Page 201 of Crazy for this Girl

His lips quirk. “I wouldn’t miss the infamous Fourth of July party since I’m a neighbor and all that.”

“No, you wouldn’t. I guess you’d have to find someone to shove in the lake.”

“Not just anyone,” he quips. “Just one girl in particular who I have a crush on.” I hold my breath and sink underneath the water again, feeling the blush along my cheeks cool.

Cal jumps in next to me immediately after and we both come up to the surface together a few seconds later.

“Still make you uncomfortable, Laynee?”

I shake my head and move for the dock. “No.”

Wrapping his arm around my waist, he turns me around to face him. “You want me to lay off the emotions?”

“Fuck no,” I blurt, causing him to raise a surprised brow. “I mean, no. I just…can’t believe that after all this time…that you’d still be waiting for me.”

He shrugs his naked shoulders. “I’ve never been able to see myself fully happy without you.”

“Then stop trying to drown me and maybe you’ll get to keep me,” I quip with knitted brows. “Geezus.”

“Any other conditions?”

“No, all bets are off, Cal Harper.”

“You say that now until we get into the office.” His large palm wraps around the bare skin of my waist. “Then you’ll change your tune.”

“If I agree you’ll have me walking around with a giant sign tied around my neck.”

He smiles, genuine and absolutely perfect. “Not a bad idea, Reese.” His other hand lands on the edge of the wooden plank at the side of my head to hold himself up. “You know what sounds like another good idea? You wrapping those legs around my waist.”

Straightaway, I do as he asks and he inches closer to me. “We done fighting?”

“We’re never done fighting. You like to rile me up and I like to push your buttons.”

His lips brush mine but he doesn’t apply the pressure I want him to. “How about undoing buttons? My cock is rock hard for you, Laynee Reese. I’ve been wanting you to myself in this lake with no clothes for decades.”

“With a bunch of middle-aged folks feet away with Coors cans and hamburgers?” My hand slides down the flat surface of his stomach and to the waistband of his bathing suit bottoms. “That’s sexy.”

“I don’t think I’ll be thinking about anyone else when I’m inside you, Peabo—“ I find his hard cock and give it a gentle squeeze to where he chuckles, accepting my warning to not say my middle name. “Still too soon?”

“Until we die,” I reply. “It’ll always be too soon. I’m changing it.”

“You can change it…eventually.”

“Why?” I wrap my arms around his neck. “You got something better?”

He bobs his head. “I do.”

“What?”

“Laynee Peabody Harper.”

My lips draw upward, even though his dumbass comment of my middle name.

Because Harper.

He wants to marry me one day. Why the hell wouldn’t I be ecstatic about that? I’ve only dreamt about it forever and I’m surprised I don’t have a pre-made Pinterest board for it yet.

“Is that a good smile or one of your conniving ones?" Cal asks me, intently watching me through glossy green eyes.

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