Page 47 of Simply Yours

Caitlin stared at him, momentarily stunned.

“What?” he asked, catching her expression.

“You just surprise me sometimes.”

Jason smirked, then jerked his chin toward the ground. “I think I’m ready for one of the containers.”

Shaking herself from her daze, she grabbed a five-gallon pot, carefully cutting away the side before sliding the honeysuckle free. She moved to kneel beside the hole?—

Only for Jason to grab her under the arms, lifting her clean off the ground as if she weighed nothing, and swatting at her legs.

“Ants,” he said bluntly.

And that’s when she felt the first sting.

Panic shot through her as she let out a startled yelp, kicking off her socks and shoes and smacking at her legs in a frantic attempt to rid herself of the biting swarm.

Then—cold.

She gasped as icy water hit her bare legs.

Jason stood a few feet away, garden hose in hand, dousing her with a stream of water. “Come here,” he ordered, his voice low and steady, leaving no room for argument.

“I’m good,” she managed, backing up, only to realize he wasn’t shutting off the hose.

“I’m good,” she repeated, this time a little more insistent. “You can shut off the water.”

Jason grinned—a slow, lazy, devil-may-care kind of smile that immediately set off alarm bells in her brain.

“I’m good too,” he said, and before she could react,he lifted the hose higher?—

And sprayed her full-on in the chest.

The cold shock stole the breath from her lungs, and she let out an indignant squeal, arms flailing. “Jason!”

He laughed, the rich sound filling the air as he feigned innocence, casually redirecting the spray toward her freshly planted tomatoes—before, of course, swinging the hose back at her.

“Oh, that’s it!”

She lunged, reaching for the hose, but Jason, the infuriating man, was taller, faster, and clearly enjoying himself way too much.

They scrambled in a chaotic game of keep-away, both soaked and laughing as water misted around them. Jason dodged, weaving out of reach, only to flick the hose at her again, drenching her hair, her shirt, everything.

But Caitlin wasn’t one to back down.

Shefinallymanaged to grab the hose, yanking it from his grip, and immediately turned it on him.

Water splashed over his chest, his shirt now clinging to his frame, the fabric practically translucent. He let out a bark of laughter, running a hand through his soaked hair, his grin wide and unrestrained.

And then?—

Their eyes met.

The playful chaos melted away, leaving behind only the sound of water dripping from their clothes, the golden afternoon wrapping around them, and the weight of something unspoken pressing in. The world seemed to shrink, the garden forgotten, the wet grass beneath Caitlin’s feet cooling her overheated skin.

Her pulse pounded in her ears as she dared to meet Jason’s gaze. A flicker of something dark and unreadable passed over his expression, settling there as his eyes drifted—just briefly—to her lips.

Heat exploded through her chest. Her breath hitched, her fingers twitching at her sides, suddenly hyperaware of how close they stood, the scent of damp earth and summer air swirling between them.

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