Page 54 of The Trouble with Players

“You don’t believe me?” he asked.

I shrugged.

“Big mistake doubting me.” He stood, picking me right up with him.

“What are you doing?” I asked as I clutched onto him.

He walked us right out of the pool house and to the path to the beach.

“Crew!” I screeched. “What are you doing?”

“Making you believe me.”

“I believe you!” I cried, looking around the vacant beach as he stormed toward the water.

“No, please,” I begged. “It’s going to be cold.”

“Well, then you better get ready.” He rushed into the water, his arms tightening around me.

The rush of sixty-degree water sent goosebumps scampering over my skin as he moved us into deeper water until we were up to our chins.

He didn’t release me, just held me. “This feels nice.”

“What does?”

“Being out here knowing not a soul can see us.”

“I knew you planned to keep me a secret.”

He laughed. “You know what I meant.”

Did I?

He pressed his lips to mine and kissed me slowly, the saltwater mixing with our tongues. He was right. There wasn’t a soul around, and the fact that we were all alone out there made it more special. We were in our own little bubble and no one could ruin it.

Breathless, I pulled out of the kiss. “Let’s go shower.”

His brows shot up. “Together?”

“I hope so.”

He kissed me hard. “Oh, you are even more incredible than I thought.”

I laughed.

“I’ll meet you upstairs in five minutes,” he said as he released me. “Wouldn’t want Marty getting suspicious.”

I rolled my eyes at him before making my way out of the water, grabbing a towel on my way by the pool house, and wrapping it around me on my way into the kitchen.

“Where were you?” my father asked, standing by the sink.

“Excuse me?”

“Did you come home last night?”

“Yes.”

“You weren’t in the guest room,” he challenged.

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