Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
All sweet seduction.
“Only have a few more boards to nail in to get the ceiling finished.”
“Come on, Milo,” she whined in that playful way. She tossed the hat from her head and began to spin around with her face upturned to the sky, red locks whipping around her. “You have all of this, and you don’t stop to enjoy it? Look at this view.”
She stumbled out of her spin then directly proceeded to peel that tank over her head to reveal the lacy red bra she wore underneath.
Shit.
What was she doing?
Lust fisted my guts, and then she wound out of her shorts, too, kicking both them and her shoes off before she ran for the lake in nothing but her bra and underwear.
Girl a mile of legs and slender curves and tempting shapes.
Tiny Tease.
Hell, I was right—she was goddamn diabolical.
My stomach growled.
She spun around to walk backward. “Are you coming or what? Tell me you don’t want to swim with me. I dare you.”
She hopped onto the dock and sprinted down the planks. She didn’t hesitate to jump.
She threw her arms into the air as she catapulted off the end.
Freedom rang from her mouth.
A shout of excitement.
Water splashed as she went under, then popped right back up.
She swished the drenched locks of hair out of her face, grinning so huge that it panged right in the middle of my chest.
“Get that cute butt in here, Milo Hendricks. You’d be crazy to miss out on this,” she shouted while she bobbed up and down in the water.
“You’re the crazy one…that water’s fuckin’ freezing.”
She giggled and started to float on her back. “It’s exhilarating. It’s all in the perspective, don’t you know?”
I’d edged that way, slower and slower as I approached the water.
My stomach twisted.
Images flashed.
“For a giant who can take himself a beating, you’re a big baby,” she teased.
Fuck it.
I’d been on my canoe a thousand times.
I could get in the water.
I peeled my shirt over my head, ignoring the aching that wanted to remind me of my place.
My pace increased as I hurried to meet her where she bobbed in the water.
Her smile was enormous, blue eyes taking me in like she’d just seen the light of day.
I shucked out of my boots and socks, then fumbled out of my jeans, leaving it all in a pile before I hustled to the end of the dock and jumped in, too.
Cannonball style.
Cold water swallowed me up as the momentum drove me under.
I was right. It was fucking freezing. But Tessa was right, too. It felt amazing.
Like bliss.
A small dose of liberation.
I felt it expand my chest as I floated beneath the surface for a second, in this place that was supposed to be my sanctuary before it had become no better than a burial ground.
Had hated these waters for the longest time, but I was remembering their freedom when I broke the surface.
Tessa giggled. “That was a straight ten. Bonified gold, baby.”
A chuckle broke free, and I pushed my fingers through my hair to toss back the wet locks from my face. “You think so, huh?”
“Absolutely. And not even like when I tell Gage it’s a ten when he’s doing karate. Like for real. The best cannonball I’ve ever seen. I think you missed your calling.”
Tessa tried to hold back her laughter.
I skimmed my palm across the water, sending a small wave of water sailing her way. It splashed her in the face.
She gasped, her eyes going wide, her feigned outrage leaving her spluttering. “What was that for?”
She immediately sent a wave right back. I turned to the side, and it splashed against my cheek. “Come on, take it like a man, Milo.”
Her eyes were wide.
“You take it.” I splashed her again.
Laughter rang.
Hers and mine.
Two of us treading water in the middle of my lake while we splashed and teased and laughed.
Our legs kicked beneath the surface.
Skin brushing skin.
A ripple effect.
And that feeling was there that I needed to deny.
What I needed to lock down.
Reject.
But my arm was reaching out, and I snatched her by the wrist and drew her to me.
Surprise flittered through her expression before she exhaled a happy sound.
Her body was pressed to mine as my palm found her cheek, and she stared up at me with this awe like I could be the man I’d once attempted to be.
Hesitation warred. What was I doing?
And she was whispering, “It’s okay, Milo. While we’re in this, why can’t we make each other feel good? Be there for each other? In every way?”
That was one second before my mouth was crashing against hers.
My hand tangled in her wet hair, and my tongue dove in on a hunt for hers.
While we’re in this.
Liar.
Think we both knew.
We knew that none of this was going to come without consequences. That this was impossible. That my heart didn’t belong to me.