,and both teams put on a great show.But in the end,Megan’s more aggressive than Vallery,driving the ball over the net each chance she gets.Colby follows her hand signals,letting her block when she knows she has the ball,keeping a step behind her just in case she doesn’t.The match ends with a much larger gap between the scores this time,eight points instead of a measly three,and Megan almost knocks Colby down in her zeal at winning.“We did it!”she shouts into his ear,and Colby laughs as he swings her around in the sand.“We did it!We’re back tomorrow.We can winthis thing!”


Chapter 11