Page 34 of Summer Love

I stood. "I forgot we went for a swim and then got stuck in the rain."

Grams nodded toward the back door. "I saw you guys in the ocean. You looked close."

My heart pounded. I'd thought we'd been alone, and no one was paying us any attention. "He was making sure I didn't drown."

Grams gave me a knowing look. "Last time I checked, you were a strong swimmer. Did you somehow forget after being in Boston for so long?"

"I'm taking a shower now." I dodged the question, heading upstairs where my room encompassed the entire floor. The room was cozy with a slanted roof. I grabbed shorts, a T-shirt, new panties, and a bra before jumping in the en suite shower.

The days of working side by side with Hudson, and then that dip in the ocean, had me hot and bothered. I closed my eyes and remembered what it felt like when he'd held me to him.

I imagined that he couldn't keep his hands off me. We were wet, caught in the rain with no one around to see us, and this time he pulled me against his body. He wore briefs that left nothing to the imagination.

He was hard everywhere, and he didn't waste any time kissing me. His touch was sure and confident. His fingers eased under the edge of my bikini bottoms, teasing my entrance. I let my fingers drift down my body and between my folds.

I pretended that my fingers were his, and his mouth was on mine. In no time, an orgasm flew through me. As I came down from that high, I wondered if he was thinking about me in the shower too.

I finished cleaning up and got dressed. Then I put on socks and shoes before grabbing my keys. "I'm heading out, Grams."

"You have a good time."

"Are you going to watch TV for the rest of the night?"

"I'll be happy when I can sit out there again." She nodded toward the porch which was half gone.

"It will be ready before you know it."

"I can't wait, but at the same time, I'm not in a hurry. I'm enjoying having Hudson around. He keeps things interesting."

I rested my hand on my hip. "I'm not interesting?"

"No dear. Not in the same way Hudson is. You two are practically dancing around each other, and the heat—woowee— What I wouldn't give to be young again."

"The problem with being young is that you have no idea what will happen in the future."

"And that's your problem. You think too much. Enjoy this time you have with Hudson. Be open to the possibilities. Stop worrying about everything."

"Okay, Grams. I'll try." I kissed her cheek, not sure I'd follow her advice.

I was oddly nervous as I drove to the community center. There was a playground and a basketball court with a path through the woods to a pond where alligators floated in the sun. I'd come here a lot as a kid. But there wasn't a playground back then.

I parked next to Hudson's truck. Then I walked on the path past the playground to the basketball court. I'd dressed for working out.

Hudson sat on the bench next to a boy who looked to be about eleven or twelve.

I approached them. "You must be Shane."

"Shane, this is my friend, Elena."

"It's nice to meet you, Shane," I said to him, grateful Hudson hadn't mentioned that I was a journalist.

Shane squinted up at me. "Are you playing with us?"

"I can if you don't mind." I'd played basketball a lot in my youth because my parents had a hoop over their garage. I just hadn't had many people to play with. So my dribbling and shooting game might be better than my team play. I wasn't sure.

"We can do two-on-one," Shane said.

"I hope I'm part of the two in that scenario. I haven't played in a while," I joked.

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