shoreline, her toes being teased by the foamy outermost hem of the incoming surf. Approaching her from behind, he sighed a little at how very Jane she looked in a lemon-colored two-piece bathing suit. Petal-like ruffles cut high on her tush, and he knew there were matching ones edging the deep vee of the halter-style top. She looked both sweet and tart, like a lemonade Popsicle.
She made him hungry.
He slid one arm around her waist, and she squealed. He growled in her ear as he pulled her back against him. "The eels have landed."
With a twist, she squirmed out of his hold. "You scared me!" But before he could respond, she clutched his arm with one hand and pointed with the other. "But I'm glad you're here. You need to rescue the boys."
Duncan and Oliver stood in the surf, the water swirling around the flapping hems of their hibiscus-print swim trunks. They were tan despite the sunscreen his sister slathered on them. Oliver, the fairer of the two miscreants, had a white triangle of goop on his nose. Between them they held an inflatable raft, but they were having trouble keeping it steady. Every time they tried to throw themselves on it, belly down, it popped free of their weight and dumped them in the shallow water.
"Sweetheart, they're fine." The breeze blew a piece of her golden-hued hair across her face, and he caught it with his hand and tucked it behind her ear. "Where's your lotion? Your nose is turning pink again."
She cast another anxious look toward the water. "Are you sure? I told Tess I'd keep an eye on them while she gets Russ some juice. The baby's been very fussy today."
"You have to stop involving yourself with my sister's kids." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Thanks to you, I had to suffer through an hour-long meeting with Old Man Monroe about the presentation to Rebecca's class. He was so cantankerous I let Private dig for bones in his flower beds before we left."
Not only had the antique been his usual curmudgeonly self, he'd been his usual nosy curmudgeonly self. "What's changed?" he'd demanded. "You look rested, son, like you might actually be sleeping."
Griffin had shrugged a shoulder. "You're my worst nightmare. Guess I'm just getting used to you being next door."
The coot had slapped one age-speckled hand on the tabletop. "It's that pretty woman. She's smart, so I don't know what she can see in you, but Jane's doing you some good."
He hadn't denied it. Jane was smoothing some of his rough spots, and he wasn't going to feel guilty about it either. They both understood the situation was temporary. Though very satisfying.
"Hell's bells, boy," Rex had said, his mouth dropping open. "You're smiling."
"So?" he'd countered, not even bothering to scowl.
"So don't screw this up," the old man had cautioned. "You've got a good reason to beat back that darkness inside you now. Don't use it to shove her away instead."
"Griffin?"
Jane's voice jerked him back to the present. "What?"
"The boys," she said, "I'm worried about your nephews."
"You need to stop that," he said, putting Rex and his ramblings from his head. "I'm going to make a rule. No more contact between you and the devil's minions."
"You and your rules," she scoffed, with a little flounce that fluttered the ruffles at her ass.
"Don't you forget them, either," he said, enjoying the way her cheeks went as pink as her nose as he pointed his finger at her. They'd come to an understanding three days before, and he didn't mind mentioning it again because it always made her blush and shiver. "You must be the first to get naked. You must be the first to - "
"I get it, I get it."
He grinned. "So you do, honey-pie. Each and every time, by my hand or my mouth or by my - "
She clapped a hand over his lips. "Stop."
"Not gonna," he said against her palm. Then he grabbed her wrist and drew it low, twisting it so her body was brought flush to his. "Not as long as we're living together at Beach House No. 9."
His kiss took the sass out of her, and he reveled in her pliant warmth. His free hand cupped the back of her head as he took the kiss deeper.
She broke away, breathing hard.
He grinned at her and the hard points of her nipples that were pressing against her swimsuit. "Oh," she said, glancing down. Clearly flustered, she crossed her arms over