Page 77 of It Started at the Lake

Dad refused to pay for a real tree. He said they were a waste of money and destroyed the planet. “I’ve only had an artificial tree. Am I missing out on having a real one?”

Bennett pretends to stab a knife in his heart. “You mentioned how good it smells. This? Right here?” He takes a deep breath in. “Imagine this in your living room with lights on it.”

“Promise me no matter where we spend our holidays this year, we’ll have a real tree.” I want to experience the difference myself. Though I have a feeling as long as I’m with Bennett, the other stuff won’t matter as much. “Wait. I’m getting too far ahead again, right?”

His head wobbles side-to-side. “In other circumstances, I’d say yes, but I really like the idea of spending the holidays with you.”

Christmas festivities with Bennett? Two thumbs-up. “Me too.” The rush of water crashing is faint, but grows stronger as we walk. “Are we close? I can hear the waterfall.”

Bennett points to a curve ahead of us. “It’s just up there.”

Too excited to keep our casual pace, I take off running. The moment the waterfall comes into view, I stop dead in my tracks. Bennett bumps into me from behind. We stumble forward, but manage to stay upright.

“A little warning next time?” Bennett jokes, holding on to my shoulders.

“Sorry.” Fifty feet above us, a waterfall cascades in a massive sheet to a pool about half the size of a football field. Twenty people are swimming and another ten sun bathe on the boulders and sand surrounding the pond. “I’ve never seen something like this in real life. Have you been under the spray before? Does it hurt?”

“Yes, and yes. Since you’re a good swimmer, you’ll be fine to try it.”

“Will you come with me?”

“Absolutely.”

I spin around, facing him. “Should we swim first or do the waterfall?”

“Waterfall and then we can relax after.”

Bennett takes my hand, leading me to an open spot on the left side of the natural pool. “I have a surprise for you on top of the massage later today.”

Shimmying out of my bike shorts, I say, “Bennett, you don’t need to do anything else for me.”

I yank my shirt over my head, then pull on my swim straps, hiking them higher on my shoulders. I went with my animal print suit since the top has more support. Why hasn’t Bennett responded?

Oh. Oh!

Bennett’s staring at me with intense heat in his eyes. He takes his time, scanning my body up and down, checking me out. My lower stomach gets all warm and tingly. We’ve seen one another in our swimsuits plenty of times by now, but we’ve been around the family and Bennett didn’t allow himself to think of me as anything other than a friend.

But not now.

With strangers who we will never see again, we can take our time fully appreciating our attraction to one another.

“You’re stunning, Mils,” Bennett says with awe. “Absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you.” I smile. “You’re not too bad yourself, professor.”

Bennett’s gaze hasn’t left my body. “Need help with sunscreen?”

Crackles of electricity shoot up my veins. The people and noise around us fade away. Bennett’s hands on my back and shoulders? I shiver in anticipation. “Actually, I do.”

Grabbing my SPF 30 from my backpack, I turn my back to Bennett and hold the bottle over my shoulder. I hear a squirt from behind. Bennett’s warm hands rub the top of my shoulders with the cold lotion. Methodically, he works the sunblock into my skin. His pinky slips under the band of my swim top and bottom.

I’m seconds from combusting. Desire for him swells in my abdomen, and it takes everything in me not to turn around and show him exactly how he’s making me feel. Not yet, Mils. There are people around, and kissing him right now isn’t a good idea. Give yourself time.

Unable to take his hands on my body one second longer, I spin around, facing him. “I’m ready for Armageddon with that excellent application. You ready for your turn?”

His pupils are dilated. “Yes,” he says in a husky tone.

Taking the container from him, I squeeze the cream that smells like coconut into my palms. Rubbing them together first, I start at Bennett’s shoulders like he did with me. Also like Bennett, I take my time massaging in the lotion, ensuring no white residue remains on his skin. As my hands skate over his muscles, my breaths turn ragged.

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