Page 40 of Catch and Release Groom

“The danger aspect is a blip on the radar—I’ve got people backing me up, and we’ve been trained and have the required skill set.”

“Oh, so your arrogance is what takes up the rest of the radar. It’s like”—she waved an imaginary wand in front of him—“Beep, beep, beep.” She reached up to her shoulder and depressed a button on her imaginary walkie-talkie. “By God, I’ve hit the motherlode.”

“I can’t help but notice you said that right when your wand neared my crotch.”

Her jaw dropped. “I. Did. Not!”

“Trust me, you’re not wrong. But is it really arrogance if I always deliver?” He expected a snarky retort, not for her to brazenly lower her gaze and swipe her tongue across her upper lip.

That, in turn, left that particular part of his anatomy aching to show off. “Be good, you,” he said. Then he spun her outward again, caging her in his arms so his erection lined up with the seam of her ass. Forget proper manners. Wasn’t that the benefit of being on your honeymoon?

As the sun dipped lower, turning the clouds various shades of purple, pink, and orange, Easton lowered his lips to nibble at Imogen’s neck. They weren’t far from the resort, meaning this ride would be over soon, and he wasn’t quite ready to let go. With the last rays of sunlight fading away, it added a heightened sense of intimacy.

Then again, it was probably more than the setting.

He let himself sink into the moment, telling himself the reasons weren’t nearly as important as savoring it. “See that river?” he asked Imogen, keeping his voice low, since his mouth was right next to her ear. “You’ll never guess what happened to me one day while I was standing on shore, just mindin’ my own business.”

Excitement swirled into the reflection the sunset left in her big blue irises. “Another search and rescue mission?”

“Not my usual, and I didn’t have anyone to call for backup, so I left my fate in the hands of a complete stranger.”

Her eyes flew wide, and she wrapped her hand around his forearm and squeezed, despite the situation taking place in the past tense and him obviously being fine. “That’s where this hot tourist chick embedded a fishing hook in my ear.”

It took a second for it to sink in, and then she elbowed him in the gut with a disgruntled, “Ah!I was worried about you.”

“Hey, me too. ’Specially since I’m taking the same woman fishing again tomorrow.”

Imogen turned around, their hips bumping in the small partition, and fired off a ridiculously cute glare. “Not only was that your idea,boo bear, you made it sound like I was the one who didn’t actually have a choice this time.”

With her breasts smooshed up against his chest, he hardly felt reprimanded.

And while he was sure Italy had its perks, he wouldn’t trade it for this ride, this evening, here and now with her. She was an unexpected surprise during a week he’d severely needed a reprieve, and so he granted her the moment of vulnerability he couldn’t offer before.

“The truth is, I’m looking forward to getting you out on the water again. Prepping for the game’s only part of the reason, too,” he said, and the smile spreading across her face put one on his as well. “It’s because my favorite activity is quickly turning into spending time with you.”

Chapter Sixteen

I’ll be damned. The pair of them actually caught something.

Easton squinted against the early morning rays toward the flash of movement he’d caught of Imogen and his dog before Gator’s bark pierced the quiet. He finished securing a wooly bugger to the end of his client’s line, told the guy he’d be right back, and drew his net from its holster.

Imogen remained hunched low as she scurried along with the flow of the river, her hands clawing at the water’s surface. Gator bounded at her side, sticking to the shallower edges while yipping encouragement.

Within a couple of long strides, Easton caught up, and he couldn’t help but notice Imogen was no longer holding the rod he’d lent her. “Did you drop your pole?” he called over the gurgled rush of water.

He took her bafflement to mean she’d lost his rig to the rocky riverbed. Later, he’d have to explain that while he admired her dedication, catching a fish wasn’t worth letting go of the tool necessary to catch more in the future.

Silver scales glinted in the sunshine as fins slapped the water’s surface, and Easton swung the net. “Got it,” he said, and through the glittering droplets, he gaped at the object so different than what he’d expected that he kept trying to turn it into something else. “Imogen? Why is there a phone in my net, and not a bass, crappie, or striper?”

“Because you’re my hero.” She gave him an attack hug, lunging with enough gusto she sent a spray of water over him as she pressed her soaked torso to his chest. Then, in a move that counted as the most fishing she’d done in this river, she dug her phone from the net. “Please be as waterproof as Apple says you are, please be as waterproof as Apple says you are.”

“You know, if you left the damn thing in your pocket—or better yet, my truck—this wouldn’t have happened.” He might as well be speaking another language for all the listening shehadn’tdone.

Imogen held her breath as she depressed the button, and when the screen lit up, she melted against him. It was the only time she’d done so without his tongue in her mouth, and now he wasn’t merely perplexed, he was working his way toward envious.

At least she’d called him her hero.

Better that than her less-than-enthusiastic greeting upon his arrival at her door bright and early this morning.

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