at this point--sadness was more difficult to deal with.
The day was hotter than Hades but it was such a beautiful setting she didn’t mind. Nothing but leafy trees and rolling hills, with no immediate neighbors. The cottage had window boxes hanging from the porch rails, filled with pink and purple petunias tumbling towards the ground. They descended the steps, Dolly on Chance’s heels. “Let’s go by the pond.”
He was already strumming as he walked, playing with cords. “God, it’s freaking hot out.” Flopping on the ground, he stared out at the water. “I may be forced to jump into this pond in a minute.”
“We’ve been outside for all of three minutes,” she said, wryly. She sank down next to him. “Good thing we’re not actually roughing it. This cabin has air conditioning.”
“God bless America and A/C,” he said emphatically. Then he stripped his T-shirt off over his head.
The view had been beautiful before, now it was downright mouthwatering. His skin was a natural golden color, his back muscles well-defined. He had a scar on his left shoulder that was the result of falling out of his childhood treehouse. He’d told her that the first night they had slept together, when she had traced the jagged white edges with her finger before kissing the scar, feeling in awe that she was in bed with Chance Rivers. Jolene leaned back on her elbows, legs sprawled out in front of her, watching him now, wonderment at the twists and turns her life had taken still present. His jeans slid down on his hips, so from where she sat she could see a whole lot of skin. She was tempted to dip her finger in the gap of jeans and startle him. But she didn’t want him to move away from her, and she didn’t have any right to touch him anymore. He was plucking his guitar, which made the muscles in his back ripple a little. His soft brown hair was too long, like it always was, a disheveled mess that fell down his neck and in his eyes.
“There’s catfish in here,” he said. “I can see them. I wonder if there are poles in the cabin.”
“Want me to catch you dinner?” She teased.
Chance laughed. “I don’t plan on starving.”
“Hey!” That pricked her pride. “I can catch a catfish. I can fillet it too, for your information.”
He scoffed. “No, you can’t.”
“Yes, I can.” Why did he insist on acting like she was a pampered princess? She’d had a life before fame and fortune, and it had not been one of shopping and sitting around on her designer duff. Hell, she would still have a life where she did things like go fishing if she had an ounce of free time anymore. It was just logistics that kept her from getaways like this. “I’ll bet I catch more than you.”
He glanced over at her. “I’ll take that bet. What does the winner get?”
She shrugged. She hadn’t meant it to be an actual bet, but if that was the way he wanted to play it, who was she to say no? She was going to win, she didn’t doubt that. Chance’s family had been too busy throwing parties to take him fishing as a kid, whereas she’d had no money and lots of time to kill coming up. Catfish were going to jump on her hook and she was going to enjoy the satisfaction of besting him. “Whatever the winner wants.”
“Ooooh, cocky. I like it.” The corner of his mouth turned up. “But foolish. Especially for someone who usually likes to double-check the fine print.”
“I’m confident.”
“Deal.” He stuck his hand out.
“Deal.” She grasped his hand. His grip was firm. “Sucker.”
Chance laughed. “I don’t feel scared.”
In fact, he was holding her hand still and stroking it in a way that could be construed as sexual if she were willing to take her thoughts there. Which she was. “Can I have my hand back?” she asked.
“No. I’m getting inspiration.”
“For what? I thought you wanted to write a break up album.” She slipped her hand free of his. “That puts a dent in your writing naked plans that I never agreed to.”
“I don’t see why on either count. We had great sex even when we were fighting all the time at the end. Hell, we had amazing angry sex.”
There went her nipples again. Tight and painful and begging for his touch. She remembered some of those up-against-the-wall sex sessions and it made her hotter than she already was.