were married. Your face was priceless.”
“Yeah, that’d be…funny.” Her laugh was forced. She lowered the camera. “Do you want the truth, Charming?”
“Always.”
“I don’t know how I feel about you. I don’t know if I should feel what I do feel for you.”
“So it’s something good?”
“It’s something.”
“I can work with anything that isn’t straight-up revulsion.” I hesitated. “Are you afraid I’ll hurt you?”
“I’m more worried I’ll let you hurt me, maybe.”
“Never. I can promise you that. Give me a chance. You know we’re good together.”
She chose not to answer. Instead she pooled a little water in her hands and dripped the shimmering drops over her heated skin. The water teased her dark legs and arms, and my cock hardened as each droplet trickled down between her thighs.
“I’ve always wanted to be a photographer,” she said. “I’d planned to see the world. My father thought it was a stupid and wasteful pursuit. He wanted me to stay near home, with family. Which meant he planned to control every aspect of my life. He wasn’t cruel, exactly. We weren’t afraid of him, but none of us were happy. I was the one who decided to live my own life. I got out.”
“What made you leave. What was the trigger?”
“It’s a long story.”
I gestured to the water. “We’re on a four-hour bob down this river.”
She bit her lip, not realizing how that tease tightened the limited space in my trunks.
“There’s not one event. A couple maybe. When I was in high school, I met a boy. It was something totally innocent, just a little crush. We might have gone to see a movie when I could sneak out, but usually we were in a group of friends. When my dad found out, he was furious.”
“Why?”
She drifted close enough to touch. She brushed her finger over my arm, highlight the contrast. Dark against light.
“Because he was…and I am…”
“Oh,” I said.
“Dad didn’t accept the modern world. He saw things in literal black and white. It was ugly, and he had a bad reputation for it. He was always livid that I didn’t see the world the way he did. So…I packed a bag.” She shrugged. “And here I am. Married and floating on an inner-tube.”
“Have you seen your father since then?”
She cleared her throat. “No. He tried to call me in Vegas, but it wasn’t to reconnect.”
“You were upset.”
“Nothing a couple body shots and a marriage couldn’t fix.” She tisked. “This is what happens when you forget to bring limes to the room. We had no choice but to get married.”
“I’ll know for next time.” I grabbed her hand and spun her, casting her in a circle downstream. “Do you miss your family?”
She blew the hair from her eyes. “I tried calling my dad these past two weeks.”
“And?”
“He’s…not returned my calls.” She sighed. “But my family isn’t like yours. You love your mom and Bast. You have a really big heart, Lachlan.”
“I have bigger things.”
“I don’t know…your heart is pretty impressive.”
“Wanna check?”
She splashed me. “Lemme guess. Sex in public? Another rush?”
“Public?” I laughed. “Look around, Red. We’re the only idiots for miles who thought tubing in a half-dried-up river would be fun.”
“I dunno…I think it’s kinda pretty.”
It was, once I tore my eyes from her to check out the shore.
The river widened and opened into a deeper, secluded area hidden by willow trees. The light softened, tickling through the thick, blossoming branches. I grinned at her.
“You know…it’s just you, me, and too many layers of bathing suits. Why not have some fun?”
“You are so bad.”
“Elle, don’t you get it? Why I’m trying so hard?”
“You want me.”
“It’s more than that. You are the greatest adrenaline rush a man could have. My heart won’t stop pounding when I see you. I sweat when I talk to you. I shiver every time we touch. When you smile, I freeze because I’m afraid I’ll blow this…and then you won’t blow me.” I grinned. “Who needs bungee cords and rip-ties when I’ve got a beautiful woman to impress? You’re enough to keep me on my toes.”
“And all you want to do is curl mine.”
“Tease.”
“Who says I’m teasing?”
Elle shifted, tugging on the straps to her bikini. The suit popped off, and she tossed the top at me before I could get a look at the perfect swell of her breasts. She wiggled her hips, and I nearly launched out of the tube to catch the bottoms.
I damn near capsized my ride to paddle to her side, staring at her beautiful curves and