her mouth form a perfect O.
“Wait, I thought we were just going to go swimming.”
I arch a brow tauntingly. “Not bad enough, Hart.”
She narrows her eyes, trying to find an escape route. “Did I say I wanted to be bad? No, no. I just want to be less good. There’s a difference. I want to return my library books late, play hooky at work, sneak into a double feature at the movie theater.”
I reach down for her hand as she lists off all the reasons why this is a bad idea.
“I’ll catch a cold. I’ll get stung by a jellyfish. I could swallow a whole bunch of salt water.”
I tug her toward the stairs that lead down to the sand. We’re a few yards from the water when I stop and turn to face her, starting to gather the material of her nightgown in my fist.
“I distinctly remember you saying you wanted to be bad. Skull and crossbones. Motorcycle rallies. Criminal on the run.”
“Oh wow.” She laughs prettily and pats my chest. “This is a giant misunderstanding. We better just go back to the car and crank that heater.”
I’m tugging her along by her nightie, dragging her forward. When we’re nearly at the water’s edge, I stop.
She shakes her head and grips my hand with all her might as if I’m going to let go and push her in.
“I think you should go first,” she says, eyes focused on the waves.
“Oh, I’m not going at all. This is your thing, remember? The whole ‘live life to the fullest’ mantra is something you want to do. I’m fine right where I am.”
She sidles a bit closer. I wonder if she’s meaning to tempt me or if it’s just the way things are between us. “Oh c’mon, you can’t do this to me! It’s winter. Freezing.”
“It’s Texas,” I say, deadpan. “At worst, it’s 60 degrees.”
“The water’s probably colder…”
“You’re right. No worries. We came—that counts for something. Let’s just get you home and tucked right back in that bed you’ve slept in since you were five years old. Who needs—”
“Okay! Jeez, just hold on. Let me take off my shoes.”
“And the nightgown.”
She arches her brow. “This is just a big ploy to see me naked.”
I don’t deny it.
“Do you even have a towel for me to use when I’m done?”
“I have a jacket. You can wrap it around yourself.”
She grumbles under her breath, just loudly enough for me to make out every single word. “Arrogant jerk” is said with the utmost clarity.
She leans down to yank off her shoes and then places them neatly in the sand away from the water. When it’s time to remove her nightgown, she pointedly arches a brow in my direction.
I turn slightly to the side as she starts to lift it overhead. I can still see her in my periphery. Her bare skin glows in the moonlight and she has three seconds to get in that water before I turn and push her down into the sand.
“I’m leaving my panties on,” she announces as she starts to tiptoe forward. I peek. Her arms are wrapped around her breasts, but the rest of her body is perfectly exposed. I spot her new ink on the side of her ribs. Her smooth, pale shoulders. Her toned legs and narrow waist. Her panties are cut high, revealing the bottom of her rounded butt cheeks.
She is…unimaginably beautiful.
“It’s really not so bad,” she says, glancing at me over her shoulder.
There’s a vision if I’ve ever seen one: Madison with her long brown hair hanging untamed down her back, her legs disappearing into the water. Her eyes are on me as she rests her chin on her shoulder. She’s watching me with a hint of amusement. That mouth proves it, her soft pink lips curled up in a knowing smile.
“You should have had some of that whiskey.”
“Why?” I ask, embarrassed by how strained the word sounds.
“Because I feel great and you feel…”
Out of control.
She’s right. If I had the bottle right now, I’d take the longest swig of my life. I’d probably keep going until the whole damn thing was empty.
“Sure you don’t want to come in?”
She beckons me like a siren.
I told myself I wouldn’t. It’s not a good idea. That water is a barrier. My phone and keys are in my pocket and that means I have to stay here, on land.
She turns away with a shrug and takes a few more steps. The water slides up to cover her butt.